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Peignier M, Ringler M, Ringler E. Odor cues rather than personality affect tadpole deposition in a neotropical poison frog. Curr Zool 2024; 70:332-342. [PMID: 39035761 PMCID: PMC11255997 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoad042] [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: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals constantly need to evaluate available external and internal information to make appropriate decisions. Identifying, assessing, and acting on relevant cues in contexts such as mate choice, intra-sexual competition, and parental care is particularly important for optimizing individual reproductive success. Several factors can influence decision-making, such as external environmental cues and the animal's own internal state, yet, we have limited knowledge on how animals integrate available information. Here, we used an entire island population (57 males, 53 females, and 1,109 tadpoles) of the neotropical brilliant-thighed poison frog Allobates femoralis to investigate how 2 factors (olfactory cues and personality traits) influence the ability of males to find and use new resources for tadpole deposition. We experimentally manipulated the location of tadpole deposition sites and their associated olfactory cues, and repeatedly measured exploration and boldness in adult males. We further reconstructed tadpole deposition choices via inferred parent-offspring relationships of adult frogs and tadpoles deposited in our experimental pools using molecular parentage analysis. We found that the discovery and use of new rearing sites were heavily influenced by olfactory cues; however, we did not find an effect of the measured behavioral traits on resource discovery and use. We conclude that in highly dynamic environments such as tropical rainforests, reliable external cues likely take priority over personality traits, helping individuals to discover and make use of reproductive resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélissa Peignier
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Max Ringler
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Eva Ringler
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
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2
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Menário Costa W, King WJ, Bonnet T, Festa-Bianchet M, Kruuk LEB. Early-life behavior, survival, and maternal personality in a wild marsupial. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:1002-1012. [PMID: 37969552 PMCID: PMC10636729 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad070] [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: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual behavior varies for many reasons, but how early in life are such differences apparent, and are they under selection? We investigated variation in early-life behavior in a wild eastern gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) population, and quantified associations of behavior with early survival. Behavior of young was measured while still in the pouch and as subadults, and survival to weaning was monitored. We found consistent variation between offspring of different mothers in levels of activity at the pouch stage, in flight initiation distance (FID) as subadults, and in subadult survival, indicating similarity between siblings. There was no evidence of covariance between the measures of behavior at the pouch young versus subadult stages, nor of covariance of the early-life behavioral traits with subadult survival. However, there was a strong covariance between FIDs of mothers and those of their offspring tested at different times. Further, of the total repeatability of subadult FID (51.5%), more than half could be attributed to differences between offspring of different mothers. Our results indicate that 1) behavioral variation is apparent at a very early stage of development (still in the pouch in the case of this marsupial); 2) between-mother differences can explain much of the repeatability (or "personality") of juvenile behavior; and 3) mothers and offspring exhibit similar behavioral responses to stimuli. However, 4) we found no evidence of selection via covariance between early-life or maternal behavioral traits and juvenile survival in this wild marsupial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weliton Menário Costa
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Wendy J King
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Timothée Bonnet
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- French National Centre for Scientific Research, Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Loeske E B Kruuk
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
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3
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Pick JL, Khwaja N, Spence MA, Ihle M, Nakagawa S. Counter culture: causes, extent and solutions of systematic bias in the analysis of behavioural counts. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15059. [PMID: 37033727 PMCID: PMC10081455 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We often quantify the rate at which a behaviour occurs by counting the number of times it occurs within a specific, short observation period. Measuring behaviour in such a way is typically unavoidable but induces error. This error acts to systematically reduce effect sizes, including metrics of particular interest to behavioural and evolutionary ecologists such as R2, repeatability (intra-class correlation, ICC) and heritability. Through introducing a null model, the Poisson process, for modelling the frequency of behaviour, we give a mechanistic explanation of how this problem arises and demonstrate how it makes comparisons between studies and species problematic, because the magnitude of the error depends on how frequently the behaviour has been observed as well as how biologically variable the behaviour is. Importantly, the degree of error is predictable and so can be corrected for. Using the example of parental provisioning rate in birds, we assess the applicability of our null model for modelling the frequency of behaviour. We then survey recent literature and demonstrate that the error is rarely accounted for in current analyses. We highlight the problems that arise from this and provide solutions. We further discuss the biological implications of deviations from our null model, and highlight the new avenues of research that they may provide. Adopting our recommendations into analyses of behavioural counts will improve the accuracy of estimated effect sizes and allow meaningful comparisons to be made between studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel L. Pick
- University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nyil Khwaja
- University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Michael A. Spence
- University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Centre for Environmental Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United Kingdom
| | - Malika Ihle
- University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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4
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MacKinlay RD, Shaw RC. A systematic review of animal personality in conservation science. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e13935. [PMID: 35561041 PMCID: PMC10084254 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Although animal personality research may have applied uses, this suggestion has yet to be evaluated by assessing empirical studies examining animal personality and conservation. To address this knowledge gap, we performed a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature relating to conservation science and animal personality. Criteria for inclusion in our review included access to full text, primary research articles, and relevant animal conservation or personality focus (i.e., not human personality studies). Ninety-two articles met these criteria. We summarized the conservation contexts, testing procedures (including species and sample size), analytical approach, claimed personality traits (activity, aggression, boldness, exploration, and sociability), and each report's key findings and conservation-focused suggestions. Although providing evidence for repeatability in behavior is crucial for personality studies, repeatability quantification was implemented in only half of the reports. Nonetheless, each of the 5 personality traits were investigated to some extent in a range of conservations contexts. The most robust studies in the field showed variance in how personality relates to other ecologically important variables across species and contexts. Moreover, many studies were first attempts at using personality for conservation purposes in a given study system. Overall, it appears personality is not yet a fully realized tool for conservation. To apply personality research to conservation problems, we suggest researchers think about where individual differences in behavior may affect conservation outcomes in their system, assess where there are opportunities for repeated measures, and follow the most current methodological guides on quantifying personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regan D. MacKinlay
- School of Biological SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Rachael C. Shaw
- School of Biological SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonWellingtonNew Zealand
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5
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McMahon EK, Youatt E, Cavigelli SA. A physiological profile approach to animal temperament: How to understand the functional significance of individual differences in behaviour. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212379. [PMID: 35016542 PMCID: PMC8753167 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behaviour research has experienced a renewed interest in consistent individual differences (i.e. animal personality or temperament). Recent ecological studies have identified environmental conditions that give rise to the development and evolution of temperaments and to fitness-related outcomes of temperament. Additional literature has also described relationships between temperaments and physiological regulation. However, one-to-one relationships between one behavioural trait and one physiological system do not account for co-selection of behavioural and physiological traits, nor the complex signalling among physiological systems. In the current paper, we review the literature on multiple physiological processes associated with temperament, propose temperament-specific physiological profiles, and focus on next steps to understand the functional significance, evolution and maintenance of temperaments. We propose that to understand causes and consequences of temperament we need to characterize integrative physiological profiles associated with different temperaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyse K McMahon
- Ecology Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, 101 Life Sciences Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Biobehavioral Health Department, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Elizabeth Youatt
- Psychology Department, Pennsylvania State University, 140 Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Sonia A Cavigelli
- Biobehavioral Health Department, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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6
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Effects of male and female personality on sexual cannibalism in the springbok mantis. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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7
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Gunn RL, Hartley IR, Algar AC, Niemelä PT, Keith SA. Understanding behavioural responses to human‐induced rapid environmental change: a meta‐analysis. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L. Gunn
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ. Lancaster UK
| | - Ian R. Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ. Lancaster UK
| | - Adam C. Algar
- Dept of Biology, Lakehead Univ. Thunder Bay ON Canada
| | - Petri T. Niemelä
- Behavioural Ecology, Dept of Biology, Ludwig‐Maximilians Univ. of Munich Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Univ. of Helsinki Finland
| | - Sally A. Keith
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ. Lancaster UK
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8
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Neethirajan S. The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Assessing Affective States in Livestock. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:715261. [PMID: 34409091 PMCID: PMC8364945 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.715261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to promote the welfare of farm animals, there is a need to be able to recognize, register and monitor their affective states. Numerous studies show that just like humans, non-human animals are able to feel pain, fear and joy amongst other emotions, too. While behaviorally testing individual animals to identify positive or negative states is a time and labor consuming task to complete, artificial intelligence and machine learning open up a whole new field of science to automatize emotion recognition in production animals. By using sensors and monitoring indirect measures of changes in affective states, self-learning computational mechanisms will allow an effective categorization of emotions and consequently can help farmers to respond accordingly. Not only will this possibility be an efficient method to improve animal welfare, but early detection of stress and fear can also improve productivity and reduce the need for veterinary assistance on the farm. Whereas affective computing in human research has received increasing attention, the knowledge gained on human emotions is yet to be applied to non-human animals. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach should be taken to combine fields such as affective computing, bioengineering and applied ethology in order to address the current theoretical and practical obstacles that are yet to be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suresh Neethirajan
- Farmworx, Animal Sciences Department, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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9
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Le Balle R, Cote J, Fernandez FAS. Evidence for animal personalities in two Brazilian tortoises (Chelonoidis denticulatus and Chelonoidis carbonarius) and insights for their conservation. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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10
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Reznikova Z. Ants’ Personality and Its Dependence on Foraging Styles: Research Perspectives. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.661066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The paper is devoted to analyzing consistent individual differences in behavior, also known as “personalities,” in the context of a vital ant task—the detection and transportation of food. I am trying to elucidate the extent to which collective cognition is individual-based and whether a single individual’s actions can suffice to direct the entire colony or colony units. The review analyzes personalities in various insects with different life cycles and provides new insights into the role of individuals in directing group actions in ants. Although it is widely accepted that, in eusocial insects, colony personality emerges from the workers’ personalities, there are only a few examples of investigations of personality at the individual level. The central question of the review is how the distribution of behavioral types and cognitive responsibilities within ant colonies depends on a species’ foraging style. In the context of how workers’ behavioral traits display during foraging, a crucial question is what makes an ant a scout that discovers a new food source and mobilizes its nestmates. In mass recruiting, tandem-running, and even in group-recruiting species displaying leadership, the division of labor between scouts and recruits appears to be ephemeral. There is only little, if any, evidence of ants’ careers and behavioral consistency as leaders. Personal traits characterize groups of individuals at the colony level but not performers of functional roles during foraging. The leader-scouting seems to be the only known system that is based on a consistent personal difference between scouting and foraging individuals.
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11
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Planas-Sitjà I, Deneubourg JL, Cronin AL. Variation in personality can substitute for social feedback in coordinated animal movements. Commun Biol 2021; 4:469. [PMID: 33850250 PMCID: PMC8044162 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01991-9] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Collective movements are essential for the effective function of animal societies, but are complicated by the need for consensus among group members. Consensus is typically assumed to arise via feedback mechanisms, but this ignores inter-individual variation in behavioural tendency ('personality'), which is known to underpin the successful function of many complex societies. In this study, we use a theoretical approach to examine the relative importance of personality and feedback in the emergence of collective movement decisions in animal groups. Our results show that variation in personality dramatically influences collective decisions and can partially or completely replace feedback depending on the directionality of relationships among individuals. The influence of personality increases with the exaggeration of differences among individuals. While it is likely that both feedback and personality interact in nature, our findings highlight the potential importance of personality in driving collective processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean-Louis Deneubourg
- Center of Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems (CENOLI) - CP 231, Université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Adam L Cronin
- Department of Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
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12
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Forkosh O. Animal behavior and animal personality from a non-human perspective: Getting help from the machine. PATTERNS 2021; 2:100194. [PMID: 33748791 PMCID: PMC7961179 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2020.100194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We can now track the position of every fly's leg or immerse a tiny fish inside a virtual world by monitoring its gaze in real time. Yet capturing animals' posture or gaze is not like understanding their behavior. Instead, behaviors are still often interpreted by human observers in an anthropomorphic manner. Even newer tools that automatically classify behaviors rely on human observers for the choice of behaviors. In this perspective, we suggest a roadmap toward a "human-free" interpretation of behavior. We present several recent advances, including our recent work on animal personalities. Personality both underlies behavioral differences among individuals and is consistent over time. A mathematical formulation of this idea has allowed us to measure mouse traits objectively, map behaviors across species (humans included), and explore the biological basis of behavior. Our goal is to enable "machine translation" of raw movement data into intelligible human concepts en route to improving our understanding of animals and people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oren Forkosh
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 761001, Israel
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13
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DiNuzzo ER, Griffen BD. The effects of animal personality on the ideal free distribution. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201095. [PMID: 32873202 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ideal free distribution (IFD) has been used to predict the distribution of foraging animals in a wide variety of systems. However, its predictions do not always match observed distributions of foraging animals. Instead, we often observe that there are more consumers than predicted in low-quality patches and fewer consumers than predicted in high-quality patches (i.e. undermatching). We examine the possibility that animal personality is one explanation for this undermatching. We first conducted a literature search to determine how commonly studies document the personality distribution of populations. Second, we created a simple individual-based model to conceptually demonstrate why knowing the distribution of personalities is important for studies of populations of foragers in context of the IFD. Third, we present a specific example where we calculate the added time to reach the IFD for a population of mud crabs that has a considerable number of individuals with relatively inactive personalities. We suggest that animal personality, particularly the prevalence of inactive personality types, may inhibit the ability of a population to track changes in habitat quality, therefore leading to undermatching of the IFD. This may weaken the IFD as a predictive model moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor R DiNuzzo
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Blaine D Griffen
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
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14
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Sommer NR, Schmitz OJ. Differences in prey personality mediate trophic cascades. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:9538-9551. [PMID: 32953082 PMCID: PMC7487229 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional trait approaches in ecology chiefly assume the mean trait value of a population adequately predicts the outcome of species interactions. Yet this assumption ignores substantial trait variation among individuals within a population, which can have a profound effect on community structure and function. We explored individual trait variation through the lens of animal personality to test whether among-individual variation in prey behavior mediates trophic interactions. We quantified the structure of personalities within a population of generalist grasshoppers and examined, through a number of field and laboratory-based experiments, how personality types could impact tri-trophic interactions in a food chain. Unlike other studies of this nature, we used spatial habitat domains to evaluate how personality types mechanistically map to behaviors relevant in predator-prey dynamics and found shy and bold individuals differed in both their habitat use and foraging strategy under predation risk by a sit-and-wait spider predator. In the field-based mesocosm portion of our study, we found experimental populations of personality types differed in their trophic impact, demonstrating that prey personality can mediate trophic cascades. We found no differences in respiration rates or body size between personality types used in the mesocosm experiment, indicating relative differences in trophic impact were not due to variation in prey physiology but rather variation in behavioral strategies. Our work demonstrates how embracing the complexity of individual trait variation can offer mechanistically richer understanding of the processes underlying trophic interactions.
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15
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Dingemanse NJ, Wright J. Criteria for acceptable studies of animal personality and behavioural syndromes. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Niels J. Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology Department of Biology Ludwig‐Maximilians University of Munich Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Department of Biology Center for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim Norway
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16
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Fahlman J, Hellström G, Jonsson M, Veenstra A, Klaminder J. Six common behavioral trials and their relevance for perch performance in natural lakes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 732:139101. [PMID: 32422478 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral traits measured in laboratory settings are commonly used when predicting ecological effects and evolutionary outcomes in natural systems. However, uncertainties regarding the relevance of simplified lab-based behavioral tests for complex natural environments have created doubts about the use of these tests within aquatic ecology and ecotoxicology. In this study, we scrutinize the assumption that fish performance in six commonly applied behavioral assays has relevance for in situ behavior, by comparing individual behavior tracked in both artificial laboratory settings as well as in two natural lakes. We show that: i) commonly measured behavioral traits of individual fish (Perca fluviatilis) have low predictive power for within-lake behaviors if interpreted alone, but that; ii) composite variables synthesized from several (six) behavioral assays explain important in situ measures such as swimming activity, dispersion, home-range size, and habitat preference. While our findings support recent criticisms against the use of single behavioral tests for predicting environmental effects, we provide empirical evidences suggesting that fish performances in multiple laboratory assays are highly relevant for fish behavior in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Fahlman
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - G Hellström
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, SLU, Umeå, Sweden
| | - M Jonsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - A Veenstra
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - J Klaminder
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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17
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Miu E, Gulley N, Laland KN, Rendell L. Flexible learning, rather than inveterate innovation or copying, drives cumulative knowledge gain. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaaz0286. [PMID: 32548255 PMCID: PMC7274806 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz0286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Human technology is characterized by cumulative cultural knowledge gain, yet researchers have limited knowledge of the mix of copying and innovation that maximizes progress. Here, we analyze a unique large-scale dataset originating from collaborative online programming competitions to investigate, in a setting of real-world complexity, how individual differences in innovation, social-information use, and performance generate technological progress. We find that cumulative knowledge gain is primarily driven by pragmatists, willing to copy, innovate, explore, and take risks flexibly, rather than by pure innovators or habitual copiers. Our study also reveals a key role for prestige in information transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Miu
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | | | - Kevin N. Laland
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Luke Rendell
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
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18
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Bubac CM, Miller JM, Coltman DW. The genetic basis of animal behavioural diversity in natural populations. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1957-1971. [PMID: 32374914 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in animal behaviour influence ecological and evolutionary processes. Much behavioural variation has a heritable component, suggesting that genetics may play a role in its development. Yet, the study of the mechanistic description linking genes to behaviour in nature remains in its infancy, and such research is considered a challenge in contemporary biology. Here, we performed a literature review and meta-analysis to assess trends in analytical approaches used to investigate the relationship between genes and behaviour in natural systems, specifically candidate gene approaches, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We aimed to determine the efficacy and success of each approach, while also describing which behaviours and species were examined by researchers most often. We found that the majority of QTL mapping and GWAS results revealed a significant or suggestive effect (Zr = 0.3 [95% CI: 0.25:0.35] and Zr = 0.39 [0.33:0.46], respectively) between the trait of interest and genetic marker(s) tested, while over half of candidate gene accounts (Zr = 0.16 [0.11:0.21]) did not find a significant association. Approximately a third of all study estimates investigated animal personality traits; though, reproductive and migratory behaviours were also well-represented. Our findings show that despite widespread accessibility of molecular approaches given current sequencing technologies, efforts to elucidate the genetic basis of behaviour in free-ranging systems has been limited to relatively few species. We discuss challenges encountered by researchers, and recommend integration of novel genomic methods with longitudinal studies to usher in the next wave of behavioural genomic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Bubac
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Joshua M Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - David W Coltman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Animal Personality: The Science Behind Individual Variation JRD Mackay (2018). Published by 5M Publishing, 8 Smithy Wood Drive, Sheffield S35 1QN, UK. 224 pages Paperback (ISBN: 978-1912178384). Price £24.95. Anim Welf 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/s0962728600011702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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20
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Davenport JM, King AB, Riley AW, Hampson ME, Constantinides P. The non‐consumptive effects of predators and personality on prey growth and mortality. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jon M. Davenport
- Department of Biology Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau MO USA
| | - Alexis B. King
- Department of Biology Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau MO USA
| | - Alex W. Riley
- Department of Biology Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau MO USA
| | - Maria E. Hampson
- Department of Biology Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau MO USA
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21
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Leclerc M, Zedrosser A, Swenson JE, Pelletier F. Hunters select for behavioral traits in a large carnivore. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12371. [PMID: 31451727 PMCID: PMC6710287 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48853-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Human harvest can induce selection on life history and morphological traits, leading to ecological and evolutionary responses. Our understanding of harvest-induced selection on behavioral traits is, however, very limited. Here, we assessed whether hunters harvest, consciously or not, individuals with specific behavioral traits. We used long-term, detailed behavioral and survival data of a heavily harvested brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in Sweden. We found that hunters harvested male bears that were less active during legal hunting hours and had lower movement rates. Also, hunters harvested male and female bears that used habitats closer to roads. We provide an empirical example that individual behavior can modulate vulnerability to hunting and that hunters could exert a selective pressure on wildlife behaviors. This study increases our understanding of the complex interactions between harvest method, human behavior, and animal behavior that are at play in harvest-induced selection and provides better insight into the full effects of human harvest on wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Leclerc
- Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography and Conservation & Centre for Northern Studies, Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, J1K2R1, Canada.
| | - A Zedrosser
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, N-3800 Bø i, Telemark, Norway. .,Department of Integrative Biology, Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor Mendel Str. 33, A - 1180, Vienna, Austria.
| | - J E Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, NO - 1432 Ås, Oslo, Norway.,Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - F Pelletier
- Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Demography and Conservation & Centre for Northern Studies, Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, J1K2R1, Canada
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22
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Smith‐Ferguson J, Beekman M. Can't see the colony for the bees: behavioural perspectives of biological individuality. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1935-1946. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jules Smith‐Ferguson
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Madeleine Beekman
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
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23
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Wilson V, Guenther A, Øverli Ø, Seltmann MW, Altschul D. Future Directions for Personality Research: Contributing New Insights to the Understanding of Animal Behavior. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:E240. [PMID: 31096599 PMCID: PMC6562689 DOI: 10.3390/ani9050240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
As part of the European Conference on Behavioral Biology 2018, we organized a symposium entitled, "Animal personality: providing new insights into behavior?" The aims of this symposium were to address current research in the personality field, spanning both behavioral ecology and psychology, to highlight the future directions for this research, and to consider whether differential approaches to studying behavior contribute something new to the understanding of animal behavior. In this paper, we discuss the study of endocrinology and ontogeny in understanding how behavioral variation is generated and maintained, despite selection pressures assumed to reduce this variation. We consider the potential mechanisms that could link certain traits to fitness outcomes through longevity and cognition. We also address the role of individual differences in stress coping, mortality, and health risk, and how the study of these relationships could be applied to improve animal welfare. From the insights provided by these topics, we assert that studying individual differences through the lens of personality has provided new directions in behavioral research, and we encourage further research in these directions, across this interdisciplinary field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Wilson
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göettingen, Germany.
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University, 37077 Göettingen, Germany.
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Anja Guenther
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany.
| | - Øyvind Øverli
- Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-0508 Oslo, Norway.
| | | | - Drew Altschul
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.
- Center for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.
- Scottish Primate Research Group.
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24
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Sasaki T, Mann RP, Warren KN, Herbert T, Wilson T, Biro D. Personality and the collective: bold homing pigeons occupy higher leadership ranks in flocks. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0038. [PMID: 29581403 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
While collective movement is ecologically widespread and conveys numerous benefits on individuals, it also poses a coordination problem: who controls the group's movements? The role that animal 'personalities' play in this question has recently become a focus of research interest. Although many animal groups have distributed leadership (i.e. multiple individuals influence collective decisions), studies linking personality and leadership have focused predominantly on the group's single most influential individual. In this study, we investigate the relationship between personality and the influence of multiple leaders on collective movement using homing pigeons, Columba livia, a species known to display complex multilevel leadership hierarchies during flock flights. Our results show that more exploratory (i.e. 'bold') birds are more likely to occupy higher ranks in the leadership hierarchy and thus have more influence on the direction of collective movement than less exploratory (i.e. 'shy') birds during both free flights around their lofts and homing flights from a distant site. Our data also show that bold pigeons fly faster than shy birds during solo flights. We discuss our results in light of theories about the evolution of personality, with specific reference to the adaptive value of heterogeneity in animal groups.This article is part of the theme issue 'Collective movement ecology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takao Sasaki
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Richard P Mann
- Department of Statistics, School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Katherine N Warren
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Tristian Herbert
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Tara Wilson
- University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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25
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Su X, Sun Y, Liu D, Wang F, Liu J, Zhu B. Agonistic behaviour and energy metabolism of bold and shy swimming crabs Portunus trituberculatus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.188706. [PMID: 30559303 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.188706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The metabolism and behaviour of crustaceans are highly flexible, and the inter-individual variation in these traits is evolutionarily and ecologically significant. We analysed the relationships among personality traits (boldness, activity and hesitancy), agonistic behaviour and energy status (glycogen, glucose and lactate) in the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus The main results were as follows. (1) Boldness was significantly correlated with activity and hesitancy. Bold crabs were more likely to initiate and win a fight. In bold individuals, the frequencies of 'move to', 'cheliped display', 'grasp' and 'contact' were significantly higher than those of shy individuals, whereas the frequency of 'move away' was significantly lower than that of shy individuals. (2) Before fighting, the glucose concentrations in the haemolymph of bold individuals were significantly lower than those of shy individuals, whereas the concentrations of lactate showed the opposite trend. There were no significant differences in glycogen and lactate concentrations in the claw muscle between bold and shy individuals. (3) After fighting, the glucose and lactate concentrations in the haemolymph of both bold and shy individuals were significantly higher than those before fighting. The glucose concentrations in the haemolymph were significantly higher in bold individuals than shy individuals. In addition, bold individuals showed a larger increase in glucose in the haemolymph but a smaller increase in lactate compared with shy individuals. (4) After fighting, the glycogen concentrations in the claw muscle were significantly lower than those before fighting; however, there were no significant differences in the concentrations of lactate in the claw muscle. These results indicated that the agonistic behaviour of the swimming crab is related to its behavioural type. Energy reserves may be one of the factors affecting the personality traits and agonistic behaviour in crabs. These results should lay a foundation for in-depth understanding of the relationships among crustacean personality, agonistic behaviour and metabolic physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianpeng Su
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.,Function Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, No. 1 Wenhai Road, Aoshanwei Town, Jimo, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yunfei Sun
- Centre for Research on Environmental Ecology and Fish Nutrition of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201316, China
| | - Dapeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.,Function Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, No. 1 Wenhai Road, Aoshanwei Town, Jimo, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China .,Function Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, No. 1 Wenhai Road, Aoshanwei Town, Jimo, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Jingjing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.,Function Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, No. 1 Wenhai Road, Aoshanwei Town, Jimo, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Boshan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.,Function Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, No. 1 Wenhai Road, Aoshanwei Town, Jimo, Qingdao 266237, China
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26
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Behavioral repeatability and choice performance in wild free-flying nectarivorous bats (Glossophaga commissarisi). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2637-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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27
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DeAngelis DL, Diaz SG. Decision-Making in Agent-Based Modeling: A Current Review and Future Prospectus. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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28
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Page H, Sweeney A, Pilko A, Pinter-Wollman N. Underlying mechanisms and ecological context of variation in exploratory behavior of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb188722. [PMID: 30385482 PMCID: PMC6307874 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.188722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Uncovering how and why animals explore their environment is fundamental for understanding population dynamics, the spread of invasive species, species interactions, etc. In social animals, individuals within a group can vary in their exploratory behavior, and the behavioral composition of the group can determine its collective success. Workers of the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) exhibit individual variation in exploratory behavior, which affects the colony's collective nest selection behavior. Here, we examine the mechanisms underlying this behavioral variation in exploratory behavior and determine its implications for the ecology of this species. We first establish that individual variation in exploratory behavior is repeatable and consistent across situations. We then show a relationship between exploratory behavior and the expression of genes that have been previously linked with other behaviors in social insects. Specifically, we found a negative relationship between exploratory behavior and the expression of the foraging (Lhfor) gene. Finally, we determine how colonies allocate exploratory individuals in natural conditions. We found that ants from inside the nest are the least exploratory individuals, whereas workers on newly formed foraging trails are the most exploratory individuals. Furthermore, we found temporal differences throughout the year: in early-mid spring, when new resources emerge, workers are more exploratory than at the end of winter, potentially allowing the colony to find and exploit new resources. These findings reveal the importance of individual variation in behavior for the ecology of social animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Page
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Andrew Sweeney
- Biocircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Anna Pilko
- Institute of Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Institute of Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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29
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Kamath A, Pruitt JN, Brooks AJ, Ladd MC, Cook DT, Gallagher JP, Vickers ME, Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ. Potential feedback between coral presence and farmerfish collective behavior promotes coral recovery. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ambika Kamath
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Dept of Environmental Science, Policy and Management & Miller Inst. for Basic Research in Science Univ. of California Berkeley Berkeley CA 94720 USA
| | - Jonathan N. Pruitt
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Dept of Pyschology, Neuroscience and Behaviour McMaster Univ. Hamilton ON L8N 1A8 Canada
- Marine Science Inst. Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Andrew J. Brooks
- Marine Science Inst. Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Mark C. Ladd
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Marine Science Inst. Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Dana T. Cook
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Marine Science Inst. Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Jordan P. Gallagher
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Marine Science Inst. Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
| | | | - Sally J. Holbrook
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Marine Science Inst. Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Marine Science Inst. Univ. of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
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30
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Boult VL, Sibly RM, Quaife T, Fishlock V, Moss C, Lee PC. Modelling large herbivore movement decisions: Beyond food availability as a predictor of ranging patterns. Afr J Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tristan Quaife
- Department of Meteorology University of Reading Reading UK
| | - Vicki Fishlock
- Amboseli Trust for Elephants University of Stirling Stirling UK
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK
| | - Cynthia Moss
- Amboseli Trust for Elephants University of Stirling Stirling UK
| | - Phyllis C. Lee
- Amboseli Trust for Elephants University of Stirling Stirling UK
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK
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31
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Thoré ESJ, Steenaerts L, Philippe C, Grégoir A, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Individual behavioral variation reflects personality divergence in the upcoming model organism Nothobranchius furzeri. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8448-8457. [PMID: 30250714 PMCID: PMC6144979 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the animal kingdom, behavioral variation among individuals has often been reported. However, stable among-individual differences along a behavioral continuum-reflective of personality variation-have only recently become a key target of research. While a vast body of descriptive literature exists on animal personality, hypothesis-driven quantitative studies are largely deficient. One of the main constraints to advance the field is the lack of suitable model organisms. Here, we explore whether N. furzeri could be a valuable model to bridge descriptive and hypothesis-driven research to further unravel the causes, function and evolution of animal personality. As a first step toward this end, we perform a common garden laboratory experiment to examine if behavioral variation in the turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri reflects personality divergence. Furthermore, we explore if multiple behavioral traits are correlated. We deliver "proof of principle" of personality variation among N. furzeri individuals in multiple behavioral traits. Because of the vast body of available genomic and physiological information, the well-characterized ecological background and an exceptionally short life cycle, N. furzeri is an excellent model organism to further elucidate the causes and implications of behavioral variation in an eco-evolutionary context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S. J. Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Laure Steenaerts
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological ResearchUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Arnout Grégoir
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Water Research GroupUnit for Environmental Sciences and ManagementNorth‐West UniversityPotchefstroomSouth Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable DevelopmentKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Centre for Environmental ManagementUniversity of the Free StateBloemfonteinSouth Africa
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33
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Effect of the exploratory behaviour on a bird’s ability to categorize a predator. Behav Processes 2018; 151:89-95. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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34
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Zablocki-Thomas PB, Herrel A, Hardy I, Rabardel L, Perret M, Aujard F, Pouydebat E. Personality and performance are affected by age and early life parameters in a small primate. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4598-4605. [PMID: 29760900 PMCID: PMC5938443 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A whole suite of parameters is likely to influence the behavior and performance of individuals as adults, including correlations between phenotypic traits or an individual's developmental context. Here, we ask the question whether behavior and physical performance traits are correlated and how early life parameters such as birth weight, litter size, and growth can influence these traits as measured during adulthood. We studied 486 captive gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) and measured two behavioral traits and two performance traits potentially involved in two functions: exploration behavior with pull strength and agitation score with bite force. We checked for the existence of behavioral consistency in behaviors and explored correlations between behavior, performance, morphology. We analyzed the effect of birth weight, growth, and litter size, while controlling for age, sex, and body weight. Behavior and performance were not correlated with one another, but were both influenced by age. Growth rate had a positive effect on adult morphology, and birth weight significantly affected emergence latency and bite force. Grip strength was not directly affected by early life traits, but bite performance and exploration behavior were impacted by birth weight. This study shows how early life parameters impact personality and performance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N. Paris Cedex 5 France.,Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Isabelle Hardy
- Département Adaptations du Vivant UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N. Paris Cedex 5 France
| | - Lucile Rabardel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N. Paris Cedex 5 France
| | - Martine Perret
- Département Adaptations du Vivant UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N. Paris Cedex 5 France
| | - Fabienne Aujard
- Département Adaptations du Vivant UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N. Paris Cedex 5 France
| | - Emmanuelle Pouydebat
- Département Adaptations du Vivant UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N. Paris Cedex 5 France
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35
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36
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Wilson AJ. How should we interpret estimates of individual repeatability? Evol Lett 2018; 2:4-8. [PMID: 30283660 PMCID: PMC6121803 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual repeatability (R), defined as the proportion of observed variance attributable to among-individual differences, is a widely used summary statistic in evolutionarily motivated studies of morphology, life history, physiology and, especially, behaviour. Although statistical methods to estimate R are well known and widely available, there is a growing tendency for researchers to interpret R in ways that are subtly, but importantly, different. Some view R as a property of a dataset and a statistic to be interpreted agnostically with respect to mechanism. Others wish to isolate the contributions of 'intrinsic' and/or 'permanent' individual differences, and draw a distinction between true (intrinsic) and pseudo-repeatability arising from uncontrolled extrinsic effects. This latter view proposes a narrower, more mechanistic interpretation, than the traditional concept of repeatability, but perhaps one that allows stronger evolutionary inference as a consequence (provided analytical pitfalls are successfully avoided). Neither perspective is incorrect, but if we are to avoid confusion and fruitless debate, there is a need for researchers to recognise this dichotomy, and to ensure clarity in relation to how, and why, a particular estimate of R is appropriate in any case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair J Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter (Penryn Campus) Cornwall TR10 9FE United Kingdom
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37
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Huang P, Kimball RT, St. Mary CM. Does the use of a multi-trait, multi-test approach to measure animal personality yield different behavioural syndrome results? BEHAVIOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
A multi-trait, multi-test approach to investigate the convergence or discrimination between behavioural tests putatively targeting the same or different animal personality traits has been recommended, yet whether and how the approaches affect the identification of behavioural syndrome(s), the suite of correlated personality traits, requires investigation. Here, we used behavioural measures collected from five commonly used behavioural tests targeting three personality traits, evaluated their convergence/discrimination through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and then explored whether the identification of syndrome changed based on the approach we used to quantify personality traits. Our results indicated that tests presumably targeting the same personality trait actually measured distinct behavioural aspects. Syndrome defined using correlation changed due to how we identified personality traits, but not when using structural equation models (SEMs). Overall, this study emphasizes that it is critical to clarify the approach and terms we use for ‘personality traits’ in the field of animal personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Huang
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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38
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Gangloff EJ, Chow M, Leos-Barajas V, Hynes S, Hobbs B, Sparkman AM. Integrating behaviour into the pace-of-life continuum: Divergent levels of activity and information gathering in fast- and slow-living snakes. Behav Processes 2017. [PMID: 28648696 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Gangloff
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
| | - Melinda Chow
- Department of Biology, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA 93108 USA
| | | | - Stephanie Hynes
- Department of Biology, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA 93108 USA
| | - Brooke Hobbs
- Department of Biology, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA 93108 USA
| | - Amanda M Sparkman
- Department of Biology, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA 93108 USA.
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