Mother knows best: an integrative study on the causes and fitness consequences of individual maternal strategies in the Australian zebra finch

母亲可以通过在早期生命阶段不同地分配资源来塑造子女的发育和行为。这种早期的母性影响在整个动物界都有描述，从昆虫到人类，但它们对后代的长期影响却知之甚少。我将利用标志性的澳大利亚斑马雀，研究早期的母性策略如何塑造后代的晚年生活，包括他们的性行为和自己的生殖。该项目处于该专题生物学学科的前沿，并将显著提升澳大利亚基础研究的国际形象。

Mothers can shape the development and behavior of their offspring by differentially allocating recourses at early life stages. Such early maternal effects have been described throughout the animal kingdom, from insects to man, their long-term consequences for the offspring are however poorly understood. Using the iconic Australian zebra finch, I will investigate how early maternal strategies can shape the offspring's later life, including their sexual behavior and own reproduction. This project is at the forefront of this topical biological discipline and will significantly rise the international profile of Australian basic research.