Dissertation Research: The Effects of Diet and Activity on ORANG Fecundity

论文研究：饮食和活动对猩猩繁殖力的影响

• 批准号: 9414388
• 负责人: Peter Ellison
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1995
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1995-07-15 至 1998-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9414388&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Effects; Diet; Activity

The reproduction of any species can be best understood by placing it within its ecological context. This research project is designed to test the hypothesis that reproduction, specifically female ovarian function, is effected by environmental conditions. The study will investigate whether food intake and activity levels affect ovarian hormonal levels (and hence the biological capacity to bear offspring). Orangutans are and ideal species to examine the effects of energy expenditure on fecundity for a variety of reasons. 1) Orangs have the longest average inter birth interval of any primate - 8 years, with a great deal of variability surrounding it; 2) this implies a long period after lactation, called the waiting time to conception, in which females are not yet fecund for a variety of reasons including local ecological conditions and maternal condition; 3) the slow movement of orangutans facilitates collection of detailed data on nutritional intake and energetic expenditure; 4) they inhabit an area of large fluctuations in fruit availability, so that if ovarian function responds to fluctuating fruiting patterns, this is a habitat where such a relationship is likely to be expressed. The research in West Kalimantan, Indonesia will focus on females who have finished lactating for one offspring and have not yet conceived again. The data will consist of relative hormonal indices reflecting ovarian function during each cycle that will be compared to data gathered simultaneously on estimates of nutritional intake, energetic expenditure, energy balance and food availability, testing the responsiveness of ovarian function to these variables. To accomplish this, techniques of measuring urinary hormones will be used to evaluate ovarian function. Additionally, monitoring cyclical fluctuations in hormonal patterns will make it possible to address whether aspects of orangutan socio-sexual behavior, such as the surprisingly regular occurrence of forced copulations, are influenced by ovulatory status. Knowing when ovulation occurs will provide a powerful tool to investigate the role of female choice and its impact on sexual selection in orangs.

可以通过将其放置在其生态环境中，最好理解任何物种的繁殖。 该研究项目旨在检验以下假设：繁殖，特别是女性卵巢功能，受环境条件的影响。 该研究将研究食物摄入和活动水平是否影响卵巢激素水平（因此具有后代的生物学能力）。 猩猩是出于多种原因检查能量消耗对繁殖力的影响的理想物种。 1）Orangs的平均生育时间间隔最长，任何灵长类动物 - 8年，周围有很大的可变性； 2）这意味着泌乳后很长一段时间，称其为受孕的等待时间，其中女性尚未出于各种原因，包括当地的生态状况和孕产妇状况； 3）猩猩的缓慢运动促进了有关营养摄入和能量支出的详细数据的收集； 4）他们居住在果实可用性中的一个大波动区域，因此，如果卵巢功能响应波动的结果模式，那么这是一个可能表达这种关系的栖息地。 印度尼西亚西卡利曼丹市的研究将集中在为一个后代完成哺乳的女性，尚未再次想到。 数据将包括反映每个周期内反映卵巢功能的相对激素指数，这些指数将与同时收集的数据进行对营养摄入，能量支出，能量平衡和食品可用性的估计，测试卵巢功能对这些变量的响应性。 为此，将使用测量泌尿激素的技术来评估卵巢功能。 此外，监测激素模式中的周期性波动将使能够解决猩猩社会性行为的各个方面是否受到排卵状态的影响，例如出人意料的经常发生强制互配。 知道排卵何时发生将为调查女性选择的作用及其对猩猩的性选择的影响提供强大的工具。