Sociality, communication and animal cognitive abilities

我的研究探讨了促进动物合作和社会性的遗传和环境因素，以及社会群体成员分享和处理信息的方式。地松鼠和蚂蚁是我研究的重点，因为它们数量丰富，具有高度的社会性。通过比较不同物种的社会行为，我可以确定哪些因素通常会促进动物的社会性。我迄今为止的研究表明，随着社会的发展，它们变得更加包容，非亲属之间的合作越来越多。对亲属的偏爱，以及在社会性的早期进化中常见的亲属识别，可能仍然存在，这样动物就可以避免与近亲交配。我所提出的研究在我早期的发现基础上有了很大的扩展。首先，我将收集野外数据，以了解不合群的富兰克林地松鼠是否会使用亲属识别来优先与亲属联系和合作，或者仅仅是为了避免与近亲交配。通过观察亲属识别在非社会性物种中的作用，我可以确定这种能力在社会进化中扮演了什么角色。我还将对奴隶制造蚂蚁进行实验，这将测试物种之间的长期寄生关系是否会导致合作。其次，由于群体成员之间的沟通是必要的社会，我将继续研究在地面松鼠报警通信。我将建立在我早期发现的基础上，松鼠通过测试呼叫接收者是否整合来自多个不相关呼叫者的信息来跟踪捕食者的运动来识别单个报警呼叫者。我还将进行实地研究，以测试个体是否会分享关于他们对可能的捕食者的警惕程度的信息，以及我的实验室最近发现的超声波报警电话是否选择性地警告亲属，或者自私地防止呼叫者被捕食者定位。研究动物是如何获得和处理信息的，揭示了它们潜在的认知能力。总的来说，我的工作提供了重要的见解如何社会性的演变，以及如何沟通和认知能力有助于社会合作。从潜在脆弱的富兰克林地松鼠身上获得的基本生物学数据也有助于保护工作。

My research examines genetic and environmental factors promoting cooperation and sociality in animals, as well as ways in which members of social groups share and process information. Ground squirrels and ants are the focus of my research because they are abundant and highly social. Comparisons of social behaviour across species allow me to identify which factors in general promote animal sociality. My research to date suggests that as societies evolve, they become more inclusive, with increasing cooperation among non-relatives. Favoritism toward kin, and kin recognition common in the early evolution of sociality, may remain in place so that animals can avoid mating with close relatives. My proposed research expands significantly on my earlier findings. First, I will collect field data on whether asocial Franklin's ground squirrels use kin recognition to associate and cooperate preferentially with relatives, or simply to avoid mating with close kin. By looking at the role of kin recognition in asocial species, I can determine what role that ability played in social evolution. I will also conduct experiments on slave making ants, which will test whether long-term parasitic relationships between species can lead to aspects of cooperation. Secondly, as communication among group members is necessary within a society, I will continue research on alarm communication in ground squirrels. I will build on my earlier finding that squirrels recognize individual alarm callers by testing whether call recipients integrate information from multiple unrelated callers to track predator's movements. I will also conduct field studies to test whether individuals share information about their level of vigilance toward possible predators, and whether the ultrasonic alarm calls discovered recently by my lab, selectively warn relatives, or selfishly prevent callers from being located by predators. Examining how information is obtained and processed by animals reveals their underlying cognitive abilities. Overall, my work provides important insights into how sociality evolved, and how communication and cognitive abilities contribute to societal cooperation. The basic biological data obtained on potentially vulnerable Franklin's ground squirrels also contribute to conservation efforts.