RUI: Comparison of Seismic Communication in Four Species ofDesert Rodents

RUI：四种沙漠啮齿动物的地震通讯比较

• 批准号: 9306688
• 负责人: Janet Randall
• 金额: $ 7.08万
• 依托单位: San Francisco State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1993
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1993-08-01 至 1997-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9306688&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Comparison; Seismic; Communication; Four

9306688 Randall Striking the hind feet on the ground to create mechanical vibrations has evolved independently in several rodent families around the world. Although foot-drumming behavior is common in desert rodents from North and South Africa, Middle East, Central Russia, Asia, and North America, it has been studied in detail only in the Southwestern United States in the banner-tailed kangaroo rat. Dr. Randall has found that foot-drumming by the banner-tails is part of a communication system: the rats create individually distinct foot- drumming signatures that are used to identify neighbors during territorial defense. She now seeks to understand the evolution of foot-drumming as communication through comparing the banner-tails with three species of kangaroo rat from different locations and habitats. The new species include the giant kangaroo rat, a federally listed endangered species that lives in open grassland, the desert kangaroo rat, which lives in sand dunes, and the Heerman's kangaroo rat from rocky slopes. Of primary interest will be between-species comparisons by age, sex, and individual of the foot-drumming signal in the contexts of territorial defense, competition for resources and mates, and in predator defense. Playback experiments will test for species, sex and individual recognition of identified foot-drumming signals. This is the first comparative study of foot-drumming in closely related species, and as such will contribute to a general understanding of how this unique communication system evolved. Results of this study can help us understand why so many rodents in the world's deserts have evolved foot-drumming behavior. This research should also provide valuable information about desert communities and assist in development of recovery plans for endangered species of kangaroo rats.

9306688 Randall在世界各地的几个啮齿动物家庭中独立发展了地面上的后脚以产生机械振动。 尽管在北非和南非，中东，俄罗斯中东，亚洲和北美的沙漠啮齿动物中，脚踏板行为很常见，但仅在美国西南部的汉格瓜老鼠中进行了详细研究。 兰德尔（Randall）博士发现，横幅尾巴的脚步是通信系统的一部分：老鼠创建了单独的脚鼓签名，用于在领土防御期间识别邻居。 现在，她试图通过将横幅尾巴与来自不同位置和栖息地的三种袋鼠大鼠进行比较，以了解脚步的演变。 新物种包括巨型袋鼠老鼠，这是一种生活在开放草原的联邦列出的濒危物种，居住在沙丘中的沙漠袋鼠老鼠和岩石斜坡的Heerman kangaroo鼠。 在领土辩护，资源和伴侣竞争以及在掠食者防御中，在年龄，性别和人物的个人范围内以及在掠夺者竞争的背景下以及捕食者的脚步信号的个人进行比较。 播放实验将测试物种，性别和个人认识已确定的脚踏板信号。 这是对密切相关物种中足迹的首次比较研究，因此将有助于对这种独特的通信系统的发展有助于一般的理解。 这项研究的结果可以帮助我们理解为什么世界沙漠中如此多的啮齿动物会发展出脚步行为。 这项研究还应提供有关沙漠社区的宝贵信息，并协助制定危险的袋鼠大鼠的恢复计划。