OPUS: Synthesizing research on the adaptable snowbird: hormonal pleiotropy, phenotypic integration, and rapid population divergence

Indiana University, Bloomington IN

Investigators

Abstract

This award will synthesize research conducted over 40 years on a songbird, the dark-eyed junco. The junco has been an important research subject in three areas: the origin of new species, the role of the environment in timing reproduction, and the role of testosterone in adaptive behavior and physiology. The award will lead to three products. The first is a book that will describe the outcomes of research on the junco, including new knowledge about its migration, its reproduction, its historical response to glacial retreat, its response to climate change and the rise of cities, and finally its role as a model system for how testosterone mediates numerous behavioral and physiological attributes. The second product will be a web-based data archive, and the third will be a series of media projects, including a documentary film and classroom videos. Together, these products will help to promote public understanding of science, and will contribute to ongoing research in ecology and evolution of birds and other organisms. The book, which will be aimed at a professional audience, will synthesize four decades of research. The web-based archive will allow other researchers to take advantage of extensive data sets on physiology and behavior. The media projects will convey key findings to diverse audiences including public consumers of scientific research, young and old, in the classroom, in museums, and on public television. Together, the resulting synthesis will be of strong interest to students, educators, fellow scientists, and the public.