Datalogging PIT-tag readers

量化已知个体的生存和运动的长期数据集可以导致对自然动物种群生态学的特殊洞察，同时为保护和管理提供关键信息。当与个体的遗传相关性知识以及行为或生理特征的表型测量相结合时，这可以使研究种群内的自然选择和进化变化机制成为可能。这些数据集存在于少数啮齿动物和有蹄类动物物种中，但缺乏绝大多数哺乳动物。我建议使用被动集成转发器（PIT标签）单独标记大量的小棕色蝙蝠（鼠耳蝠lucifugus）和大棕色蝙蝠（Eptesicus fuscus）从hibernacula在马尼托巴和西北部安大略，同时还收集表型测量和组织样本进行分子分析。我们研究中心的试点工作已经证实，PIT标签和定制设计的天线系统可以在该研究系统中提供出色的长期数据，因为我们可以访问大量的动物，这些动物可以可靠地通过适合使用PIT天线进行监测的小开口。这项建议是高度时间敏感的，因为预测的影响，白鼻综合症，特别是对小棕蝙蝠，在未来几年内。我建议在WNS到来之前给大量的蝙蝠配备PIT标签，同时从所有这些个体中获得遗传样本，并从尽可能大的样本中进行表型测量。这项工作将使我和我的学生能够量化对分子，行为和生理特征的选择，以应对环境变化和疾病。

Long-term datasets quantifying survival and movements of known individuals can lead to exceptional insight into the ecology of natural animal populations while providing information critical for conservation and management. When combined with knowledge of genetic relatedness of individuals, and phenotypic measurements of behavioural or physiological traits, this can enable study of mechanisms of natural selection and evolutionary change within populations. These datasets exist for a few species of rodents and ungulates but are lacking for the vast majority of mammals. I propose to use passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) to individually mark large numbers of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) from hibernacula in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario, while also collecting phenotypic measurements and tissue samples for molecular analysis. Pilot work from our study sites has confirmed that PIT tags and a custom-designed antenna system can provide excellent long-term data in this study system because we have access to large numbers of animals that reliably pass through small openings amenable to monitoring using PIT antennas. This proposal is highly time-sensitive because of predicted impacts of White-Nose Syndrome, especially on little brown bats, within the next several years. I propose to outfit large numbers of bats with PIT tags prior to the arrival of WNS, while also obtaining genetic samples from all of these individuals, and phenotypic measurements from as large a sample as possible. This work will allow my students and I to quantify selection on molecular, behavioural and physiological traits in response to environmental variation and disease.