Evolution of mating systems and parental care strategies

我的研究涉及生殖策略的演变：个人如何选择社会和繁殖伙伴，以及每个人如何投资于父母的照顾。理论表明，在抚养后代的过程中，配偶之间既有合作，也有冲突。 每一个可能有机会在配偶关系之外交配（不忠），每一个可能有不同的优先事项的类型和数量的照顾后代。我将研究北方的闪烁，一种啄木鸟，通常是社会一夫一妻制，但它显示了兼性一妻多夫制。啄木鸟在早期鸟类中几乎是独一无二的，因为雄性在夜间孵化，似乎比雌性贡献更多的父母照顾。 这些生活史特征使啄木鸟成为一个有趣的和新的物种，研究基于性别的父母努力的进化。总的目标是：（1）利用DNA检测确定父母是否与巢中的雏鸟有亲缘关系（是否存在额外交配或雌鸟弃卵行为），并确定与这些替代性繁殖策略相关的社会和环境因素;（2）研究雌雄父母的食物分配模式与雏鸟年龄、性别和健康状况的关系。 我将使用小型摄像机拍摄树洞内的乞讨和食物转移，3）研究杂交区的配偶选择和繁殖成功，并确定外寄生是否是年复一年重复使用树洞的成本。在过去的9年里，我建立了世界上最大和最深入的啄木鸟研究之一。 巢的大样本量有利于实验方法和捕捉和色带近100%的成年人的能力，使我能够将年龄，经验，身体状况和形态等因素纳入父母的努力模型。 啄木鸟繁殖的数据也有实际用途。 啄木鸟是森林生态系统中的关键物种，也是保护的目标。在这项长期研究中收集的基线生殖和生活史数据将有助于模拟种群动态和维持这些物种的景观。

My research addresses the evolution of reproductive strategies: how individuals choose social and breeding partners, and how each invests into parental care. Theory suggests there will be both co-operation and conflict between members of a pair raising young.  Each may have opportunities for mating outside the pair bond (infidelity) and each may have different priorities for the type and quantity of care given to the offspring. I will study the northern flicker, a woodpecker that is usually socially monogamous but which shows facultative polyandry. Woodpeckers are nearly unique among altricial birds because males incubate at night and seem to contribute more parental care than females.  These life history traits make woodpeckers an interesting and novel species in which to study the evolution of gender-based parental effort. The general objectives are: 1) to use DNA tests to determine whether parents are related to the young in their nest (whether there are extra-pair copulations or egg-dumping by females) and to determine the social and environmental factors correlated with these alternate reproductive strategies, 2) to study food allocation patterns of male and female parents in relation to nestling age, sex and health.  I will use small cameras to video-tape begging and food transfer within tree cavities, 3) to study mate selection and reproductive success in the hybrid zone and to determine whether ectoparasitism is a cost of reusing tree cavities year after year. Over the past 9 years, I have established one of the largest and most intensive studies of woodpeckers in the world.  The large sample size of nests facilitates an experimental approach and the ability to capture and colour-band nearly 100% of adults allows me to incorporate factors such as age, experience, body condition, and morphology into models of parental effort.  Data on woodpecker reproduction also has practical uses.  Woodpeckers are important as keystone species in forest ecosystems and are targets for conservation. The baseline reproductive and life history data collected during this long-term study will be useful for modelling population dynamics and maintaining these species on the landscape.