This award supports a three-year collaborative research project between Dr. Carl D. Hopkins, Professor of Neurobiology at Cornell University, and Dr. Brahim Ibrahim, of the Department de Biologie at the Universite des Sciences et Techniques in Gabon. The investigators will study waveform variations in the electric organ discharges (EOD) of various species of mormyrid fishes to determine the phylogenetic history of the variations and the roles that evolution and sex differences have in the EOD waveform in order to produce an understanding of the morphological and physiological basis for the variations. The mormyrid fishes, which comprise the largest group of freshwater fish in Africa, are only found in West Africa, and little research has been done on them. This cooperative project combines the expertise in electric fish neuroethology of Dr. Hopkins with Dr. Ibrahim's expertise in electrophysiology and pharmacology. This study will contribute important new information to the existing knowledge about the mormyrid fishes in West Africa and how they have evolved. The grant will also provide support for a junior investigator to participate in an international research activity. ?/¢¥???Â¥??à Ã` ???????>À / ¢?__Ã? ?âÃ/??© Ã??Ã??Ã>?à Â?? ??¢?Â¥?>À Â/??%Â¥` Â??_ ?>?Ã?À?/??/¥à ?>¢¥?Â¥?Â¥??>¢ ¥©/Â¥ ©/?à >?Â¥ ©/? / ?âÃ/??© Ã??Ã??Ã>?à Â?? ¥©Ã?? ¢¥??Ã>¥¢ ???????%?_ ?_????Ã_Ã>¥¢ /Â¥ ¥©?¢à ?>¢¥?Â¥?Â¥??>¢ ?/> ?à Ã>????/ÀÃ? />? ??¢?Â¥??à ?©/>Àâ ?> ¥©à Ã>????>_Ã>Â¥ Â¥? Ã>????/Àà ¢¥??Ã>¥¢ Â¥? ???¢?à ?/?ÃÃ?¢ ?> ?©Ã_?¢¥?` ?â?%Â¥
