Wendy SaltzmanProfessor, Dept. of EEOBEvolution Ecology & Orgns Bio saltzman@ucr.edu(951) 827-6356
Energetic and Immune Consequences of Fatherhood in a Biparental Mammal
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AWARD NUMBER
006226-002
FUND NUMBER
21166
STATUS
Closed
AWARD TYPE
3-Grant
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AWARD EXECUTION DATE
5/30/2013
BEGIN DATE
7/1/2013
END DATE
6/30/2016
AWARD AMOUNT
$560,000
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Sponsor Information
SPONSOR AWARD NUMBER
SPONSOR
SPONSOR TYPE
FUNCTION
Organized Research
PROGRAM NAME
Proposal Information
PROPOSAL NUMBER
12074832
PROPOSAL TYPE
New
ACTIVITY TYPE
Basic Research
PI Information
PI
Saltzman, Wendy
PI TITLE
Other
PI DEPTARTMENT
Evolution, Ecology & Orgns Bio
PI COLLEGE/SCHOOL
College of Nat & Agr Sciences
CO PIs
Garland, Theodore; Chappell, Mark A;
Project Information
ABSTRACT
Reproduction is an energetically expensive process and therefore can lead to impairments in health and survival. In mammals the costs and tradeoffs, including reduced growth, impaired immune function, and lower life expectancy, have been mainly studies and associated with females and maternal care. In some mammals, including humans, males/fathers also provide extensive care for their offspring; however, the consequences for fathers of providing paternal care has not been well studied. Therefore, this research will investigate the effects of fatherhood on blood hormone levels, body composition (fat and lean mass), energy utilization, exercise performance, and immune function in the California mouse, a monogamous rodent in which both parents engage in extensive parental behavior. Behavioral, morphological, and physiological measures will be compared between males housed with a breeding female and males housed with a female that has been surgically neutered. Because the consequences of fatherhood might be exacerbated by stress, half of the animals will be housed under standard laboratory conditions and the other half under cold conditions. The results will identify the effects of parenthood on behavior, morphology and physiology in fathers, and will further indicate whether such effects differ with the animals' age, reproductive experience, or stress. These results will provide novel insights into the biology of paternal care and may have important implications for understanding parenting in humans. In addition, this research will contribute to the training of numerous graduate and undergraduate students, a substantial number of whom will be underrepresented minorities and/or socioeconomically disadvantaged.(Abstract from NSF)
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