1
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Zang C, Chung MHJ, Neeman T, Harrison L, Vinogradov IM, Jennions MD. Does losing reduce the tendency to engage with rivals to reach mates? An experimental test. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arae037. [PMID: 38779595 PMCID: PMC11107846 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Male-male contests for access to females or breeding resources are critical in determining male reproductive success. Larger males and those with more effective weaponry are more likely to win fights. However, even after controlling for such predictors of fighting ability, studies have reported a winner-loser effect: previous winners are more likely to win subsequent contests, while losers often suffer repeated defeats. While the effect of winning-losing is well-documented for the outcome of future fights, its effect on other behaviors (e.g. mating) remains poorly investigated. Here, we test whether a winning versus losing experience influenced subsequent behaviors of male mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) toward rivals and potential mates. We housed focal males with either a smaller or larger opponent for 24 h to manipulate their fighting experience to become winners or losers, respectively. The focal males then underwent tests that required them to enter and swim through a narrow corridor to reach females, bypassing a cylinder that contained either a larger rival male (competitive scenario), a juvenile or was empty (non-competitive scenarios). The tests were repeated after 1 wk. Winners were more likely to leave the start area and to reach the females, but only when a larger rival was presented, indicating higher levels of risk-taking behavior in aggressive interactions. This winner-loser effect persisted for at least 1 wk. We suggest that male mosquitofish adjust their assessment of their own and/or their rival's fighting ability following contests in ways whose detection by researchers depends on the social context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenke Zang
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Meng-Han Joseph Chung
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Teresa Neeman
- Biological Data Science Institute, Australian National University, Canberra Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Lauren Harrison
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan M Vinogradov
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Centre at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
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2
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Skinner M, Nagabaskaran G, Gantert T, Miller N. Bolder together: conformity drives behavioral plasticity in eastern gartersnakes. Anim Cogn 2024; 27:2. [PMID: 38386147 PMCID: PMC10884060 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01859-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Personality traits drive individual differences in behaviour that are consistent across time and context. Personality limits behavioural plasticity, which could lead to maladaptive choices if animals cannot adapt their behavior to changing conditions. Here, we assessed consistency and flexibility in one personality trait, boldness, across non-social and social contexts in eastern gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis). Snakes explored a novel open arena either alone or in a pair. Pairs were assigned based on the data from the solo trials, such that each snake was paired once with a bolder and once with a less bold partner. We predicted that snakes would conform when in a social context, displaying plasticity in their personality, and causing boldness scores to converge. We found that snakes were consistent within contexts (solo or paired), but changed their behavior across contexts (from solo to paired). Plasticity in boldness resulted from an interaction between conformity and repeatable individual differences in plasticity. In line with some data on other species, snakes conformed more when they were the less bold partner. Personality reflects a consistent bias in decision-making, but our results highlight that the cognitive processes that drive the expression of personality traits in behavior are flexible and sensitive to social context. We show that both consistency and plasticity combine to shape snake social behavior in ways that are responsive to competition. This pattern of behavior may be particularly beneficial for species in which group-living is seasonal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Skinner
- Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ONT, N2L 3C5, Canada.
| | - Gokulan Nagabaskaran
- Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ONT, N2L 3C5, Canada
| | - Tom Gantert
- School of Nursing, Fanshawe College, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Noam Miller
- Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ONT, N2L 3C5, Canada
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3
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Mainwaring MC, Tobalske BW, Hartley IR. Born without a Silver Spoon: A Review of the Causes and Consequences of Adversity during Early Life. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:742-757. [PMID: 37280184 PMCID: PMC10805381 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A huge amount of research attention has focused on the evolution of life histories, but most research focuses on dominant individuals that acquire a disproportionate level of reproductive success, while the life histories and reproductive tactics of subordinate individuals have received less attention. Here, we review the links between early life adversity and performance during adulthood in birds, and highlight instances in which subordinate individuals outperform dominant conspecifics. Subordinate individuals are those from broods raised under high risk of predation, with low availability of food, and/or with many parasites. Meanwhile, the broods of many species hatch or are born asynchronously and mitigation of the asynchrony is generally lacking from variation in maternal effects such as egg size and hormone deposition or genetic effects such as offspring sex or parentage. Subordinate individuals employ patterns of differential growth to attempt to mitigate the adversity they experience during early life, yet they overwhelmingly fail to overcome their initial handicap. In terms of surviving through to adulthood, subordinate individuals employ other "suboptimal" tactics, such as adaptively timing foraging behaviors to avoid dominant individuals. During adulthood, meanwhile, subordinate individuals rely on "suboptimal" tactics, such as adaptive dispersal behaviors and competing for partners at optimal times, because they represent the best options available to them to acquire copulations whenever possible. We conclude that there is a gap in knowledge for direct links between early life adversity and subordination during adulthood, meaning that further research should test for links. There are instances, however, where subordinate individuals employ "suboptimal" tactics that allow them to outperform dominant conspecifics during adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Mainwaring
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2DG, UK
- Field Research Station at Fort Missoula, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Bret W Tobalske
- Field Research Station at Fort Missoula, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Ian R Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
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4
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Behavioural syndrome between boldness and aggressiveness and link with reproductive success in a wild bird population. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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5
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Numerical Response of Owls to the Dampening of Small Mammal Population Cycles in Latvia. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13020572. [PMID: 36836929 PMCID: PMC9965252 DOI: 10.3390/life13020572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Strong numerical and functional responses of owls to voles in cyclic environments are well known. However, there is insufficient knowledge from the boreonemoral region in particular, with depleted populations of small mammals. In this study, we describe the dynamics of the small mammal population in Latvia from 1991 to 2016 and link them to owl population characteristics. We used food niche breadth, number of fledglings, and population trends to lay out the numerical response of six owl species to dampened small mammal population cycles. We found temporarily increasing food niche breadth in tawny and Ural owls. There were no other responses in the tawny owl, whereas the breeding performance of three forest specialist species-pygmy, Tengmalm's, and Ural owls-corresponded to the vole crash years in Fennoscandia. Moreover, the populations of forest specialist owls decreased, and the change in the Ural owl population can be attributed to the depletion of small mammal populations. We found evidence of a carry-over effect in the eagle owl arising from a strong correlation of declining breeding performance with the small mammal abundance indices in the previous autumn. We conclude that dampening of the small mammal population cycles is an important covariate of the likely effects of habitat destruction that needs to be investigated further, with stronger responses in more specialized (to prey or habitat) species.
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6
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Salazar SM, Hlebowicz K, Komdeur J, Korsten P. Repeatable parental risk taking across manipulated levels of predation threat: no individual variation in plasticity. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.003] [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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7
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Using Machine Learning to Identify Associations between the Environment, Occurrence, and Outcomes of Songbird Displacements at Supplemental Feeders. BIRDS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/birds3030021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The context and outcome of aggressive interactions between individuals has important fitness consequences. Displacements—an aggressive interaction wherein one individual is chased from a location by another—also have implications for social hierarchy formation and geographic distribution in songbirds. Morphological correlates, like body size, and social correlates, such as dominance rank, have been shown to mediate displacements in songbirds. However, the role of the physical environment, namely temperature, humidity, and time of day, which may influence an individual’s energy needs and thus displacement motivation, has remained understudied. We monitored songbird feeding and displacement behaviors using computerized automated feeders. We observed asymmetric differences across species in displacement involvement. To identify the conditions of the social and physical environment that are associated with the occurrence and outcome of songbird displacements at supplemental feeders, we use the machine learning approach, random forest, which is a novel method to the fields of ornithology and animal behavior. From our random forest models, we found that the attributes of the physical environment (i.e., humidity and the time of day) are associated with the occurrence of a displacement event, whereas the attributes of the social environment (i.e., species of the displacer and displaced individuals) are associated with which species are involved. These results provide context to develop further observational and experimental hypotheses to tease apart the inner workings of these multifactorial behaviors on a larger scale and provide a proof of concept for our analytical methods in the study of avian behavior.
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8
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Gulotta NA, Mathot KJ. Does fluctuating selection maintain variation in nest defense behavior in Arctic peregrine falcons ( Falco peregrinus tundrius)? Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9284. [PMID: 36177133 PMCID: PMC9471043 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral expression can vary both within- (i.e., plasticity) and among-individuals (i.e., animal personality), and understanding the causes and consequences of variation at each of these levels is a major area of investigation in contemporary behavioral ecology. Here, we studied sources of variation in both plasticity and personality in nest defense behavior in Arctic peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus tundrius) in two consecutive years. We found that peregrines adjusted their nest defense in response to nesting stage and year, revealing plastic, state-dependent, adjustment of nest defense. At the same time, nest defense behavior was repeatable in peregrine falcons both within and between years. We tested if fluctuating selection on behavioral types (i.e., individuals average phenotypic expression) and/or assortative mating acted to maintain long-term among-individual differences in nest defense behavior. We found that selection on female nest defense differed across years; being positive in 1 year and negative in the other. We also found support for assortative mating in the first year, but disassortative mating in the second. We propose two potential explanations for the observed year-specific patterns of nonrandom mating: (1) year-specific plastic adjustment of nest defense and/or (2) changes in the age-structure of the breeding population. These posthoc explanations are speculative, and require further study. Unfortunately, we could not evaluate this directly with the available data, and future studies are needed with more than 2 years of data on nest-defense and fitness outcomes, and with a larger number of marked individuals, to properly evaluate these potential explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick A Gulotta
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada.,Nunavut Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada.,Present address: Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | - Kimberley J Mathot
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada.,Nunavut Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
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9
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Nicolaus M, Wang X, Lamers KP, Ubels R, Both C. Unravelling the causes and consequences of dispersal syndromes in a wild passerine. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220068. [PMID: 35506227 PMCID: PMC9065973 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence accumulates that dispersal is correlated with individual behavioural phenotype (dispersal syndrome). The evolutionary causes and consequences of such covariation depend on the degree of plasticity versus inheritance of the traits, which requires challenging experiments to implement in mobile organisms. Here, we combine a forced dispersal experiment, natural colonization and longitudinal data to establish if dispersal and aggression levels are integrated and to test their adaptive nature in pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). We found that (forced) dispersers behaved more aggressively in their first breeding year after dispersal and decreased their aggression in following years. Strength of dispersal syndrome and direction of fecundity selection on aggression in newly colonized areas varied between years. We propose that the net benefits of aggression for dispersers increase under harsh conditions (e.g. low food abundance). This hypothesis now warrants further testing. Overall, this study provides unprecedented experimental evidence that dispersal syndromes can be remodelled via adaptive plasticity depending on the individuals' local breeding experience and/or year-specific ecological conditions. It highlights the importance of individual behavioural variation in population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Nicolaus
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Xuelai Wang
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Koosje P. Lamers
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Richard Ubels
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
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10
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Suckow NM, Pollock HS, Hauber ME, Kastner M, Savidge J, Baker K, Rogers HS. Nest defense, personality, and fitness of a locally endangered island passerine. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Suckow
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior School of Integrative Biology University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Champaign Illinois USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Champaign Illinois USA
| | - Henry S. Pollock
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior School of Integrative Biology University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Champaign Illinois USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Champaign Illinois USA
| | - Mark E. Hauber
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior School of Integrative Biology University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Champaign Illinois USA
| | - Martin Kastner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Iowa State University Ames Iowa USA
| | - Julie A. Savidge
- Department of Fish, Wildlife & Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Kayla Baker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Iowa State University Ames Iowa USA
| | - Haldre S. Rogers
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Iowa State University Ames Iowa USA
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11
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Responsiveness to contest experiences is associated with competitive ability but not aggressiveness or boldness. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03151-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Haave-Audet E, Besson AA, Nakagawa S, Mathot KJ. Differences in resource acquisition, not allocation, mediate the relationship between behaviour and fitness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:708-731. [PMID: 34859575 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Within populations, individuals often show repeatable variation in behaviour, called 'animal personality'. In the last few decades, numerous empirical studies have attempted to elucidate the mechanisms maintaining this variation, such as life-history trade-offs. Theory predicts that among-individual variation in behavioural traits could be maintained if traits that are positively associated with reproduction are simultaneously associated with decreased survival, such that different levels of behavioural expression lead to the same net fitness outcome. However, variation in resource acquisition may also be important in mediating the relationship between individual behaviour and fitness components (survival and reproduction). For example, if certain phenotypes (e.g. dominance or aggressiveness) are associated with higher resource acquisition, those individuals may have both higher reproduction and higher survival, relative to others in the population. When individuals differ in their ability to acquire resources, trade-offs are only expected to be observed at the within-individual level (i.e. for a given amount of resource, if an individual increases its allocation to reproduction, it comes at the cost of allocation to survival, and vice versa), while among individuals traits that are associated with increased survival may also be associated with increased reproduction. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, asking: (i) do among-individual differences in behaviour reflect among-individual differences in resource acquisition and/or allocation, and (ii) is the relationship between behaviour and fitness affected by the type of behaviour and the testing environment? Our meta-analysis consisted of 759 estimates from 193 studies. Our meta-analysis revealed a positive correlation between pairs of estimates using both survival and reproduction as fitness proxies. That is, for a given study, behaviours that were associated with increased reproduction were also associated with increased survival, suggesting that variation in behaviour at the among-individual level largely reflects differences among individuals in resource acquisition. Furthermore, we found the same positive correlation between pairs of estimates using both survival and reproduction as fitness proxies at the phenotypic level. This is significant because we also demonstrated that these phenotypic correlations primarily reflect within-individual correlations. Thus, even when accounting for among-individual differences in resource acquisition, we did not find evidence of trade-offs at the within-individual level. Overall, the relationship between behaviour and fitness proxies was not statistically different from zero at the among-individual, phenotypic, and within-individual levels; this relationship was not affected by behavioural category nor by the testing condition. Our meta-analysis highlights that variation in resource acquisition may be more important in driving the relationship between behaviour and fitness than previously thought, including at the within-individual level. We suggest that this may come about via heterogeneity in resource availability or age-related effects, with higher resource availability and/or age leading to state-dependent shifts in behaviour that simultaneously increase both survival and reproduction. We emphasize that future studies examining the mechanisms maintaining behavioural variation in populations should test the link between behavioural expression and resource acquisition - both within and among individuals. Such work will allow the field of animal personality to develop specific predictions regarding the mediating effect of resource acquisition on the fitness consequences of individual behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elène Haave-Audet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Anne A Besson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Kimberley J Mathot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Canada Research Chair, Integrative Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
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13
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Cowards or clever guys: an alternative nest defence strategy employed by shrikes against magpies. Anim Cogn 2021; 25:307-317. [PMID: 34427802 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01552-x] [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: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Red-backed shrikes (Lanius collurio) show a substantial variability in their nest defence behaviour, which usually follows the rules of optimal parental behaviour, vigorously attacking egg and chick predators and only passively guarding against harmless animals. Nevertheless, shrikes hesitate to attack the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), which specializes in plundering passerine nests. Our previous studies have suggested that this behaviour may be the result of an alternative defence strategy, relying on nest crypsis. To test this hypothesis, at the shrike nests, we presented a magpie dummy associated with playbacks drawing the predators' attention to the presence of the nest. We predicted that the presentation of a magpie dummy associated with shrike alarm calls moves the parents to action, causing them to chase the magpie away from the nest. We showed that the presence of a magpie dummy associated with shrike alarm calls elicits a significantly more active response in shrike parents compared to a magpie dummy associated with neutral song. Parents actively moved around the dummy and produced alarm calls; nevertheless, most of the tested pairs hesitated to attack the dummy. We may conclude that the low nest defence activity of shrike parents towards magpie dummy was partly the result of an alternative strategy, which may be cancelled out by alerting the predator to the location of the nest; nevertheless, shrikes seem to be afraid of the magpie and hesitate to attack it physically.
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14
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Homberger B, Korner-Nievergelt F, Jenni-Eiermann S, Duplain J, Lanz M, Jenni L. Integrating behaviour, physiology and survival to explore the outcome of reintroductions: a case study of grey partridge. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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15
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Rabdeau J, Badenhausser I, Gaffard A, Mangelinck C, Moreau J, Bretagnolle V, Monceau K. Assortative pairing for boldness and consequences for reproductive success in Montagu’s harrier. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Behavioural combination within pairs depending on personality and plasticity might influence reproductive success. However, studies testing this hypothesis are rare, especially in the case of monogamous species with bi-parental care in which the sexes exhibit different behavioural roles. In this study, we investigated the pairing patterns for both boldness and boldness plasticity in Montagu’s harriers (Circus pygargus), a species with sex-specific care, and the consequences for their reproductive success. We measured individual boldness and plasticity for both sexes, and we assessed the pairing pattern in the Montagu’s harrier population for these two traits. We calculated four indices to characterize the behavioural association within pairs: pair boldness, boldness similarity within pairs, pair plasticity and plasticity similarity within pairs. The relationship between the behaviour of the parents and the reproductive success was then tested through these four indices. We found a pattern of assortative pairing based on both boldness and plasticity in the Montagu’s harrier population. Within-pair similarity of plasticity had a significant effect on the reproductive success, which was higher for less similar pairs than for more similar pairs. Our results question the origin of this pairing pattern and suggest that ecological constraint and not sexual selection could be the major driver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Rabdeau
- UMR 7372, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université & CNRS, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Isabelle Badenhausser
- INRAE, Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Prairies Plantes Fourragères, Lusignan, France
| | - Agathe Gaffard
- UMR 7372, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université & CNRS, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Camille Mangelinck
- UMR 7372, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université & CNRS, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Jérôme Moreau
- UMR 7372, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université & CNRS, Villiers en Bois, France
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Équipe Écologie Évolutive, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Vincent Bretagnolle
- UMR 7372, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université & CNRS, Villiers en Bois, France
- LTSER ‘Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre’, CNRS, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Karine Monceau
- UMR 7372, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université & CNRS, Villiers en Bois, France
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16
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de Jong ME, Nicolaus M, Fokkema RW, Loonen MJJE. State dependence explains individual variation in nest defence behaviour in a long-lived bird. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:809-819. [PMID: 33340107 PMCID: PMC8048547 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Parental care, such as nest or offspring defence, is crucial for offspring survival in many species. Yet, despite its obvious fitness benefits, the level of defence can consistently vary between individuals of the same species. One prominent adaptive explanation for consistent individual differences in behaviours involves state dependency: relatively stable differences in individual state should lead to the emergence of repeatable behavioural variation whereas changes in state should lead to a readjustment of behaviour. Therefore, empirical testing of adaptive state dependence requires longitudinal data where behaviour and state of individuals of the same population are repeatedly measured. Here, we test if variation in states predicts nest defence behaviour (a ‘risky’ behaviour) in a long‐lived species, the barnacle goose Branta leucopsis. Adaptive models have predicted that an individual's residual reproductive value or ‘asset’ is an important state variable underlying variation in risk‐taking behaviour. Hence, we investigate how nest defence varies as a function of time of the season and individual age, two state variables that can vary between and within individuals and determine asset. Repeated measures of nest defence towards a human intruder (flight initiation distance or FID) of females of known age were collected during 15 breeding seasons. Increasing values of FID represent increasing shyness. We found that females strongly and consistently differed in FID within‐ and between‐years. As predicted by theory, females adjusted their behaviour to state by decreasing their FID with season and age. Decomposing these population patterns into within‐ and between‐individual effects showed that the state‐dependent change in FID was driven by individual plasticity in FID and that bolder females were more plastic than shyer females. This study shows that nest defence behaviour differs consistently among individuals and is adjusted to individual state in a direction predicted by adaptive personality theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margje E de Jong
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Arctic Centre, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marion Nicolaus
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Science (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rienk W Fokkema
- Arctic Centre, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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17
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Noonburg EG, Anderson RC. Asymmetric competition and floater dynamics. Ecology 2020; 102:e03238. [PMID: 33128781 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
In territorial species, nonterritorial floaters may be critical to population dynamics. One theoretical framework, based on the assumption that floating is a strategic decision to forego reproduction, predicts that selection maintains an abundant floater population even if low-quality territories are available. However, existing models make two critical assumptions: all individuals have equal competitive ability, and every individual in a population has access to every available territory. We assess the consequences of relaxing these assumptions in a model of asymmetric competition with a trade-off between investment in competitiveness and reproductive success. Our results demonstrate that selection for greater competitiveness eliminates floater production unless the outcome of territorial contests has a strong stochastic component. Next, we suppose individuals can compete for territories only within a fixed neighborhood. If this constraint is sufficiently strong, our model predicts that a population will produce floaters. Finally, we show that our model makes novel predictions regarding the maintenance of trait variation and the relationship between this variation and the distribution of competitors among unequal territories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik G Noonburg
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 3200 College Avenue, Davie, Florida, 33314, USA
| | - Rindy C Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 3200 College Avenue, Davie, Florida, 33314, USA
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18
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Agnani P, Thomson J, Schradin C, Careau V. The fast and the curious II: performance, personality, and metabolism in Karoo bush rats. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02908-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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19
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DeVries MS, Winters CP, Jawor JM. Similarities in expression of territorial aggression in breeding pairs of northern cardinals, Cardinalis cardinalis. J ETHOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-020-00659-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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20
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Solitary breeding barn swallows pay a higher nest defense cost. J ETHOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-020-00654-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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21
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Reactive stress-coping styles show more variable reproductive expenditure and fitness outcomes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9550. [PMID: 32533041 PMCID: PMC7293313 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66597-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress-coping styles dictate how individuals react to stimuli and can be measured by the integrative physiological parameter of resting heart-rate variability (HRV); low resting HRV indicating proactive coping styles, while high resting HRV typifies reactive individuals. Over 5 successive breeding seasons we measured resting HRV of 57 lactating grey seals. Mothers showed consistent individual differences in resting HRV across years. We asked whether proactive and reactive mothers differed in their patterns of maternal expenditure and short-term fitness outcomes within seasons, using maternal daily mass loss rate to indicate expenditure, and pup daily mass gain to indicate within season fitness outcomes. We found no difference in average rates of maternal daily mass loss or pup daily mass gain between proactive and reactive mothers. However, reactive mothers deviated more from the sample mean for maternal daily mass and pup daily mass gain than proactive mothers. Thus, while proactive mothers exhibit average expenditure strategies with average outcomes, expenditure varies much more among reactive mothers with more variable outcomes. Overall, however, mean fitness was equal across coping styles, providing a mechanism for maintaining coping style diversity within populations. Variability in reactive mothers’ expenditures and success is likely a product of their attempts to match phenotype to prevailing environmental conditions, achieved with varying degrees of success.
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22
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Ibarra-Zatarain Z, Martín I, Rasines I, Fatsini E, Rey S, Chereguini O, Duncan N. Exploring the relationship between stress coping styles and sex, origin and reproductive success, in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) breeders in captivity. Physiol Behav 2020; 220:112868. [PMID: 32173342 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Individual animals commonly adopt different stress coping styles that have been shown to impact reproductive success and differ between sexes (female/male) and origin (wild/hatchery). Hatchery reared Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) exhibit a behavioural reproductive dysfunction and a complete failure to spawn viable eggs. Hence, the present study examined whether 1) reproductive success of Senegalese sole was linked to coping styles and 2) behavioural differences exist in relation to sex or origin. A total of 198 breeders held in two research institutions were submitted to three individual tests (restraining, new environment and confinement) and one grouping test (risk taking). In addition, a blood sample to quantify cortisol, glucose and lactate levels was obtained from each individual after completing the individual tests. Senegalese sole breeders showed individual differences in behaviour across the different behavioural tests that were consistent with proactive and reactive coping styles traits. However, the most striking result was that reproductive success, sex and origin of Senegalese sole was not biased to any specific coping style. Indeed, the behavioural responses were similar and consistent between fish grouped by reproductive success, sex and origin. This study presented information that contrasts with different studies on dominant aggressive species and indicated that social non-aggressive species such as Senegalese sole follow a cooperative strategy that favours equal opportunities between stress coping styles and sexes. Therefore, results suggest that maintaining both coping styles strategies are fundamental for a sustainable breeder population approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Ibarra-Zatarain
- IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Carretera de Poble Nou, km 5.5, E- 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain; CONACYT-UAN-Nayarit Centre for Innovation and Technological Transference, E. González s/n, C.P., 63173 Tepic, México.
| | - I Martín
- Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Santander Oceanographic Centre, Promontorio San Martín, s/n. PO 240. 39004 Santander, Spain
| | - I Rasines
- Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Santander Oceanographic Centre, Promontorio San Martín, s/n. PO 240. 39004 Santander, Spain
| | - E Fatsini
- IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Carretera de Poble Nou, km 5.5, E- 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain; Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - S Rey
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, United Kingdom
| | - O Chereguini
- Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Santander Oceanographic Centre, Promontorio San Martín, s/n. PO 240. 39004 Santander, Spain
| | - N Duncan
- IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Carretera de Poble Nou, km 5.5, E- 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain
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23
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Clermont J, Réale D, Lindsay MÈ, Giroux JF. Plasticity, state-dependency, and individual consistency in Canada goose nest defense behavior. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2681-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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24
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Traisnel G, Pichegru L. Boldness at the nest predicts foraging and diving behaviour of female but not male African penguins. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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25
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Thys B, Lambreghts Y, Pinxten R, Eens M. Nest defence behavioural reaction norms: testing life-history and parental investment theory predictions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:182180. [PMID: 31183140 PMCID: PMC6502369 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.182180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Predation is the primary source of reproductive failure in many avian taxa and nest defence behaviour against predators is hence an important aspect of parental investment. Nest defence is a complex trait that might consistently differ among individuals (personality), while simultaneously vary within individuals (plasticity) according to the reproductive value of the offspring. Both complementary aspects of individual variation can influence fitness, but the causality of links with reproductive success remains poorly understood. We repeatedly tested free-living female great tits (Parus major) for nest defence (hissing) behaviour across the nesting cycle, by presenting them with a model predator. Hissing behaviour was highly repeatable but, despite population-level plasticity, we found no support for individual differences in plasticity. Path analysis revealed that repeatable differences in hissing behaviour had no direct effect on nest success or fledgling number. However, our best supported path-model showed that more fiercely hissing females laid smaller clutches, with clutch size in turn positively influencing fledgling number, suggesting that females are most likely facing a trade-off between investment in nest defence and reproduction. Strong stabilizing selection for optimal plasticity, in combination with life-history trade-offs, might explain the high repeatability of nest defence and its link with reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bert Thys
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Yorick Lambreghts
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Antwerp School of Education, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
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26
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Scherer U, Schuett W. No male mate choice for female boldness in a bi-parental West African cichlid, the rainbow krib ( Pelvicachromis pulcher). PeerJ 2018; 6:e5373. [PMID: 30123707 PMCID: PMC6087618 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In many species, males have a lower reproductive investment than females and are therefore assumed to increase their fitness with a high number of matings rather than by being choosy. However, in bi-parental species, also males heavily invest into reproduction. Here, reproductive success largely depends on costly parental care; with style and amount of parental effort in several cases being associated with personality differences (i.e., consistent between-individual differences in behaviour). Nonetheless, very little is known about the effect of personality differences on (male) mate choice in bi-parental species. Methods In the present study, we tested male mate choice for the level and consistency of female boldness in the rainbow krib, Pelviachromis pulcher, a bi-parental and territorial West African cichlid. Individual boldness was assumed to indicate parental quality because it affects parental defence behaviour. For all males and females, boldness was assessed twice as the activity under simulated predation risk. Mate choice trials were conducted in two steps. First, we let a male observe two females expressing their boldness. Then, the male could choose between these two females in a standard mate choice test. Results We tested for a male preference for behavioural (dis-)similarity vs. a directional preference for boldness but our data support the absence of effects of male and/or female boldness (level and consistency) on male mating preference. Discussion Our results suggest female personality differences in boldness may not be selected for via male mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Scherer
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
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27
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Montiglio PO, Dammhahn M, Dubuc Messier G, Réale D. The pace-of-life syndrome revisited: the role of ecological conditions and natural history on the slow-fast continuum. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2526-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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28
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Sowersby W, Lehtonen TK, Wong BBM. Threat sensitive adjustment of aggression by males and females in a biparental cichlid. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Will Sowersby
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Topi K Lehtonen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Biosciences, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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29
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Angelier F, Parenteau C, Trouvé C, Angelier N. The behavioural and physiological stress responses are linked to plumage coloration in the rock pigeon (Columbia livia). Physiol Behav 2018; 184:261-267. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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30
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Hengartner MP. The Evolutionary Life History Model of Externalizing Personality: Bridging Human and Animal Personality Science to Connect Ultimate and Proximate Mechanisms Underlying Aggressive Dominance, Hostility, and Impulsive Sensation Seeking. REVIEW OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1037/gpr0000127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The present work proposes an evolutionary model of externalizing personality that defines variation in this broad psychobiological phenotype resulting from genetic influences and a conditional adaptation to high-risk environments with high extrinsic morbidity-mortality. Due to shared selection pressure, externalizing personality is coadapted to fast life history strategies and maximizes inclusive fitness under adverse environmental conditions by governing the major trade-offs between reproductive versus somatic functions, current versus future reproduction, and mating versus parenting efforts. According to this model, externalizing personality is a regulatory device at the interface between the individual and its environment that is mediated by 2 overlapping psychobiological systems, that is, the attachment and the stress-response system. The attachment system coordinates interpersonal behavior and intimacy in close relationships and the stress-response system regulates the responsivity to environmental challenge and both physiological and behavioral reactions to stress. These proximate mechanisms allow for the integration of neuroendocrinological processes underlying interindividual differences in externalizing personality. Hereinafter I further discuss the model's major implications for personality psychology, psychiatry, and public health policy.
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31
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Récapet C, Daniel G, Taroni J, Bize P, Doligez B. Food supplementation mitigates dispersal-dependent differences in nest defence in a passerine bird. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2016.0097. [PMID: 27194287 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersing and non-dispersing individuals often differ in phenotypic traits (e.g. physiology, behaviour), but to what extent these differences are fixed or driven by external conditions remains elusive. We experimentally tested whether differences in nest-defence behaviour between dispersing and non-dispersing individuals changed with local habitat quality in collared flycatchers, by providing additional food during the nestling rearing period. In control (non-food-supplemented) nests, dispersers were less prone to defend their brood compared with non-dispersers, whereas in food-supplemented nests, dispersing and non-dispersing individuals showed equally strong nest defence. We discuss the importance of dispersal costs versus adaptive flexibility in reproductive investment in shaping these differences in nest-defence behaviour between dispersing and non-dispersing individuals. Irrespective of the underlying mechanisms, our study emphasizes the importance of accounting for environmental effects when comparing traits between dispersing and non-dispersing individuals, and in turn assessing the costs and benefits of dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Récapet
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1-CNRS, Villeurbanne, France Département d'Ecologie et d'Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Grégory Daniel
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1-CNRS, Villeurbanne, France Evolutionary Biology Centre, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joëlle Taroni
- Département d'Ecologie et d'Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Bize
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Blandine Doligez
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1-CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
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32
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Traisnel G, Pichegru L. Does it always pay to defend one's nest? A case study in African penguin. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gwendoline Traisnel
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology; Institute for Coastal and Marine Research and Department of Zoology at the Nelson Mandela University; Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - Lorien Pichegru
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology; Institute for Coastal and Marine Research and Department of Zoology at the Nelson Mandela University; Port Elizabeth South Africa
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33
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Niemelä PT, Dingemanse NJ. Individual versus pseudo-repeatability in behaviour: Lessons from translocation experiments in a wild insect. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:1033-1043. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Petri T. Niemelä
- Behavioural Ecology; Department of Biology; Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich; Planegg-Martinsried Germany
| | - Niels J. Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology; Department of Biology; Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich; Planegg-Martinsried Germany
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34
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Wetzel DP. Problem‐solving skills are linked to parental care and offspring survival in wild house sparrows. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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35
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Wood KA, Ponting J, D'Costa N, Newth JL, Rose PE, Glazov P, Rees EC. Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of aggressive behaviour in waterbird assemblages: a meta-analysis. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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36
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Belgrad BA, Karan J, Griffen BD. Individual personality associated with interactions between physiological condition and the environment. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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37
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Dubuc-Messier G, Réale D, Perret P, Charmantier A. Environmental heterogeneity and population differences in blue tits personality traits. Behav Ecol 2016; 28:448-459. [PMID: 29622919 PMCID: PMC5873839 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental heterogeneity can result in spatial variation in selection pressures that can produce local adaptations. The pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis predicts that habitat-specific selective pressures will favor the coevolution of personality, physiological, and life-history phenotypes. Few studies so far have compared these traits simultaneously across different ecological conditions. In this study, we compared 3 personality traits (handling aggression, exploration speed in a novel environment, and nest defense behavior) and 1 physiological trait (heart rate during manual restraint) across 3 Corsican blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) populations. These populations are located in contrasting habitats (evergreen vs. deciduous) and are situated in 2 different valleys 25 km apart. Birds from these populations are known to differ in life-history characteristics, with birds from the evergreen habitat displaying a slow pace-of-life, and birds from the deciduous habitat a comparatively faster pace-of-life. We expected personality to differ across populations, in line with the differences in pace-of-life documented for life-history traits. As expected, we found behavioral differences among populations. Despite considerable temporal variation, birds exhibited lower handling aggression in the evergreen populations. Exploration speed and male heart rate also differed across populations, although our results for exploration speed were more consistent with a phenotypic difference between the 2 valleys than between habitats. There were no clear differences in nest defense intensity among populations. Our study emphasizes the role of environmental heterogeneity in shaping population divergence in personality traits at a small spatial scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Dubuc-Messier
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP-8888 Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada and.,Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP-8888 Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada and
| | - Philippe Perret
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Anne Charmantier
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP-8888 Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada and.,Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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38
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Edwards HA, Dugdale HL, Richardson DS, Komdeur J, Burke T. Exploration is dependent on reproductive state, not social state, in a cooperatively breeding bird. Behav Ecol 2016; 27:1889-1896. [PMID: 28028379 PMCID: PMC5181527 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Personality is an intriguing phenomenon in populations because it constrains behavioral flexibility. One theory suggests that personality could be generated and maintained if dependent on asset protection. It is predicted that trade-offs with fitness expectations and survival probability encourage consistent behavioral differences among individuals (personality). Although not mutually exclusive, the social niche specialization hypothesis suggests that a group of individuals that repeatedly interact will develop personality to avoid costly social conflict. The point at which behavioral consistency originates in the social niche hypothesis is still unclear, with predictions for development after a change in social status. In the facultative cooperatively breeding Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), residing on Cousin Island, breeding vacancies are limited and this forces individuals into different social roles. We used this system to test whether reproductive and social state predicted among-individual differences in exploration. We had 2 predictions. First, that an individual's start in life can predict personality, whereby young individuals with a good start to life (associated with early age reproduction and earlier onset survival senescence) are fast explorers, suggesting reproductive state-dependence. Second, that an individual's social status can predict personality, whereby dominant individuals will be fast explorers, suggesting that the behavior is social state-dependent. Neither of the behaviors was associated with social state and social state did not affect behavioral consistency. However, novel object exploration was associated with a proxy of reproductive state. Our results provide further support for state being a mechanism for generating individual differences in behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah A Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield , Sheffield S10 2TN , UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- School of Biology, The Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK,; Behavioural Ecology and Physiological Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103 9700 cc, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK, and; Nature Seychelles, PO BOX 1310, Mahe, Republic of Seychelles
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural Ecology and Physiological Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen , PO Box 11103 9700 cc, Groningen , The Netherlands
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield , Sheffield S10 2TN , UK
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Merrill L, Baehl EM, Ripple KE, Benson TJ. Do Birds Alter Levels of Parental Investment Based on Nest-Site Habitat Features? Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Loren Merrill
- Illinois Natural History Survey; Prairie Research Institute; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Champaign IL USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Baehl
- Department of Animal Sciences; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Urbana IL USA
| | - Kaitlyn E. Ripple
- Illinois Natural History Survey; Prairie Research Institute; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Champaign IL USA
| | - Thomas J. Benson
- Illinois Natural History Survey; Prairie Research Institute; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Champaign IL USA
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Sprau P, Mouchet A, Dingemanse NJ. Multidimensional environmental predictors of variation in avian forest and city life histories. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Threat-sensitive anti-predator defence in precocial wader, the northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus. Acta Ethol 2016; 19:163-171. [PMID: 27738383 PMCID: PMC5039224 DOI: 10.1007/s10211-016-0236-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Birds exhibit various forms of anti-predator behaviours to avoid reproductive failure, with mobbing—observation, approach and usually harassment of a predator—being one of the most commonly observed. Here, we investigate patterns of temporal variation in the mobbing response exhibited by a precocial species, the northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus). We test whether brood age and self-reliance, or the perceived risk posed by various predators, affect mobbing response of lapwings. We quantified aggressive interactions between lapwings and their natural avian predators and used generalized additive models to test how timing and predator species identity are related to the mobbing response of lapwings. Lapwings diversified mobbing response within the breeding season and depending on predator species. Raven Corvus corax, hooded crow Corvus cornix and harriers evoked the strongest response, while common buzzard Buteo buteo, white stork Ciconia ciconia, black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus and rook Corvus frugilegus were less frequently attacked. Lapwings increased their mobbing response against raven, common buzzard, white stork and rook throughout the breeding season, while defence against hooded crow, harriers and black-headed gull did not exhibit clear temporal patterns. Mobbing behaviour of lapwings apparently constitutes a flexible anti-predator strategy. The anti-predator response depends on predator species, which may suggest that lapwings distinguish between predator types and match mobbing response to the perceived hazard at different stages of the breeding cycle. We conclude that a single species may exhibit various patterns of temporal variation in anti-predator defence, which may correspond with various hypotheses derived from parental investment theory.
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Hoy SR, Millon A, Petty SJ, Whitfield DP, Lambin X. Food availability and predation risk, rather than intrinsic attributes, are the main factors shaping the reproductive decisions of a long-lived predator. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:892-902. [PMID: 26990178 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering the causes of variation in reproductive success is a fundamental issue in ecology, as the number of offspring produced is an important driver of individual fitness and population dynamics. Little is known, however, about how different factors interact to drive variation in reproduction, such as whether an individual's response to extrinsic conditions (e.g. food availability or predation) varies according to its intrinsic attributes (e.g. age, previous allocation of resources towards reproduction). We used 29 years of reproductive data from marked female tawny owls and natural variation in food availability (field vole) and predator abundance (northern goshawk) to quantify the extent to which extrinsic and intrinsic factors interact to influence owl reproductive traits (breeding propensity, clutch size and nest abandonment). Extrinsic and intrinsic factors appeared to interact to affect breeding propensity (which accounted for 83% of the variation in owl reproductive success). Breeding propensity increased with vole density, although increasing goshawk abundance reduced the strength of this relationship. Owls became slightly more likely to breed as they aged, although this was only apparent for individuals who had fledged chicks the year before. Owls laid larger clutches when food was more abundant. When owls were breeding in territories less exposed to goshawk predation, 99·5% of all breeding attempts reached the fledging stage. In contrast, the probability of breeding attempts reaching the fledging stage in territories more exposed to goshawk predation depended on the amount of resources an owl had already allocated towards reproduction (averaging 87·7% for owls with clutches of 1-2 eggs compared to 97·5% for owls with clutches of 4-6 eggs). Overall, our results suggested that changes in extrinsic conditions (predominantly food availability, but also predator abundance) had the greatest influence on owl reproduction. In response to deteriorating extrinsic conditions (fewer voles and more goshawks), owls appeared to breed more frequently, but allocated fewer resources per breeding attempt. However, intrinsic attributes also appeared to have a relatively small influence on how an individual responded to variation in extrinsic conditions, which indicates that owl reproductive decisions were shaped by a complex series of extrinsic and intrinsic trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Hoy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Alexandre Millon
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Aix-Marseille Université-CNRS-IRD-Avignon Université, Technopôle Arbois-Méditerranée, F-13545, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Steve J Petty
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | | | - Xavier Lambin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
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43
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Male personality and female spawning consistency in a goby with exclusive male care. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2089-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Barn Owl Productivity Response to Variability of Vole Populations. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145851. [PMID: 26709518 PMCID: PMC4692510 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the response of the barn owl annual productivity to the common vole population numbers and variability to test the effects of environmental stochasticity on their life histories. Current theory predicts that temporal environmental variability can affect long-term nonlinear responses (e.g., production of young) both positively and negatively, depending on the shape of the relationship between the response and environmental variables. At the level of the Czech Republic, we examined the shape of the relationship between the annual sum of fledglings (annual productivity) and vole numbers in both non-detrended and detrended data. At the districts’ level, we explored whether the degree of synchrony (measured by the correlation coefficient) and the strength of the productivity response increase (measured by the regression coefficient) in areas with higher vole population variability measured by the s-index. We found that the owls’ annual productivity increased linearly with vole numbers in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, based on district data, we also found that synchrony between dynamics in owls’ reproductive output and vole numbers increased with vole population variability. However, the strength of the response was not affected by the vole population variability. Additionally, we have shown that detrending remarkably increases the Taylor’s exponent b relating variance to mean in vole time series, thereby reversing the relationship between the coefficient of variation and the mean. This shift was not responsible for the increased synchrony with vole population variability. Instead, we suggest that higher synchrony could result from high food specialization of owls on the common vole in areas with highly fluctuating vole populations.
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DeVries MS, Winters CP, Jawor JM. Testosterone might not be necessary to support female aggression in incubating northern cardinals. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Mahr K, Riegler G, Hoi H. Parental risk management in relation to offspring defence: bad news for kids. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20141670. [PMID: 25392467 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Do parents defend their offspring whenever necessary, and do self-sacrificing parents really exist? Studies recognized that parent defence is dynamic, mainly depending on the threat predators pose. In this context, parental risk management should consider the threat to themselves and to their offspring. Consequently, the observed defence should be a composite of both risk components. Surprisingly, no study so far has determined the influence of these two threat components on parental decision rules. In a field experiment, we investigated parental risk taking in relation to the threat posed to themselves and their offspring. To disentangle the two threat components, we examined defence behaviours of parent blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus towards three different predators and during different nestling developmental stages. Nest defence strategies in terms of alarm call intensity and nearest predator approach differed between the three predators. Defence intensity was only partly explained by threat level. Most importantly, parental risk management varied in relation to their own, but not offspring risk. Parent defence investment was independent of nestling risk when parents followed a high-risk strategy. However, parents considered nestling as well as parental risk when following a low-risk strategy. Our findings could have general implications for the economy of risk management and decision-making strategies in living beings, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Mahr
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Riegler
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Herbert Hoi
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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Monestier C, Morellet N, Gaillard JM, Cargnelutti B, Vanpé C, Hewison AM. Is a proactive mum a good mum? A mother’s coping style influences early fawn survival in roe deer. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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48
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Burtka JL, Grindstaff JL. Similar nest defence strategies within pairs increase reproductive success in the eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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49
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Consistent individual differences in paternal behavior: a field study of threespine stickleback. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014; 69:227-236. [PMID: 25663736 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1835-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Consistent individual differences in parenting are widespread; however, we know little about why there is variation in parenting behavior among individuals within species. One possible explanation for consistent individual differences in parenting is that individuals invest in different aspects of parental care, such as provisioning or defense. In this field study we measured consistent individual differences in parenting behavior and evaluated correlations between parenting and other behaviors in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We repeatedly measured male parenting behavior and male behavior in the presence of three different types of live intruders: a female, a conspecific male, and a predator, meant to provoke courtship, aggressive and antipredator behavior, respectively. While males plastically adjusted their reactions to different types of intruders, we found consistent individual differences in behavior (behavioral types) both within and across contexts, even after accounting for variation in body size and nest characteristics. Males that performed more parenting behavior responded faster to all types of intruders. These results suggest that in nature, individual male stickleback exhibit robust parental behavioral types, and highly parental males are more attentive to their surroundings. Future studies are needed to examine the potential causes of individual variation in parental behavior in the field.
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50
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Møller AP, Nielsen JT. Parental defense of offspring and life history of a long-lived raptor. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
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