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Capitain S, Cimarelli G, Blenkuš U, Range F, Marshall-Pescini S. Street-wise dog testing: Feasibility and reliability of a behavioural test battery for free-ranging dogs in their natural habitat. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296509. [PMID: 38483862 PMCID: PMC10939227 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioural scientists are increasingly recognizing the need to conduct experiments in the wild to achieve a comprehensive understanding of their species' behaviour. For domestic dogs (Canis familiaris), such progress has been slow. While the life in human households is often regarded as dogs' natural habitat, this classification disregards most of the global dog population. The value of experimentally testing free-ranging dogs' cognition and behaviour is increasingly being recognized, but no comprehensive test batteries have been conducted on those populations so far, leaving the feasibility and reliability of such endeavours unknown. This study is the starting point to fill this gap by pioneering and validating an elaborate behavioural test battery on street-living dogs. Therein, six common temperament tests (human-/conspecific-directed sociability, neophobia, tractability) and dog-human communication paradigms (pointing, inaccessible object) were adapted to the street conditions. We evaluated the feasibility of the test battery, the coding reliability of the measures, and investigated their temporal consistency in a retest of the same individuals six weeks later (test-retest reliability). The test battery proved feasible with most dogs participating in all subtests, and it showed satisfactory inter- and intra-rater reliability (0.84 and 0.93 respectively), providing evidence that complex behavioural tests can be conducted even in highly variable street conditions. Retesting revealed that some behaviours could be captured reliably across time, especially when the subtest was particularly engaging (e.g., human approach, point following). In contrast, the low retest reliability for subtests relying on sustained novelty and behaviours that were highly susceptible to disturbances (e.g., gazing) reflects the difficulties of street dog testing, including standardisation in disturbance-prone environments, ecology-dependent adaptation of methods, and intrinsic differences between pet and free-ranging dogs. With some adaptations, this test battery can be valuable in investigating cognition and behavioural profiles in such an understudied population as free-ranging dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Capitain
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giulia Cimarelli
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Urša Blenkuš
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friederike Range
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Marshall-Pescini
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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2
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Crespel A, Lindström J, Elmer KR, Killen SS. Evolutionary relationships between metabolism and behaviour require genetic correlations. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20220481. [PMID: 38186274 PMCID: PMC10772607 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
As selection acts on multivariate phenotypes, the evolution of traits within populations not only depends on the genetic basis of each trait, but also on the genetic relationships among traits. As metabolic rate is often related to vital traits such as growth, physiology and behaviour, its variation and evolution is expected to have important repercussions on individual fitness. However, the majority of the correlations between metabolic rate and other traits has been based on phenotypic correlations, while genetic correlations, basis for indirect selection and evolution, have been overlooked. Using a case study, we explore the importance of properly estimating genetic correlations to understand and predict evolution of multivariate phenotypes. We show that selection on metabolic traits could result in indirect selection mainly on growth-related traits, owing to strong genetic correlations, but not on swimming or risk-taking and sociability behaviour even if they covary phenotypically. While phenotypic correlation can inform about genetic correlation direction, caution is needed in predicting the magnitude of genetic correlation. Therefore, even though phenotypic correlations among physiological and behavioural traits could be useful, deriving evolutionary conclusions based purely on them is not robust. In short, proper estimation of genetic correlations is needed when predicting evolutionary consequences. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolutionary significance of variation in metabolic rates'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Crespel
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
- School of Biodiversity, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jan Lindström
- School of Biodiversity, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Kathryn R. Elmer
- School of Biodiversity, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Shaun S. Killen
- School of Biodiversity, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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3
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Westneat DF. Biological Links between Personality and Plasticity: Testing Some Alternative Hypotheses. Am Nat 2024; 203:174-188. [PMID: 38306285 DOI: 10.1086/727700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
AbstractWhen organisms respond behaviorally to a stimulus, they exhibit plasticity, but some individuals respond to the same stimulus consistently differently than others, thereby also exhibiting personality differences. Parent house sparrows express individual differences in how often they feed offspring and how that feeding rate changes with nestling age. Mean feeding rate and its slope with respect to nestling age were positively correlated at median nestling ages but not at hatching, indicating that individuality is primarily in plasticity. Individual differences could arise because of (1) interactions between environmental variables, (2) differences in underlying state or "quality," or (3) differences in the ability to update cues of changing nestling demand. Individual slopes were modestly repeatable across breeding attempts, hinting at the likely action of additional environmental variables, but only brood size was important. I also found few correlates suggesting quality differences. I used short-term brood size manipulations at two nestling ages to test divergent predictions between the three hypotheses. The pattern of correlations between response to the manipulation and individual slope did not fit any single hypothesis. Patterns of sparrow parental care reveal that personality and plasticity are not cleanly separable, and their biology is likely intertwined. New thinking may be needed about the factors parents use in decisions about care and the relevant fitness consequences.
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Carbajal A, Lawrence MJ, Gilmour KM, Lopez-Bejar M, Cooke SJ. Evaluation of the effects of exogenous cortisol manipulation and the glucocorticoid antagonist, RU486, on the exploratory tendency of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2023; 49:1187-1198. [PMID: 37819483 PMCID: PMC10757703 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-023-01250-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
In teleost fishes, activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis leads to an elevation of circulating cortisol levels as a primary stress response. While acute elevation of cortisol is generally beneficial, long-term elevation, a common characteristic of chronic stress, may lead to detrimental effects on health and physiological performance in fishes. Some stress-mediated behavioural shifts, such as variation along the shy-boldness axis in fish, may influence individual fitness. The present study evaluated the role of cortisol and its mechanisms of action in the exploratory behaviour of the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Fish were implanted with cocoa butter alone (sham treatment), or cocoa butter containing cortisol, or cortisol and the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU486. A control (untreated) group was also used. Animals were held for 48 h following treatment and then were subjected to a Z-maze trial to characterize the exploratory behaviour. Cortisol treatment had no measurable effect on the exploratory behaviour of bluegill sunfish. Despite presenting a higher probability of refuge emergence, fish treated with cortisol combined with RU486 behaved similarly to cortisol-treated and control groups. While these results suggest that cortisol may not be involved in the mechanisms controlling boldness, the influence of cortisol elevation across longer time periods plus validation in different contexts will be necessary to confirm this conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annaïs Carbajal
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, UniversitatAutònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Michael J Lawrence
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | | | - Manel Lopez-Bejar
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, UniversitatAutònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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5
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Stamps JA, Biro PA. Time-specific convergence and divergence in individual differences in behavior: Theory, protocols and analyzes. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10615. [PMID: 38034332 PMCID: PMC10682899 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the years, theoreticians and empiricists working in a wide range of disciplines, including physiology, ethology, psychology, and behavioral ecology, have suggested a variety of reasons why individual differences in behavior might change over time, such that different individuals become more similar (convergence) or less similar (divergence) to one another. Virtually none of these investigators have suggested that convergence or divergence will continue forever, instead proposing that these patterns will be restricted to particular periods over the course of a longer study. However, to date, few empiricists have documented time-specific convergence or divergence, in part because the experimental designs and statistical methods suitable for describing these patterns are not widely known. Here, we begin by reviewing an array of influential hypotheses that predict convergence or divergence in individual differences over timescales ranging from minutes to years, and that suggest how and why such patterns are likely to change over time (e.g., divergence followed by maintenance). Then, we describe experimental designs and statistical methods that can be used to determine if (and when) individual differences converged, diverged, or were maintained at the same level at specific periods during a longitudinal study. Finally, we describe why the concepts described herein help explain the discrepancy between what theoreticians and empiricists mean when they describe the "emergence" of individual differences or personality, how they might be used to study situations in which convergence and divergence patterns alternate over time, and how they might be used to study time-specific changes in other attributes of behavior, including individual differences in intraindividual variability (predictability), or genotypic differences in behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy A. Stamps
- Department of Evolution and EcologyUniversity of California, DavisDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Peter A. Biro
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
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6
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Salazar SM, Hlebowicz K, Komdeur J, Korsten P. Repeatable parental risk taking across manipulated levels of predation threat: no individual variation in plasticity. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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7
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LaRocque M, Arteaga-Torres JD, Haave-Audet E, Sridharan S, Wijmenga JJ, Mathot KJ. An investigation of personality-related recapture bias in black-capped chickadees, Poecile atricapillus. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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8
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de Groot C, Wijnhorst RE, Ratz T, Murray M, Araya-Ajoy YG, Wright J, Dingemanse NJ. The importance of distinguishing individual differences in 'social impact' versus 'social responsiveness' when quantifying indirect genetic effects on the evolution of social plasticity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104996. [PMID: 36526032 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Social evolution and the dynamics of social interactions have previously been studied under the frameworks of quantitative genetics and behavioural ecology. In quantitative genetics, indirect genetic effects of social partners on the socially plastic phenotypes of focal individuals typically lack crucial detail already included in treatments of social plasticity in behavioural ecology. Specifically, whilst focal individuals (e.g. receivers) may show variation in their 'responsiveness' to the social environment, individual social partners (e.g. signallers) may have a differential 'impact' on focal phenotypes. Here we propose an integrative framework, that highlights the distinction between responsiveness versus impact in indirect genetic effects for a range of behavioural traits. We describe impact and responsiveness using a reaction norm approach and provide statistical models for the assessment of these effects of focal and social partner identity in different types of social interactions. By providing such a framework, we hope to stimulate future quantitative research investigating the causes and consequences of social interactions on phenotypic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corné de Groot
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), 82152 Planegg, Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Rori E Wijnhorst
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), 82152 Planegg, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tom Ratz
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), 82152 Planegg, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Myranda Murray
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Yimen G Araya-Ajoy
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), 82152 Planegg, Martinsried, Germany
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9
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Godin JGJ, Le Roy A, Burns AL, Seebacher F, Ward AJ. Pace-of-life syndrome: linking personality, metabolism and colour ornamentation in male guppies. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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10
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Fraimout A, Päiviö E, Merilä J. Relaxed risk of predation drives parallel evolution of stickleback behavior. Evolution 2022; 76:2712-2723. [PMID: 36117280 PMCID: PMC9827860 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence of similar phenotypes in multiple independent populations derived from common ancestral conditions (viz. parallel evolution) is a testimony of evolution by natural selection. Parallel evolution implies that populations share a common phenotypic response to a common selection pressure associated with habitat similarity. Examples of parallel evolution at genetic and phenotypic levels are fairly common, but the driving selective agents often remain elusive. Similarly, the role of phenotypic plasticity in facilitating early stages of parallel evolution is unclear. We investigated whether the relaxation of predation pressure associated with the colonization of freshwater ponds by nine-spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) likely explains the divergence in complex behaviors between marine and pond populations, and whether this divergence is parallel. Using laboratory-raised individuals exposed to different levels of perceived predation risk, we calculated vectors of phenotypic divergence for four behavioral traits between habitats and predation risk treatments. We found a significant correlation between the directions of evolutionary divergence and phenotypic plasticity, suggesting that divergence in behavior between habitats is aligned with the response to relaxation of predation pressure. Finally, we show alignment across multiple pairs of populations, and that relaxation of predation pressure has likely driven parallel evolution of behavior in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Fraimout
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinki00014Finland,Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SAR
| | - Elisa Päiviö
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinki00014Finland
| | - Juha Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinki00014Finland,Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SAR
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11
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Differential Gene Expression Correlates with Behavioural Polymorphism during Collective Behaviour in Cockroaches. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12182354. [PMID: 36139214 PMCID: PMC9495117 DOI: 10.3390/ani12182354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary It is currently well accepted that animals differ from one another in their behaviour and tendency to perform actions, a property we refer to as animal personality. In group-living animals, variation in animal personality can be important to determine group survival, as it determines how individuals interact with each other and with their environment. However, we have little knowledge of the proximal mechanisms underlying personality, particularly in group-living organisms. Here, we investigate the relationship between gene expression and two behavioural types (bold and shy) in a gregarious species: the American cockroach. Our results show that bold individuals have upregulated genes with functions associated with sensory activity (phototaxis and odour detection) and aggressive/dominant behaviour, and suggest that social context can modulate gene expression related to bold/shy characteristics. This work could help identify genes important in the earliest stages of group living and social life, and provides a first step toward establishing cockroaches as a focal group for the study of the evolution of sociality. Abstract Consistent inter-individual variation in the propensity to perform different tasks (animal personality) can contribute significantly to the success of group-living organisms. The distribution of different personalities in a group influences collective actions and therefore how these organisms interact with their environment. However, we have little understanding of the proximate mechanisms underlying animal personality in animal groups, and research on this theme has often been biased towards organisms with advanced social systems. The goal of this study is to investigate the mechanistic basis for personality variation during collective behaviour in a species with rudimentary societies: the American cockroach. We thus use an approach which combines experimental classification of individuals into behavioural phenotypes (‘bold’ and ‘shy’ individuals) with comparative gene expression. Our analyses reveal differences in gene expression between behavioural phenotypes and suggest that social context may modulate gene expression related to bold/shy characteristics. We also discuss how cockroaches could be a valuable model for the study of genetic mechanisms underlying the early steps in the evolution of social behaviour and social complexity. This study provides a first step towards a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with differences in boldness and behavioural plasticity in these organisms.
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12
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Griffin LL, Haigh A, Amin B, Faull J, Norman A, Ciuti S. Artificial selection in human-wildlife feeding interactions. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1892-1905. [PMID: 35927829 PMCID: PMC9546373 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The artificial selection of traits in wildlife populations through hunting and fishing has been well documented. However, despite their rising popularity, the role that artificial selection may play in non‐extractive wildlife activities, for example, recreational feeding activities, remains unknown. If only a subset of a population takes advantage of human‐wildlife feeding interactions, and if this results in different fitness advantages for these individuals, then artificial selection may be at work. We have tested this hypothesis using a wild fallow deer population living at the edge of a capital city as our model population. In contrast to previous assumptions on the randomness of human‐wildlife feeding interactions, we found that a limited non‐random portion of an entire population is continuously engaging with people. We found that the willingness to beg for food from humans exists on a continuum of inter‐individual repeatable behaviour; which ranges from risk‐taking individuals repeatedly seeking and obtaining food, to shyer individuals avoiding human contact and not receiving food at all, despite all individuals having received equal exposure to human presence from birth and coexisting in the same herds together. Bolder individuals obtain significantly more food directly from humans, resulting in early interception of food offerings and preventing other individuals from obtaining supplemental feeding. Those females that beg consistently also produce significantly heavier fawns (300–500 g heavier), which may provide their offspring with a survival advantage. This indicates that these interactions result in disparity in diet and nutrition across the population, impacting associated physiology and reproduction, and may result in artificial selection of the begging behavioural trait. This is the first time that this consistent variation in behaviour and its potential link to artificial selection has been identified in a wildlife population and reveals new potential effects of human‐wildlife feeding interactions in other species across both terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura L Griffin
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Amy Haigh
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Bawan Amin
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Jordan Faull
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Alison Norman
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
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13
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Wright J, Haaland TR, Dingemanse NJ, Westneat DF. A reaction norm framework for the evolution of learning: how cumulative experience shapes phenotypic plasticity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1999-2021. [PMID: 35790067 PMCID: PMC9543233 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Learning is a familiar process to most people, but it currently lacks a fully developed theoretical position within evolutionary biology. Learning (memory and forgetting) involves adjustments in behaviour in response to cumulative sequences of prior experiences or exposures to environmental cues. We therefore suggest that all forms of learning (and some similar biological phenomena in development, aging, acquired immunity and acclimation) can usefully be viewed as special cases of phenotypic plasticity, and formally modelled by expanding the concept of reaction norms to include additional environmental dimensions quantifying sequences of cumulative experience (learning) and the time delays between events (forgetting). Memory therefore represents just one of a number of different internal neurological, physiological, hormonal and anatomical ‘states’ that mediate the carry‐over effects of cumulative environmental experiences on phenotypes across different time periods. The mathematical and graphical conceptualisation of learning as plasticity within a reaction norm framework can easily accommodate a range of different ecological scenarios, closely linking statistical estimates with biological processes. Learning and non‐learning plasticity interact whenever cumulative prior experience causes a modification in the reaction norm (a) elevation [mean phenotype], (b) slope [responsiveness], (c) environmental estimate error [informational memory] and/or (d) phenotypic precision [skill acquisition]. Innovation and learning new contingencies in novel (laboratory) environments can also be accommodated within this approach. A common reaction norm approach should thus encourage productive cross‐fertilisation of ideas between traditional studies of learning and phenotypic plasticity. As an example, we model the evolution of plasticity with and without learning under different levels of environmental estimation error to show how learning works as a specific adaptation promoting phenotypic plasticity in temporally autocorrelated environments. Our reaction norm framework for learning and analogous biological processes provides a conceptual and mathematical structure aimed at usefully stimulating future theoretical and empirical investigations into the evolution of plasticity across a wider range of ecological contexts, while providing new interdisciplinary connections regarding learning mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Wright
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) N‐7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Thomas R. Haaland
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) N‐7491 Trondheim Norway
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zürich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH‐8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Niels J. Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology Ludwig‐Maximilians University of Munich (LMU) 82152 Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
| | - David F. Westneat
- Department of Biology University of Kentucky 101 Morgan Building Lexington KY 40506‐0225 USA
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14
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Jablonszky M, Canal D, Hegyi G, Krenhardt K, Laczi M, Markó G, Nagy G, Rosivall B, Szász E, Zsebők S, Garamszegi LZ. Individual differences in song plasticity in response to social stimuli and singing position. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8883. [PMID: 35509613 PMCID: PMC9058795 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual animals can react to the changes in their environment by exhibiting behaviors in an individual‐specific way leading to individual differences in phenotypic plasticity. However, the effect of multiple environmental factors on multiple traits is rarely tested. Such a complex approach is necessary to assess the generality of plasticity and to understand how among‐individual differences in the ability to adapt to changing environments evolve. This study examined whether individuals adjust different song traits to varying environmental conditions in the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis), a passerine with complex song. We also aimed to reveal among‐individual differences in behavioral responses by testing whether individual differences in plasticity were repeatable. The presence of general plasticity across traits and/or contexts was also tested. To assess plasticity, we documented (1) short‐scale temporal changes in song traits in different social contexts (after exposition to male stimulus, female stimulus or without stimuli), and (2) changes concerning the height from where the bird sang (singing position), used as a proxy of predation risk and acoustic transmission conditions. We found population‐level relationships between singing position and both song length (SL) and complexity, as well as social context‐dependent temporal changes in SL and maximum frequency (MF). We found among‐individual differences in plasticity of SL and MF along both the temporal and positional gradients. These among‐individual differences in plasticity were repeatable. Some of the plastic responses correlated across different song traits and environmental gradients. Overall, our results show that the plasticity of bird song (1) depends on the social context, (2) exists along different environmental gradients, and (3) there is evidence for trade‐offs between the responses of different traits to different environmental variables. Our results highlight the need to consider individual differences and to investigate multiple traits along multiple environmental axes when studying behavioral plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónika Jablonszky
- Centre for Ecological Research Institute of Ecology and Botany Vácrátót Hungary.,Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - David Canal
- Centre for Ecological Research Institute of Ecology and Botany Vácrátót Hungary
| | - Gergely Hegyi
- Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - Katalin Krenhardt
- Centre for Ecological Research Institute of Ecology and Botany Vácrátót Hungary.,Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary.,The Barn Owl Foundation Orosztony Hungary
| | - Gábor Markó
- Department of Plant Pathology Institute of Plant Protection Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences Budapest Hungary
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Centre for Ecological Research Institute of Ecology and Botany Vácrátót Hungary.,Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - Balázs Rosivall
- Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - Eszter Szász
- Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - Sándor Zsebők
- Centre for Ecological Research Institute of Ecology and Botany Vácrátót Hungary.,Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - László Zsolt Garamszegi
- Centre for Ecological Research Institute of Ecology and Botany Vácrátót Hungary.,MTA-ELTE Theoretical Biology and Evolutionary Ecology Research Group Institute of Physics ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
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15
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Urban S, Gerwin J, Hulsey CD, Meyer A, Kratochwil CF. The repeated evolution of stripe patterns is correlated with body morphology in the adaptive radiations of East African cichlid fishes. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8568. [PMID: 35154652 PMCID: PMC8820146 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Color patterns are often linked to the behavioral and morphological characteristics of an animal, contributing to the effectiveness of such patterns as antipredatory strategies. Species-rich adaptive radiations, such as the freshwater fish family Cichlidae, provide an exciting opportunity to study trait correlations at a macroevolutionary scale. Cichlids are also well known for their diversity and repeated evolution of color patterns and body morphology. To study the evolutionary dynamics between color patterns and body morphology, we used an extensive dataset of 461 species. A phylogenetic supertree of these species shows that stripe patterns evolved ~70 times independently and were lost again ~30 times. Moreover, stripe patterns show strong signs of correlated evolution with body elongation, suggesting that the stripes' effectiveness as antipredatory strategy might differ depending on the body shape. Using pedigree-based analyses, we show that stripes and body elongation segregate independently, indicating that the two traits are not genetically linked. Their correlation in nature is therefore likely maintained by correlational selection. Lastly, by performing a mate preference assay using a striped CRISPR-Cas9 mutant of a nonstriped species, we show that females do not differentiate between striped CRISPR mutant males and nonstriped wild-type males, suggesting that these patterns might be less important for species recognition and mate choice. In summary, our study suggests that the massive rates of repeated evolution of stripe patterns are shaped by correlational selection with body elongation, but not by sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Urban
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Jan Gerwin
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - C. Darrin Hulsey
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Present address:
School of Biology and Environmental ScienceUniversity College DublinBelfieldIreland
| | - Axel Meyer
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Claudius F. Kratochwil
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Present address:
Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFEUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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16
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Allegue H, Guinet C, Patrick SC, Hindell MA, McMahon CR, Réale D. Sex, body size, and boldness shape the seasonal foraging habitat selection in southern elephant seals. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8457. [PMID: 35127010 PMCID: PMC8796948 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Selecting foraging habitat is a fundamental behavior in the life of organisms as it directly links resource acquisition to fitness. Differences in habitat selection among individuals may arise from several intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and yet, their interaction has been given little attention in the study of wild populations. We combine sex, body size, and boldness to explain individual differences in the seasonal foraging habitat selection of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) from the Kerguelen Archipelago. We hypothesize that habitat selection is linked to the trade-off between resource acquisition and risk, and that individuals differ in their position along this trade-off because of differences in reproductive strategies, life stages, and metabolic requirements. Before the post-molt foraging trip, we used a novel object approach test to quantify the boldness of 28 subadult and adult females and 42 subadult males and equipped them with data loggers to track their movements at sea. Subadult males selected neritic and oceanic habitats, whereas females mostly selected less productive oceanic habitats. Both sexes showed a seasonal shift from Antarctic habitats in the south in the summer to the free of ice subantarctic and subtropical habitats in the north in the winter. Males avoided oceanic habitats and selected more productive neritic and Antarctic habitats with body size mostly in the winter. Bolder males selected northern warmer waters in winter, while shyer ones selected the Kerguelen plateau and southern colder oceanic waters. Bolder females selected the Kerguelen plateau in the summer when prey profitability is assumed to be the highest. This study not only provides new insights into the spatiotemporal foraging ecology of elephant seals in relation to personality but also emphasizes the relevance of combining several intrinsic and extrinsic factors in understanding among-individual variation in space use essential in wildlife management and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassen Allegue
- Département des Sciences BiologiquesUniversité du Québec à MontréalMontréalQCCanada
| | | | | | - Mark A. Hindell
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesBattery PointTASAustralia
- Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research CentreUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTASAustralia
| | - Clive R. McMahon
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesBattery PointTASAustralia
- Sydney Institute of Marine ScienceSydneyNSWAustralia
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences BiologiquesUniversité du Québec à MontréalMontréalQCCanada
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17
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O'Dea RE, Noble DWA, Nakagawa S. Unifying individual differences in personality, predictability and plasticity: A practical guide. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rose E. O'Dea
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre School of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
- Diabetes and Metabolism Division Garvan Institute of Medical Research Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Daniel W. A. Noble
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre School of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
- Diabetes and Metabolism Division Garvan Institute of Medical Research Sydney NSW Australia
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18
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James N, Bell A. Minimally invasive brain injections for viral-mediated transgenesis: New tools for behavioral genetics in sticklebacks. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251653. [PMID: 33999965 PMCID: PMC8128275 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral genetics in non-model organisms is currently gated by technological limitations. However, with the growing availability of genome editing and functional genomic tools, complex behavioral traits such as social behavior can now be explored in diverse organisms. Here we present a minimally invasive neurosurgical procedure for a classic behavioral, ecological and evolutionary system: threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Direct brain injection enables viral-mediated transgenesis and pharmaceutical delivery which bypasses the blood-brain barrier. This method is flexible, fast, and amenable to statistically powerful within-subject experimental designs, making it well-suited for use in genetically diverse animals such as those collected from natural populations. Developing this minimally invasive neurosurgical protocol required 1) refining the anesthesia process, 2) building a custom surgical rig, and 3) determining the normal recovery pattern allowing us to clearly identify warning signs of failure to thrive. Our custom-built surgical rig (publicly available) and optimized anesthetization methods resulted in high (90%) survival rates and quick behavioral recovery. Using this method, we detected changes in aggression from the overexpression of either of two different genes, arginine vasopressin (AVP) and monoamine oxidase (MAOA), in outbred animals in less than one month. We successfully used multiple promoters to drive expression, allowing for tailored expression profiles through time. In addition, we demonstrate that widely available mammalian plasmids work with this method, lowering the barrier of entry to the technique. By using repeated measures of behavior on the same fish before and after transfection, we were able to drastically reduce the necessary sample size needed to detect significant changes in behavior, making this a viable approach for examining genetic mechanisms underlying complex social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelle James
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Alison Bell
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
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19
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20
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Kralj‐Fišer S, Schneider JM, Kuntner M, Laskowski K, Garcia‐Gonzalez F. The genetic architecture of behavioral traits in a spider. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5381-5392. [PMID: 34026014 PMCID: PMC8131798 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The existence of consistent individual differences in behavior has been shown in a number of species, and several studies have found observable sex differences in these behaviors, yet their evolutionary implications remain unclear. Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of behavioral traits requires knowledge of their genetic architectures and whether this architecture differs between the sexes. We conducted a quantitative genetic study in a sexually size-dimorphic spider, Larinioides sclopetarius, which exhibits sex differences in adult lifestyles. We observed pedigreed spiders for aggression, activity, exploration, and boldness and used animal models to disentangle genetic and environmental influences on these behaviors. We detected trends toward (i) higher additive genetic variances in aggression, activity, and exploration in males than females, and (ii) difference in variances due to common environment/maternal effects, permanent environment and residual variance in aggression and activity with the first two variances being higher in males for both behaviors. We found no sex differences in the amount of genetic and environmental variance in boldness. The mean heritability estimates of aggression, activity, exploration, and boldness range from 0.039 to 0.222 with no sizeable differences between females and males. We note that the credible intervals of the estimates are large, implying a high degree of uncertainty, which disallow a robust conclusion of sex differences in the quantitative genetic estimates. However, the observed estimates suggest that sex differences in the quantitative genetic architecture of the behaviors cannot be ruled out. Notably, the present study suggests that genetic underpinnings of behaviors may differ between sexes and it thus underscores the importance of taking sex differences into account in quantitative genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Kralj‐Fišer
- Scientific and Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and ArtsInstitute of BiologyEvolutionary Zoology LaboratoryLjubljanaSlovenia
| | - Jutta M. Schneider
- Institut für ZoologieFachbereich BiologieUniversität HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Scientific and Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and ArtsInstitute of BiologyEvolutionary Zoology LaboratoryLjubljanaSlovenia
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems ResearchEvolutionary Zoology LaboratoryNational Institute of BiologyLjubljanaSlovenia
| | | | - Francisco Garcia‐Gonzalez
- Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSICSevilleSpain
- Centre for Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaAustralia
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21
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Kniel N, Guenther A, Godin JGJ. Individual personality does not predict learning performance in a foraging context in female guppies, Poecilia reticulata. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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22
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Brito LF, Oliveira HR, McConn BR, Schinckel AP, Arrazola A, Marchant-Forde JN, Johnson JS. Large-Scale Phenotyping of Livestock Welfare in Commercial Production Systems: A New Frontier in Animal Breeding. Front Genet 2020; 11:793. [PMID: 32849798 PMCID: PMC7411239 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic breeding programs have been paramount in improving the rates of genetic progress of productive efficiency traits in livestock. Such improvement has been accompanied by the intensification of production systems, use of a wider range of precision technologies in routine management practices, and high-throughput phenotyping. Simultaneously, a greater public awareness of animal welfare has influenced livestock producers to place more emphasis on welfare relative to production traits. Therefore, management practices and breeding technologies in livestock have been developed in recent years to enhance animal welfare. In particular, genomic selection can be used to improve livestock social behavior, resilience to disease and other stress factors, and ease habituation to production system changes. The main requirements for including novel behavioral and welfare traits in genomic breeding schemes are: (1) to identify traits that represent the biological mechanisms of the industry breeding goals; (2) the availability of individual phenotypic records measured on a large number of animals (ideally with genomic information); (3) the derived traits are heritable, biologically meaningful, repeatable, and (ideally) not highly correlated with other traits already included in the selection indexes; and (4) genomic information is available for a large number of individuals (or genetically close individuals) with phenotypic records. In this review, we (1) describe a potential route for development of novel welfare indicator traits (using ideal phenotypes) for both genetic and genomic selection schemes; (2) summarize key indicator variables of livestock behavior and welfare, including a detailed assessment of thermal stress in livestock; (3) describe the primary statistical and bioinformatic methods available for large-scale data analyses of animal welfare; and (4) identify major advancements, challenges, and opportunities to generate high-throughput and large-scale datasets to enable genetic and genomic selection for improved welfare in livestock. A wide variety of novel welfare indicator traits can be derived from information captured by modern technology such as sensors, automatic feeding systems, milking robots, activity monitors, video cameras, and indirect biomarkers at the cellular and physiological levels. The development of novel traits coupled with genomic selection schemes for improved welfare in livestock can be feasible and optimized based on recently developed (or developing) technologies. Efficient implementation of genetic and genomic selection for improved animal welfare also requires the integration of a multitude of scientific fields such as cell and molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology, stress physiology, computer science, engineering, quantitative genomics, and bioinformatics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz F. Brito
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Hinayah R. Oliveira
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Betty R. McConn
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Allan P. Schinckel
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Aitor Arrazola
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | | | - Jay S. Johnson
- USDA-ARS Livestock Behavior Research Unit, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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23
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Kniel N, Godin JJ. Does individual personality predict male mating preference for female body size in the Trinidadian guppy? Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kniel
- Department of Biology Carleton University Ottawa ON Canada
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24
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Kraus S, Krüger O, Guenther A. Zebra finches bi-directionally selected for personality differ in repeatability of corticosterone and testosterone. Horm Behav 2020; 122:104747. [PMID: 32217065 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Consistent between-individual differences in behaviour have been documented across the animal kingdom. Such variation between individuals has been shown to be the basis for selection and to act as a pacemaker for evolutionary change. Recently, equivocal evidence suggests that such consistent between-individual variation is also present in hormones. This observation has sparked interest in understanding the mechanisms shaping individual differences, temporal consistency and heritability of hormonal phenotypes and to understand, if and to what extent hormonal mechanisms are involved in mediating consistent variation in behaviour between individuals. Here, we used zebra finches of the fourth generation of bi-directionally selected lines for three independent behaviours: aggression, exploration and fearlessness. We investigated how these behaviours responded to artificial selection and tested their repeatability. We further tested for repeatability of corticosterone and testosterone across and within lines. Moreover, we are presenting the decomposed variance components for within-individual variance (i.e. flexibility) and between-individual variance (i.e. more or less pronounced differences between individuals) and investigate their contribution to repeatability estimates. Both hormones as well as the exploration and fearlessness but not aggressiveness, were repeatable. However, variance components and hence repeatability differed between lines and were often lower than in unselected control animals, mainly because of a reduction in between-individual variance. Our data show that artificial selection (including active selection and genetic drift) can affect the mean and variance of traits. We stress the importance for understanding how variable a trait is both between and within individuals to assess the selective value of a trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Kraus
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Germany.
| | - Oliver Krüger
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Germany.
| | - Anja Guenther
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.
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25
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Nettle D, Frankenhuis WE. Life-history theory in psychology and evolutionary biology: one research programme or two? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190490. [PMID: 32475337 PMCID: PMC7293149 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The term ‘life-history theory’ (LHT) is increasingly often invoked in psychology, as a framework for integrating understanding of psychological traits into a broader evolutionary context. Although LHT as presented in psychology papers (LHT-P) is typically described as a straightforward extension of the theoretical principles from evolutionary biology that bear the same name (LHT-E), the two bodies of work are not well integrated. Here, through a close reading of recent papers, we argue that LHT-E and LHT-P are different research programmes in the Lakatosian sense. The core of LHT-E is built around ultimate evolutionary explanation, via explicit mathematical modelling, of how selection can drive divergent evolution of populations or species living under different demographies or ecologies. The core of LHT-P concerns measurement of covariation, across individuals, of multiple psychological traits; the proximate goals these serve; and their relation to childhood experience. Some of the links between LHT-E and LHT-P are false friends. For example, elements that are marginal in LHT-E are core commitments of LHT-P, and where explanatory principles are transferred from one to the other, nuance can be lost in transmission. The methodological rules for what grounds a prediction in theory are different in the two cases. Though there are major differences between LHT-E and LHT-P at present, there is much potential for greater integration in the future, through both theoretical modelling and further empirical research. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Nettle
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Willem E Frankenhuis
- Behavioural Sciences Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6500 HE, Netherlands
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26
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Ibarra-Zatarain Z, Martín I, Rasines I, Fatsini E, Rey S, Chereguini O, Duncan N. Exploring the relationship between stress coping styles and sex, origin and reproductive success, in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) breeders in captivity. Physiol Behav 2020; 220:112868. [PMID: 32173342 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Individual animals commonly adopt different stress coping styles that have been shown to impact reproductive success and differ between sexes (female/male) and origin (wild/hatchery). Hatchery reared Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) exhibit a behavioural reproductive dysfunction and a complete failure to spawn viable eggs. Hence, the present study examined whether 1) reproductive success of Senegalese sole was linked to coping styles and 2) behavioural differences exist in relation to sex or origin. A total of 198 breeders held in two research institutions were submitted to three individual tests (restraining, new environment and confinement) and one grouping test (risk taking). In addition, a blood sample to quantify cortisol, glucose and lactate levels was obtained from each individual after completing the individual tests. Senegalese sole breeders showed individual differences in behaviour across the different behavioural tests that were consistent with proactive and reactive coping styles traits. However, the most striking result was that reproductive success, sex and origin of Senegalese sole was not biased to any specific coping style. Indeed, the behavioural responses were similar and consistent between fish grouped by reproductive success, sex and origin. This study presented information that contrasts with different studies on dominant aggressive species and indicated that social non-aggressive species such as Senegalese sole follow a cooperative strategy that favours equal opportunities between stress coping styles and sexes. Therefore, results suggest that maintaining both coping styles strategies are fundamental for a sustainable breeder population approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Ibarra-Zatarain
- IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Carretera de Poble Nou, km 5.5, E- 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain; CONACYT-UAN-Nayarit Centre for Innovation and Technological Transference, E. González s/n, C.P., 63173 Tepic, México.
| | - I Martín
- Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Santander Oceanographic Centre, Promontorio San Martín, s/n. PO 240. 39004 Santander, Spain
| | - I Rasines
- Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Santander Oceanographic Centre, Promontorio San Martín, s/n. PO 240. 39004 Santander, Spain
| | - E Fatsini
- IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Carretera de Poble Nou, km 5.5, E- 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain; Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - S Rey
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, United Kingdom
| | - O Chereguini
- Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Santander Oceanographic Centre, Promontorio San Martín, s/n. PO 240. 39004 Santander, Spain
| | - N Duncan
- IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Carretera de Poble Nou, km 5.5, E- 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain
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27
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Wetzel DP, Mutzel A, Wright J, Dingemanse NJ. Novel sources of (co)variation in nestling begging behavior and hunger at different biological levels of analysis. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Biological hypotheses predicting patterns of offspring begging typically concern the covariance with hunger and/or development at specific hierarchical levels. For example, hunger drives within-individual patterns of begging, but begging also drives food intake among individuals within broods, and begging and food intake can covary positively or negatively among genotypes or broods. Testing biological phenomena that occur at multiple levels, therefore, requires the partitioning of covariance between traits of interest to ensure that each level-specific relationship is appropriately assessed. We performed a partial cross-fostering study on a wild population of great tits (Parus major), then used multivariate mixed models to partition variation and covariation in nestling begging effort and two metrics of nestling hunger within versus among individual nestlings and broods. At the within-individual level, we found that nestlings begged more intensely when hungrier (positive correlation between begging and hunger). However, among individuals, nestlings that were fed more frequently also begged more intensely on average (negative correlation between begging and hunger). Variation in nestling mass did not give rise to the negative correlation between begging and hunger among nestlings, but we did find that lighter nestlings begged more intensely than their heavier biological siblings, suggesting that this effect may be driven by a genetic component linked to offspring size. Our study illustrates how patterns of covariance can differ across biological levels of analysis and addresses biological mechanisms that could produce these previously obscured patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P Wetzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - 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
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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28
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Chang C, Klomp DA, Norma‐Rashid Y, Li D. Consistency in boldness expression varies with ecological context in a jumping spider. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chia‐chen Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore
| | - Danielle A. Klomp
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore
| | - Yusoff Norma‐Rashid
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore
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29
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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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30
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Strickland K, Frère CH. Individual Variation in the Social Plasticity of Water Dragons. Am Nat 2019; 194:194-206. [DOI: 10.1086/704089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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31
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Herczeg G, Urszán TJ, Orf S, Nagy G, Kotrschal A, Kolm N. Brain size predicts behavioural plasticity in guppies (Poecilia reticulata): An experiment. J Evol Biol 2018; 32:218-226. [PMID: 30474900 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how animal personality (consistent between-individual behavioural differences) arises has become a central topic in behavioural sciences. This endeavour is complicated by the fact that not only the mean behaviour of individuals (behavioural type) but also the strength of their reaction to environmental change (behavioural plasticity) varies consistently. Personality and cognitive abilities are linked, and we suggest that behavioural plasticity could also be explained by differences in brain size (a proxy for cognitive abilities), since accurate decisions are likely essential to make behavioural plasticity beneficial. We test this idea in guppies (Poecilia reticulata), artificially selected for large and small brain size, which show clear cognitive differences between selection lines. To test whether those lines differed in behavioural plasticity, we reared them in groups in structurally enriched environments and then placed adults individually into empty tanks, where we presented them daily with visual predator cues and monitored their behaviour for 20 days with video-aided motion tracking. We found that individuals differed consistently in activity and risk-taking, as well as in behavioural plasticity. In activity, only the large-brained lines demonstrated habituation (increased activity) to the new environment, whereas in risk-taking, we found sensitization (decreased risk-taking) in both brain size lines. We conclude that brain size, potentially via increasing cognitive abilities, may increase behavioural plasticity, which in turn can improve habituation to novel environments. However, the effects seem to be behaviour-specific. Our results suggest that brain size likely explains some of the variation in behavioural plasticity found at the intraspecific level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Herczeg
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, EötvösLoránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás J Urszán
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, EötvösLoránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Stephanie Orf
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, EötvösLoránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, EötvösLoránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Niclas Kolm
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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32
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Urszán TJ, Garamszegi LZ, Nagy G, Hettyey A, Török J, Herczeg G. Experience during development triggers between-individual variation in behavioural plasticity. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1264-1273. [PMID: 29752882 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural consistency within and across behaviours (animal personality and behavioural syndrome, respectively) has been vigorously studied in the last decade, leading to the emergence of "animal personality" research. It has been proposed recently that not only mean behaviour (behavioural type), but the environmentally induced behavioural change (behavioural plasticity) might also differ between individuals within populations. While case studies presenting between-individual variation in behavioural plasticity have started to accumulate, the mechanisms behind its emergence are virtually unknown. We have recently demonstrated that ecologically relevant environmental stimuli during ontogeny are necessary for the development of animal personality and behavioural syndromes. However, it is unknown whether between-individual variation in behavioural plasticity is hard-wired or induced. Here, we tested whether experience with predation during development affected predator-induced behavioural plasticity in Rana dalmatina tadpoles. We ran a common garden experiment with two ontogenetic predation treatments: tadpoles developed from hatching in either the presence or absence of olfactory predator stimuli. Then, we assayed all tadpoles repeatedly for activity and risk-taking both in the absence and presence of olfactory predator stimuli. We found that (a) between-individual variation in predator-induced behavioural plasticity was present only in the group that developed in the presence of olfactory stimuli from predators and (b) previous experience with predatory stimuli resulted in lower plastic response at the group level. The latter pattern resulted from increased between-individual variation and not from universally lower individual responses. We also found that experience with predation during development increased the predictability (i.e. decreased the within-individual variation unrelated to environmental change) of activity, but not risk-taking. In line with this, tadpoles developing under perceived predatory risk expressed their activity with higher repeatability. We suggest that ecologically relevant environmental stimuli are not only fundamental for the development of animal personality and behavioural syndromes, but also for individual variation in behavioural plasticity. Thus, experience is of central importance for the emergence of individual behavioural variation at many levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás János Urszán
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Zsolt Garamszegi
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estacion Biologica de Donana - CSIC, Seville, Spain.,MTA-ELTE, Theoretical Biology and Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Hettyey
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, MTA ATK NÖVI, Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Herczeg
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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33
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White SJ, Wilson AJ. Evolutionary genetics of personality in the Trinidadian guppy I: maternal and additive genetic effects across ontogeny. Heredity (Edinb) 2018; 122:1-14. [PMID: 29773896 PMCID: PMC6288082 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0082-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Among-individual variation in behaviour is a widespread phenomenon, with several frameworks developed to explain its existence. Maternal effects, which can have significant influence over evolutionary processes, are an understudied source of behavioural variation. Maternal effects are not necessarily static, however, since their importance can change over offspring ontogeny, typically declining with age relative to additive genetic effects. Here, using a quantitative genetics approach, we test the prediction that maternal effects will influence age-specific risk-taking behaviour in Trinidadian guppies, Poecilia reticulata. Individuals were subject to a single open-field trial as juveniles and up to four repeat trials as adults, with five traits indicative of risk-taking behaviour measured in each trial. We then partitioned phenotypic variance into additive genetic (VA) and maternal identity (VM) components, in addition to testing brood size and maternal weight as specific sources of maternal effects. We found that VM had significant influence over juvenile traits, with very low VA estimates. Whereas, in adults, all traits were significantly heritable, with little support for VM. We also found a strong influence of maternal traits on juvenile behaviours as predicted, with significant, albeit smaller, effects found in adults. Maternal weight was heritable and itself subject to maternal effects. Thus, maternal weight is a likely source of maternal genetic effects that are expected to alter response to selection on personality in this system. More generally, our study highlights that while maternal effects can be an important source of personality variation, this varies over ontogeny of offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen John White
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Alastair James Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
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34
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Scott AM, Dworkin I, Dukas R. Sociability in Fruit Flies: Genetic Variation, Heritability and Plasticity. Behav Genet 2018; 48:247-258. [PMID: 29682673 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-018-9901-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Sociability, defined as individuals' propensity to participate in non-aggressive activities with conspecifics, is a fundamental feature of behavior in many animals including humans. However, we still have a limited knowledge of the mechanisms and evolutionary biology of sociability. To enhance our understanding, we developed a new protocol to quantify sociability in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). In a series of experiments with 59 F1 hybrids derived from inbred lines, we documented, first, significant genetic variation in sociability in both males and females, with broad-sense heritabilities of 0.24 and 0.21 respectively. Second, we observed little genetic correlation in sociability between the sexes. Third, we found genetic variation in social plasticity among the hybrids, with a broad-sense heritability of ~0.24. That is, genotypes differed in the degree of sociability after experiencing the same relevant social experience. Our data pave the way for further research on the mechanisms that underlie sociability as well as its ecological and evolutionary consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Scott
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Ian Dworkin
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Reuven Dukas
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
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35
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Del Giudice M, Barrett ES, Belsky J, Hartman S, Martel MM, Sangenstedt S, Kuzawa CW. Individual differences in developmental plasticity: A role for early androgens? Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 90:165-173. [PMID: 29500952 PMCID: PMC5864561 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Developmental plasticity is a widespread property of living organisms, but different individuals in the same species can vary greatly in how susceptible they are to environmental influences. In humans, research has sought to link variation in plasticity to physiological traits such as stress reactivity, exposure to prenatal stress-related hormones such as cortisol, and specific genes involved in major neurobiological pathways. However, the determinants of individual differences in plasticity are still poorly understood. Here we present the novel hypothesis that, in both sexes, higher exposure to androgens during prenatal and early postnatal life should lead to increased plasticity in traits that display greater male variability (i.e., a majority of physical and behavioral traits). First, we review evidence of greater phenotypic variation and higher susceptibility to environmental factors in males; we then consider evolutionary models that explain greater male variability and plasticity as a result of sexual selection. These empirical and theoretical strands converge on the hypothesis that androgens may promote developmental plasticity, at least for traits that show greater male variability. We discuss a number of potential mechanisms that may mediate this effect (including upregulation of neural plasticity), and address the question of whether androgen-induced plasticity is likely to be adaptive or maladaptive. We conclude by offering suggestions for future studies in this area, and considering some research designs that could be used to empirically test our hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Del Giudice
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | - Emily S Barrett
- School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Jay Belsky
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Hartman
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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36
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Abstract
The identification of genes affecting sociality can give insights into the maintenance and development of sociality and personality. In this study, we used the combination of an advanced intercross between wild and domestic chickens with a combined QTL and eQTL genetical genomics approach to identify genes for social reinstatement, a social and anxiety-related behavior. A total of 24 social reinstatement QTL were identified and overlaid with over 600 eQTL obtained from the same birds using hypothalamic tissue. Correlations between overlapping QTL and eQTL indicated five strong candidate genes, with the gene TTRAP being strongly significantly correlated with multiple aspects of social reinstatement behavior, as well as possessing a highly significant eQTL.
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37
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O’Brien PP, Webber QMR, Vander Wal E. Consistent individual differences and population plasticity in network-derived sociality: An experimental manipulation of density in a gregarious ungulate. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193425. [PMID: 29494640 PMCID: PMC5832262 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In many taxa, individual social traits appear to be consistent across time and context, thus meeting the criteria for animal personality. How these differences are maintained in response to changes in population density is unknown, particularly in large mammals, such as ungulates. Using a behavioral reaction norm (BRN) framework, we examined how among- and within-individual variation in social connectedness, measured using social network analyses, change as a function of population density. We studied a captive herd of elk (Cervus canadensis) separated into a group of male elk and a group of female elk. Males and females were exposed to three different density treatments and we recorded social associations between individuals with proximity-detecting radio-collars fitted to elk. We constructed social networks using dyadic association data and calculated three social network metrics reflective of social connectedness: eigenvector centrality, graph strength, and degree. Elk exhibited consistent individual differences in social connectedness across densities; however, they showed little individual variation in their response to changes in density, i.e., individuals oftentimes responded plastically, but in the same manner to changes in density. Female elk had highest connectedness at an intermediate density. In contrast, male elk increased connectedness with increasing density. Whereas this may suggest that the benefits of social connectedness outweigh the costs of increased competition at higher density for males, females appear to exhibit a threshold in social benefits (e.g. predator detection and forage information). Our study illustrates the importance of viewing social connectedness as a density-dependent trait, particularly in the context of plasticity. Moreover, we highlight the need to revisit our understanding of density dependence as a population-level phenomenon by accounting for consistent individual differences not only in social connectedness, but likely in other ecological processes (e.g., predator-prey dynamics, mate choice, disease transfer).
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul P. O’Brien
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Quinn M. R. Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
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38
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De Winter G. AI personalities: clues from animal research. J EXP THEOR ARTIF IN 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/0952813x.2018.1430861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gunnar De Winter
- School of Life Sciences, Genetics, Ecology, and Evolution Group, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
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39
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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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40
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Boulton K, Walling CA, Grimmer AJ, Rosenthal GG, Wilson AJ. Phenotypic and genetic integration of personality and growth under competition in the sheepshead swordtail, Xiphophorus birchmanni. Evolution 2017; 72:187-201. [PMID: 29148573 PMCID: PMC5814916 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Competition for resources including food, physical space, and potential mates is a fundamental ecological process shaping variation in individual phenotype and fitness. The evolution of competitive ability, in particular social dominance, depends on genetic (co)variation among traits causal (e.g., behavior) or consequent (e.g., growth) to competitive outcomes. If dominance is heritable, it will generate both direct and indirect genetic effects (IGE) on resource‐dependent traits. The latter are expected to impose evolutionary constraint because winners necessarily gain resources at the expense of losers. We varied competition in a population of sheepshead swordtails, Xiphophorus birchmanni, to investigate effects on behavior, size, growth, and survival. We then applied quantitative genetic analyses to determine (i) whether competition leads to phenotypic and/or genetic integration of behavior with life history and (ii) the potential for IGE to constrain life history evolution. Size, growth, and survival were reduced at high competition. Male dominance was repeatable and dominant individuals show higher growth and survival. Additive genetic contributions to phenotypic covariance were significant, with the G matrix largely recapitulating phenotypic relationships. Social dominance has a low but significant heritability and is strongly genetically correlated with size and growth. Assuming causal dependence of growth on dominance, hidden IGE will therefore reduce evolutionary potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay Boulton
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Craig A Walling
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J Grimmer
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biology and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL48AA, United Kingdom
| | - Gil G Rosenthal
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843.,Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de las Huastecas "Aguazarca,", Calnali, Hidalgo, Mexico
| | - Alastair J Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
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41
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Webber QMR, Vander Wal E. An evolutionary framework outlining the integration of individual social and spatial ecology. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:113-127. [PMID: 29055050 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Behaviour is the interface between an organism and its environment, and behavioural plasticity is important for organisms to cope with environmental change. Social behaviour is particularly important because sociality is a dynamic process, where environmental variation influences group dynamics and social plasticity can mediate resource acquisition. Heterogeneity in the ecological environment can therefore influence the social environment. The combination of the ecological and social environments may be interpreted collectively as the "socioecological environment," which could explain variation in fitness. Our objective was to outline a framework through which individual social and spatial phenotypes can be integrated and interpreted as phenotypes that covary as a function of changes in the socioecological environment. We propose the socioecological environment is composed of individual behavioural traits, including sociality and habitat selection, both of which are repeatable, potentially heritable and may reflect animal personality traits. We also highlight how ecological and social niche theory can be applied to the socioecological environment framework, where individuals occupy different socioecological niches. Individual sociality and habitat selection are also density-dependent, and theory predicts that density-dependent traits should affect reproduction, survival, and therefore fitness and population dynamics. We then illustrate the proximate links between sociality, habitat selection and fitness as well as the ultimate, and possibly adaptive, consequences associated with changes in population density. The ecological, evolutionary and applied implications of our proposed socioecological environment framework are broad and changes in density could influence individual fitness and population dynamics. For instance, human-induced environmental changes can influence population density, which can affect the distribution of social and spatial phenotypes within a population. In summary, we outline a conceptual framework that incorporates individual social and spatial behavioural traits with fitness and we highlight a range of ecological and evolutionary processes that are likely associated with the socioecological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M R Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.,Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
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42
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Winney IS, Schroeder J, Nakagawa S, Hsu YH, Simons MJP, Sánchez-Tójar A, Mannarelli ME, Burke T. Heritability and social brood effects on personality in juvenile and adult life-history stages in a wild passerine. J Evol Biol 2017; 31:75-87. [PMID: 29044885 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
How has evolution led to the variation in behavioural phenotypes (personalities) in a population? Knowledge of whether personality is heritable, and to what degree it is influenced by the social environment, is crucial to understanding its evolutionary significance, yet few estimates are available from natural populations. We tracked three behavioural traits during different life-history stages in a pedigreed population of wild house sparrows. Using a quantitative genetic approach, we demonstrated heritability in adult exploration, and in nestling activity after accounting for fixed effects, but not in adult boldness. We did not detect maternal effects on any traits, but we did detect a social brood effect on nestling activity. Boldness, exploration and nestling activity in this population did not form a behavioural syndrome, suggesting that selection could act independently on these behavioural traits in this species, although we found no consistent support for phenotypic selection on these traits. Our work shows that repeatable behaviours can vary in their heritability and that social context influences personality traits. Future efforts could separate whether personality traits differ in heritability because they have served specific functional roles in the evolution of the phenotype or because our concept of personality and the stability of behaviour needs to be revised.
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Affiliation(s)
- I S Winney
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - J Schroeder
- Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - S Nakagawa
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Y-H Hsu
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - M J P Simons
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - A Sánchez-Tójar
- Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - M-E Mannarelli
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - T Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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43
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Stedman JM, Hallinger KK, Winkler DW, Vitousek MN. Heritable variation in circulating glucocorticoids and endocrine flexibility in a free‐living songbird. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:1724-1735. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. M. Stedman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - K. K. Hallinger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - D. W. Winkler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
| | - M. N. Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
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44
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Louison MJ, Adhikari S, Stein JA, Suski CD. Hormonal responsiveness to stress is negatively associated with vulnerability to angling capture in fish. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:2529-2535. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.150730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Differences in behavior and physiology amongst individuals often alter relative fitness levels in the environment. However, the ideal behavioral/physiological phenotype in a given environment may be altered by human activity, leading to an evolutionary response in the affected population. One example of this process can be found in fisheries (including recreational freshwater fisheries), where selective capture and harvest of individuals with certain phenotypes can drive evolutionary change. While some life history traits and behavioral tendencies influencing capture likelihood have been studied, the physiological mechanisms driving this vulnerability remain poorly understood. To address this, we assessed how two major physiological characteristics (hormonal responsiveness to stress and metabolic phenotype) and one behavioral characteristic (boldness) impact the likelihood of an individual being captured by anglers. Largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, derived from a population artificially selected for differential angling vulnerability were assessed for boldness and for stress responsiveness (as indicated by plasma cortisol levels) following an air-exposure challenge. Largemouth bass were then stocked into a pond where experimental angling trials took place, and a subset of captured and uncaptured fish were afterwards assessed for metabolic phenotype. The results showed that stress responsiveness was the primary driver of angling vulnerability, with individuals that experienced lower rises in cortisol following the air-exposure challenge more likely to be captured. Neither boldness nor metabolic phenotype influenced capture probability. The results from this study indicate that fisheries-induced selective pressure may act on physiology, potentially altering stress responsiveness and its associated behaviors in populations exploited by recreational anglers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Louison
- Illinois Natural History Survey, 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Shivani Adhikari
- Illinois Natural History Survey, 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Jeffrey A. Stein
- Illinois Natural History Survey, 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Cory D. Suski
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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45
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Kelleher SR, Silla AJ, Dingemanse NJ, Byrne PG. Body size predicts between-individual differences in exploration behaviour in the southern corroboree frog. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Ferrari S, Horri K, Allal F, Vergnet A, Benhaim D, Vandeputte M, Chatain B, Bégout ML. Heritability of Boldness and Hypoxia Avoidance in European Seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168506. [PMID: 27992517 PMCID: PMC5167369 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand the genetic basis of coping style in European seabass, fish from a full factorial mating (10 females x 50 males) were reared in common garden and individually tagged. Individuals coping style was characterized through behavior tests at four different ages, categorizing fish into proactive or reactive: a hypoxia avoidance test (at 255 days post hatching, dph) and 3 risk-taking tests (at 276, 286 and 304 dph). We observed significant heritability of the coping style, higher for the average of risk-taking scores (h2 = 0.45 ± 0.14) than for the hypoxia avoidance test (h2 = 0.19 ± 0.10). The genetic correlations between the three risk-taking scores were very high (rA = 0.96–0.99) showing that although their repeatability was moderately high (rP = 0.64–0.72), successive risk-taking tests evaluated the same genetic variation. A mild genetic correlation between the results of the hypoxia avoidance test and the average of risk-taking scores (0.45 ± 0.27) suggested that hypoxia avoidance and risk-taking tests do not address exactly the same behavioral and physiological responses. Genetic correlations between weight and risk taking traits showed negative values whatever the test used in our population i.e. reactive individual weights were larger. The results of this quantitative genetic analysis suggest a potential for the development of selection programs based on coping styles that could increase seabass welfare without altering growth performances. Overall, it also contributes to a better understanding of the origin and the significance of individual behavioral differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Ferrari
- Ifremer, Fisheries laboratory, Place Gaby Coll, L’Houmeau, France
- * E-mail: (SF); (MLB)
| | - Khaled Horri
- Ifremer, MARBEC UMR9190, Chemin de Maguelone, Palavas-les-Flots, France
| | - François Allal
- Ifremer, MARBEC UMR9190, Chemin de Maguelone, Palavas-les-Flots, France
| | - Alain Vergnet
- Ifremer, MARBEC UMR9190, Chemin de Maguelone, Palavas-les-Flots, France
| | - David Benhaim
- Laboratoire universitaire des sciences appliquées de Cherbourg, Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, LUSAC, Cherbourg, France
- Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers. Intechmer, Cherbourg, France
| | - Marc Vandeputte
- GABI, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay Jouy-en-Josas, France
- Ifremer, L3AS, Chemin de Maguelone, Palavas-les-Flots, France
| | - Béatrice Chatain
- Ifremer, MARBEC UMR9190, Chemin de Maguelone, Palavas-les-Flots, France
| | - Marie-Laure Bégout
- Ifremer, Fisheries laboratory, Place Gaby Coll, L’Houmeau, France
- * E-mail: (SF); (MLB)
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Quinn JL, Cole EF, Reed TE, Morand-Ferron J. Environmental and genetic determinants of innovativeness in a natural population of birds. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:rstb.2015.0184. [PMID: 26926275 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Much of the evidence for the idea that individuals differ in their propensity to innovate and solve new problems has come from studies on captive primates. Increasingly, behavioural ecologists are studying innovativeness in wild populations, and uncovering links with functional behaviour and fitness-related traits. The relative importance of genetic and environmental factors in driving this variation, however, remains unknown. Here, we present the results of the first large-scale study to examine a range of causal factors underlying innovative problem-solving performance (PSP) among 831 great tits (Parus major) temporarily taken into captivity. Analyses show that PSP in this population: (i) was linked to a variety of individual factors, including age, personality and natal origin (immigrant or local-born); (ii) was influenced by natal environment, because individuals had a lower PSP when born in poor-quality habitat, or where local population density was high, leading to cohort effects. Links with many of the individual and environmental factors were present only in some years. In addition, PSP (iii) had little or no measurable heritability, as estimated by a Bayesian animal model; and (iv) was not influenced by maternal effects. Despite previous reports of links between PSP and a range of functional traits in this population, the analyses here suggest that innovativeness had weak if any evolutionary potential. Instead most individual variation was caused by phenotypic plasticity driven by links with other behavioural traits and by environmentally mediated developmental stress. Heritability estimates are population, time and context specific, however, and more studies are needed to determine the generality of these effects. Our results shed light on the causes of innovativeness within populations, and add to the debate on the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors in driving phenotypic variation within populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Quinn
- School of BEES, University College Cork, North Mall, Cork, T23 N73K, Republic of Ireland Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Ella F Cole
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Thomas E Reed
- School of BEES, University College Cork, North Mall, Cork, T23 N73K, Republic of Ireland
| | - Julie Morand-Ferron
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
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Allegue H, Araya‐Ajoy YG, Dingemanse NJ, Dochtermann NA, Garamszegi LZ, Nakagawa S, Réale D, Schielzeth H, Westneat DF. Statistical Quantification of Individual Differences (SQuID): an educational and statistical tool for understanding multilevel phenotypic data in linear mixed models. Methods Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hassen Allegue
- Marine Mammal Research Unit Department of Zoology Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries University of British Columbia 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver BC Canada, V6T1Z4
| | - Yimen G. Araya‐Ajoy
- Department of Biology Center for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim N‐7491 Norway
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Eberhard‐Gwinner‐Straße, 82319 Seewiesen Germany
| | - Niels J. Dingemanse
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Eberhard‐Gwinner‐Straße, 82319 Seewiesen Germany
- Behavioural Ecology Department of Biology Ludwig‐Maximilians University of Munich Grosshadernerstrasse 2 82152 Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
| | - Ned A. Dochtermann
- Department of Biological Sciences North Dakota State University Fargo ND 58108‐6050 USA
| | - László Z. Garamszegi
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Estación Biológica de Doñana–CSIC c/ Americo Vespucio, s/n, 41092 Seville Spain
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques Université du Québec A Montréal, CP 8888, Succursale centre‐ville Montréal QC Canada, H3C3P8
| | - Holger Schielzeth
- Department of Evolutionary Biology Bielefeld University Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld Germany
- Population Ecology Institute of Ecology Friedrich Schiller University, Dornburger Str. 159, 07743 Jena Germany
| | - David F. Westneat
- Department of Biology Center for Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Kentucky Lexington KY 40506‐0225 USA
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Endocrine Flexibility: Optimizing Phenotypes in a Dynamic World? Trends Ecol Evol 2016; 31:476-488. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2016.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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50
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Hengartner MP, Kawohl W, Haker H, Rössler W, Ajdacic-Gross V. Big Five personality traits may inform public health policy and preventive medicine: Evidence from a cross-sectional and a prospective longitudinal epidemiologic study in a Swiss community. J Psychosom Res 2016; 84:44-51. [PMID: 27095158 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some evidence documents the importance of personality assessments for health research and practise. However, no study has opted to test whether a short self-report personality inventory may comprehensively inform health policy. METHODS Data were taken from a population-based epidemiologic survey in Zurich, Switzerland, conducted from 2010-2012. A short form of the Big Five Inventory was completed by n=1155 participants (54.4% women; mean age=29.6 years), while health-related outcomes were taken from a comprehensive semi-structured clinical interview. A convenience subsample averaging n=171 participants additionally provided laboratory measures and n=133 were subsequently followed-up at least once over a maximal period of 6 months. RESULTS Personality traits, in particular high neuroticism and low conscientiousness, related significantly to poor environmental resources such as low social support (R(2)=0.071), health-impairing behaviours such as cannabis use (R(2)=0.071), and psychopathology, including negative affect (R(2)=0.269) and various mental disorders (R(2)=0.060-0.195). The proportion of total variance explained was R(2)=0.339 in persons with three or more mental disorders. Personality significantly related to some laboratory measures including total cholesterol (R(2)=0.095) and C-Reactive Protein (R(2)=0.062). Finally, personality prospectively predicted global psychopathological distress and vegetative symptoms over a 6-month observation period. CONCLUSIONS Personality relates consistently to poor socio-environmental resources, health-impairing behaviours and psychopathology. We also found some evidence for an association with metabolic and immune functions that are assumed to influence health. A short personality inventory could provide valuable information for preventive medicine when used as a means to screen entire populations for distinct risk exposure, in particular with respect to psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Hengartner
- Department of Applied Psychology, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland.
| | - Wolfram Kawohl
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Helene Haker
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wulf Rössler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM 27), University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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