Research Starter Grant: The Morphological Consequences of Competition in Plethodon Salamanders

研究启动资助：无腹蝾螈竞争的形态学后果

• 批准号: 0122281
• 负责人: Dean Adams
• 金额: $ 3.5万
• 依托单位: Iowa State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-09-01 至 2003-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0122281&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Research; Starter; Grant; Morphological; Consequences

Competition among closely related species is thought to be an important factor driving species distributions. Though competition among salamanders in the genus Plethodon appears to be common, the consequences of competition on morphology are less well understood. In this project, hypotheses about morphological change will be tested in two well-characterized species pairs. Several methods will be used to quantify morphology, including linear distance measurements and landmark-based geometric morphometric methods. For P. jordani and P. teyahalee, it is hypothesized that morphological differences are more extreme in the Smoky Mountains than in the Balsam Mountains. This hypothesis is based on knowledge of ecological and behavioral interactions of these species in the two mountain ranges. For P. cinereus and P. shenandoah, it is hypothesized that an extinct population of P. shenandoah and a nearby population of P. cinereus are more morphologically similar than populations in other regions where both species coexist. This hypothesis is based on knowledge of behavioral and aggressive interactions. Results from this project will help us understand how interspecific competition affects morphological variability in Plethodon, which has important consequences for how organisms interact with their environment. On a larger scale, results from this project will provide a better understanding of the relative importance of competition as a driving force behind community assemblages, and help us understand the influence of competition on the geographic distribution of organisms.

密切相关的物种之间的竞争被认为是驱动物种分布的重要因素。 尽管无蝾螈属蝾螈之间的竞争似乎很常见，但竞争对形态的影响尚不清楚。 在该项目中，有关形态变化的假设将在两个特征明确的物种对中进行测试。 将使用多种方法来量化形态，包括线性距离测量和基于地标的几何形态测量方法。 对于 P. jordani 和 P. teyahalee，推测大烟山的形态差异比香脂山的形态差异更为极端。 这一假设基于对这两座山脉中这些物种的生态和行为相互作用的了解。 对于 P. cinereus 和 P. shenandoah，假设已灭绝的 P. shenandoah 种群和附近的 P. cinereus 种群在形态上比这两个物种共存的其他地区的种群更加相似。 该假设基于行为和攻击性互动的知识。 该项目的结果将帮助我们了解种间竞争如何影响无齿兽的形态变异，这对生物体与其环境的相互作用产生重要影响。 在更大的范围内，该项目的结果将有助于更好地理解竞争作为群落组合背后的驱动力的相对重要性，并帮助我们了解竞争对生物体地理分布的影响。