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Tree frogs and behavioral plasticity
A look at one of many upcoming RGI studies
By Kevin Lessmiller
While some of Hoebel’s research will be conducted on campus at UWM, much of it will be conducted in the field.
Thanks to the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee’s Research Growth Initiative, or RGI, an increasing number of UWM faculty members are getting the opportunity to conduct pioneering research.
UWM biological sciences lecturer Gerlinde Hoebel was one of many faculty members to receive RGI awards for 2008-2009. She was granted research funds for her studies in Reinforcement and Behavioral Plasticity.
“Behavioral plasticity is just [the idea] that animals don’t have just one behavior,” said Hoebel. “Depending on what experiences they had earlier in their lifetime as a young animal, that this can kind of change how they express certain behaviors.”
Reinforcement, she said, is a natural selection that occurs in nature that “counteracts interbreeding” between two species. The specific studies Hoebel will conduct during the 2008-2009 academic year involve the North American green tree frog.
As Hoebel explained, many believe that different species form when nature seperates a type of animal. A mountain range, for example, formed over time could create two different species that were not able to interbreed.
While some of Hoebel’s research will be conducted on campus at UWM, much of it will be conducted in the field. The particular frogs involved in Hoebel’s upcoming studies inhabit mostly the southern coast of the United States.
Hoebel will compare the North American green tree frog with the barking tree frog, its sister species, to determine if reinforcing selection has occurred between the two types of frogs.
The barking tree frog is located from North Carolina westwards to eastern Louisiana. In this particular setting, said Hoebel, she can study the North American green tree frog by itself and in areas where both species can be found.
To test differences in both species of frogs, Hoebel plans to gauge behavior by observing how female frogs respond to artificial noise.
“The way I’m testing right now to see if there’s behavioral plasticity, is I get females from here and here,” said Hoebel, pointing to a hand-drawn map of the southern United States depicting the regions inhabited by each frog species. “You can play an artificially generated mating call from a speaker and they will react to it.”
Hoebel will test changes in species preferences after seeing how the frogs react to different artificial mating tones.
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