PSYCHOBIOLOGY AND NEUROETHOLOGY OF SEXUAL SIGNALING

性信号的心理生物学和神经行为学

• 批准号: 2240638
• 负责人: HOWARD Carl GERHARDT
• 金额: $ 9.19万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1994
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1994-07-01 至 1999-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2240638
• 关键词: Anura; biological models; biological signal transduction; ethology; geographic site; instinct; microelectrodes; neural information processing; neurophysiology; polyploidy; psychoacoustics; psychobiology; sex behavior; sound; vocalization

The overall goal of the proposed research program is to gain knowledge about basic mechanisms and evolution of acoustic communication systems in vertebrates, using frogs as a model system. Frogs do not rely on acoustic experience to produce or to recognize species-specific communication signals, and they can be studied using genetic-developmental and neurophysiological techniques that would be difficult or impossible to apply in higher vertebrates. This research will provide insights into fundamental mechanisms of the neural processing and evolution of complex, temporal patterns of the acoustical signaling that mediates sexual responsiveness and mate recognition. Analogous sounds form basic elements of the human speech code that are recognized by human infants with little prior exposure to human language. The proposed research will thus address issues concerning the biological bases of the inborn neural specificity for species-typical patterns that are later modified in higher animals by experience. The normal development and maintenance of speech communication have an obvious and critical bearing on human mental health. The main study species will be treefrogs that communicate by stereotyped signals in which the most important biologically relevant information is encoded in temporal patterns. These include the repetition rate and shape of sound pulses, which identify the species and are also geographically specific, and call duration and repetition rate, which are used by females for intraspecific mate choice. Behavioral studies will determine the relative importance of these temporal properties in determining the overall effectiveness of a signal in eliciting phonotactic responses from female frogs. The neurophysiological methodology will include recordings of neural responses in freely moving, behaving animals. The evolutionary aspects of acoustic communication by temporal codes will be addressed by studying the selective and genetic bases of geographical variation in both male signals and female selectivity for these signals. Finally, behavioral, anatomical and neurophysiological studies of artificially produced polyploid frogs will provide insights into the possible mechanisms that gave rise to different temporal codes and parallel selectivity for those codes in a pair of cryptic diploid-tetraploid treefrog species. The release time made possible by an RSA will permit the P.I. to devote nearly full time effort to basic research, to lead a research team composed of undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and to form collaborative arrangements with other neuroethologists. The Division of Biological Sciences of the University of Missouri has a strong commitment to basic research in neurobiology and neuroethology that is manifest in recent and planned recruitment of new faculty in this area.

拟议研究计划的总体目标是获取知识 关于声学通信系统的基本机制和演化 脊椎动物，使用青蛙作为模型系统。青蛙不依赖声学 产生或识别特定物种交流的经验 信号，并且可以使用遗传发育和 神经生理学技术很难或不可能 适用于高等脊椎动物。这项研究将提供见解 复杂的神经处理和进化的基本机制， 介导性的声音信号的时间模式 反应能力和配偶识别度。类似的声音构成基本元素 人类婴儿几乎不需要什么就能识别的人类语音代码 之前接触过人类语言。因此，拟议的研究将解决 有关先天神经特异性的生物学基础的问题 对于后来在高等动物中被修改的物种典型模式 经验。言语交流的正常发展和维持 对人类心理健康有着明显而关键的影响。 主要研究物种将是通过刻板印象进行交流的树蛙 其中最重要的生物学相关信息是的信号 以时间模式编码。这些包括重复率和形状 声音脉冲，可识别物种并在地理上进行区分 具体、通话时长和重复率，由女性使用 用于种内配偶选择。行为研究将确定 这些时间属性在确定 信号在引发趋音反应方面的总体有效性 雌性青蛙。神经生理学方法将包括记录 自由活动、行为动物的神经反应。进化论 通过时间代码进行声学通信的各个方面将通过 研究地理变异的选择和遗传基础 男性信号和女性对这些信号的选择性。最后， 人工行为、解剖学和神经生理学研究 产生的多倍体青蛙将提供对可能的见解 产生不同时间代码和并行的机制 一对隐秘二倍体-四倍体中这些代码的选择性 树蛙种类。 RSA 允许的发布时间将允许 P.I.奉献 近全职致力于基础研究，带领研究团队 由本科生、研究生、博士后组成 研究人员，并与其他人形成合作安排 神经行为学家。大学生物科学部 密苏里州坚定地致力于神经生物学和基础研究 神经行为学表现在最近和计划招募的新人中 该领域的师资力量。