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Van de Walle J, Sun R, Fay R, Patrick SC, Barbraud C, Delord K, Weimerkirch H, Jenouvrier S. The impact of boldness on demographic rates and life-history outcomes in the wandering albatross. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:676-690. [PMID: 38525860 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14077] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Differences among individuals within a population are ubiquitous. Those differences are known to affect the entire life cycle with important consequences for all demographic rates and outcomes. One source of among-individual phenotypic variation that has received little attention from a demographic perspective is animal personality, which is defined as consistent and heritable behavioural differences between individuals. While many studies have shown that individual variation in individual personality can generate individual differences in survival and reproductive rates, the impact of personality on all demographic rates and outcomes remains to be assessed empirically. Here, we used a unique, long-term, dataset coupling demography and personality of wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) in the Crozet Archipelago and a comprehensive analysis based on a suite of approaches (capture-mark-recapture statistical models, Markov chains models and structured matrix population models). We assessed the effect of boldness on annual demographic rates (survival, breeding probability, breeding success), life-history outcomes (life expectancy, lifetime reproductive outcome, occupancy times), and an integrative demographic outcome (population growth rate). We found that boldness had little impact on female demographic rates, but was very likely associated with lower breeding probabilities in males. By integrating the effects of boldness over the entire life cycle, we found that bolder males had slightly lower lifetime reproductive success compared to shyer males. Indeed, bolder males spent a greater proportion of their lifetime as non-breeders, which suggests longer inter-breeding intervals due to higher reproductive allocation. Our results reveal that the link between boldness and demography is more complex than anticipated by the pace-of-life literature and highlight the importance of considering the entire life cycle with a comprehensive approach when assessing the role of personality on individual performance and demography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanie Van de Walle
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Maurice-Lamontagne Institute, Mont-Joli, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ruijiao Sun
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Rémi Fay
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Laboratoire de Biometrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5558, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Samantha C Patrick
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-La Rochelle University UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-La Rochelle University UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Henri Weimerkirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-La Rochelle University UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Stephanie Jenouvrier
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
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2
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Szymkowiak J. Auditory risk recognition is socially transmitted across territory borders in wild birds. Anim Cogn 2024; 27:19. [PMID: 38429547 PMCID: PMC10907423 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01858-6] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Prey species commonly assess predation risk based on acoustic signals, such as predator vocalizations or heterospecific alarm calls. The resulting risk-sensitive decision-making affects not only the behavior and life-history of individual prey, but also has far-reaching ecological consequences for population, community, and ecosystem dynamics. Although auditory risk recognition is ubiquitous in animals, it remains unclear how individuals gain the ability to recognize specific sounds as cues of a threat. Here, it has been shown that free-living birds (Wood Warblers Phylloscopus sibilatrix) can learn to recognize unfamiliar, complex sounds (samples of punk rock songs) as cues of a threat from conspecifics holding adjacent territories during the spring breeding season. In a playback experiment, Wood Warblers initially ignored the unfamiliar sounds, but after repeatedly hearing that these sounds trigger alarm calling reaction of neighbors, most individuals showed an anti-predator response to them. Moreover, once learned soon after nestlings hatching, the anti-predator response of parents toward previously unfamiliar sounds was then retained over the entire nestlings rearing period. These results demonstrate that social learning via the association of unfamiliar sounds with known alarm signals enables the spread of anti-predator behavior across territory borders and provides a mechanism explaining the widespread abilities of animals to assess predation risk based on acoustic cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Szymkowiak
- Faculty of Biology, Forest Biology Center, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznan, Poland.
- Population Ecology Research Unit, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznan, Poland.
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3
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Bridgeland-Stephens L, Thorpe SKS, Chappell J. Potential resilience treatments for orangutans ( Pongo spp.): Lessons from a scoping review of interventions in humans and other animals. Anim Welf 2023; 32:e77. [PMID: 38487448 PMCID: PMC10937215 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2023.97] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Wild orangutans (Pongo spp.) rescued from human-wildlife conflict must be adequately rehabilitated before being returned to the wild. It is essential that released orangutans are able to cope with stressful challenges such as food scarcity, navigating unfamiliar environments, and regaining independence from human support. Although practical skills are taught to orangutans in rehabilitation centres, post-release survival rates are low. Psychological resilience, or the ability to 'bounce back' from stress, may be a key missing piece of the puzzle. However, there is very little knowledge about species-appropriate interventions which could help captive orangutans increase resilience to stress. This scoping review summarises and critically analyses existing human and non-human animal resilience literature and provides suggestions for the development of interventions for orangutans in rehabilitation. Three scientific databases were searched in 2021 and 2023, resulting in 63 human studies and 266 non-human animal studies. The first section brings together human resilience interventions, identifying common themes and assessing the applicability of human interventions to orangutans in rehabilitation. The second section groups animal interventions into categories of direct stress, separation stress, environmental conditions, social stress, and exercise. In each category, interventions are critically analysed to evaluate their potential for orangutans in rehabilitation. The results show that mild and manageable forms of intervention have the greatest potential benefit with the least amount of risk. The study concludes by emphasising the need for further investigation and experimentation, to develop appropriate interventions and measure their effect on the post-release survival rate of orangutans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jackie Chappell
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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4
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van Iersel R, Boiten G, Pinxten R, Eens M. Untangling behaviours: independent expressions of female-female aggression and snake-like hissing in the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). Sci Rep 2023; 13:16346. [PMID: 37770619 PMCID: PMC10539291 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43652-3] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggression plays a crucial role in deterring predators and securing resources to promote fitness. Nevertheless, studies focussing on female aggression remain scarce. In songbirds, aggression is prevalent during the breeding season, when same-sex individuals compete for limited resources. Additionally, females of some bird species exhibit snake-like hissing behaviour during incubation presumably to lower predation rates and improve fitness. Such behaviours may co-vary, forming a behavioural syndrome that could constrain trait expression. Here, we investigated a resident population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), to examine the repeatability and covariation of female-female aggression and hissing behaviour, aiming to determine if these constitute a behavioural syndrome. We quantified female-female aggression during simulated territorial intrusions and measured number of hissing calls in response to a simulated predator intrusion into the nest box. We found that both female-female aggression and hissing behaviour were repeatable traits, and that older females approached the intruder less. However, we found no evidence of covariation between female-female aggression and hissing behaviour. Thus, our findings suggest that female-female aggression and hissing behaviour, although both displayed in a nest defence context, are evolutionarily independent traits in the blue tit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin van Iersel
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Gust Boiten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
- Research Group Didactica, Antwerp School of Education, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
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5
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Borger MJ, Komdeur J, Richardson DS, Weissing FJ. The estimation of reproductive values from pedigrees. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:850-861. [PMID: 37744170 PMCID: PMC10516676 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad049] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantifying fitness is important to understand adaptive evolution. Reproductive values are useful for making fitness comparisons involving different categories of individuals, like males and females. By definition, the reproductive value of a category is the expected per capita contribution of the members of that category to the gene pool of future generations. Life history theory reveals how reproductive values can be determined via the estimation of life-history parameters, but this requires an adequate life-history model and intricate algebraic calculations. Recently, an alternative pedigree-based method has become popular, which estimates the expected genetic contribution of individuals to future generations by tracking their descendants down the pedigree. This method is versatile and intuitively appealing, but it is unknown if the method produces estimates of reproductive values that are accurate and precise. To investigate this, we implement various life-history scenarios (for which the "true" reproductive values can be calculated) in individual-based simulations, use the simulation data to estimate reproductive values with the pedigree method, and compare the results with the true target values. We show that the pedigree-based estimation of reproductive values is either biased (in the short term) or imprecise (in the long term). This holds even for simple life histories and under idealized conditions. We conclude that the pedigree method is not a good substitute for the traditional method to quantify reproductive values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam J Borger
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David S Richardson
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, NR4 7TJ Norwich, UK
| | - Franz J Weissing
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
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6
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Kimball MG, Lattin CR. Exploration of A Novel Environment is Not Correlated With Object Neophobia in Wild-caught House Sparrows (Passer domesticus). Behav Processes 2023:104913. [PMID: 37406866 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104913] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Novel object, food, and environment trials have been widely used to understand how individual variation in neophobia (an aversion to novelty) relates to variation in endocrine, physiological, and ecological traits. However, what is often missing from these studies is an evaluation of whether an animal's response to one type of neophobia test is reflective of its response to other neophobia tests. In this study we investigated whether spatial neophobia was significantly correlated with responses to a novel object paradigm. In spatial neophobia trials, wild-caught house sparrows (n = 23) were allowed access to a novel environment (an adjacent cage with familiar objects placed in new locations). Time to first enter and total time spent in the novel environment were assessed. In novel object trials, birds were exposed to a new novel object in, on, or near their food dish and time to approach and feed from the dish was measured. Results indicate that neither time spent in a novel environment nor time to first enter a novel environment were correlated with an individual's average response to novel object trials. Therefore, these two tests may be assessing two discrete behaviors that involve separate decision-making processes and functional circuits in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie G Kimball
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States.
| | - Christine R Lattin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States
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7
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Paradoxical associations between fitness components and behavioural phenotype in a wild bird. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
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8
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McCully FR, Weimerskirch H, Cornell SJ, Hatchwell BJ, Cairo M, Patrick SC. Partner intrinsic characteristics influence foraging trip duration, but not coordination of care in wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9621. [PMID: 36540077 PMCID: PMC9754911 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9621] [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: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-lived monogamous species gain long-term fitness benefits by equalizing effort during biparental care. For example, many seabird species coordinate care by matching foraging trip durations within pairs. Age affects coordination in some seabird species; however, the impact of other intrinsic traits, including personality, on potential intraspecific variation in coordination strength is less well understood. The impacts of pair members' intrinsic traits on trip duration and coordination strength were investigated using data from saltwater immersion loggers deployed on 71 pairs of wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans. These were modeled against pair members' age, boldness, and their partner's previous trip duration. At the population level, the birds exhibited some coordination of parental care that was of equal strength during incubation and chick-brooding. However, there was low variation in coordination between pairs and coordination strength was unaffected by the birds' boldness or age in either breeding stage. Surprisingly, during incubation, foraging trip duration was mainly driven by partner traits, as birds which were paired to older and bolder partners took shorter trips. During chick-brooding, shorter foraging trips were associated with greater boldness in focal birds and their partners, but age had no effect. These results suggest that an individual's assessment of their partner's capacity or willingness to provide care may be a major driver of trip duration, thereby highlighting the importance of accounting for pair behavior when studying parental care strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéCentre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueVilliers en BoisFrance
| | - Stephen J. Cornell
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | - Milena Cairo
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (UMR 7204)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleParisFrance
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9
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Bilby J, Colombelli-Négrel D, Katsis AC, Kleindorfer S. When aggressiveness could be too risky: linking personality traits and predator response in superb fairy-wrens. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14011. [PMID: 36193436 PMCID: PMC9526405 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14011] [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: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Personality syndromes in animals may have adaptive benefits for survival. For example, while engaging in predator deterrence, reactive individuals tend to prioritise their own survival, while proactive individuals engage in riskier behaviours. Studies linking animal personality measured in captivity with individual fitness or behaviours in the wild are sparse, which is a gap in knowledge this study aims to address. We used playback experiments in superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus), a common Australian songbird with a cooperative breeding system, to assess whether three personality traits measured during short-term captivity correlated with behavioural responses in the wild to a perceived nest and adult predator, the grey currawong (Strepera versicolor). We used three standard measures of personality in birds: struggle responses to human handling (boldness), exploration during a novel environment test, and aggressiveness during a mirror presentation. Superb fairy-wrens showed a significantly stronger response to the predator playback than to the control (willie wagtail, Rhipidura leucophrys) playback, suggesting that they recognised the predator playback as a threat without any accompanying visual stimulus. Birds that attacked their mirror image during the mirror presentation and those that spent a moderate amount of time close to the mirror responded more strongly to predator playback (by approaching the speaker faster and closer, spending more time near the speaker, and being more likely to alarm call) compared to those with low aggressiveness or those that spent very short or long durations close to the mirror. Neither boldness nor exploration in the novel environment test predicted playback response. Our results align with a growing number of studies across species showing the importance of animal personalities as factors for fitness and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Bilby
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Diane Colombelli-Négrel
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew C. Katsis
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sonia Kleindorfer
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia,Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition & Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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10
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Buniyaadi A, Prabhat A, Bhardwaj SK, Kumar V. Night melatonin levels affect cognition in diurnal animals: Molecular insights from a corvid exposed to an illuminated night environment. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 308:119618. [PMID: 35714793 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the role of nocturnal melatonin secretion in the cognitive performance of diurnal animals. An initial experiment measured the cognitive performance in Indian house crows treated for 11 days with 12 h light at 1.426 W/m2 (∼150 lux) coupled with 12 h of 0.058 W/m2 (∼6-lux) dim light at night (dLAN) or with absolute darkness (0 lux dark night, LD). dLAN treatment significantly decreased midnight melatonin levels and negatively impacted cognitive performance. Subsequently, the role of exogenous melatonin (50 μg; administered intraperitoneally half an hour before the night began) was assessed on the regulation of cognitive performance in two separate experimental cohorts of crows kept under dLAN; LD controls received vehicle. Exogenous melatonin restored its mid-night levels under dLAN at par with those under LD controls, and improved the cognitive performance, as measured in the innovative problem-solving, and spatial and pattern learning-memory efficiency tests in dLAN-treated crows. There were concurrent molecular changes in the cognition-associated brain areas, namely the hippocampus, nidopallium caudolaterale and midbrain. In particular, the expression levels of genes involved in neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity (bdnf, dcx, egr1, creb), and dopamine synthesis and signalling (th, drd1, drd2, darpp32, taar1) were restored to LD control levels in crows treated with illuminated nights and received melatonin. These results demonstrate that the maintenance of nocturnal melatonin levels is crucial for an optimal higher-order brain function in diurnal animals in the face of an environmental threat, such as light pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaan Buniyaadi
- IndoUS Center in Chronobiology, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India
| | - Abhilash Prabhat
- IndoUS Center in Chronobiology, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India
| | | | - Vinod Kumar
- IndoUS Center in Chronobiology, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India.
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11
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Lattin CR, Kelly TR, Kelly MW, Johnson KM. Constitutive gene expression differs in three brain regions important for cognition in neophobic and non-neophobic house sparrows (Passer domesticus). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267180. [PMID: 35536842 PMCID: PMC9089922 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neophobia (aversion to new objects, food, and environments) is a personality trait that affects the ability of wildlife to adapt to new challenges and opportunities. Despite the ubiquity and importance of this trait, the molecular mechanisms underlying repeatable individual differences in neophobia in wild animals are poorly understood. We evaluated wild-caught house sparrows (Passer domesticus) for neophobia in the lab using novel object tests. We then selected a subset of neophobic and non-neophobic individuals (n = 3 of each, all females) and extracted RNA from four brain regions involved in learning, memory, threat perception, and executive function: striatum, caudal dorsomedial hippocampus, medial ventral arcopallium, and caudolateral nidopallium (NCL). Our analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) used 11,889 gene regions annotated in the house sparrow reference genome for which we had an average of 25.7 million mapped reads/sample. PERMANOVA identified significant effects of brain region, phenotype (neophobic vs. non-neophobic), and a brain region by phenotype interaction. Comparing neophobic and non-neophobic birds revealed constitutive differences in DEGs in three of the four brain regions examined: hippocampus (12% of the transcriptome significantly differentially expressed), striatum (4%) and NCL (3%). DEGs included important known neuroendocrine mediators of learning, memory, executive function, and anxiety behavior, including serotonin receptor 5A, dopamine receptors 1, 2 and 5 (downregulated in neophobic birds), and estrogen receptor beta (upregulated in neophobic birds). These results suggest that some of the behavioral differences between phenotypes may be due to underlying gene expression differences in the brain. The large number of DEGs in neophobic and non-neophobic birds also implies that there are major differences in neural function between the two phenotypes that could affect a wide variety of behavioral traits beyond neophobia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine R. Lattin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Tosha R. Kelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Morgan W. Kelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Kevin M. Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, United States of America
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12
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Riyahi S, Carrillo-Ortiz JG, Uribe F, Calafell F, Senar JC. Risk-taking coping style correlates with SERT SNP290 polymorphisms in free-living great tits. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274842. [PMID: 35332918 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243342] [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: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The coping style of an individual in relation to potentially dangerous situations has been suggested to be inherited in a polygenic fashion, being SERT one of the candidate genes. In this paper, we assessed in free-living great tits Parus major the association between SNP290 in the SERT promoter and three standard fear-related behaviors, namely the response of the birds to a black and white flag fixed to the top of the nest-box, distress calling rate of the birds in the hand once captured and the hissing call of incubating females when approached by a predator. We found a strong association between SNP290 polymorphism and the three risk-taking behaviors, with birds with genotype CT entering faster to the nest box with the flag and displaying more distress calls and less hissing calls. CT birds could therefore be described as more proactive than CC individuals. These results also suggest that hissing behavior should be regarded as a fear-induced shy behavior, and confirm that SERT has an important function in relation to risk aversion behaviors and coping style.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepand Riyahi
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Psseig Picasso s/n, Parc Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.,Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - José G Carrillo-Ortiz
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Psseig Picasso s/n, Parc Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Uribe
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Psseig Picasso s/n, Parc Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Calafell
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Senar
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Psseig Picasso s/n, Parc Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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13
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Agues-Barbosa T, da Silva Junior FC, Gomes-de-Lima JN, Batistuzzo de Medeiros SR, Luchiari AC. Behavioral genetics of alcohol's effects in three zebrafish (Danio rerio) populations. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 114:110495. [PMID: 34915060 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol abuse is one of the most dangerous and serious problems for patients and society. Interpopulation studies are important in understanding how genetic background contributes to the effects of alcohol. In this study, we applied a chronic alcohol exposure protocol in three zebrafish populations (Danio rerio; both sexes; AB, TU, and outbred fish - OB). We analyzed the behavioral responses and mRNA expression involved in neurotransmitter metabolism - th1, tph1, ache, ada1, gaba1, gad1b, and bdnf. Locomotion patterns were similar between populations (increased speed after acute alcohol and unaltered locomotion after chronic and withdrawal treatments). All populations exhibited increased expression of genes associated with locomotion (th1, gad1b, and gaba1) after acute alcohol exposure. Anxiety-like responses increased in AB and TU fish during withdrawal and decreased in AB fish after acute alcohol exposure. Genes related to anxiety-like behavior (tph1 and ada1) were overexpressed in AB and TU fish after acute and withdrawal treatments, while OB fish exhibited unaltered responses. Bdnf levels decreased during withdrawal in AB and OB fish, while TU showed upregulated levels in both chronic and withdrawal treatments. Our results suggest that zebrafish populations respond differently to alcohol exposure, which may contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying alcohol use and dependence. Moreover, we found that a more diverse genetic background (OB) was related to higher variability in behavioral and mRNA expression, demonstrating that inbred populations (AB and TU) may be useful tools in identifying alcohol use and abuse mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais Agues-Barbosa
- Department of Physiology & Behavior, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Ana Carolina Luchiari
- Department of Physiology & Behavior, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
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Ramos GDAP, de Azevedo CS, Lovestain DDC, Jardim THA, Sant’Anna AC. Is individual temperament related to behaviors in a social context for a Neotropical parakeet species? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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15
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A migratory sparrow has personality in winter that is independent of other traits. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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16
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Mouchet A, Dingemanse NJ. A quantitative genetics approach to validate lab- versus field-based behavior in novel environments. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Conclusions about the adaptive nature of repeatable variation in behavior (i.e., “personality”) are often derived from laboratory-based assays. However, the expression of genetic variation differs between laboratory and field. Laboratory-based behavior might not predict field-based behavior thus, cross-context validation is required. We estimated the cross-context correlation between behavior expressed by wild great tits (Parus major) in established laboratory versus field novel environment assays. Both assays have been used as proxies for “exploration tendency.” Behavior in both contexts had similar repeatability (R = 0.35 vs. 0.37) but differed in heritability (h2 = 0.06 vs. 0.23), implying differences in selection pressures. Unexpectedly, there was no cross-context correlation. Laboratory- and field-based behavior thus reflected expressions of two distinct underlying characters. Post hoc simulations revealed that sampling bias did not explain the lack of correlation. Laboratory-based behavior may reflect fear and exploration, but field-based behavior may reflect escape behavior instead, though other functional interpretations cannot be excluded. Thus, in great tits, activity expressed in laboratory versus field novel environment assays is modulated by multiple quasi-independent characters. The lack of cross-context correlation shown here may also apply to other setups, other repeatable behaviors, and other taxa. Our study thus implies care should be taken in labeling behaviors prior to firm validation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia Mouchet
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Großhaderner Straße, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Großhaderner Straße, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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Zhang J, Santema P, Li J, Yang L, Deng W, Kempenaers B. Host personality predicts cuckoo egg rejection in Daurian redstarts Phoenicurus auroreus. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210228. [PMID: 34130501 PMCID: PMC8206684 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In species that are subject to brood parasitism, individuals often vary in their responses to parasitic eggs, with some rejecting the eggs while others do not. While some factors, such as host age (breeding experience), the degree of egg matching and the level of perceived risk of brood parasitism have been shown to influence host decisions, much of the variation remains unexplained. The host personality hypothesis suggests that personality traits of the host influence its response to parasitic eggs, but few studies have tested this. We investigated the relationship between two personality traits (exploration and neophobia) and a physiological trait (breathing rate) of the host, and egg-rejection behaviour in a population of Daurian redstarts Phoenicurus auroreus in northeast China. We first show that exploratory behaviour and the response to a novel object are repeatable for individual females and strongly covary, indicating distinct personality types. We then show that fast-exploring and less neophobic hosts were more likely to reject parasitic eggs than slow-exploring and more neophobic hosts. Variation in breathing rate-a measure of the stress-response-did not affect rejection behaviour. Our results demonstrate that host personality, along the bold-shy continuum, predicts the responses to parasitic eggs in Daurian redstarts, with bold hosts being more likely to reject parasitic eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinggang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Peter Santema
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Jianqiang Li
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lixing Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenhong Deng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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Cooke AC, Davidson GL, van Oers K, Quinn JL. Motivation, accuracy and positive feedback through experience explain innovative problem solving and its repeatability. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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19
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Määttänen I, Henttonen P, Väliaho J, Palomäki J, Thibault M, Kallio J, Mäntyjärvi J, Harviainen T, Jokela M. Positive affect state is a good predictor of movement and stress: combining data from ESM/EMA, mobile HRV measurements and trait questionnaires. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06243. [PMID: 33681494 PMCID: PMC7930110 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Personality describes the average behaviour and responses of individuals across situations; but personality traits are often poor predictors of behaviour in specific situations. This is known as the "personality paradox". We evaluated the interrelations between various trait and state variables in participants' everyday lives. As state measures, we used 1) experience sampling methodology (ESM/EMA) to measure perceived affect, stress, and presence of social company; and 2) heart rate variability and 3) real-time movement (accelerometer data) to indicate physiological stress and physical movement. These data were linked with self-report measures of personality and personality-like traits. Trait variables predicted affect states and multiple associations were found: traits neuroticism and rumination decreased positive affect state and increased negative affect state. Positive affect state, in turn, was the strongest predictor of observed movement. Positive affect was also associated with heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV). Negative affect, in turn, was not associated with neither movement, HR or HRV. The study provides evidence on the influence of personality-like traits and social context to affect states, and, in turn, their influence to movement and stress variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilmari Määttänen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pentti Henttonen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Julius Väliaho
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jussi Palomäki
- Cognitive Science, Department of Digital Humanities, Faculty of Arts, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maisa Thibault
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | | | | | - Markus Jokela
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
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Yang S, Zhang T, Li Y, Xu S, Zhang M, Hu X, Liu S, Hu D, Wronski T. Identifying personality traits and their potential application to the management of captive forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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21
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Cassola FM, Henaut Y, Cedeño-Vázquez JR, Méndez-de la Cruz FR, Morales-Vela B. Temperament and sexual behaviour in the Furrowed Wood Turtle Rhinoclemmys areolata. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0244561. [PMID: 33378375 PMCID: PMC7773281 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The variation in temperament among animals has consequences for evolution and ecology. One of the primary effects of consistent behavioral differences is on reproduction. In chelonians some authors have focused on the study of temperament using different methods. In our research our first aim was i) establish a methodology to determine the degree of boldness among individuals Rhinoclemmys areolata. Our second aim was to ii) determine the role boldness plays during reproduction, with emphasis on courtship and copulation, considering a) the interactions between males and females, and b) competition between males. We used 16 sexually mature individuals of each sex. Males were observed in four different situations and 17 behavioral traits were recorded. We selected 12 traits that allowed us distinguish between the bolder and the shier individuals and found that five behavioral traits were specific for bolder individuals and five others for shier individuals. In a second step, we observed a male in presence of a female and recorded courtship behaviors and breeding attempts. Bolder individuals did not display courtship behaviors and just attempted to copulate. Shier individuals displayed courtship behaviors and copulation attempts were rarely observed. Finally, in the simulations that compared two males in the presence of a female we noticed that bolder individuals displayed courtship behaviors while the shier ones simply ignored the female. Our results first allowed us to determine which methodology is the best to determine temperament in turtles. Secondly, temperament seems to be an important factor in modulating interaction between males and females. Bolder individuals have an advantage during competition and display courtship behaviours only if other males are present. Shier males displayed courtship behaviors and only try to copulate when no competitors were present. These two different temperament-dependant strategies are discussed in terms of ecology, evolution and management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yann Henaut
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Chetumal, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Fausto Roberto Méndez-de la Cruz
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México
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22
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Ramos GDAP, Azevedo CSD, Jardim THA, Sant'Anna AC. Temperament in Captivity, Environmental Enrichment, Flight Ability, and Response to Humans in an Endangered Parrot Species. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2020; 24:379-391. [PMID: 32427519 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2020.1765367] [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: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Temperament assessment is useful in reintroduction programs. Reactivity to humans and flight ability are also important behavioral aspects for captive parrots candidates to reintroduction. The study aimed: a) to evaluate if behavioral responses to environmental enrichment differ as a function of temperament in captive Vinaceous-breasted Amazon parrots (Amazona vinacea) and b) to evaluate if the behavioral responses to environmental enrichment are related to flight ability and animal's reaction to human when offered food. A temperament assessment was performed and behavioral evaluations of parrots (n = 13) using an ethogram were carried out, in two phases: unenriched and enriched. Flight skill and food reward tests were also performed. Two temperament dimensions were described ("vigilance" and "risk-taking"). Parrots categorized as "vigilant" spent less time feeding on the feeder and interacting with environment. Animals with compromised flight ability spent more time preening, had lower frequency of vocalizations, tended to have fewer negative social interactions, and interacted less with the enrichment than individuals with better flight ability. Flight performance and temperament of captive parrots should be considered while planning and executing environmental enrichment techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela de A P Ramos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - Cristiano S de Azevedo
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, s/n Bauxita, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
| | - Talys H A Jardim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - Aline C Sant'Anna
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
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23
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Chajma P, Kopecký O, Vojar J. Individual consistency in exploration and shyness but not activity in smooth newts (Lissotriton vulgaris): the effect of habituation? J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P. Chajma
- Department of Ecology Faculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Praha Czech Republic
| | - O. Kopecký
- Department of Zoology and Fish Farming Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Praha Czech Republic
| | - J. Vojar
- Department of Ecology Faculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Praha Czech Republic
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Goswami S, Tyagi PC, Malik PK, Pandit SJ, Kadivar RF, Fitzpatrick M, Mondol S. Effects of personality and rearing-history on the welfare of captive Asiatic lions ( Panthera leo persica). PeerJ 2020; 8:e8425. [PMID: 32071803 PMCID: PMC7007979 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The long-term success of ex-situ conservation programmes depends on species-appropriate husbandry and enrichment practices complemented by an accurate welfare assessment protocol. Zoos and conservation breeding programmes should employ a bottom-up approach to account for intraspecific variations in measures of animal welfare. We studied 35 (14:21) captive Asiatic lions in Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden, Junagadh, India to understand the implications of individual variations on welfare measures. We categorized the subjects based on personality traits (bold or shy), rearing history (wild-rescued or captive-raised), sex, and social-grouping. We explored the association of these categorical variables on welfare indices such as behavioural diversity, latency to approach novel objects, enclosure usage and aberrant repetitive behaviours. Further, we assessed the inter-relationships between different behavioural measures of welfare. RESULTS Our results show that intraspecific variations based on rearing-history and personality traits are significantly associated with the welfare states of captive Asiatic lions. Asiatic lions with bold personality traits (M = 0.50, SD = 0.12, N = 21) and those raised in captivity (M = 0.47, SD = 0.12, N = 16) used enclosure space more homogenously compared to shy (M = 0.71, SD = 0.15, N = 14) and wild-rescued (M = 0.67, SD = 0.15, N = 19) animals. Behaviour diversity was significantly higher in captive-raised (M = 1.26, SD = 0.3, N = 16) and bold (M = 1.23, SD = 0.26, N = 21) subjects compared to wild-rescued (M = 0.83, SD = 0.35, N = 19) and shy (M = 0.73, SD = 0.34, N = 14) individuals. Aberrant repetitive behaviours (stereotypy) were significantly lower in bold (M = 7.01, SD = 4, N = 21) and captive-raised (M = 7.74, SD = 5.3) individuals compared to wild-rescued (M = 13.12, SD = 6.25, N = 19) and shy (M = 16.13, SD = 5.4, N = 16) lions. Sex and social-grouping of subjects did not show significant associations with behavioural welfare indices. Interestingly, behaviour diversity was reliably predicted by the enclosure usage patterns and aberrant repetitive behaviours displayed by subjects. DISCUSSION Our findings underline the importance of individual-centric, behaviour-based, and multi-dimensional welfare assessment approaches in ex-situ conservation programmes. The results suggest that behavioural welfare indices complemented with individual variations can explain inter-individual differences in behavioural welfare measure outcomes of Asiatic lions. These findings also provide zoo managers with a non-invasive tool to reliably assess and improve husbandry practices for Asiatic lions. Understanding the unique welfare requirement of individuals in captivity will be crucial for the survival of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sitendu Goswami
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Uttarakhand, India
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Samrat Mondol
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Uttarakhand, India
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Choi S, Grocutt E, Erlandsson R, Angerbjörn A. Parent personality is linked to juvenile mortality and stress behavior in the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2772-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Life history theory predicts that individuals will differ in their risk-taking behavior according to their expected future fitness. Understanding consequences of such individual variation within a behavioral trait is crucial in explaining potential trade-offs between different traits and in predicting future dynamics in changing environments. Here, we studied individuals in a wild arctic fox population to explore if (1) individual variation in risk-taking behaviors of adult arctic foxes and in stress-dealing behaviors of their juveniles exist and are consistent over time to verify the existence of personality traits; (2) those behavioral traits in adults and juveniles are correlated; (3) they can explain fitness-related components (i.e., juvenile physical condition, mortality rate). We presented simple field experiments assessing behavioral traits by observing adult reactions toward approaching observers, and juvenile behaviors while trapping. Through the experiments, we found highly consistent individual variation of adults in vigilance and boldness levels, and more flexible juvenile behavioral traits categorized as investigating, passive, and escaping. The offspring of bolder adults exhibited more investigating behaviors and were less passive than the offspring of shy adults. Juvenile physical condition was not related to their mortality nor any behavioral traits of either parents or themselves. Lastly, highly investigating and active juveniles with bold parents had significantly lower mortality rates. This shows that interactions between parent personality and juvenile behavioral traits affect a fitness-related component in the life history of individuals.
Significance statement
The recent surge of interest in consistent individual difference in behavior, also called as animal personality, has already focused on its fitness consequences, but few studies have investigated the interactions between parent and offspring personality, and their ecological consequences. Moreover, this has rarely been studied in wild canids. The arctic fox is a charismatic species showing wide individual variation in behaviors. They live in highly fluctuating tundra ecosystems providing different selection regimes, making it even more eco-evolutionarily intriguing. Yet, few studies looked into behavioral traits and their importance in this system. While introducing simple methods to improve personality research in the wild, we provide a unique example of how variation in both parents and their juveniles collectively works for group dynamics in a cyclic population. This provides a firm basic for understanding behavior-mediated dynamics and opens up broader questions on how fluctuating environments exert varying pressures on individual differences.
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Blaszczyk MB. Primates got personality, too: Toward an integrative primatology of consistent individual differences in behavior. Evol Anthropol 2019; 29:56-67. [PMID: 31721372 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, research on animal personality has exploded within the field of behavioral ecology. Consistent individual differences in behavior exist in a wide range of species, and these differences can have fitness consequences and influence several aspects of a species' ecology. In comparison to studies of other animals, however, there has been relatively little research on the behavioral ecology of primate personality. This is surprising given the large body of research within psychology and biomedicine showing that primate personality traits are heritable and linked to health and life history outcomes. In this article, I bring together theoretical perspectives on the ecology and evolution of animal personality with an integrative review of what we know about primate personality from studies conducted on captive, free-ranging, and wild primates. Incorporating frameworks that emphasize consistency in behavior into primate behavioral ecology research holds promise for improving our understanding of primate behavioral evolution.
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Rojas‐Ferrer I, Thompson MJ, Morand‐Ferron J. Is exploration a metric for information gathering? Attraction to novelty and plasticity in black‐capped chickadees. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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28
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Lavergne S, Smith K, Kenney A, Krebs C, Palme R, Boonstra R. Physiology and behaviour of juvenile snowshoe hares at the start of the 10-year cycle. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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29
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Tilgar V, Koosa K. Hissing females of great tits (
Parus major
) have lower breeding success than non‐hissing individuals. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vallo Tilgar
- Department of Zoology Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu Tartu Estonia
| | - Kaarin Koosa
- Department of Zoology Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu Tartu Estonia
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Roth AM, Firth JA, Patrick SC, Cole EF, Sheldon BC. Partner’s age, not social environment, predicts extrapair paternity in wild great tits (Parus major). Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
An individual’s fitness is not only influenced by its own phenotype, but by the phenotypes of interacting conspecifics. This is likely to be particularly true when considering fitness gains and losses caused by extrapair matings, as they depend directly on the social environment. While previous work has explored effects of dyadic interactions, limited understanding exists regarding how group-level characteristics of the social environment affect extrapair paternity (EPP) and cuckoldry. We use a wild population of great tits (Parus major) to examine how, in addition to the phenotypes of focal parents, two neighborhood-level traits—age and personality composition—predict EPP and cuckoldry. We used the well-studied trait “exploration behavior” as a measure of the reactive-proactive personality axis. Because breeding pairs inhabit a continuous “social landscape,” we first established an ecologically relevant definition of a breeding “neighborhood” through genotyping parents and nestlings in a 51-ha patch of woodland and assessing the spatial predictors of EPP events. Using the observed decline in likelihood of EPP with increasing spatial separation between nests, we determined the relevant neighborhood boundaries, and thus the group phenotypic composition of an individual’s neighborhood, by calculating the point at which the likelihood of EPP became negligible. We found no evidence that “social environment” effects (i.e., neighborhood age or personality composition) influenced EPP or cuckoldry. We did, however, find that a female’s own age influenced the EPP of her social mate, with males paired to older females gaining more EPP, even when controlling for the social environment. These findings suggest that partner characteristics, rather than group phenotypic composition, influence mating activity patterns at the individual level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Roth
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, Oxford, UK
- St. Catherine’s College, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Josh A Firth
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, Oxford, UK
- Merton College, Oxford, UK
| | - Samantha C Patrick
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ella F Cole
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, Oxford, UK
| | - Ben C Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, Oxford, UK
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Jolles JW, Briggs HD, Araya-Ajoy YG, Boogert NJ. Personality, plasticity and predictability in sticklebacks: bold fish are less plastic and more predictable than shy fish. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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32
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Dominguez M, Pizzarello G, Atencio M, Scardamaglia R, Mahler B. Genetic assignment and monitoring of yellow cardinals. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marisol Dominguez
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto IEGEBA UBA‐CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón IICiudad Universitaria C1428EHA Argentina
| | - Gimena Pizzarello
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto IEGEBA UBA‐CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón IICiudad Universitaria C1428EHA Argentina
| | - Melina Atencio
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto IEGEBA UBA‐CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón IICiudad Universitaria C1428EHA Argentina
| | - Romina Scardamaglia
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto IEGEBA UBA‐CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón IICiudad Universitaria C1428EHA Argentina
| | - Bettina Mahler
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto IEGEBA UBA‐CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón IICiudad Universitaria C1428EHA Argentina
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Mutzel A, Olsen AL, Mathot KJ, Araya-Ajoy YG, Nicolaus M, Wijmenga JJ, Wright J, Kempenaers B, Dingemanse NJ. Effects of manipulated levels of predation threat on parental provisioning and nestling begging. Behav Ecol 2019; 30:1123-1135. [PMID: 31289429 PMCID: PMC6606999 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental provisioning behavior is a major determinant of offspring growth and survival, but high provisioning rates might come at the cost of increased predation threat. Parents should thus adjust provisioning activity according to current predation threat levels. Moreover, life-history theory predicts that response to predation threat should be correlated with investment in current reproduction. We experimentally manipulated perceived predation threat in free-living great tits (Parus major) by presenting parents with a nest predator model while monitoring different aspects of provisioning behavior and nestling begging. Experiments were conducted in 2 years differing greatly in ecological conditions, including food availability. We further quantified male territorial aggressiveness and male and female exploratory tendency. Parents adjusted provisioning according to current levels of threat in an apparently adaptive way. They delayed nest visits during periods of elevated perceived predation threat and subsequently compensated for lost feeding opportunities by increasing provisioning once the immediate threat had diminished. Nestling begging increased after elevated levels of predation threat, but returned to baseline levels by the end of the experiment, suggesting that parents had fully compensated for lost feeding opportunities. There was no evidence for a link between male exploration behavior or aggressiveness and provisioning behavior. In contrast, fast-exploring females provisioned at higher rates, but only in the year with poor environmental conditions, which might indicate a greater willingness to invest in current reproduction in general. Future work should assess whether these personality-related differences in delivery rates under harsher conditions came at a cost of reduced residual reproductive value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Mutzel
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Anne-Lise Olsen
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kimberley J Mathot
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Yimen G Araya-Ajoy
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Marion Nicolaus
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Jan J Wijmenga
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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Wong RY, French J, Russ JB. Differences in stress reactivity between zebrafish with alternative stress coping styles. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181797. [PMID: 31218026 PMCID: PMC6549991 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Animals experience stress in a variety of contexts and the behavioural and neuroendocrine responses to stress can vary among conspecifics. The responses across stressors often covary within an individual and are consistently different between individuals, which represent distinct stress coping styles (e.g. proactive and reactive). While studies have identified differences in peak glucocorticoid levels, less is known about how cortisol levels differ between stress coping styles at other time points of the glucocorticoid stress response. Here we quantified whole-body cortisol levels and stress-related behaviours (e.g. depth preference, movement) at time points representing the rise and recovery periods of the stress response in zebrafish lines selectively bred to display the proactive and reactive coping style. We found that cortisol levels and stress behaviours are significantly different between the lines, sexes and time points. Further, individuals from the reactive line showed significantly higher cortisol levels during the rising phase of the stress response compared with those from the proactive line. We also observed a significant correlation between individual variation of cortisol levels and depth preference but only in the reactive line. Our results show that differences in cortisol levels between the alternative stress coping styles extend to the rising phase of the endocrine stress response and that cortisol levels may explain variation in depth preferences in the reactive line. Differences in the timing and duration of cortisol levels may influence immediate behavioural displays and longer lasting neuromolecular mechanisms that modulate future responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Y. Wong
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
| | - Jeffrey French
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
| | - Jacalyn B. Russ
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
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Grunst AS, Grunst ML, Pinxten R, Eens M. Personality and plasticity in neophobia levels vary with anthropogenic disturbance but not toxic metal exposure in urban great tits: Urban disturbance, metal pollution and neophobia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 656:997-1009. [PMID: 30625686 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Animal personalities, as defined by repeatable among individual differences in behavior, can vary across urbanization gradients. However, how urbanization affects personalities remains incompletely understood, especially because different urban stressors could affect personality traits in opposing ways, whereas most previous studies have considered only one urban disturbance factor. For instance, novel habitat features could favor reduced neophobia, whereas exposure to pollutants could increase risk sensitivity through neurotoxic or hormonal effects. To address this contingency, we studied object neophobia in four urban populations of great tits (Parus major) that vary in exposure to metal pollution and anthropogenic disturbance, as quantified by proximity to roads and pathways. We measured the return latency of incubating females when flushed from the nest and presented with up to two different novel objects, allowing quantification of behavioral repeatability and plasticity. To separate neophobia from sensitivity to disturbance, we also conducted baseline trials, in which females were flushed but no object was presented. We additionally measured exploration behavior and aggression (hissing) during nest defense, to explore whether suites of behaviors covary with urbanization, and examined whether neophobia affects reproductive success. Sensitivity to disturbance and neophobia were repeatable, and thus represent personality traits. Moreover, females occupying territories near roads and pathways had shorter return latencies during novel object but not baseline trials, suggesting a specific reduction in neophobia in disturbed areas. Plasticity in neophobia also increased with disturbance level. In contrast, metal exposure did not affect neophobia or sensitivity to disturbance, despite negatively correlating with exploration behavior. Neophobia correlated with exploration behavior, but not aggression or reproductive success. Results suggest that shifts in personality types in urbanized areas might involve specific reductions in neophobia, rather than general reductions in sensitivity to disturbance, and unexpectedly indicate no effect of toxic metals on risk sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Melissa L Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Faculty of Social Sciences, Antwerp School of Education, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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36
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Fülöp A, Németh Z, Kocsis B, Deák-Molnár B, Bozsoky T, Barta Z. Personality and social foraging tactic use in free-living Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus). Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractGroup-foraging individuals often use alternative behavioral tactics to acquire food: some individuals, the producers, actively search for food, whereas others, the scroungers, look for opportunities to exploit the finders’ discoveries. Although the use of social foraging tactics is partly flexible, yet some individuals tend to produce more, whereas others largely prefer to scrounge. This between-individual variation in tactic use closely resembles the phenomenon of animal personality; however, the connection between personality and social foraging tactic use has rarely been investigated in wild animals. Here, we studied this relationship in free-living Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) during 2 winters. We found that in females, but not in males, social foraging tactic use was predicted by personality: more exploratory (i.e., more active in a novel environment) females scrounged more. Regardless of sex, the probability of scrounging increased with the density of individuals foraging on feeders and the time of feeding within a foraging bout, that is, the later the individual foraged within a foraging bout the higher the probability of scrounging was. Our results demonstrate that consistent individual behavioral differences are linked, in a sex-dependent manner, to group-level processes in the context of social foraging in free-living tree sparrows, suggesting that individual behavioral traits have implications for social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Fülöp
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Németh
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Bianka Kocsis
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Bettina Deák-Molnár
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tímea Bozsoky
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Barta
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér, Debrecen, Hungary
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37
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Schell CJ, Young JK, Lonsdorf EV, Santymire RM, Mateo JM. Parental habituation to human disturbance over time reduces fear of humans in coyote offspring. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12965-12980. [PMID: 30619597 PMCID: PMC6308887 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental tenet of maternal effects assumes that maternal variance over time should have discordant consequences for offspring traits across litters. Yet, seldom are parents observed across multiple reproductive bouts, with few studies considering anthropogenic disturbances as an ecological driver of maternal effects. We observed captive coyote (Canis latrans) pairs over two successive litters to determine whether among‐litter differences in behavior (i.e., risk‐taking) and hormones (i.e., cortisol and testosterone) corresponded with parental plasticity in habituation. Thus, we explicitly test the hypothesis that accumulating experiences of anthropogenic disturbance reduces parental fear across reproductive bouts, which should have disparate phenotypic consequences for first‐ and second‐litter offspring. To quantify risk‐taking behavior, we used foraging assays from 5–15 weeks of age with a human observer present as a proxy for human disturbance. At 5, 10, and 15 weeks of age, we collected shaved hair to quantify pup hormone levels. We then used a quantitative genetic approach to estimate heritability, repeatability, and between‐trait correlations. We found that parents were riskier (i.e., foraged more frequently) with their second versus first litters, supporting our prediction that parents become increasingly habituated over time. Second‐litter pups were also less risk‐averse than their first‐litter siblings. Heritability for all traits did not differ from zero (0.001–0.018); however, we found moderate support for repeatability in all observed traits (r = 0.085–0.421). Lastly, we found evidence of positive phenotypic and cohort correlations among pup traits, implying that cohort identity (i.e., common environment) contributes to the development of phenotypic syndromes in coyote pups. Our results suggest that parental habituation may be an ecological cue for offspring to reduce their fear response, thus emphasizing the role of parental plasticity in shaping their pups’ behavioral and hormonal responses toward humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Schell
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology University of Chicago Chicago Illinois.,School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences University of Washington Tacoma Tacoma Washington
| | - Julie K Young
- USDA-WS-NWRC Predator Research Facility, Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan Utah
| | | | - Rachel M Santymire
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology University of Chicago Chicago Illinois.,Conservation and Science Department Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago Illinois
| | - Jill M Mateo
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology University of Chicago Chicago Illinois
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38
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Raap T, Thys B, Grunst AS, Grunst ML, Pinxten R, Eens M. Personality and artificial light at night in a semi-urban songbird population: No evidence for personality-dependent sampling bias, avoidance or disruptive effects on sleep behaviour. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 243:1317-1324. [PMID: 30268982 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Light pollution or artificial light at night (ALAN) is an increasing, worldwide challenge that affects many aspects of animal behaviour. Interestingly, the response to ALAN varies widely among individuals within a population and variation in personality (consistent individual differences in behaviour) may be an important factor explaining this variation. Consistent individual differences in exploration behaviour in particular may relate to the response to ALAN, as increasing evidence indicates its relation with how individuals respond to novelty and how they cope with anthropogenic modifications of the environment. Here, we assayed exploration behaviour in a novel environment as a proxy for personality variation in great tits (Parus major). We observed individual sleep behaviour over two consecutive nights, with birds sleeping under natural dark conditions the first night and confronted with ALAN inside the nest box on the second night, representing a modified and novel roosting environment. We examined whether roosting decisions when confronted with a camera (novel object), and subsequently with ALAN, were personality-dependent, as this could potentially create sampling bias. Finally, we assessed whether experimentally challenging individuals with ALAN induced personality-dependent changes in sleep behaviour. Slow and fast explorers were equally likely to roost in a nest box when confronted with either a camera or artificial light inside, indicating the absence of personality-dependent sampling bias or avoidance of exposure to ALAN. Moreover, slow and fast explorers were equally disrupted in their sleep behaviour when challenged with ALAN. Whether other behavioural and physiological effects of ALAN are personality-dependent remains to be determined. Moreover, the sensitivity to disturbance of different behavioural types might depend on the behavioural context and the specific type of challenge in question. In our increasingly urbanized world, determining whether the effects of anthropogenic stressors depend on personality type will be of paramount importance as it may affect population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Raap
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Bert Thys
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Andrea S Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Melissa L Grunst
- 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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39
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Bonnot NC, Goulard M, Hewison AM, Cargnelutti B, Lourtet B, Chaval Y, Morellet N. Boldness-mediated habitat use tactics and reproductive success in a wild large herbivore. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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40
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Kim JM, Santure AW, Barton HJ, Quinn JL, Cole EF, Visser ME, Sheldon BC, Groenen MAM, van Oers K, Slate J. A high-density SNP chip for genotyping great tit (Parus major) populations and its application to studying the genetic architecture of exploration behaviour. Mol Ecol Resour 2018; 18:877-891. [PMID: 29573186 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
High-density SNP microarrays ("SNP chips") are a rapid, accurate and efficient method for genotyping several hundred thousand polymorphisms in large numbers of individuals. While SNP chips are routinely used in human genetics and in animal and plant breeding, they are less widely used in evolutionary and ecological research. In this article, we describe the development and application of a high-density Affymetrix Axiom chip with around 500,000 SNPs, designed to perform genomics studies of great tit (Parus major) populations. We demonstrate that the per-SNP genotype error rate is well below 1% and that the chip can also be used to identify structural or copy number variation. The chip is used to explore the genetic architecture of exploration behaviour (EB), a personality trait that has been widely studied in great tits and other species. No SNPs reached genomewide significance, including at DRD4, a candidate gene. However, EB is heritable and appears to have a polygenic architecture. Researchers developing similar SNP chips may note: (i) SNPs previously typed on alternative platforms are more likely to be converted to working assays; (ii) detecting SNPs by more than one pipeline, and in independent data sets, ensures a high proportion of working assays; (iii) allele frequency ascertainment bias is minimized by performing SNP discovery in individuals from multiple populations; and (iv) samples with the lowest call rates tend to also have the greatest genotyping error rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- J-M Kim
- Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - A W Santure
- Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - H J Barton
- Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - J L Quinn
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - E F Cole
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - M E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - B C Sheldon
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - M A M Groenen
- Wageningen University and Research - Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - K van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - J Slate
- Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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41
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42
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Davidson GL, Reichert MS, Crane JMS, O'Shea W, Quinn JL. Repeatable aversion across threat types is linked with life-history traits but is dependent on how aversion is measured. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:172218. [PMID: 29515906 PMCID: PMC5830795 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Personality research suggests that individual differences in risk aversion may be explained by links with life-history variation. However, few empirical studies examine whether repeatable differences in risk avoidance behaviour covary with life-history traits among individuals in natural populations, or how these links vary depending on the context and the way risk aversion is measured. We measured two different risk avoidance behaviours (latency to enter the nest and inspection time) in wild great tits (Parus major) in two different contexts-response to a novel object and to a predator cue placed at the nest-box during incubation---and related these behaviours to female reproductive success and condition. Females responded equally strongly to both stimuli, and although both behaviours were repeatable, they did not correlate. Latency to enter was negatively related to body condition and the number of offspring fledged. By contrast, inspection time was directly explained by whether incubating females had been flushed from the nest before the trial began. Thus, our inferences on the relationship between risk aversion and fitness depend on how risk aversion was measured. Our results highlight the limitations of drawing conclusions about the relevance of single measures of a personality trait such as risk aversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle L. Davidson
- Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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43
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The Female Perspective of Personality in a Wild Songbird: Repeatable Aggressiveness Relates to Exploration Behaviour. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7656. [PMID: 28794486 PMCID: PMC5550452 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08001-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Males often express traits that improve competitive ability, such as aggressiveness. Females also express such traits but our understanding about why is limited. Intraspecific aggression between females might be used to gain access to reproductive resources but simultaneously incurs costs in terms of energy and time available for reproductive activities, resulting in a trade-off. Although consistent individual differences in female behaviour (i.e. personality) like aggressiveness are likely to influence these reproductive trade-offs, little is known about the consistency of aggressiveness in females. To quantify aggression we presented a female decoy to free-living female great tits (Parus major) during the egg-laying period, and assessed whether they were consistent in their response towards this decoy. Moreover, we assessed whether female aggression related to consistent individual differences in exploration behaviour in a novel environment. We found that females consistently differed in aggressiveness, although first-year females were on average more aggressive than older females. Moreover, conform life history theory predictions, ‘fast’ exploring females were more aggressive towards the decoy than ‘slow’ exploring females. Given that personality traits are often heritable, and correlations between behaviours can constrain short term adaptive evolution, our findings highlight the importance of studying female aggression within a multivariate behavioural framework.
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44
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Forbey JS, Patricelli GL, Delparte DM, Krakauer AH, Olsoy PJ, Fremgen MR, Nobler JD, Spaete LP, Shipley LA, Rachlow JL, Dirksen AK, Perry A, Richardson BA, Glenn NF. Emerging technology to measure habitat quality and behavior of grouse: examples from studies of greater sage-grouse. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gail L. Patricelli
- G. L. Patricelli, A. H. Krakauer, A. K. Dirksen and A. Perry, Dept of Evolution and Ecology, Univ. o
| | - Donna M. Delparte
- D. M. Delparte and N. F. Glenn, Dept of Geosciences, Idaho State Univ., Pocatello, Idaho, USA
| | - Alan H. Krakauer
- G. L. Patricelli, A. H. Krakauer, A. K. Dirksen and A. Perry, Dept of Evolution and Ecology, Univ. o
| | - Peter J. Olsoy
- P. J. Olsoy and L. A. Shipley, School of the Environment, Washington State Univ., Pullman, Washingto
| | | | - Jordan D. Nobler
- J. Sorensen Forbey , M. R. Fremgen and J. D. Nobler, Dept of Biologic
| | - Lucas P. Spaete
- L. P. Spaete, Dept of Geosciences, Boise State Univ., Boise, Idaho, USA
| | - Lisa A. Shipley
- P. J. Olsoy and L. A. Shipley, School of the Environment, Washington State Univ., Pullman, Washingto
| | - Janet L. Rachlow
- J. L. Rachlow, Dept of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Amy K. Dirksen
- G. L. Patricelli, A. H. Krakauer, A. K. Dirksen and A. Perry, Dept of Evolution and Ecology, Univ. o
| | - Anna Perry
- G. L. Patricelli, A. H. Krakauer, A. K. Dirksen and A. Perry, Dept of Evolution and Ecology, Univ. o
| | - Bryce A. Richardson
- B. A. Richardson, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Nancy F. Glenn
- D. M. Delparte and N. F. Glenn, Dept of Geosciences, Idaho State Univ., Pocatello, Idaho, USA
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45
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Johnson KVA, Aplin LM, Cole EF, Farine DR, Firth JA, Patrick SC, Sheldon BC. Male great tits assort by personality during the breeding season. Anim Behav 2017; 128:21-32. [PMID: 28669996 PMCID: PMC5478380 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Animal personalities can influence social interactions among individuals, and thus have major implications for population processes and structure. Few studies have investigated the significance of the social context of animal personalities, and such research has largely focused on the social organization of nonterritorial populations. Here we address the question of whether exploratory behaviour, a well-studied personality trait, is related to the social structure of a wild great tit, Parus major, population during the breeding season. We assayed the exploration behaviour of wild-caught great tits and then established the phenotypic spatial structure of the population over six consecutive breeding seasons. Network analyses of breeding proximity revealed that males, but not females, show positive assortment by behavioural phenotype, with males breeding closer to those of similar personalities. This assortment was detected when we used networks based on nearest neighbours, but not when we used the Thiessen polygon method where neighbours were defined from inferred territory boundaries. Further analysis found no relationship between personality assortment and local environmental conditions, suggesting that social processes may be more important than environmental variation in influencing male territory choice. This social organization during the breeding season has implications for the strength and direction of both natural and sexual selection on personality in wild animal populations. We assess whether a great tit breeding population is structured by personality. Network analyses were conducted on a 6-year data set from this wild bird population. Males show positive assortment, nesting nearer to similar personalities (bold/shy). This assortment was not found to be related to local environmental variation. We discuss implications for natural and sexual selection on personality in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina V-A Johnson
- University of Oxford, Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford, U.K.,University of Oxford, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford, U.K
| | - Lucy M Aplin
- University of Oxford, Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford, U.K
| | - Ella F Cole
- University of Oxford, Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford, U.K
| | - Damien R Farine
- University of Oxford, Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford, U.K.,University of Konstanz, Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Josh A Firth
- University of Oxford, Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford, U.K
| | - Samantha C Patrick
- University of Oxford, Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford, U.K.,University of Liverpool, Department of Earth, Ocean & Ecological Sciences, Liverpool, U.K
| | - Ben C Sheldon
- University of Oxford, Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford, U.K
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Monceau K, Dechaume-Moncharmont FX, Moreau J, Lucas C, Capoduro R, Motreuil S, Moret Y. Personality, immune response and reproductive success: an appraisal of the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:932-942. [PMID: 28425582 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis is an extended concept of the life-history theory that includes behavioural traits. The studies challenging the POLS hypothesis often focus on the relationships between a single personality trait and a physiological and/or life-history trait. While pathogens represent a major selective pressure, few studies have been interested in testing relationships between behavioural syndrome, and several fitness components including immunity. The aim of this study was to address this question in the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a model species in immunity studies. The personality score was estimated from a multidimensional syndrome based of four repeatable behavioural traits. In a first experiment, we investigated its relationship with two measures of fitness (reproduction and survival) and three components of the innate immunity (haemocyte concentration, and levels of activity of the phenoloxidase including the total proenzyme and the naturally activated one) to challenge the POLS hypothesis in T. molitor. Overall, we found a relationship between behavioural syndrome and reproductive success in this species, thus supporting the POLS hypothesis. We also showed a sex-specific relationship between behavioural syndrome and basal immune parameters. In a second experiment, we tested whether this observed relationship with innate immunity could be confirmed in term of differential survival after challenging by entomopathogenic bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis. In this case, no significant relationship was evidenced. We recommend that future researchers on the POLS should control for differences in evolutionary trajectory between sexes and to pay attention to the choice of the proxy used, especially when looking at immune traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Monceau
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Equipe Ecologie Evolutive, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | | | - Jérôme Moreau
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Equipe Ecologie Evolutive, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Camille Lucas
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Equipe Ecologie Evolutive, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Rémi Capoduro
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Equipe Ecologie Evolutive, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Sébastien Motreuil
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Equipe Ecologie Evolutive, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Yannick Moret
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Equipe Ecologie Evolutive, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
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47
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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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He R, Pagani-Núñez E, Chevallier C, Barnett CRA. To be so bold: boldness is repeatable and related to within individual behavioural variability in North Island robins. Behav Processes 2017; 140:144-149. [PMID: 28454917 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural research traditionally focusses on the mean responses of a group of individuals rather than variation in behaviour around the mean or among individuals. However, examining the variation in behaviour among and within individuals may also yield important insights into the evolution and maintenance of behaviour. Repeatability is the most commonly used measure of variability among individuals in behavioural research. However, there are other forms of variation within populations that have received less attention. One such measure is intraindividual variation in behaviour (IIV), which is a short-term fluctuation of within-individual behaviour. Such variation in behaviour might be important during interactions because it could decrease the ability of conspecific and heterospecific individuals to predict the behaviour of the subject, thus increasing the cost of the interaction. In this experiment, we made repeated measures of the latency of North Island robins to attack a prey in a novel situation (a form of boldness) and examined (i) repeatability of boldness (the propensity to take a risk), (ii) IIV of boldness, and (iii) whether there was a significant relationship between these two traits (a behavioural syndrome). We found that boldness was highly repeatable, that there were high levels of IIV in boldness, and that there was a negative relationship between boldness and IIV in boldness. This suggests that despite high levels of repeatability for this behaviour, there were also still significant differences in IIV among different individuals within the population. Moreover, bolder individuals had significantly less IIV in their boldness, which suggests that they were forming routines (which reduces behavioural variability) compared to shyer individuals. Our results definitively demonstrate that IIV itself varies across individuals and is linked with key behavioural traits, and we argue for the importance of future studies aimed at understanding its causes and consequences for behavioural interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchuan He
- College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, People's Republic of China
| | - Emilio Pagani-Núñez
- College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, People's Republic of China; State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, College of Ecology and Evolution/School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Clément Chevallier
- Centre d'Étude Nordique, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
| | - Craig R A Barnett
- College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, People's Republic of China; Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan.
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Greggor AL, Spencer KA, Clayton NS, Thornton A. Wild jackdaws' reproductive success and their offspring's stress hormones are connected to provisioning rate and brood size, not to parental neophobia. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 243:70-77. [PMID: 27838379 PMCID: PMC5325159 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 10/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Many species show individual variation in neophobia and stress hormones, but the causes and consequences of this variation in the wild are unclear. Variation in neophobia levels could affect the number of offspring animals produce, and more subtly influence the rearing environment and offspring development. Nutritional deficits during development can elevate levels of stress hormones that trigger long-term effects on learning, memory, and survival. Therefore measuring offspring stress hormone levels, such as corticosterone (CORT), helps determine if parental neophobia influences the condition and developmental trajectory of young. As a highly neophobic species, jackdaws (Corvus monedula) are excellent for exploring the potential effects of parental neophobia on developing offspring. We investigated if neophobic responses, alongside known drivers of fitness, influence nest success and offspring hormone responses in wild breeding jackdaws. Despite its consistency across the breeding season, and suggestions in the literature that it should have importance for reproductive fitness, parental neophobia did not predict nest success, provisioning rates or offspring hormone levels. Instead, sibling competition and poor parental care contributed to natural variation in stress responses. Parents with lower provisioning rates fledged fewer chicks, chicks from larger broods had elevated baseline CORT levels, and chicks with later hatching dates showed higher stress-induced CORT levels. Since CORT levels may influence the expression of adult neophobia, variation in juvenile stress responses could explain the development and maintenance of neophobic variation within the adult population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L Greggor
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK; Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, USA.
| | - Karen A Spencer
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, UK
| | | | - Alex Thornton
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.
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Liu S, Fu SJ. Effects of food availability on metabolism, behaviour, growth and their relationships in a triploid carp. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:4711-4719. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.167783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Metabolism, behaviour and growth are highly flexible in fish species, and inter-individual variation in these traits is evolutionarily and ecologically significant. It has long been suggested that these traits co-vary, although their relationships are debated. In the present study, we investigated whether metabolism, behaviour, growth and the potential relationships among them vary with food availability in sterile triploid carp. In this experimental animal model, we investigated the standard metabolic rate (SMR), growth performance and personality traits (i.e., activity, exploration and boldness) of juvenile individuals before and after 25 days of rearing in which fish were fed either once or twice a day to satiation. Inter-individual differences in SMR in each group showed high repeatability across the experimental period, and twice-fed fish showed higher SMRs than did once-fed fish after 25 days of rearing. Compared with the once-fed group, the twice-fed group showed higher feeding rates (FRs) and lower feeding efficiencies (FEs) but similar specific growth rates (SGRs). None of the personality traits were affected by food availability. Furthermore, both boldness and exploration were highly repeatable throughout the experiment in the group fed twice a day, whereas only exploration showed repeatability in the group fed once a day. In the once-fed group, SMR and the personality traits were positively correlated with FR and negatively correlated with FE and (or) SGR; however, these relationships did not exist in the twice-fed group due to the surplus of food. These results suggest that food availability significantly affects physiological, behavioural and ecological processes in these fish by altering the trade-off between metabolism and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Liu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Shi-Jian Fu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
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