Testing Ecological Mechansims of Adaptation in Red Squirrels.

测试红松鼠适应的生态机制。

• 批准号: 0515849
• 负责人: Andrew McAdam
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Michigan State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-09-01 至 2010-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0515849&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Testing; Ecological; Mechansims; Adaptation; Red

Understanding the ecological causes of evolutionary change requires that key ecological factors are not only identifiable and measurable but also amenable to experimental manipulations. Kluane red squirrels represent a natural mammalian system, for which it is possible to not only document evolution in action, but also to test the importance of specific ecological factors in driving that evolution. The goal of this project is to experimentally test the hypothesis that food abundance controls short-term evolutionary changes in juvenile growth rates and the timing of spring breeding by mimicking high food conditions in three populations of red squirrels. Experimentally induced evolution would confirm the importance of food as a key factor affecting short-term evolution in red squirrels. More broadly, this project will generate insights into the crucial linkages between ecology and contemporary evolution in the wild. The Kluane red squirrel system will continue to provide a valuable venue for graduate and undergraduate training in field research in northern ecosystems. An interactive website that describes this collaborative research project (see http:///www.redsquirrel.msu.edu) has recently been developed. This website provides both an accessible resource for teachers, researchers and children interested in red squirrels as well as a mechanism for data exchange among researchers and the general public.

了解进化变化的生态原因要求关键的生态因素不仅可以识别和可衡量，而且还可以适合实验性操纵。 Kluane红松鼠代表了一种天然的哺乳动物系统，为此，不仅可以记录行动中的进化，而且还可以测试特定生态因素在推动该进化中的重要性。 该项目的目的是实验测试以下假设：粮食丰度控制少年生长速率的短期进化变化以及通过模仿三个红色松鼠种群的高食物条件，春季繁殖的时间。实验诱导的演化将证实食物作为影响红松鼠短期进化的关键因素的重要性。 更广泛地说，该项目将洞悉生态学与当代发展之间的关键联系。 Kluane红松鼠系统将继续为北部生态系统的现场研究研究生和本科培训提供宝贵的场所。 一个互动网站，描述了该协作研究项目（请参阅http：///www.redsquirrel.msu.edu）。 该网站为对红松鼠感兴趣的教师，研究人员和儿童提供了可访问的资源，也为研究人员和公众之间的数据交换机制提供了可访问的资源。