For decades biologists have struggled to determine whether and when individual behavior is influenced more by "nature" (genes) or "nurture" (social environment). While both are known to matter, emerging research suggests that "nature" and "nurture" are actually complex phenomena that are frequently difficult to disentangle. This question becomes even more complex when individuals are part of a social group. Therefore the goal of this project is to understand how social groups behave toward individuals with different sets of genes and how individuals with different genes might respond differently to the same social cues. One way to make this problem more tractable is to use tightly controlled experiments with an animal species in which specific behavioral differences are regulated by a single gene. The proposed research will use two genetically determined color forms of male mosquitofish that differ in the amount of aggression they display toward other members of their group. The experiments will determine how group composition affects the behavior of juvenile and adult fish. The studies will answer critical questions of the interaction between individuals and groups, such as how does living in a "high aggression" group affect the health and behavior of a juvenile fish, and does any effect of "high" vs. "low" aggression depend on the juvenile's own genetic makeup or is it regulated primarily by the social environment?
Upon publication data will be stored and available on DRYAD (datadryad.org. Results of these experiments will be broadly useful in understanding the factors that influence aggression and other social behavior in animals, including humans. In addition, the project will stimulate teaching and learning, increase research opportunities for students from underrepresented groups, and contribute to public understanding of science. The project will support the training of one female Ph.D. student, and will involve undergraduates from under-represented groups. The investigators will also develop a workshop on animal social behavior and genetics for Florida secondary school teachers as part of a funded "BioScopes" project. The workshop will consist of lectures and "hands-on" activities that can be adapted to the teachers' classrooms.
