1
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Bangura PB, Tiira K, Aykanat T, Niemelä PT, Erkinaro J, Liljeström P, Toikkanen A, Primmer CR. Sex-specific associations of the maturation locus vgll3 with exploratory behavior and boldness in Atlantic salmon juveniles. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11449. [PMID: 38835521 PMCID: PMC11148480 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Studies linking genetics, behavior and life history in any species are rare. In Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), age at maturity is a key life-history trait and associates strongly with the vgll3 locus, whereby the vgll3*E allele is linked with younger age at maturity, and higher body condition than the vgll3*L allele. However, the relationship between this genetic variation and behaviors like boldness and exploration which may impact growth and reproductive strategies is poorly understood. The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) framework provides predictions, whereby heightened exploratory behavior and boldness are predicted in individuals with the early maturation-associated vgll3 genotype (EE). Here, we tested these predictions by investigating the relationship between vgll3 genotypes and exploration and boldness behaviors in 129 juveniles using the novel environment and novel object trials. Our results indicated that contrary to POLS predictions, vgll3*LL fish were bolder and more explorative, suggesting a genotype-level syndrome including several behaviors. Interestingly, clear sex differences were observed in the latency to move in a new environment, with vgll3*EE males, but not females, taking longer to move than their vgll3*LL counterparts. Our results provide further empirical support for recent calls to consider more nuanced explanations than the pace of life theory for integrating behavior into life-history theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Bai Bangura
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Lammi Biological Station, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Katriina Tiira
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Tutku Aykanat
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Petri T Niemelä
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | | | - Petra Liljeström
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Lammi Biological Station, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Anna Toikkanen
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Craig R Primmer
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
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2
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Schausberger P, Nguyen TH, Altintas M. Early-life intraguild predation risk produces adaptive personalities in predatory mites. iScience 2024; 27:109065. [PMID: 38361613 PMCID: PMC10864791 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal personalities are defined by within-individual consistency, and consistent among-individual variation, in behavior across time and/or contexts. Here we hypothesized that brief early-life experience of intraguild predation (IGP) risk has enduring phenotypic effects on personality expression in boldness and aggressiveness in later life. We tested our hypothesis in predatory mites Phytoseiulus persimilis, which are IG predators with ontogenetic role reversals, i.e., they are potential IG prey during early life but IG predators as adults. Adult P. persimilis females, which had experienced IGP risk early in life or not, were subjected to three tests each for boldness and aggressiveness. IGP-experienced individuals were on average bolder and more aggressive. Boldness was moderately repeatable, aggressiveness was weakly repeatable. Strikingly, early-life IGP experience shifted the within-group personality composition toward consistently bold and aggressive personalities. Phenotypic adjustment of personality expression was adaptive, as indicated by the positive correlation between personality scores and egg production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Schausberger
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Thi Hanh Nguyen
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Mustafa Altintas
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
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3
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Sato A, Mihirogi Y, Wood C, Suzuki Y, Truebano M, Bishop J. Heterogeneity in maternal mRNAs within clutches of eggs in response to thermal stress during the embryonic stage. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:21. [PMID: 38347459 PMCID: PMC10860308 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02203-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The origin of variation is of central interest in evolutionary biology. Maternal mRNAs govern early embryogenesis in many animal species, and we investigated the possibility that heterogeneity in maternal mRNA provisioning of eggs can be modulated by environmental stimuli. RESULTS We employed two sibling species of the ascidian Ciona, called here types A and B, that are adapted to different temperature regimes and can be hybridized. Previous study showed that hybrids using type B eggs had higher susceptibility to thermal stress than hybrids using type A eggs. We conducted transcriptome analyses of multiple single eggs from crosses using eggs of the different species to compare the effects of maternal thermal stress on heterogeneity in egg provisioning, and followed the effects across generations. We found overall decreases of heterogeneity of egg maternal mRNAs associated with maternal thermal stress. When the eggs produced by the F1 AB generation were crossed with type B sperm and the progeny ('ABB' generation) reared unstressed until maturation, the overall heterogeneity of the eggs produced was greater in a clutch from an individual with a heat-stressed mother compared to one from a non-heat-stressed mother. By examining individual genes, we found no consistent overall effect of thermal stress on heterogeneity of expression in genes involved in developmental buffering. In contrast, heterogeneity of expression in signaling molecules was directly affected by thermal stress. CONCLUSIONS Due to the absence of batch replicates and variation in the number of reads obtained, our conclusions are very limited. However, contrary to the predictions of bet-hedging, the results suggest that maternal thermal stress at the embryo stage is associated with reduced heterogeneity of maternal mRNA provision in the eggs subsequently produced by the stressed individual, but there is then a large increase in heterogeneity in eggs of the next generation, although itself unstressed. Despite its limitations, our study presents a proof of concept, identifying a model system, experimental approach and analytical techniques capable of providing a significant advance in understanding the impact of maternal environment on developmental heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuko Sato
- Department of Biology, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan.
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK.
- Human Life Innovation Center, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan.
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Yukie Mihirogi
- Department of Biology, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan
| | - Christine Wood
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwano-Ha, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Manuela Truebano
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Center, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - John Bishop
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
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4
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Efrat R, Hatzofe O, Mueller T, Sapir N, Berger-Tal O. Early and accumulated experience shape migration and flight in Egyptian vultures. Curr Biol 2023; 33:5526-5532.e4. [PMID: 38042150 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Two types of experience affect animals' behavioral proficiencies and, accordingly, their fitness: early-life experience, an animal's environment during its early development, and acquired experience, the repeated practice of a specific task.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Yet, how these two experience types and their interactions affect different proficiencies is still an open question. Here, we study the interactions between these two types of experience during migration, a critical and challenging period.9,10 We do so by comparing migratory proficiencies between birds with different early-life experiences and explain these differences by testing fine-scale flight mechanisms. We used data collected by GPS transmitters during 127 autumn migrations of 65 individuals to study the flight proficiencies of two groups of Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus), a long-distance, soaring raptor.11,12 The two groups differed greatly in their early-life experience, one group being captive bred and the other wild hatched.13 Both groups improved their migratory performance with acquired experience, exhibiting shorter migration times, longer daily progress, and improved flight skills, specifically more efficient soaring-gliding behavior. The observed improvements were mostly apparent for captive-bred vultures, which were the least efficient during their first migration but were able to catch up in their migratory performance already in the second migration. Thus, we show how the strong negative effects of early-life experience were offset by acquired experience. Our findings uncover how the interaction between early-life and acquired experiences may shape animals' proficiencies and shed new light on the ontogeny of animal migration, suggesting possible effects of sensitive periods of learning on the acquisition of migratory skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron Efrat
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 8499000 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
| | - Ohad Hatzofe
- Science Division, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Am Ve'Olamo 3, 9546303 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Georg Voigt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Biological Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max von Laue, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nir Sapir
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
| | - Oded Berger-Tal
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 8499000 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
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5
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Gu M, Qin T, Qiao K, Bai X, Wang Y, Yang Y, Bai Y, Gao J, Li X. The impact of COVID-19 prevention and control policy adjustment on anxiety, depression and coping behavior in China: a cross-sectional online survey, 21-28 December, 2022. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1801. [PMID: 37715191 PMCID: PMC10503130 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16699-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Following external situation reports, individuals perceive risks, experience different emotional reactions, and further change their behaviors. Therefor people's psychology will also be affected by adjustment of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control policy, but it remains unknown what kind of coping behaviors will be produced due to psychology. This study defines coping behavior as "medical behavior and irrational consumption behavior after the adjustment of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control policy in China", assesses the prevalence of negative emotions in the Chinese population after policy adjustments, and explores how negative emotions affect people's coping behaviors, conducts baseline research, provides references and suggestions for policy formulation. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey was conducted during 21-28 December 2022, included sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 infection and irrational purchase behavior, psychological assessment, and opinion polling. Depression and anxiety status are assessed by PHQ-9 and GAD-7. The relationship between anxiety, depression and coping behavior was analyzed by Pearson χ2 test, Fisher's exact test and logistic regression. RESULTS A total of 3995 infected participants were included in this study, of which 2363(59.1%) and 1194(29.9%) had depression and anxiety. There was a significant difference in clinical treatment and irrational purchase behavior between different level of depression and anxiety. Depression was a risk factor for self- medication (OR = 1.254), seeking professional treatment (OR = 1.215), using online services of medical institutions (OR = 1.320), large-scale purchases of medicines (OR = 1.154) and masks (OR = 1.096). Anxiety was a risk factor for seeking professional treatment (OR = 1.285) and large-scale purchases of masks (OR = 1.168). CONCLUSION After the adjustment of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control policy, patient risk perception can increase depression and anxiety. We found that associated with depression, COVID-19 patients are more likely to have medical behaviors such as self- medication, seeking professional treatment, using online services of medical institutions, and storage behaviors of medicines and masks; and anxiety associated with the coping behavior of patients to seek professional treatment and store masks in large quantities. We should improve people's mental health, and on the other hand, we should give people effective psychological education during the epidemic. Therefore, we should set up psychological outpatient clinics in community health institutions, expanding mental health screening and guidance; relying on the psychological outpatient clinic, establish groups of people with depression or anxiety to carry out COVID-19 health education and peer education, to reduce adverse drug reactions, avoid panic seeking professional treatment and irrational purchase behavior, and protect public mental health. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Capital Medical University (2023SY086), and informed consent was obtained from the study subjects before the investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyu Gu
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Tingting Qin
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Kun Qiao
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Xinyuan Bai
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Yao Wang
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Yutong Yang
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Yu Bai
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Jie Gao
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Xingming Li
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.
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6
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Sosa-Larios TC, Ortega-Márquez AL, Rodríguez-Aguilera JR, Vázquez-Martínez ER, Domínguez-López A, Morimoto S. A low-protein maternal diet during gestation affects the expression of key pancreatic β-cell genes and the methylation status of the regulatory region of the MafA gene in the offspring of Wistar rats. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1138564. [PMID: 36992977 PMCID: PMC10040775 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1138564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal nutrition during gestation has important effects on gene expression-mediated metabolic programming in offspring. To evaluate the effect of a protein-restricted maternal diet during gestation, pancreatic islets from male progeny of Wistar rats were studied at postnatal days (PND) 36 (juveniles) and 90 (young adults). The expression of key genes involved in β-cell function and the DNA methylation pattern of the regulatory regions of two such genes, Pdx1 (pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1) and MafA (musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene family, protein A), were investigated. Gene expression analysis in the pancreatic islets of restricted offspring showed significant differences compared with the control group at PND 36 (P < 0.05). The insulin 1 and 2 (Ins1 and Ins2), Glut2 (glucose transporter 2), Pdx1, MafA, and Atf2 (activating transcription factor 2), genes were upregulated, while glucokinase (Gck) and NeuroD1 (neuronal differentiation 1) were downregulated. Additionally, we studied whether the gene expression differences in Pdx1 and MafA between control and restricted offspring were associated with differential DNA methylation status in their regulatory regions. A decrease in the DNA methylation levels was found in the 5' flanking region between nucleotides −8118 to −7750 of the MafA regulatory region in restricted offspring compared with control pancreatic islets. In conclusion, low protein availability during gestation causes the upregulation of MafA gene expression in pancreatic β-cells in the male juvenile offspring at least in part through DNA hypomethylation. This process may contribute to developmental dysregulation of β-cell function and influence the long-term health of the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonantzin C. Sosa-Larios
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición “Salvador Zubirán”, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ana L. Ortega-Márquez
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición “Salvador Zubirán”, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jesús R. Rodríguez-Aguilera
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Edgar R. Vázquez-Martínez
- Unidad de Investigación en Reproducción Humana, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología-Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Aaron Domínguez-López
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sumiko Morimoto
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición “Salvador Zubirán”, Mexico City, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Sumiko Morimoto
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7
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Familiarity, age, weaning and health status impact social proximity networks in dairy calves. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2275. [PMID: 36754990 PMCID: PMC9908884 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29309-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Social network analysis in dairy calves has not been widely studied, with previous studies limited by the short study duration, and low number of animals and replicates. In this study, we investigated social proximity interactions of 79 Holstein-Friesian calves from 5 cohorts for up to 76 days. Networks were computed using 4-day aggregated associations obtained from ultrawideband location sensor technology, at 1 Hz sampling rate. The effect of age, familiarity, health, and weaning status on the social proximity networks of dairy calves was assessed. Networks were poorly correlated (non-stable) between the different 4-day periods, in the majority of them calves associated heterogeneously, and individuals assorted based on previous familiarity for the whole duration of the study. Age significantly increased association strength, social time and eigenvector centrality and significantly decreased closeness and coefficient of variation in association (CV). Sick calves had a significantly lower strength, social time, centrality and CV, and significantly higher closeness compared to the healthy calves. During and after weaning, calves had significantly lower closeness and CV, and significantly higher association strength, social time, and eigenvector centrality. These results indicate that age, familiarity, weaning, and sickness have a significant impact on the variation of social proximity interaction of calves.
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8
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Ehlman SM, Scherer U, Bierbach D, Francisco FA, Laskowski KL, Krause J, Wolf M. Leveraging big data to uncover the eco-evolutionary factors shaping behavioural development. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222115. [PMID: 36722081 PMCID: PMC9890127 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mapping the eco-evolutionary factors shaping the development of animals' behavioural phenotypes remains a great challenge. Recent advances in 'big behavioural data' research-the high-resolution tracking of individuals and the harnessing of that data with powerful analytical tools-have vastly improved our ability to measure and model developing behavioural phenotypes. Applied to the study of behavioural ontogeny, the unfolding of whole behavioural repertoires can be mapped in unprecedented detail with relative ease. This overcomes long-standing experimental bottlenecks and heralds a surge of studies that more finely define and explore behavioural-experiential trajectories across development. In this review, we first provide a brief guide to state-of-the-art approaches that allow the collection and analysis of high-resolution behavioural data across development. We then outline how such approaches can be used to address key issues regarding the ecological and evolutionary factors shaping behavioural development: developmental feedbacks between behaviour and underlying states, early life effects and behavioural transitions, and information integration across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Ehlman
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Scherer
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Bierbach
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Fritz A. Francisco
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kate L. Laskowski
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California – Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jens Krause
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Max Wolf
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
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9
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Remacha C, Ramírez Á, Arriero E, Pérez-Tris J. Haemosporidian infections influence risk-taking behaviours in young male blackcaps, Sylvia atricapilla. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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10
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de Groot C, Wijnhorst RE, Ratz T, Murray M, Araya-Ajoy YG, Wright J, Dingemanse NJ. The importance of distinguishing individual differences in 'social impact' versus 'social responsiveness' when quantifying indirect genetic effects on the evolution of social plasticity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104996. [PMID: 36526032 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Social evolution and the dynamics of social interactions have previously been studied under the frameworks of quantitative genetics and behavioural ecology. In quantitative genetics, indirect genetic effects of social partners on the socially plastic phenotypes of focal individuals typically lack crucial detail already included in treatments of social plasticity in behavioural ecology. Specifically, whilst focal individuals (e.g. receivers) may show variation in their 'responsiveness' to the social environment, individual social partners (e.g. signallers) may have a differential 'impact' on focal phenotypes. Here we propose an integrative framework, that highlights the distinction between responsiveness versus impact in indirect genetic effects for a range of behavioural traits. We describe impact and responsiveness using a reaction norm approach and provide statistical models for the assessment of these effects of focal and social partner identity in different types of social interactions. By providing such a framework, we hope to stimulate future quantitative research investigating the causes and consequences of social interactions on phenotypic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corné de Groot
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), 82152 Planegg, Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Rori E Wijnhorst
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), 82152 Planegg, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tom Ratz
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), 82152 Planegg, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Myranda Murray
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Yimen G Araya-Ajoy
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), 82152 Planegg, Martinsried, Germany
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11
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Batabyal A, Lukowiak K. Tracking the path of predator recognition in a predator-naive population of the pond snail. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Organisms evolve adaptive strategies to adjust to rapidly changing environmental stressors. Predation pressure is one of the strongest selective forces and organisms respond to predatory threats via innate and learned responses. We utilized a natural, experimental set-up, where two lakes Stoney and Margo in Canada containing natural populations of the prey Lymnaea stagnalis differed in the presence and absence of an invasive, predatory Northern crayfish, Faxonius virilis. We exploited the contrast in the predation backgrounds of the snail populations from the two lakes to test, 1) predator recognition in predator-experienced snails is innate, (2) predator-naive snails learn to detect a novel invasive predator, and 3) learning about a novel predator gets transmitted to the successive generations. We quantified predator fear memory formation using a higher-order learning paradigm called configural learning. We found that 1) predator recognition in predator-experienced snails is innate, 2) predator-naive snails learned to recognize the novel predator even after a brief exposure to predator cues highlighting the role of learning in combating invasive predators and the critical time-window during development that accounts for predator recognition, and 3) the learning and predator detection mechanism in predator-naive snails are not transmitted to successive generations. The population variation observed in the predator-detection mechanism may be due to the past and current experience of predators in one population over the other. We find an interesting study system to address how fear learning occurs and prospective future directions to understand the mechanism of innate fear recognition from a learned fear recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Batabyal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary , 3330, Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1 , Canada
- Department of Physical and Natural Sciences, FLAME University , Lavale, Off. Pune Bangalore Highway, Pune, Maharashtra 412115 , India
| | - Ken Lukowiak
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary , 3330, Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1 , Canada
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12
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Debeljak N, Košmerlj A, Altimiras J, Šemrov MZ. Relationship between anatomical characteristics and personality traits in Lipizzan horses. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12618. [PMID: 35871229 PMCID: PMC9308772 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16627-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested 35 Lipizzan horses older than 5 years, ridden and healthy in three behavioural tests (handling, fear-reaction, and target training test). Physiological (heart rate and heart rate variability) and anatomical measurements (120 head and body distances and angles) were collected to validate parameters that reliably inform on handling/cooperation, fear/exploration and trainability in horses. Utilizing a standard clustering methodology on the behavioural data, we identified four general types of responses and categorised an individual as intermediate, low fearful, horses with low cooperation or low trainability. We additionally analysed the head morphology following Tellington-Jones and Taylor recommendations and correlated the measurements with data from a horse personality questionnaire. Although allocation to a particular personality group was not associated with these two methods, these groups differed in six anatomical characteristics of head and body. Regardless of the group, our results indicated that shorter horses (<75.9 cm) with a wider muzzle (>10.5 cm) are trustworthy, less fearful and easier to handle and train. We also demonstrated that horses with stronger legs and a wider base of the head have a lower heart rate when exposed to the second trial of the handling test.
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13
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Dinh H, Lundbäck I, Kumar S, Than AT, Morimoto J, Ponton F. Sugar-rich larval diet promotes lower adult pathogen load and higher survival after infection in a polyphagous fly. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:276376. [PMID: 35904096 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Nutrition is a central factor influencing immunity and resistance to infection, but the extent to which nutrition during development affects adult responses to infections is poorly understood. Our study investigated how the nutritional composition of the larval diet affects the survival, pathogen load, and food intake of adult fruit flies, Bactrocera tryoni, after septic bacterial infection. We found a sex-specific effect of larval diet composition on survival post-infection: survival rate was higher and bacterial load was lower for infected females fed sugar-rich larval diet compared with females fed protein-rich larval diet, an effect that was absent in males. Both males and females were heavier when fed a balanced larval diet compared to protein- or sugar-rich diet, while body lipid reserves were higher in the sugar-rich larval diet compared with other diets. Body protein reserve was lower for sugar-rich larval diets compared to other diets in males, but not females. Both females and males shifted their nutrient intake to ingest a sugar-rich diet when infected compared with sham-infected flies without any effect of the larval diet, suggesting that sugar-rich diets can be beneficial to fight off bacterial infection as shown in previous literature. Overall, our findings show that nutrition during early life can shape individual fitness in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hue Dinh
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Ida Lundbäck
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Sheemal Kumar
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Anh The Than
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia.,Department of Entomology, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Vietnam
| | - Juliano Morimoto
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Ave, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, 82590-300, Brazil
| | - Fleur Ponton
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
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14
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Marasco V, Smith S, Angelier F. How does early-life adversity shape telomere dynamics during adulthood? Problems and paradigms. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2100184. [PMID: 35122449 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Although early-life adversity has been associated with negative consequences during adulthood, growing evidence shows that such adversity can also lead to subsequent stress resilience and positive fitness outcomes. Telomere dynamics are relevant in this context because of the link with developmental conditions and longevity. However, few studies have assessed whether the effects of early-life adversity on developmental telomere dynamics may relate to adult telomere dynamics. We propose that the potential links between early-life adversity and adult telomere dynamics could be driven by developmental constraints (the Constraint hypothesis), by the nature/severity of developmental adversity (the Resilience hypothesis), or by developmental-mediated changes in individual life-history strategies (the Pace of Life hypothesis). We discuss these non-mutually exclusive hypotheses, explore future research directions, and propose specific studies to test these hypotheses. Our article aims to expand our understanding of the evolutionary role of developmental conditions on adult telomere dynamics, stress resilience and ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Marasco
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Steve Smith
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-La Rochelle Université (LRU), UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
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15
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Goumon S, Illmann G, Moustsen VA, Baxter EM, Edwards SA. Review of Temporary Crating of Farrowing and Lactating Sows. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:811810. [PMID: 35372543 PMCID: PMC8969568 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.811810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporary crating (TC) provides lactating sows with the opportunity to move more freely after crate opening a few days after parturition. The aim of this paper was to evaluate whether TC gives overall welfare improvement when compared to permanent crating or free farrowing. This review shows that when pens with TC allow the sows to turn during the majority of time in the farrowing unit, it is the pen design and period of confinement in a crate within it that influence the extent to which different functional and motivated behaviors can be fulfilled. This review also indicates that there are at least short-term benefits to sows when confinement is reduced, as shown by reported increases in motivated behaviors such as exploration and interactions with piglets when not permanently crated. It remains unclear whether there are any longer-term beneficial effects (until or beyond weaning) due to the paucity of studies. Furthermore, it is uncertain whether the observed short-term benefits translate to other welfare indicators. Research findings indicate no reduction in the frequency of stereotypies or body lesions and do not provide a clear answer regarding sow stress response when released from confinement. Compared to free farrowing, TC appears beneficial for reducing piglet mortality. The impact of the time of onset of TC on the farrowing process and piglet mortality have been inconsistent. While confinement before farrowing prevents nest building behavior, consequences of this for sow physiology have been ambiguous. Confining the sow briefly after farrowing may be the best compromise, allowing the sow to perform motivated nest-building behavior, but the risks of crushing during the unconfined farrowing period may increase. Subsequent crate reopening seems to increase piglet mortality but only if done earlier than 3–5 days after farrowing. The review also provides methodological considerations, a proposal for consistent and accurate terminology when describing systems and highlights gaps of knowledge. In conclusion, TC is a step forward to better pig welfare compared to the farrowing crate, as it allows some freedom of movement for sows without impairing piglet welfare. However, more comprehensive research is needed to draw sound conclusions as to whether TC is a viable transition from permanent crating to free farrowing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Goumon
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Sébastien Goumon
| | - Gudrun Illmann
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czechia
- Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | | | - Emma M. Baxter
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Group, Scotland's Rural College, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra A. Edwards
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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16
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de Abreu MS, Giacomini ACVV, Genario R, Demin KA, Amstislavskaya TG, Costa F, Rosemberg DB, Sneddon LU, Strekalova T, Soares MC, Kalueff AV. Understanding early-life pain and its effects on adult human and animal emotionality: Translational lessons from rodent and zebrafish models. Neurosci Lett 2022; 768:136382. [PMID: 34861343 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Critical for organismal survival, pain evokes strong physiological and behavioral responses in various sentient species. Clinical and preclinical (animal) studies markedly increase our understanding of biological consequences of developmental (early-life) adversity, as well as acute and chronic pain. However, the long-term effects of early-life pain exposure on human and animal emotional responses remain poorly understood. Here, we discuss experimental models of nociception in rodents and zebrafish, and summarize mounting evidence of the role of early-life pain in shaping emotional traits later in life. We also call for further development of animal models to probe the impact of early-life pain exposure on behavioral traits, brain disorders and novel therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murilo S de Abreu
- Bioscreening Platform, School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology and Neurobiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA.
| | - Ana C V V Giacomini
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
| | - Rafael Genario
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medcial Research Center, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Granov Russian Scientific Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tamara G Amstislavskaya
- Scientific Research Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia; Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Fabiano Costa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil; Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Lynne U Sneddon
- University of Gothenburg, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tatyana Strekalova
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands; Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov 1st Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia; Department of Preventive Medicine, Maastricht Medical Center Annadal, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Marta C Soares
- CIBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia; Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia.
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Zutshi I, Gupta S, Zanoletti O, Sandi C, Poirier GL. Early life adoption shows rearing environment supersedes transgenerational effects of paternal stress on aggressive temperament in the offspring. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:533. [PMID: 34657124 PMCID: PMC8520526 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01659-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal experience and transgenerational influences are increasingly recognized as critical for defining the socio-emotional system, through the development of social competences and of their underlying neural circuitries. Here, we used an established rat model of social stress resulting from male partner aggression induced by peripubertal (P28-42) exposure to unpredictable fearful experiences. Using this model, we aimed to first, characterize adult emotionality in terms of the breadth of the socio-emotional symptoms and second, to determine the relative impact of prenatal vs postnatal influences. For this purpose, male offspring of pairs comprising a control or a peripubertally stressed male were cross-fostered at birth and tested at adulthood on a series of socio-emotional tests. In the offspring of peripubertally stressed males, the expected antisocial phenotype was observed, as manifested by increased aggression towards a female partner and a threatening intruder, accompanied by lower sociability. This negative outcome was yet accompanied by better social memory as well as enhanced active coping, based on more swimming and longer latency to immobility in the forced swim test, and less immobility in the shock probe test. Furthermore, the cross-fostering manipulation revealed that these adult behaviors were largely influenced by the post- but not the prenatal environment, an observation contrasting with both pre- and postnatal effects on attacks during juvenile play behavior. Adult aggression, other active coping behaviors, and social memory were determined by the predominance at this developmental stage of postnatal over prenatal influences. Together, our data highlight the relative persistence of early life influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ipshita Zutshi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neurology, Langone Medical Center, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Sonakshi Gupta
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Pharmacy Department, Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, India
| | - Olivia Zanoletti
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Guillaume L Poirier
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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18
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Malalaharivony HS, Fichtel C, Heistermann M, Kappeler PM. Maternal stress effects on infant development in wild Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03085-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Maternal effects mediated by nutrients or specific endocrine states of the mother can affect infant development. Specifically, pre- and postnatal maternal stress associated with elevated glucocorticoid (GC) output is known to influence the phenotype of the offspring, including their physical and behavioral development. These developmental processes, however, remain relatively poorly studied in wild vertebrates, including primates with their relatively slow life histories. Here, we investigated the effects of maternal stress, assessed by fecal glucocorticoid output, on infant development in wild Verreaux’s sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi), a group-living Malagasy primate. In a first step, we investigated factors predicting maternal fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations, how they impact infants’ physical and behavioral development during the first 6 months of postnatal life as well as early survival during the first 1.5 years of postnatal life. We collected fecal samples of mothers for hormone assays and behavioral data of 12 infants from two birth cohorts, for which we also assessed growth rates. Maternal fGCM concentrations were higher during the late prenatal but lower during the postnatal period compared to the early/mid prenatal period and were higher during periods of low rainfall. Infants of mothers with higher prenatal fGCM concentrations exhibited faster growth rates and were more explorative in terms of independent foraging and play. Infants of mothers with high pre- and postnatal fGCM concentrations were carried less and spent more time in nipple contact. Time mothers spent carrying infants predicted infant survival: infants that were more carried had lower survival, suggesting that they were likely in poorer condition and had to be cared for longer. Thus, the physical and behavioral development of these young primates were impacted by variation in maternal fGCM concentrations during the first 6 months of their lives, presumably as an adaptive response to living in a highly seasonal, but unpredictable environment.
Significance statement
The early development of infants can be impacted by variation in maternal condition. These maternal effects can be mediated by maternal stress (glucocorticoid hormones) and are known to have downstream consequences for behavior, physiology, survival, and reproductive success well into adulthood. However, the direction of the effects of maternal physiological GC output on offspring development is highly variable, even within the same species. We contribute comparative data on maternal stress effects on infant development in a Critically Endangered primate from Madagascar. We describe variation in maternal glucocorticoid output as a function of ecological and reproductive factors and show that patterns of infant growth, behavioral development, and early survival are predicted by maternal glucocorticoids. Our study demonstrates how mothers can influence offspring fitness in response to challenging environmental conditions.
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19
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Long Ma
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
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20
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Effects of habitat conditions on the boldness and sociability of wild-caught fish (Zacco platypus) along a river. J ETHOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-021-00715-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWild fish show consistent behavioral differences, e.g., personalities among populations, whereas the possible relationships between personality and environmental conditions have seldom been systemically examined. We aimed to test whether the personality of wild-caught fish was affected by the biotic (food resources and predation) and abiotic (temperature, dissolved oxygen level, and flow velocity) conditions of natural habitats. Six populations of pale chub (Zacco platypus) were sampled along a river longer than 1000 km, and environmental conditions and personality characteristics, such as boldness, activity, and sociability, were measured. Personality variables could be reduced to two factors by principal component analysis, boldness, and sociability factors, with the former factor having more variation among and within populations. Individuals from populations with higher food availability (plankton density) and flow velocity generally showed higher boldness factor scores, possibly due to the better energy status of higher food abundance or the low water transparency and hence decreased predation risk and fast-flow lifestyle of populations with higher water velocity populations. All populations showed high sociability as group-living species, which was positively correlated with only the phytoplankton biomass, possibly due to decreased intraspecific competition in habitats with abundant food resources. The correlations among personality variables were population-dependent, as individuals who moved more had a shorter distance to the stimulus shoal (i.e., increased shoaling tendency) within high-predation populations, whereas individuals who moved more spent less time in shoals within low-predation populations. The results suggest that alterations in habitat conditions can result in divergent natural selection that favors a particular personality; thus, human-induced alterations in habitat conditions may shape the personality of individual fish.
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21
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No trans-generational maternal effects of early-life corticosterone exposure on neophobia and antipredator behaviour in the house sparrow. J ETHOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-021-00712-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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22
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van Liere D, Siard N, Martens P, Jordan D. Conflicts with Wolves Can Originate from Their Parent Packs. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11061801. [PMID: 34208687 PMCID: PMC8233883 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission of experience about prey and habitat supports the survival of next generation of wolves. Thus, the parent pack (PP) can affect whether young migrating wolves (loners) kill farm animals or choose to be in human environments, which generates human-wolf conflicts. Therefore, we researched whether the behavior of loners resembles PP behavior. After being extinct, 22 loners had entered the Netherlands between 2015 and 2019. Among them, 14 could be DNA-identified and linked with their PPs in Germany. Some loners were siblings. We assessed the behavior of each individual and PP through a structured Google search. PP behavior was determined for the loner's rearing period. Similarity between loner and PP behavior was significant (p = 0.022) and applied to 10 of 14 cases: like their PPs, three loners killed sheep and were near humans, five killed sheep and did not approach humans, while two loners were unproblematic, they did not kill sheep, nor were they near humans. Siblings behaved similarly. Thus, sheep killing and proximity to humans may develop during early-life experiences in the PP. However, by negative reinforcement that can be prevented. New methods are suggested to achieve that. As a result, new generations may not be problematic when leaving PPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diederik van Liere
- Institute for Coexistence with Wildlife, Heuvelweg 7, 7218 BD Almen, The Netherlands
- Correspondence:
| | - Nataša Siard
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Groblje 3, 1230 Domžale, Slovenia; (N.S.); (D.J.)
| | - Pim Martens
- Maastricht Sustainability Institute, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands;
| | - Dušanka Jordan
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Groblje 3, 1230 Domžale, Slovenia; (N.S.); (D.J.)
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23
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Westrick SE, van Kesteren F, Boutin S, Lane JE, McAdam AG, Dantzer B. Maternal glucocorticoids have minimal effects on HPA axis activity and behavior of juvenile wild North American red squirrels. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb.236620. [PMID: 33795416 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.236620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
As a response to environmental cues, maternal glucocorticoids (GCs) may trigger adaptive developmental plasticity in the physiology and behavior of offspring. In North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), mothers exhibit increased GCs when conspecific density is elevated, and selection favors more aggressive and perhaps more active mothers under these conditions. We tested the hypothesis that elevated maternal GCs cause shifts in offspring behavior that may prepare them for high-density conditions. We experimentally elevated maternal GCs during gestation or early lactation. We measured two behavioral traits (activity and aggression) in weaned offspring using standardized behavioral assays. Because maternal GCs may influence offspring hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dynamics, which may in turn affect behavior, we also measured the impact of our treatments on offspring HPA axis dynamics (adrenal reactivity and negative feedback), and the association between offspring HPA axis dynamics and behavior. Increased maternal GCs during lactation, but not gestation, slightly elevated activity levels in offspring. Offspring aggression and adrenal reactivity did not differ between treatment groups. Male, but not female, offspring from mothers treated with GCs during pregnancy exhibited stronger negative feedback compared with those from control mothers, but there were no differences in negative feedback between lactation treatment groups. Offspring with higher adrenal reactivity from mothers treated during pregnancy (both controls and GC-treated) exhibited lower aggression and activity. These results suggest that maternal GCs during gestation or early lactation alone may not be a sufficient cue to produce substantial changes in behavioral and physiological stress responses in offspring in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Westrick
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48109-1043, USA
| | - Freya van Kesteren
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48109-1043, USA
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2E9
| | - Jeffrey E Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 5E2
| | - Andrew G McAdam
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0334, USA
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48109-1043, USA.,Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1085, USA
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25
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Hernández Duran L, Wilson DT, Briffa M, Rymer TL. Beyond spider personality: The relationships between behavioral, physiological, and environmental factors. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2974-2989. [PMID: 33841759 PMCID: PMC8019048 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiders are useful models for testing different hypotheses and methodologies relating to animal personality and behavioral syndromes because they show a range of behavioral types and unique physiological traits (e.g., silk and venom) that are not observed in many other animals. These characteristics allow for a unique understanding of how physiology, behavioral plasticity, and personality interact across different contexts to affect spider's individual fitness and survival. However, the relative effect of extrinsic factors on physiological traits (silk, venom, and neurohormones) that play an important role in spider survival, and which may impact personality, has received less attention. The goal of this review is to explore how the environment, experience, ontogeny, and physiology interact to affect spider personality types across different contexts. We highlight physiological traits, such as neurohormones, and unique spider biochemical weapons, namely silks and venoms, to explore how the use of these traits might, or might not, be constrained or limited by particular behavioral types. We argue that, to develop a comprehensive understanding of the flexibility and persistence of specific behavioral types in spiders, it is necessary to incorporate these underlying mechanisms into a synthesized whole, alongside other extrinsic and intrinsic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Hernández Duran
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityCairnsQldAustralia
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability SciencesJames Cook UniversityCairnsQldAustralia
| | - David Thomas Wilson
- Centre for Molecular TherapeuticsAustralian Institute for Tropical Health and MedicineJames Cook UniversityCairnsQldAustralia
| | - Mark Briffa
- School of Biological and Marine SciencesPlymouth UniversityPlymouthUK
| | - Tasmin Lee Rymer
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityCairnsQldAustralia
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability SciencesJames Cook UniversityCairnsQldAustralia
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26
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Effects of maternal exposure to a bacterial antigen and altered post-hatching rearing conditions on avian offspring behaviour. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02995-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The early-life environment plays a crucial role in shaping morphological, physiological, and behavioural traits, with potential long-term consequences for fitness. Indeed, a set of factors experienced by offspring during prenatal and early post-natal development has been recognised to affect behavioural trait expression in later life. Several studies have shown that in birds, nutritional and social rearing conditions and maternal and/or neonatal immunisations may profoundly determine the development and establishment of behaviour in offspring. To our knowledge, no research has examined whether and how the interaction between immune-mediated maternal effects and post-hatching rearing conditions affects offspring behaviour. Here, we studied the effects of maternal exposure to a bacterial antigen and altered brood size on docility, breathing rate, and aggression in the offspring of great tit, Parus major. We used a 2 × 2 design to investigate the interactive effects of maternal immunisation and brood size manipulation on offspring behavioural development. We found no such interactive effect on offspring behaviour, although we observed it regarding to offspring body mass and tarsus length. Maternal immunisation itself did not affect offspring behaviour. However, we demonstrated that the offspring breathing rate and level of aggression were affected by brood size manipulation. Both breathing rate and aggression in offspring reared in enlarged broods were lower than those in offspring reared in non-manipulated broods. Our study did not confirm earlier reports that immune-mediated maternal effects modulate offspring behavioural development, but we showed that brood size during rearing might indeed be a factor that affects offspring behaviour.
Significance statement
The early environment experienced by offspring constitutes a significant source of developmental plasticity, which may profoundly affect the establishment of their behavioural traits. Food availability, social conditions, and maternal or offspring infection are crucial factors shaping various behavioural traits in birds. However, there remains a lack of studies emphasising the potential interactive effects of early-life conditions on behavioural trait development in natural bird populations. Here, to our knowledge for the first time, we experimentally examined how maternal immunisation and altered post-hatching rearing conditions interact to determine the behaviour of fledged offspring. We found that maternal treatment and brood size manipulation interactively affected offspring body mass and tarsus length, but this interaction had no effect on offspring behaviour. Our findings suggest that different mechanisms may underlie the development of morphological and behavioural traits.
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Development and Control of Behaviour. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-82879-0_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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van der Veen R, Bonapersona V, Joëls M. The relevance of a rodent cohort in the Consortium on Individual Development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100846. [PMID: 32957026 PMCID: PMC7509002 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the features of the Consortium on Individual Development is the existence of a rodent cohort, in parallel with the human cohorts. Here we give an overview of the current status. We first elaborate on the choice of rat and mouse models mimicking early life adverse or beneficial conditions during development. We performed a systematic literature search on early life adversity and adult social behavior to address the status quo. Next, we describe the behavioral tasks we used and designed to examine behavioral control and social competence in rodents. The results so far indicate that manipulation of the environment in the first postnatal week only subtly affects social behavior. Stronger effects were seen in the model that targeted early adolescence; once adult, these rats are characterized by increased attention, a higher degree of impulsiveness and reduced social interest in peers. Many experiments in our rodent models with tightly controlled conditions were inspired by findings in human cohorts, and now allow in-depth mechanistic investigations. Vice versa, some of the findings in rodents are currently followed up by dedicated investigations in the human cohorts. This exemplifies the added value of animal investigations in a consortium encompassing primarily human developmental cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rixt van der Veen
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Valeria Bonapersona
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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Vanden Broecke B, Bongers A, Mnyone L, Matthysen E, Leirs H. Nonlinear maternal effects on personality in a rodent species with fluctuating densities. Curr Zool 2020; 67:1-9. [PMID: 33654484 PMCID: PMC7901759 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Consistent among-individual variation in behavior, or animal personality, is present in a wide variety of species. This behavioral variation is maintained by both genetic and environmental factors. Parental effects are a special case of environmental variation and are expected to evolve in populations experiencing large fluctuations in their environment. They represent a non-genetic pathway by which parents can transmit information to their offspring, by modulating their personality. While it is expected that parental effects contribute to the observed personality variation, this has rarely been studied in wild populations. We used the multimammate mouse Mastomys natalensis as a model system to investigate the potential effects of maternal personality on offspring behavior. We did this by repeatedly recording the behavior of individually housed juveniles which were born and raised in the lab from wild caught females. A linear correlation, between mother and offspring in behavior, would be expected when the personality is only affected by additive genetic variation, while a more complex relationship would suggests the presence of maternal effects. We found that the personality of the mother predicted the behavior of their offspring in a non-linear pattern. Exploration behavior of mother and offspring was positively correlated, but only for slow and average exploring mothers, while this correlation became negative for fast exploring mothers. This may suggests that early maternal effects could affect personality in juvenile M. natalensis, potentially due to density-dependent and negative frequency-dependent mechanisms, and therefore contribute to the maintenance of personality variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Vanden Broecke
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Aurelia Bongers
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ladslaus Mnyone
- Pest Management Centre, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O.Box 3110 Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Erik Matthysen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Class B, Brommer J. Contrasting multilevel relationships between behavior and body mass in blue tit nestlings. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Repeatable behaviors (i.e., animal personality) are pervasive in the animal kingdom and various mechanisms have been proposed to explain their existence. Genetic and nongenetic mechanisms, which can be equally important, predict correlations between behavior and body mass on different levels (e.g., genetic and environmental) of variation. We investigated multilevel relationships between body mass measured on weeks 1, 2, and 3 and three behavioral responses to handling, measured on week 3, which form a behavioral syndrome in wild blue tit nestlings. Using 7 years of data and quantitative genetic models, we find that all behaviors and body mass on week 3 are heritable (h2 = 0.18–0.23) and genetically correlated, whereas earlier body masses are not heritable. We also find evidence for environmental correlations between body masses and behaviors. Interestingly, these environmental correlations have different signs for early and late body masses. Altogether, these findings indicate genetic integration between body mass and behavior and illustrate the impacts of early environmental factors and environmentally mediated growth trajectory on behaviors expressed later in life. This study, therefore, suggests that the relationship between personality and body mass in developing individuals is due to various underlying mechanisms, which can have opposing effects. Future research on the link between behavior and body mass would benefit from considering these multiple mechanisms simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Class
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, University Hill, Turku, Finland
| | - Jon Brommer
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, University Hill, Turku, Finland
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Rojas-Ferrer I, Morand-Ferron J. The impact of learning opportunities on the development of learning and decision-making: an experiment with passerine birds. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190496. [PMID: 32475329 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental context has been shown to influence learning abilities later in life, namely through experiments with nutritional and/or environmental constraints (i.e. lack of enrichment). However, little is known about the extent to which opportunities for learning affect the development of animal cognition, even though such opportunities are known to influence human cognitive development. We exposed young zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata) (n = 26) to one of three experimental conditions, i.e. an environment where (i) colour cues reliably predicted the presence of food (associative learning), (ii) a combination of two-colour cues reliably predicted the presence of food (conditional learning), or (iii) colour cues were non-informative (control). After conducting two different discrimination tasks, our results showed that experience with predictive cues can cause increased choice accuracy and decision-making speed. Our first learning task showed that individuals in the associative learning treatment outperformed the control treatment, while task 2 showed that individuals in the conditional learning treatment had shorter latencies when making choices compared with the control treatment. We found no support for a speed-accuracy trade-off. This dataset provides a rare longitudinal and experimental examination of the effect of predictive versus non-predictive cues during development on the cognition of adult animals. This article is part of the theme issue 'Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Rojas-Ferrer
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Julie Morand-Ferron
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
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Breen AJ, Lovie KE, Guerard C, Edwards SC, Cooper J, Healy SD, Guillette LM. Juvenile socio-ecological environment shapes material technology in nest-building birds. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Variation in animal material technology, such as tool use and nest construction, is thought to be caused, in part, by differences in the early-life socio-ecological environment—that is, who and what is around—but this developmental hypothesis remains unconfirmed. We used a tightly controlled developmental paradigm to determine whether adult and/or raw-material access in early life shape first-time nest construction in laboratory-bred zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata at sexual maturity. We found that juvenile access to both an unrelated adult and raw material of one color led to a majority preference (75%) by novice builders for this color of material over that for either natal-nest or novel-colored material, whereas a lack of juvenile access to both an unrelated adult and raw material led to a 4- and nearly 3-fold reduction in the speed at which novice builders initiated and completed nest construction, respectively. Contrary to expectation, neither the amount of time juveniles nor their adult groupmate spent handling the raw material appear to drive these early-life effects on zebra finches’ first-time nest construction, suggesting that adult presence might be sufficient to drive the development of animal material technology. Together these data show that the juvenile socio-ecological environment can trigger variation in at least two critical aspects of animal material technology (material preference and construction speed), revealing a potentially powerful developmental window for technological advancement. Thus, to understand selection on animal material technology, the early-life environment must be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis J Breen
- School of Biology, Harold Mitchell Building, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Keren E Lovie
- School of Biology, Harold Mitchell Building, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Chloé Guerard
- School of Biology, Harold Mitchell Building, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
- École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Chemin des Capelles, Toulouse, France
| | - Sophie C Edwards
- School of Biology, Harold Mitchell Building, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Jasmine Cooper
- School of Biology, Harold Mitchell Building, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Susan D Healy
- School of Biology, Harold Mitchell Building, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Lauren M Guillette
- School of Biology, Harold Mitchell Building, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
- Department of Psychology, P445 Biological Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Costa JHC, Neave HW, Weary DM, von Keyserlingk MAG. Use of a food neophobia test to characterize personality traits of dairy calves. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7111. [PMID: 32346003 PMCID: PMC7188825 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63930-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Food neophobia, i.e. the avoidance of novel foods, is common in ruminants and may provide a biologically relevant and practical way to test individual responses to novelty or challenge. We aimed to determine if behavioural responses in a food neophobia test (exposure to a novel total mixed ration) reflected boldness and exploratory personality traits derived from 3 traditional tests (open field, novel human and novel object) in dairy calves. We performed two Principal Component Analyses, one using behaviours from 3 traditional tests (3 factors: 'Bold', 'Exploratory' and 'Active'), and one using behaviours from the food neophobia test (3 factors: 'Eating', 'Inspecting', and 'Avoidance'). A regression analysis determined if individual factor scores from the food neophobia test predicted factor scores from the traditional tests. Contrary to our expectations, 'Avoidance' (latencies to approach and eat the novel food) did not predict boldness trait, and the factors 'Inspecting' (time spent inspecting food and empty buckets) and 'Eating' (time spent eating food and total intake) did not predict exploration trait, but they did predict active trait. These results suggest that the food neophobia test in our study resulted in context-specific behaviours, or that behavioural responses to a novel food present different underlying personality traits. The application of food neophobia to assess specific or generalized personality traits of dairy calves deserves further work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joao H C Costa
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Dairy Science Program, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, 325 Cooper Dr., Lexington, 40546, USA
| | - Heather W Neave
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z4, Canada
- AgResearch Ltd., Ruakura Research Centre, 10 Bisley Rd, Hamilton, 3214, New Zealand
| | - Daniel M Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Marina A G von Keyserlingk
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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Vitt S, Madge Pimentel I, Thünken T. Presence of same-sex kin promotes explorative behavior in subadult cichlid fish. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
While the importance of kin discrimination, that is, kin recognition and subsequent differential treatment of kin and nonkin, is well established for kin-directed cooperation or altruism, the role of kin discrimination in the context of kin competition and kin avoidance is largely unexplored. Theory predicts that individuals avoiding competition with kin should be favored by natural selection due to indirect fitness benefits. Using an experimental approach, we investigated whether the presence of same-sex kin affects avoidance and explorative behavior in subadult Pelvicachromis taeniatus, a West African cichlid fish with strong intrasexual competition in both sexes. Pelvicachromis taeniatus is capable of recognizing kin using phenotype matching and shows kin discrimination in diverse contexts. When exposed to a same-sex conspecific, both males and females tended to interact less with the related opponent. Moreover, individuals explored a novel environment faster after exposure to kin than to nonkin. This effect was more pronounced in females. Individuals avoiding the proximity of same-sex relatives may reduce kin competition over resources such as mating partners or food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
| | - Iris Madge Pimentel
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Thünken
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
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36
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Horváth G, Rodríguez‐Ruiz G, Martín J, López P, Herczeg G. Maternal diet affects juvenile Carpetan rock lizard performance and personality. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:14476-14488. [PMID: 31938534 PMCID: PMC6953655 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences in both stable and labile state variables are known to affect the emergence and maintenance of consistent interindividual behavioral variation (animal personality or behavioral syndrome), especially when experienced early in life. Variation in environmental conditions experienced by gestating mothers (viz. nongenetic maternal effects) is known to have significant impact on offspring condition and behavior; yet, their effect on behavioral consistency is not clear. Here, by applying an orthogonal experimental design, we aimed to study whether increased vitamin D3 content in maternal diet during gestation (vitamin-supplemented vs. vitamin control treatments) combined with corticosterone treatment (corticosterone-treated vs. corticosterone control treatments) applied on freshly hatched juveniles had an effect on individual state and behavioral consistency of juvenile Carpetan rock lizards (Iberolacerta cyreni). We tested the effect of our treatments on (a) climbing speed and the following levels of behavioral variation, (b) strength of animal personality (behavioral repeatability), (c) behavioral type (individual mean behavior), and (d) behavioral predictability (within-individual behavioral variation unrelated to environmental change). We found higher locomotor performance of juveniles from the vitamin-supplemented group (42.4% increase), irrespective of corticosterone treatment. While activity personality was present in all treatments, shelter use personality was present only in the vitamin-supplemented × corticosterone-treated treatment and risk-taking personality was present in corticosterone control treatments. Contrary to our expectations, behavioral type was not affected by our treatments, indicating that individual quality can affect behavioral strategies without affecting group-level mean behavior. Behavioral predictability decreased in individuals with low climbing speed, which could be interpreted as a form of antipredator strategy. Our results clearly demonstrate that maternal diet and corticosterone treatment have the potential to induce or hamper between-individual variation in different components of boldness, often in interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Horváth
- Behavioural Ecology GroupDepartment of Systematic Zoology and EcologyEötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | | | - José Martín
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyMuseo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesCSICMadridSpain
| | - Pilar López
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyMuseo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesCSICMadridSpain
| | - Gábor Herczeg
- Behavioural Ecology GroupDepartment of Systematic Zoology and EcologyEötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
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37
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Lavergne S, Smith K, Kenney A, Krebs C, Palme R, Boonstra R. Physiology and behaviour of juvenile snowshoe hares at the start of the 10-year cycle. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Solomon-Lane TK, Hofmann HA. Early-life social environment alters juvenile behavior and neuroendocrine function in a highly social cichlid fish. Horm Behav 2019; 115:104552. [PMID: 31276665 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Early-life experiences can shape adult behavior, with consequences for fitness and health, yet fundamental questions remain unanswered about how early-life social experiences are translated into variation in brain and behavior. The African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni, a model system in social neuroscience, is well known for its highly plastic social phenotypes in adulthood. Here, we rear juveniles in either social groups or pairs to investigate the effects of early-life social environments on behavior and neuroendocrine gene expression. We find that both juvenile behavior and neuroendocrine function are sensitive to early-life effects. Behavior robustly co-varies across multiple contexts (open field, social cue investigation, and dominance behavior assays) to form a behavioral syndrome, with pair-reared juveniles towards the end of syndrome that is less active and socially interactive. Pair-reared juveniles also submit more readily as subordinates. In a separate cohort, we measured whole brain expression of stress and sex hormone genes. Expression of glucocorticoid receptor 1a was elevated in group-reared juveniles, supporting a highly-conserved role for the stress axis mediating early-life effects. The effect of rearing environment on androgen receptor α and estrogen receptor α expression was mediated by treatment duration (1 vs. 5 weeks). Finally, expression of corticotropin-releasing factor and glucocorticoid receptor 2 decreased significantly over time. Rearing environment also caused striking differences in gene co-expression, such that expression was tightly integrated in pair-reared juveniles but not group-reared or isolates. Together, this research demonstrates the important developmental origins of behavioral phenotypes and identifies potential behavioral and neuroendocrine mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa K Solomon-Lane
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
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Watz J. Structural complexity in the hatchery rearing environment affects activity, resting metabolic rate and post-release behaviour in brown trout Salmo trutta. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2019; 95:638-641. [PMID: 31095737 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The effects of structural enrichment in the hatchery rearing environment of brown trout Salmo trutta was linked to post-release performance. Enrichment resulted in reduced swimming activity scored in an open field test and reduced movement in a natural river after release. Also, enrichment increased resting metabolic rates, which correlated positively with overwinter growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Watz
- River Ecology and Management Research Group RivEM, Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
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Reshetnikov VV, Ryabushkina YA, Bondar NP. Impact of mothers’ experience and early‐life stress on aggression and cognition in adult male mice. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 62:36-49. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliy V. Reshetnikov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) Novosibirsk Russia
| | - Yulia A. Ryabushkina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) Novosibirsk Russia
- Novosibirsk State University Novosibirsk Russia
| | - Natalia P. Bondar
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) Novosibirsk Russia
- Novosibirsk State University Novosibirsk Russia
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Trnka A, Samaš P, Grim T. Consistent individual and sex-specific differences in behaviour of common cuckoo chicks: is there a potential impact on host-parasite coevolutionary dynamics? BEHAVIOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Research on brood parasitism has focused primarily on specific host anti-parasite behaviours and parasite counter-adaptations, and little is known about other aspects of their behaviours such as consistent behavioural differences between individuals. Therefore, we examined consistency in behaviour of nestlings of common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) raised by great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). Cuckoo chicks showed high repeatability of both aggressive behaviour and breath rate, and both traits were strongly correlated with each other. This represents the first evidence for consistent differences in behaviour among avian brood parasites. Males were consistently more aggressive and less stressed than females. Nestlings of both sexes that hatched later in the season exhibited higher levels of aggression and lower stress responses than nestlings hatched earlier. This suggests that rearing conditions (e.g., food availability and quality) may modulate stress and aggressive phenotypes of brood parasites. We discuss potential effects of the observed patterns on host-parasite dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfréd Trnka
- aDepartment of Biology, University of Trnava, Priemyselná 4, 918 43, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Samaš
- bInstitute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Grim
- cDepartment of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, 77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic
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