Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: A Behavioral and Genetic Study of Color Vision Polymorphism in Squirrel Monkeys

博士论文改进：松鼠猴色觉多态性的行为和遗传学研究

• 批准号: 0622481
• 负责人: Anthony Di Fiore
• 金额: $ 1.17万
• 依托单位: New York University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-08-15 至 2007-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0622481&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Behavioral; Genetic

The goal of this project is to investigate intraspecific variation in the color vision system of South American squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus), a model taxon of New World primate (Platyrrhini). Unlike African and Asian primates, New World primates do not routinely possess trichromatic color vision. The genetic mechanisms that underlie the unique visual systems of most New World primate genera allow some females to possess trichromatic vision while other females (and all males) cannot visually differentiate red from green. It has been hypothesized that trichromatic individuals are better equipped to detect fruit against a green background, yet it has also been hypothesized that dichromatic individuals are more capable of detecting cryptic, camouflaged objects. This research project will evaluate these hypotheses by comparing behavioral data on foraging and predator avoidance collected on a wild population of squirrel monkeys with genetic data on the color vision status of all focal animals within the study population gleaned from genotyping their X-linked opsin alleles using DNA extracted from non-invasively collected fecal samples. Additionally, while collecting behavioral data, the investigators will further explore the significance of individual variation in color vision status through a series of experiments at feeding platforms that are designed to address the animals' use of color cues in solving foraging problems and detecting predators.This study represents one of the first comprehensive behavioral genetic studies undertaken with a wild population of primates. The intellectual merit of the project is that it will test, under wild conditions, several explicit hypotheses concerning the possible adaptive significance of trichromatic versus dichromatic color vision for solving foraging problems and for avoiding predation, with the aim of bringing the research community closer to an explanation as to why color vision polymorphism has been maintained over such a long period of time among most platyrrhine lineages. These data will also be used to better understand the molecular evolution of primate color vision.The broader impact of this study is that it will contribute to an ongoing long-term investigation on the comparative behavioral biology of sympatric Amazonian primates at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in Ecuador run by co-PI Di Fiore and assist in efforts at protecting forested areas in the Amazon. Additionally, it will foster the professional development and graduate training of co-PI Montague, who will be instrumental in training other graduate students and undergraduates in New York University's Molecular Anthropology Laboratory, and it will provide for co-PI Montague's professional interaction with Ecuadorian and other international experts in tropical biology while in the field.

该项目的目的是研究南美松鼠猴（Saimiri Sciureus）的种内变化，这是一种新世界灵长类动物（Platyrrhini）的模型分类群。 与非洲和亚洲灵长类动物不同，新世界灵长类动物并不常规具有三色色彩视觉。 大多数新世界灵长类动物属的独特视觉系统的基础的遗传机制使某些女性具有三色视觉，而其他女性（和所有雄性）无法在视觉上将红色与绿色区分开。 已经假设三色个体可以更好地在绿色背景下检测果实，但也假设二分法个体更有能力检测隐性，伪装的物体。 该研究项目将通过比较有关在野生的松鼠猴子种群中收集的觅食和避免捕食者的行为数据，并与对研究人群中所有焦点动物的色觉状态的觅食和回避避免的行为数据进行比较，这些数据是从基因分型中收集的X-链接OPSIN等位基因的X-Link-linked OPSIN等位基因，该研究使用了从非侵入性收集的fecal fecal fecal fecal Space中提取的DNA。 此外，在收集行为数据的同时，研究人员将通过在喂食平台上进行一系列实验来进一步探索染色状态的个人变化的重要性，这些实验旨在解决动物在解决觅食问题和检测掠食者方面使用彩色提示的方法。这项研究代表了对野生群体进行的第一个全面的行为遗传研究之一。 该项目的智力优点在于，它将在野生条件下测试几种明确的假设，即三级体色和二式色彩视觉的适应性意义，用于解决觅食问题和避免掠夺，目的是使研究社区更加清楚地解释，以使五角形的多态性延续到了很长一段时间的时间表中，这是一段时间以来最多的一段时间。 这些数据还将用于更好地了解灵长类动物色觉的分子演化。这项研究的更广泛的影响是，它将有助于对eCuador eCuador的Tiputini Biodivertity Sympatric Amazonian Primates的比较行为生物学进行持续的长期研究，由Co-Pi di Fiore运营的Ecuador运营，并在保护Amazon的森林森林中，并在保护方面为您提供帮助。 此外，这将促进Co-Pi Montague的专业发展和研究生培训，他们将在纽约大学的分子人类学实验室中培训其他研究生和本科生的培训，并提供Co-Pi Montague与Ecuadorian和其他国际专家在该领域的专业人士的专业互动。