The behavioral traits that contribute to reproductive behavior often change rapidly and may spur the creation of new species. Understanding how changes in reproductive behavior, and the potential differentiation of species, is critically dependent on knowing which genes contribute to behavioral variation and how these genes act to produce these behaviors in the developing organism. The genetic basis of cricket song, a model behavior involved in the reproductive behavior of crickets, will be studied in the Hawaiian genus Laupala. Species of Laupala are ideal for studying the connection between genes and behavior because (1) neurobiologists have long studied cricket song, (2) the function of cricket song has been intensively studied, (3) closely related species possess different male songs, which suggests that cricket song has played a role in the creation of new species, and (4) the way in which cricket songs have changed are valuable for testing evolutionary hypotheses. In the proposed research, the genetic basis of naturally occurring variation in pulse rate of the male calling song will be studied in closely related species. Genetic tools will be developed to identify genes influencing male song and to correlate the activity of these genes with differences in male calling song across multiple species. The hypothesis that will be tested is that genes underlying the development of singing behavior in crickets are the same genes that underlie natural behavioral variation.
