1
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Peignier M, Araya-Ajoy YG, Bégué L, Chaloupka S, Dellefont K, Leeb C, Walsh P, Ringler M, Ringler E. Exploring links between personality traits and their social and non-social environments in wild poison frogs. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022; 76:93. [PMID: 38989132 PMCID: PMC7616156 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03202-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
An animal's behavioral phenotype comprises several traits, which are hierarchically structured in functional units. This is manifested in measured behaviors often being correlated, partly reflecting the need of a coordinated functional response. Unfortunately, we still have limited understanding whether consistent differences in animal behaviors are due to underlying physiological constraints or a result of plastic adaptation to their current environment. Therefore, characterizing the spatial distribution of behaviors can provide important insights into causes and consequences of behavioral variation. In the present study, we quantified behaviors in a wild, free-ranging population of the Neotropical frog Allobates femoralis. We investigated how these behaviors were linked to the frogs' natural and social environment and quantified the extent to which these behaviors consistently differed among individuals (i.e., animal personality). We assessed levels of aggressiveness, exploration, and boldness by measuring several underlying behaviors expressed in a set of experimental assays, and found evidence for consistent among-individual differences along these axes. Contrary to our expectation, there was no relationship between individual behaviors and their natural environment, but we found a plastic response of males to changes in female density, which might reflect how individuals cope with their socio-ecological environment. Significance statement How are behavioral phenotypes distributed across space? Here, we studied an entire free-ranging population of poison frogs, and investigated if the personality traits aggressiveness, exploration, and boldness are linked to the frogs' natural or social environment. We found that behavioral traits were non-randomly distributed across the population, suggesting that the spatial arrangement of behavioral traits reflects how individuals cope with their complex natural and social environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélissa Peignier
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032Hinterkappelen, Bern, Switzerland
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yimen G. Araya-Ajoy
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Lauriane Bégué
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Sarah Chaloupka
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Dellefont
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Leeb
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Mainz, Germany
- Central Research Laboratories, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Patrick Walsh
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Max Ringler
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032Hinterkappelen, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Eva Ringler
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032Hinterkappelen, Bern, Switzerland
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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2
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Chaloupka S, Peignier M, Stückler S, Araya-Ajoy Y, Walsh P, Ringler M, Ringler E. Repeatable Territorial Aggression in a Neotropical Poison Frog. Front Ecol Evol 2022; 10:881387. [PMID: 38989273 PMCID: PMC7616157 DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.881387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Intra-specific aggressive interactions play a prominent role in the life of many animals. While studies have found evidence for repeatability in boldness, activity, and exploration in amphibians, we know relatively little about consistent among-individual variation in aggressiveness, despite its importance for male-male competition and territoriality. Amphibians, and Neotropical poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) in particular, are highly suitable for investigating among-individual variation in aggressiveness, as most species exhibit strong territoriality in at least one of the sexes. In the present study, we aimed to fill this gap in knowledge, by investigating within- and between-individual variation in territorial aggression in a semi-natural population of the Neotropical poison frog Allobates femoralis (Dendrobatidae) in French Guiana. We conducted repeated, standardized behavioral tests to assess if the level of territorial aggression is consistent within and different between individuals. Further, we tested a possible link between body size and level of territorial aggression. We found moderate repeatability in territorial aggressiveness, but no link to age and/or body size. In conclusion, our study represents the first documentation of repeatable aggressive behavior in a territorial context in amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Chaloupka
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mélissa Peignier
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Division of Behavioral Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Susanne Stückler
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yimen Araya-Ajoy
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Patrick Walsh
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Max Ringler
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Division of Behavioral Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Eva Ringler
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Division of Behavioral Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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3
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Frauendorf M, Allen AM, Verhulst S, Jongejans E, Ens BJ, van der Kolk HJ, de Kroon H, Nienhuis J, van de Pol M. Conceptualizing and quantifying body condition using structural equation modelling: A user guide. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2478-2496. [PMID: 34437709 PMCID: PMC9291099 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Body condition is an important concept in behaviour, evolution and conservation, commonly used as a proxy of an individual's performance, for example in the assessment of environmental impacts. Although body condition potentially encompasses a wide range of health state dimensions (nutritional, immune or hormonal status), in practice most studies operationalize body condition using a single (univariate) measure, such as fat storage. One reason for excluding additional axes of variation may be that multivariate descriptors of body condition impose statistical and analytical challenges. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used in many fields to study questions relating multidimensional concepts, and we here explain how SEM is a useful analytical tool to describe the multivariate nature of body condition. In this 'Research Methods Guide' paper, we show how SEM can be used to resolve different challenges in analysing the multivariate nature of body condition, such as (a) variable reduction and conceptualization, (b) specifying the relationship of condition to performance metrics, (c) comparing competing causal hypothesis and (d) including many pathways in a single model to avoid stepwise modelling approaches. We illustrated the use of SEM on a real-world case study and provided R-code of worked examples as a learning tool. We compared the predictive power of SEM with conventional statistical approaches that integrate multiple variables into one condition variable: multiple regression and principal component analyses. We show that model performance on our dataset is higher when using SEM and led to more accurate and precise estimates compared to conventional approaches. We encourage researchers to consider SEM as a flexible framework to describe the multivariate nature of body condition and thus understand how it affects biological processes, thereby improving the value of body condition proxies for predicting organismal performance. Finally, we highlight that it can be useful for other multidimensional ecological concepts as well, such as immunocompetence, oxidative stress and environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Frauendorf
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Centre for Avian Population Studies, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew M Allen
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Centre for Avian Population Studies, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology & Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eelke Jongejans
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Centre for Avian Population Studies, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology & Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bruno J Ens
- Centre for Avian Population Studies, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Sovon-Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Henk-Jan van der Kolk
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Centre for Avian Population Studies, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hans de Kroon
- Centre for Avian Population Studies, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology & Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Nienhuis
- Sovon-Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn van de Pol
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Centre for Avian Population Studies, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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4
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Personality and behavioral syndromes in two Peromyscus species: presence, lack of state dependence, and lack of association with home range size. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02951-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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5
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Dingemanse NJ, Wright J. Criteria for acceptable studies of animal personality and behavioural syndromes. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Niels J. Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology Department of Biology Ludwig‐Maximilians University of Munich Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Department of Biology Center for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim Norway
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6
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Rohrer KN, Ferkin MH. Long‐term repeatability and stability of three personality traits in meadow voles. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Karl N. Rohrer
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Memphis Memphis TN USA
| | - Michael H. Ferkin
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Memphis Memphis TN USA
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7
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Class B, Brommer J. Contrasting multilevel relationships between behavior and body mass in blue tit nestlings. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Repeatable behaviors (i.e., animal personality) are pervasive in the animal kingdom and various mechanisms have been proposed to explain their existence. Genetic and nongenetic mechanisms, which can be equally important, predict correlations between behavior and body mass on different levels (e.g., genetic and environmental) of variation. We investigated multilevel relationships between body mass measured on weeks 1, 2, and 3 and three behavioral responses to handling, measured on week 3, which form a behavioral syndrome in wild blue tit nestlings. Using 7 years of data and quantitative genetic models, we find that all behaviors and body mass on week 3 are heritable (h2 = 0.18–0.23) and genetically correlated, whereas earlier body masses are not heritable. We also find evidence for environmental correlations between body masses and behaviors. Interestingly, these environmental correlations have different signs for early and late body masses. Altogether, these findings indicate genetic integration between body mass and behavior and illustrate the impacts of early environmental factors and environmentally mediated growth trajectory on behaviors expressed later in life. This study, therefore, suggests that the relationship between personality and body mass in developing individuals is due to various underlying mechanisms, which can have opposing effects. Future research on the link between behavior and body mass would benefit from considering these multiple mechanisms simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Class
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, University Hill, Turku, Finland
| | - Jon Brommer
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, University Hill, Turku, Finland
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8
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Tsuji Y, Campos-Arceiz A, Prasad S, Kitamura S, McConkey KR. Intraspecific differences in seed dispersal caused by differences in social rank and mediated by food availability. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1532. [PMID: 32001788 PMCID: PMC6992765 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58381-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We use individual-based information on the behavior of wild female Japanese macaques in two consecutive years with different food availability (nut-rich vs. nut-poor) to test effects of dominance rank and nut fruiting on seed dispersal parameters. We predicted that social rank would affect dispersal (1) quantity, (2) quality, (3) species richness, and (4) percentage of berries in the diet in the nut-poor year, while these differences would disappear in the nut-rich year. We found seeds of nine fleshy-fruited plant species in the feces of the monkeys. The frequency of seed occurrence for two plant species (Viburnum dilatatum and Rosa multiflora) showed an interaction between dominance ranks and years; in the nut-poor year V. dilatatum seeds were more abundant among dominant females and R. multiflora among subordinates, while such inter-rank differences disappeared in the nut-rich year. Similarly, the intact ratio of V. dilatatum seeds was lower for dominants in the nut-poor year, while inter-rank variations disappeared in the nut-rich year. Finally, percentage of berries in diet and seed richness showed no inter-annual nor inter-rank variations. Our study highlights that differences in individuals’ social rank lead to within-group variation in seed dispersal services and that these differences are dependent on nut availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamato Tsuji
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.
| | - Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz
- School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, The University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, Semenyih, Selangor, 43500, Malaysia
| | - Soumya Prasad
- National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru, 5600012, India
| | - Shumpei Kitamura
- Ishikawa Prefectural University, 1-308, Suematsu, Nonoichi, Ishikawa, 921-8836, Japan
| | - Kim R McConkey
- School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, The University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, Semenyih, Selangor, 43500, Malaysia.,National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru, 5600012, India
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9
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Longland WS, Vander Wall SB. Caching Propensities and Effectiveness of Five Coexisting Heteromyid Rodent Species as Dispersers of Indian Ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides) Seeds. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2019. [DOI: 10.3398/064.079.0406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William S. Longland
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit, Reno, NV 89512
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10
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Dingemanse NJ, Barber I, Dochtermann NA. Non-consumptive effects of predation: does perceived risk strengthen the genetic integration of behaviour and morphology in stickleback? Ecol Lett 2019; 23:107-118. [PMID: 31646755 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Predators can shape genetic correlations in prey by altering prey perception of risk. We manipulated perceived risk to test whether such non-consumptive effects tightened behavioural trait correlations in wild-caught stickleback from high- compared to low-risk environments due to genetic variation in plasticity. We expected tighter genetic correlations within perceived risk treatments than across them, and tighter genetic correlations in high-risk than in low-risk treatments. We identified genetic variation in plasticity, with genetic correlations between boldness, sociality, and antipredator morphology, as expected, being tighter within treatments than across them, for both of two populations. By contrast, genetic correlations did not tighten with exposure to risk. Tighter phenotypic correlations in wild stickleback may thus arise because predators induce correlational selection on environmental components of these traits, or because predators tighten residual correlations by causing environmental heterogeneity that is controlled in the laboratory. Our study places phenotypic integration firmly into an ecological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Iain Barber
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Brackenhurst Ln, Southwell NG25 0QF, UK
| | - Ned A Dochtermann
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, 1340 Bolley Drive, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
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11
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Međedović J. An Evolutionary Ecological Framework for Understanding Human Behavioral Syndromes: Commentary on Lukaszewski et al. 2017. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/1948550619873680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In their recent paper, Lukaszewski et al. proposed a socioecological hypothesis for analyzing the covariations between the Big Five personality traits. The hypothesis states that the shared variance between the personality traits is higher in less complex societies marked by lower economic development, urbanization, and niche diversity. We welcome this hypothesis and add an additional framework for understanding the covariation between the traits—behavioral syndromes. We state that behavioral syndromes and their effects on fitness should be the primary target for the evolutionary ecological analysis of the relations between human personality traits on a population level. Behavioral syndromes are extensively studied in animal behavioral ecology which provides an opportunity for the comparative study of personality. We point to the behavioral syndromes in Lukaszewski et al. data, especially to the agreeableness–conscientiousness correlation, which roughly corresponds to the aggressiveness–impulsiveness behavioral syndrome in animals. We point to other potentially problematic issues and provide recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janko Međedović
- Institute of Criminological and Sociological Research, Belgrade, Serbia
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12
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Damphousse CC, Marrone DF, Miller N. Pair foraging degrades socially transmitted food preferences in rats. Anim Cogn 2019; 22:1027-1037. [PMID: 31338606 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-019-01294-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Following presentation of a novel food odor on the breath of a conspecific, naïve rats will exhibit a preference for that food, a form of learning called social transmission of food preference (STFP). When tested in isolation, STFPs are robust, persisting for up to a month and overcoming prior aversions. This testing protocol, however, does not account for rats' ecology. Rats and other rodents forage in small groups, rather than alone. We allowed rats to forage in pairs and found that, following social foraging, they no longer displayed a food preference, i.e., that STFPs degrade during social foraging. Non-foraging rats exposed to the same foods for the same amount of time in isolation maintained their preferences. We also examined whether individual differences between rats affect STFP. Neither boldness nor sociability predicted initial STFP strength, but bolder rats' preferences degraded more following social foraging. Shyer rats were more likely to eat at the same time as their partner. By tracking rats' interactions during social foraging, we show that they use complex rules to combine their own preferences with socially acquired information about foods in their environment. These results situate STFP within the behavioral ecology of foraging and suggest that individual traits and the interactions between them modulate how social learning is maintained, modified, or lost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsey C Damphousse
- Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada.
| | - Diano F Marrone
- Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada
| | - Noam Miller
- Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada
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13
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Brehm AM, Mortelliti A, Maynard GA, Zydlewski J. Land-use change and the ecological consequences of personality in small mammals. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1387-1395. [PMID: 31207017 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Many plants rely on animals for seed dispersal, but are all individuals equally effective at dispersing seeds? If not, then the loss of certain individual dispersers from populations could have cascade effects on ecosystems. Despite the importance of seed dispersal for forest ecosystems, variation among individual dispersers and whether land-use change interferes with this process remains untested. Through a large-scale field experiment conducted on small mammal seed dispersers, we show that an individual's personality affects its choice of seeds, as well as how distant and where seeds are cached. We also show that anthropogenic habitat modifications shift the distribution of personalities within a population, by increasing the proportion of bold, active, and anxious individuals and in-turn affecting the potential survival and dispersal of seeds. We demonstrate that preserving diverse personality types within a population is critical for maintaining the key ecosystem function of seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Brehm
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA
| | - Alessio Mortelliti
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA
| | - George A Maynard
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA
| | - Joseph Zydlewski
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA.,U.S. Geological Survey, Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA
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14
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To hide or to feed: an evaluation of personality traits in the sand bubbler crab, Dotilla wichmanni, when responding to environmental interference. Behav Processes 2019; 164:123-132. [PMID: 31059765 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Behaviour plays a crucial role in a species' ability to cope with environmental challenges. However, this ability may be affected by repeatable individual differences in behaviour, a pattern described as animal personality. The consideration of animal personality is therefore essential when understanding how a species copes with its environmental stressors. For sand bubbler crabs, feeding is often disrupted by environmental interference, in the forms of predatory events and human recreational activities. How these crabs deal with such disruption is, however, not well documented. Here, we characterised the foraging and risk-taking behaviours of Dotilla wichmanni when responding to induced disruption. Whether these are personality traits and if they form part of a behavioural syndrome were also examined. We quantify both behaviours by taking four measures (two per behaviour). All behavioural measures were consistently different among individuals, suggesting that D. wichmanni exhibits personality. Results further suggest that they could cope with some environmental interference, although this is limited. Crabs did not vary the time spent hiding in burrows with each repeated disruption nor did behavioural plasticity differ between individuals. Notwithstanding these, the absence of support for a foraging-risk propensity behavioural syndrome points to possible complexity in the crabs' coping ability.
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15
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Abstract
Abstract
The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis considers an animal’s behavior, physiology, and life history as nonindependent components of a single integrated phenotype. However, frequent deviations from the expected correlations between POLS traits suggest that these relationships may be context, and potentially, sex dependent. To determine whether the sexes express distinct POLS trait covariance structures, we observed the behavior (mobility, latency to emerge from a shelter), physiology (mass-specific metabolic rate), and life history (life span, development time) of male and female Australian field crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus). Path analysis modeling suggested that POLS trait covariation differed between the sexes. Although neither sex displayed the complete integration of traits predicted by the POLS hypothesis, females did display greater overall integration with a significant negative correlation between metabolic rate and risk-taking behavior but with life-history traits varying independently. In males, however, there was no clear association between traits. These results suggest that T. oceanicus do indeed display sex-specific trait covariance structures, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging sex in assessments of POLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe A Moschilla
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Joseph L Tomkins
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
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16
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Behavioral repeatability and choice performance in wild free-flying nectarivorous bats (Glossophaga commissarisi). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2637-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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17
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Moiron M, Araya-Ajoy YG, Mathot KJ, Mouchet A, Dingemanse NJ. Functional relations between body mass and risk-taking behavior in wild great tits. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Moiron
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Großhaderner, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Evolutionary Ecology of Variation Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Yimen G Araya-Ajoy
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kimberley J Mathot
- Canada Research Chair in Integrative Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Alexia Mouchet
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Großhaderner, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Großhaderner, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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18
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Matthews G, Goulet CT, Delhey K, Atkins ZS, While GM, Gardner MG, Chapple DG. Avian predation intensity as a driver of clinal variation in colour morph frequency. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1667-1684. [PMID: 30098209 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic variation provides the framework for natural selection to work upon, enabling adaptive evolution. One of the most discernible manifestations of phenotypic variability is colour variation. When this variation is discrete, genetically based colour pattern morphs occur simultaneously within a population. Why and how colour polymorphisms are maintained is an evolutionary puzzle. Several evolutionary drivers have been hypothesized as influencing clinal patterns of morph frequency, with spatial variation in climate and predation being considered especially important. Despite this, no study has examined both of their roles simultaneously. The aims of this study were to: (a) examine the covariation of physiology, environmental variables and colouration at a local scale; and (b) determine if these factors and their interplay explain broad clinal variation in morph frequency. We used the lizard Liopholis whitii as a model system, as this species displays a discrete, heritable polymorphism for colour pattern (plain-backed, patterned morphs) whose morph frequency varies latitudinally. We measured reflectance, field activity temperatures and microhabitat structure to test for differences in crypsis, thermal biology and microhabitat selection of patterned and plain-backed morphs within a single population where colour morphs occur sympatrically. We then used data from the literature to perform a broad-scale analysis to identify whether these factors also explained the latitudinal variation of morph frequency in this species. At the local scale, plain-backed morphs were found to be less cryptic than patterned morphs while no other differences were detected in terms of thermal biology, dorsal reflectance and microhabitat use. At a broader scale, predation was the most influential factor mediating morph frequency across latitudes. However, the observed pattern of morph frequency is opposite to what the modelling results suggest in that the incidence of the least cryptic morph is highest where predation pressure is most severe. Clinal variation in the level of background matching between morphs or the potential reproductive advantage by the plain-backed morph may, instead, be driving the observed morph frequency. Together, these results provide key insights into the evolution of local adaptation as well as the ecological forces involved in driving the dynamics of colour polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Matthews
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Celine T Goulet
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Zak S Atkins
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Geoffrey M While
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Michael G Gardner
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,The Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - David G Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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19
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Mazzamuto MV, Cremonesi G, Santicchia F, Preatoni D, Martinoli A, Wauters LA. Rodents in the arena: a critical evaluation of methods measuring personality traits. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2018.1488768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Mazzamuto
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Giacomo Cremonesi
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Francesca Santicchia
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Damiano Preatoni
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Adriano Martinoli
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Lucas A. Wauters
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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20
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Wright CM, Hyland TD, Izzo AS, McDermott DR, Tibbetts EA, Pruitt JN. Polistes metricus queens exhibit personality variation and behavioral syndromes. Curr Zool 2018; 64:45-52. [PMID: 29492037 PMCID: PMC5809027 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Consistent differences in behavior between individuals, otherwise known as animal personalities, have become a staple in behavioral ecology due to their ability to explain a wide range of phenomena. Social organisms are especially serviceable to animal personality techniques because they can be used to explore behavioral variation at both the individual and group level. Despite the success of personality research in social organisms generally, and social Hymenoptera in particular, social wasps (Vespidae) have received little to no attention in the personality literature. In the present study, we test Polistes metricus (Vespidae; Polistinae) paper wasp queens for the presence of repeatable variation in, and correlations ("behavioral syndromes") between, several commonly used personality metrics: boldness, aggressiveness, exploration, and activity. Our results indicate that P. metricus queens exhibit personalities for all measured traits and correlations between different behavioral measures. Given that paper wasps have served as a model organism for a wide range of phenomena such as kin selection, dominance hierarchies, mate choice, facial recognition, social parasitism, and chemical recognition, we hope that our results will motivate researchers to explore whether, or to what degree, queen personality is important in their research programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M Wright
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Trevor D Hyland
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Amanda S Izzo
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Donna R McDermott
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Tibbetts
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
| | - Jonathan N Pruitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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21
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22
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Krams IA, Niemelä PT, Trakimas G, Krams R, Burghardt GM, Krama T, Kuusik A, Mänd M, Rantala MJ, Mänd R, Kekäläinen J, Sirkka I, Luoto S, Kortet R. Metabolic rate associates with, but does not generate covariation between, behaviours in western stutter-trilling crickets, Gryllus integer. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2481. [PMID: 28330918 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The causes and consequences of among-individual variation and covariation in behaviours are of substantial interest to behavioural ecology, but the proximate mechanisms underpinning this (co)variation are still unclear. Previous research suggests metabolic rate as a potential proximate mechanism to explain behavioural covariation. We measured the resting metabolic rate (RMR), boldness and exploration in western stutter-trilling crickets, Gryllus integer, selected differentially for short and fast development over two generations. After applying mixed-effects models to reveal the sign of the covariation, we applied structural equation models to an individual-level covariance matrix to examine whether the RMR generates covariation between the measured behaviours. All traits showed among-individual variation and covariation: RMR and boldness were positively correlated, RMR and exploration were negatively correlated, and boldness and exploration were negatively correlated. However, the RMR was not a causal factor generating covariation between boldness and exploration. Instead, the covariation between all three traits was explained by another, unmeasured mechanism. The selection lines differed from each other in all measured traits and significantly affected the covariance matrix structure between the traits, suggesting that there is a genetic component in the trait integration. Our results emphasize that interpretations made solely from the correlation matrix might be misleading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrikis A Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu 51014, Estonia .,Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0900, USA
| | - Petri T Niemelä
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Germany
| | - Giedrius Trakimas
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils LV5401, Latvia.,Centre for Ecology and Environmental Research, Vilnius University, Vilnius LT10257, Lithuania
| | - Ronalds Krams
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils LV5401, Latvia
| | - Gordon M Burghardt
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0900, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0900, USA
| | - Tatjana Krama
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Science, Tartu 51014, Estonia
| | - Aare Kuusik
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Science, Tartu 51014, Estonia
| | - Marika Mänd
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Science, Tartu 51014, Estonia
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology & Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Raivo Mänd
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu 51014, Estonia
| | - Jukka Kekäläinen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu 80101, Finland
| | - Ilkka Sirkka
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu 80101, Finland
| | - Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, and School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Raine Kortet
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu 80101, Finland
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Huang P, Kimball RT, St. Mary CM. Does the use of a multi-trait, multi-test approach to measure animal personality yield different behavioural syndrome results? BEHAVIOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
A multi-trait, multi-test approach to investigate the convergence or discrimination between behavioural tests putatively targeting the same or different animal personality traits has been recommended, yet whether and how the approaches affect the identification of behavioural syndrome(s), the suite of correlated personality traits, requires investigation. Here, we used behavioural measures collected from five commonly used behavioural tests targeting three personality traits, evaluated their convergence/discrimination through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and then explored whether the identification of syndrome changed based on the approach we used to quantify personality traits. Our results indicated that tests presumably targeting the same personality trait actually measured distinct behavioural aspects. Syndrome defined using correlation changed due to how we identified personality traits, but not when using structural equation models (SEMs). Overall, this study emphasizes that it is critical to clarify the approach and terms we use for ‘personality traits’ in the field of animal personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Huang
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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24
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Zwolak R. How intraspecific variation in seed-dispersing animals matters for plants. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:897-913. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Zwolak
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89; 61-614 Poznań Poland
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25
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Patrick SC, Pinaud D, Weimerskirch H. Boldness predicts an individual's position along an exploration-exploitation foraging trade-off. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:1257-1268. [PMID: 28646599 PMCID: PMC5601208 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Individuals do not have complete information about the environment and therefore they face a trade-off between gathering information (exploration) and gathering resources (exploitation). Studies have shown individual differences in components of this trade-off but how stable these strategies are in a population and the intrinsic drivers of these differences is not well understood. Top marine predators are expected to experience a particularly strong trade-off as many species have large foraging ranges and their prey often have a patchy distribution. This environment leads these species to exhibit pronounced exploration and exploitation phases but differences between individuals are poorly resolved. Personality differences are known to be important in foraging behaviour but also in the trade-off between exploration and exploitation. Here we test whether personality predicts an individual exploration-exploitation strategy using wide ranging wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) as a model system. Using GPS tracking data from 276 wandering albatrosses, we extract foraging parameters indicative of exploration (searching) and exploitation (foraging) and show that foraging effort, time in patch and size of patch are strongly correlated, demonstrating these are indicative of an exploration-exploitation (EE) strategy. Furthermore, we show these are consistent within individuals and appear stable in the population, with no reproductive advantage. The searching and foraging behaviour of bolder birds placed them towards the exploration end of the trade-off, whereas shy birds showed greater exploitation. This result provides a mechanism through which individual foraging strategies may emerge. Age and sex affected components of the trade-off, but not the trade-off itself, suggesting these factors may drive behavioural compensation to maintain resource acquisition and this was supported by the evidence that there were no fitness consequence of any EE trait nor the trade-off itself. These results demonstrate a clear trade-off between information gathering and exploitation of prey patches, and reveals for the first time that boldness may drive these differences. This provides a mechanism through which widely reported links between personality and foraging may emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Pinaud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéUMR 7372CNRS—Université La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéUMR 7372CNRS—Université La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
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26
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Goold C, Newberry RC. Aggressiveness as a latent personality trait of domestic dogs: Testing local independence and measurement invariance. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183595. [PMID: 28854267 PMCID: PMC5576744 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of animal personality attempt to uncover underlying or “latent” personality traits that explain broad patterns of behaviour, often by applying latent variable statistical models (e.g., factor analysis) to multivariate data sets. Two integral, but infrequently confirmed, assumptions of latent variable models in animal personality are: i) behavioural variables are independent (i.e., uncorrelated) conditional on the latent personality traits they reflect (local independence), and ii) personality traits are associated with behavioural variables in the same way across individuals or groups of individuals (measurement invariance). We tested these assumptions using observations of aggression in four age classes (4–10 months, 10 months–3 years, 3–6 years, over 6 years) of male and female shelter dogs (N = 4,743) in 11 different contexts. A structural equation model supported the hypothesis of two positively correlated personality traits underlying aggression across contexts: aggressiveness towards people and aggressiveness towards dogs (comparative fit index: 0.96; Tucker-Lewis index: 0.95; root mean square error of approximation: 0.03). Aggression across contexts was moderately repeatable (towards people: intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.479; towards dogs: ICC = 0.303). However, certain contexts related to aggressiveness towards people (but not dogs) shared significant residual relationships unaccounted for by latent levels of aggressiveness. Furthermore, aggressiveness towards people and dogs in different contexts interacted with sex and age. Thus, sex and age differences in displays of aggression were not simple functions of underlying aggressiveness. Our results illustrate that the robustness of traits in latent variable models must be critically assessed before making conclusions about the effects of, or factors influencing, animal personality. Our findings are of concern because inaccurate “aggressive personality” trait attributions can be costly to dogs, recipients of aggression and society in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor Goold
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Akershus, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Ruth C. Newberry
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Akershus, Norway
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27
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Goulet CT, Thompson MB, Michelangeli M, Wong BBM, Chapple DG. Thermal physiology: A new dimension of the pace-of-life syndrome. J Anim Ecol 2017. [PMID: 28626934 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Current syndrome research focuses primarily on behaviour with few incorporating components of physiology. One such syndrome is the pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) which describes covariation between behaviour, metabolism, immunity, hormonal response, and life-history traits. Despite the strong effect temperature has on behaviour, thermal physiology has yet to be considered within this syndrome framework. We proposed the POLS to be extended to include a new dimension, the cold-hot axis. Under this premise, it is predicted that thermal physiology and behaviour would covary, whereby individual positioning along the thermal continuum would coincide with that of the behavioural continuum. This hypothesis was tested by measuring thermal traits of delicate skinks (Lampropholis delicata) and linking it to their behaviour. Principal components analysis and structural equation modelling were used to determine if traits were structured within the POLS and to characterize the direction of their interactions. Model results supported the inclusion of the cold-hot axis into the POLS and indicated that thermal physiology was the driver of this relationship, in that thermal traits either constrained or promoted activity, exploration, boldness and social behaviour. This study highlights the need to integrate thermal physiology within a syndrome framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine T Goulet
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Mike B Thompson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - David G Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
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28
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Moldoff DE, Westneat DF. Foraging sparrows exhibit individual differences but not a syndrome when responding to multiple kinds of novelty. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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29
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Hurtado G, Mabry KE. Aggression and boldness in Merriam’s kangaroo rat: an urban-tolerant species? J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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30
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Longland WS, Dimitri LA. Seed Selection by Desert Rodents: Implications for Enhancing Seedling Establishment of Indian Ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides). WEST N AM NATURALIST 2016. [DOI: 10.3398/064.076.0207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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31
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Personality traits are consistent when measured in the field and in the laboratory in African striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2131-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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32
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Santostefano F, Wilson AJ, Araya-Ajoy YG, Dingemanse NJ. Interacting with the enemy: indirect effects of personality on conspecific aggression in crickets. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
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33
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Han CS, Brooks RC, Jablonski PG. Fluctuating sexual selection and the evolution of a courtship strategy. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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34
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Baker L, Lawrence MS, Toews M, Kuling S, Fraser D. Personality differences in a translocated population of endangered kangaroo rats (Dipodomys stephensi) and implications for conservation success. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Personality affects how animals respond to challenging circumstances and may affect the success of conservation translocations. To assess personality in translocated Stephens’ kangaroo rats we exposed animals to a mirror to simulate a conspecific and to predator scent. Observers made subjective ratings of animals using 16 traits and recorded behaviour. We assayed faecal cortisol at time of capture and during captivity. We identified three personality dimensions: Assertiveness, Excitability, and Persistence. Individuals received similar scores for these dimensions in the two tests, suggesting consistent differences across context. High-Assertiveness animals showed risky behaviour, and had lower baseline cortisol. Assertiveness corresponds to ‘proactive-reactive coping’ described for other rodents. High-Excitability animals were scored as high for Anxious and Fearful; this dimension may correspond to ‘emotional-reactivity’ described in rats. Considering personality in translocations may allow selection of individuals who better cope with stressors, and may identify individuals needing special care to survive translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liv Baker
- Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
- College of the Environment, Wesleyan University, 284 High Street, Middletown, CT 06457, USA
| | - Michael S. Lawrence
- Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Mary Toews
- Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Sean Kuling
- Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - David Fraser
- Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
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35
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Vander Wall SB, Jenkins SH. Plant—animal interactions and climate: Why do yellow pine chipmunks (Tamias amoenus) and eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) have such different effects on plants? ECOSCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.2980/18-2-3375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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36
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Royauté R, Greenlee K, Baldwin M, Dochtermann NA. Behaviour, metabolism and size: phenotypic modularity or integration in Acheta domesticus? Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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37
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Intimidating courtship and sex differences in predation risk lead to sex-specific behavioural syndromes. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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38
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DiRienzo N, McDermott DR, Pruitt JN. Testing the Effects of Biogenic Amines and Alternative Topical Solvent Types on the Behavioral Repertoire of Two Web-Building Spiders. Ethology 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas DiRienzo
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior; Animal Behavior Graduate Group; University of California - Davis; Davis CA USA
| | - Donna R. McDermott
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh PA USA
| | - Jonathan N. Pruitt
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh PA USA
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39
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DiRienzo N, Niemelä PT, Skog A, Vainikka A, Kortet R. Juvenile pathogen exposure affects the presence of personality in adult field crickets. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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40
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Alcalay Y, Scharf I, Ovadia O. Foraging syndromes and trait variation in antlions along a climatic gradient. Oecologia 2015; 178:1093-103. [PMID: 25764505 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3284-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral syndromes arise when individual behavior is correlated over time and/or across environmental contexts, often resulting in inter-population behavioral differences. Three main hypotheses have been suggested to explain the evolution of behavioral syndromes. The constraint hypothesis suggests that behaviors originate from a shared mechanism with a strong genetic or physiological basis. In contrast, according to the adaptive hypothesis, behavioral syndromes depend on specific selective pressures in each environment, and thus should evolve when specific behavioral combinations are advantageous. Finally, behavioral syndromes can also arise owing to neutral stochastic processes. We tested here for variation in the foraging syndromes of pit-building antlions originating from different populations along a climatic gradient. Although inter-population variation existed in some traits, foraging syndromes were similar across populations, supporting the constraint hypothesis. These findings suggest that stabilizing selection, acting on the foraging behavior of antlions during their larval phase, outweighs local selection pressures, resulting in "constraint syndromes." We also explored behavioral repeatability of foraging-related traits within and among habitats (natural, novel and disturbed habitats), and detected different levels of repeatability: pit diameter was more repeatable than response time to prey, followed by prey exploitation efficiency. Behavioral repeatability of the same trait differed according to context, suggesting that repeatability is a trait in itself and should not be considered identical even when studying the same behavioral trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehonatan Alcalay
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beer-Sheva, Israel,
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41
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Rayment DJ, De Groef B, Peters RA, Marston LC. Applied personality assessment in domestic dogs: Limitations and caveats. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2014.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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How stable are personalities? A multivariate view of behavioural variation over long and short timescales in the sheepshead swordtail, Xiphophorus birchmanni. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1692-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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McDermott DR, Chips MJ, McGuirk M, Armagost F, DiRienzo N, Pruitt JN. Boldness is influenced by sublethal interactions with predators and is associated with successful harem infiltration in Madagascar hissing cockroaches. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1657-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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44
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The combined behavioural tendencies of predator and prey mediate the outcome of their interaction. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Are shy individuals less behaviorally variable? Insights from a captive population of mouse lemurs. Primates 2013; 54:309-14. [PMID: 23760536 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-013-0360-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 05/10/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Increasingly, individual variation in personality has become a focus of behavioral research in animal systems. Boldness and shyness, often quantified as the tendency to explore novel situations, are seen as personality traits important to the fitness landscape of individuals. Here we tested for individual differences within and across contexts in behavioral responses of captive mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) to novel objects, novel foods, and handling. We report consistent differences in behavioral responses for objects and handling. We also found that the responses to handling and novel objects were correlated and repeatable. Lastly, we show that shyer individuals may show less variability in their behavioral responses. This study provides new information on the potential for behavioral syndromes in this species and highlights differences in the degree to which behavioral types (e.g., shy/bold) vary in their behavioral responses.
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Krams I, Vrublevska J, Cirule D, Kivleniece I, Krama T, Rantala MJ, Kaasik A, Hõrak P, Sepp T. Stress, Behaviour and Immunity in Wild-Caught Wintering Great Tits (Parus major). Ethology 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jolanta Vrublevska
- Institute of Systematic Biology; University of Daugavpils; Daugavpils; Latvia
| | | | - Inese Kivleniece
- Institute of Systematic Biology; University of Daugavpils; Daugavpils; Latvia
| | - Tatjana Krama
- Institute of Systematic Biology; University of Daugavpils; Daugavpils; Latvia
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Section of Ecology; Department of Biology; University of Turku; Turku; Finland
| | - Ants Kaasik
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences; University of Tartu; Tartu; Estonia
| | - Peeter Hõrak
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences; University of Tartu; Tartu; Estonia
| | - Tuul Sepp
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences; University of Tartu; Tartu; Estonia
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Kilgour RJ, Brigham RM. The Relationships between Behavioural Categories and Social Influences in the Gregarious Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus). Ethology 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - R. Mark Brigham
- Department of Biology; University of Regina; Regina; SK; Canada
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49
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Blumstein DT, Petelle MB, Wey TW. Defensive and social aggression: repeatable but independent. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Wilson ADM, Krause S, Dingemanse NJ, Krause J. Network position: a key component in the characterization of social personality types. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1428-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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