蝙蝠声信号的地理进化

Population divergence and the mechanisms underlying the process are ones of the central topics in evolutionary ecology. Animals’ acoustic signals often exhibit differences across populations, which may affect social recognition and promote population differentiation and speciation in view of the important role of acoustic signals in animals’ survival and reproductive. However, it is still largely unclear what the causes and consequences of the acoustical divergence in most of animal taxa yet. Specially, several animal groups, such as bats and cetaceans, are able to produce acoustical signals used for social communication and environmental perception. It is essentially unknown about the similarities and differences of evolution across populations between these two different types of signals. In this program, we studied the geographical evolution of echolocation calls and communication calls emitted in distress context of bats in China via integrating sound recording, behaviour experiments, ecological investigation, and molecular genetic markers. Our purposes are to uncover the patterns, evolutionary causes and associated social consequences of geographical variation in the echolocation calls and the distress calls, and to elucidate the similarities and differences of geographical evolution in these two types of vocalizations. Our study will provide insight into how vocalizations with different acoustic characteristics and functions evolve within species in bats, and be helpful to uncover the mechanisms of population divergence and of speciation. This study can also provide constructive suggestions for bat conservation from a view of auditory adaptation.

种群分歧及其发生机制是进化生态学研究的核心问题之一。动物的声信号普遍存在种群差异，由于声信号在动物生存繁殖等方面起着重要作用，这种差异可能影响群体识别，导致种群分化和物种形成。然而，大多数动物声信号种群分歧的进化原因和影响并不清楚。特别地，蝙蝠、鲸类等少数类群能够发出分别用于社群交流和环境感知的声信号，但尚不清楚这两类声信号的种群间进化存在怎样的共性与差异。本项目选择蝙蝠这一特殊类群，基于种群分歧与物种形成这一热点问题，整合声波录制、行为实验、生态调查、分子标记等手段，比较研究我国代表性蝙蝠的回声定位声波与激进交流声波的地理进化。旨在揭示蝙蝠这两类声信号地理变化的格局、形成原因与社群影响，并阐明它们地理进化的共性与差异。本研究将在蝙蝠声学进化方面取得创新性成果，对揭示种群分歧发生机制、丰富物种形成理论具有重要意义，并可从听觉适应角度为蝙蝠物种保护提供科学依据。

种群分歧及其发生机制是进化生态学研究的核心问题之一。动物的声信号在动物生存繁殖等方面起着重要作用，并且普遍存在种群差异。然而，大多数动物声信号种群分歧的进化原因和影响并不清楚。蝙蝠是能够发出分别用于社群交流和环境感知的声信号的特殊类群之一。目前尚不清楚的是，这两类声信号的种群间进化存在怎样的共性与差异。本项目选择蝙蝠这一特殊类群，基于种群分歧与物种形成这一热点问题，整合声波录制、行为实验、生态调查、分子标记等手段，比较研究我国代表性蝙蝠的回声定位声波与交流声波的地理进化。结果发现蝙蝠回声定位声波的地理进化受到文化漂变、遗传漂变和自然选择等因素的影响。而蝙蝠种群间的交流叫声的变化并不受漂变、生态因子和体型大小的影响。行为学实验表明蝙蝠能够辨别本种群和外来种群的领域叫声，具有编码关于其情绪状态、体重、优势等级和个体身份多种信息的功能。本项目揭示了蝙蝠回声定位声波和交流叫声的地理变化格局、形成原因与社群影响，并阐明了它们地理进化的共性与差异。本研究在蝙蝠声学进化方面取得创新性成果，对揭示种群分歧发生机制、丰富物种形成理论具有重要意义，并从听觉适应角度为蝙蝠物种保护提供科学依据。