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Tuliozi B, Mantovani R, Schoepf I, Tsuruta S, Mancin E, Sartori C. Genetic correlations of direct and indirect genetic components of social dominance with fitness and morphology traits in cattle. Genet Sel Evol 2023; 55:84. [PMID: 38037008 PMCID: PMC10687847 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-023-00845-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Within the same species, individuals show marked variation in their social dominance. Studies on a handful of populations have indicated heritable genetic variation for this trait, which is determined by both the genetic background of the individual (direct genetic effect) and of its opponent (indirect genetic effect). However, the evolutionary consequences of selection for this trait are largely speculative, as it is not a usual target of selection in livestock populations. Moreover, studying social dominance presents the challenge of working with a phenotype with a mean value that cannot change in the population, as for every winner of an agonistic interaction there will necessarily be a loser. Thus, to investigate what could be the evolutionary response to selection for social dominance, it is necessary to focus on traits that might be correlated with it. This study investigated the genetic correlations of social dominance, both direct and indirect, with several morphology and fitness traits. We used a dataset of agonistic contests involving cattle (Bos taurus): during these contests, pairs of cows compete in ritualized interactions to assess social dominance. The outcomes of 37,996 dominance interactions performed by 8789 cows over 20 years were combined with individual data for fertility, mammary health, milk yield and morphology and analysed using bivariate animal models including indirect genetic effects. RESULTS We found that winning agonistic interactions has a positive genetic correlation with more developed frontal muscle mass, lower fertility, and poorer udder health. We also discovered that the trends of changes in the estimated breeding values of social dominance, udder health and more developed muscle mass were consistent with selection for social dominance in the population. CONCLUSIONS We present evidence that social dominance is genetically correlated with fitness traits, as well as empirical evidence of the possible evolutionary trade-offs between these traits. We show that it is feasible to estimate genetic correlations involving dyadic social traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beniamino Tuliozi
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy.
| | - Roberto Mantovani
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Ivana Schoepf
- Department of Sciences, Augustana Campus, University of Alberta, 4901 46 Ave, Camrose, AB, T4V 2R3, Canada
| | - Shogo Tsuruta
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Enrico Mancin
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Cristina Sartori
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
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2
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Peignier M, Araya-Ajoy YG, Ringler M, Ringler E. Personality traits differentially affect components of reproductive success in a Neotropical poison frog. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231551. [PMID: 37727087 PMCID: PMC10509575 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual reproductive success has several components, including the acquisition of mating partners, offspring production, and offspring survival until adulthood. While the effects of certain personality traits-such as boldness or aggressiveness-on single components of reproductive success are well studied, we know little about the composite and multifaceted effects behavioural traits can have on all the aspects of reproductive success. Behavioural traits positively linked to one component of reproductive success might not be beneficial for other components, and these effects may differ between sexes. We investigated the influence of boldness, aggressiveness, and exploration on the number of mating partners, mating events, and offspring surviving until adulthood in males and females of the Neotropical poison frog Allobates femoralis. Behavioural traits had different-even opposite-effects on distinct components of reproductive success in both males and females. For example, males who displayed high levels of aggressiveness and exploration (or low levels of aggressiveness and exploration) managed to attract high number of mating partners, while males with low levels of boldness, low levels of aggressiveness, and high levels of exploration had the most offspring surviving until adulthood. Our results therefore suggest correlational selection favouring particular combinations of behavioural traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélissa Peignier
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Yimen G. Araya-Ajoy
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7034 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Max Ringler
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Eva Ringler
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
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3
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Tilgar V. Sex-Specific Effects of Blood Serotonin on Reproductive Effort in a Small Passerine. Physiol Biochem Zool 2023; 96:75-85. [PMID: 36626843 DOI: 10.1086/722132] [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: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
AbstractLaboratory animal models have shown that blood serotonin levels reflect consistent individual differences in behavioral decision-making and maternal behavior. Serotonin could also help to understand intraspecific variation in reproductive strategies, although the mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, the relationships of plasma serotonin with breeding parameters and parental behavior were examined in wild great tits (Parus major). Females who laid eggs earlier had higher levels of serotonin in the second half of the nestling period, while no significant relationship of serotonin with clutch size, brood size, and body size was detected. In males, serotonin levels were negatively related to clutch size and brood size and positively related to body size. The association of serotonin with provisioning behavior was sex specific, and acute fear stress induced by a predator presentation did not change this relationship. Food provisioning was positively related to size-corrected serotonin levels in females and negatively related to size-corrected serotonin levels in males. These results suggest that peripheral serotonin is a sensitive marker of parental behavior and reproductive effort in wild birds, while the mechanisms linking this neurotransmitter to reproduction are probably mediated by interplay between the serotonergic system, sex hormones, and other neurotransmitters.
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4
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McCully FR, Weimerskirch H, Cornell SJ, Hatchwell BJ, Cairo M, Patrick SC. Partner intrinsic characteristics influence foraging trip duration, but not coordination of care in wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9621. [PMID: 36540077 PMCID: PMC9754911 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-lived monogamous species gain long-term fitness benefits by equalizing effort during biparental care. For example, many seabird species coordinate care by matching foraging trip durations within pairs. Age affects coordination in some seabird species; however, the impact of other intrinsic traits, including personality, on potential intraspecific variation in coordination strength is less well understood. The impacts of pair members' intrinsic traits on trip duration and coordination strength were investigated using data from saltwater immersion loggers deployed on 71 pairs of wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans. These were modeled against pair members' age, boldness, and their partner's previous trip duration. At the population level, the birds exhibited some coordination of parental care that was of equal strength during incubation and chick-brooding. However, there was low variation in coordination between pairs and coordination strength was unaffected by the birds' boldness or age in either breeding stage. Surprisingly, during incubation, foraging trip duration was mainly driven by partner traits, as birds which were paired to older and bolder partners took shorter trips. During chick-brooding, shorter foraging trips were associated with greater boldness in focal birds and their partners, but age had no effect. These results suggest that an individual's assessment of their partner's capacity or willingness to provide care may be a major driver of trip duration, thereby highlighting the importance of accounting for pair behavior when studying parental care strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéCentre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueVilliers en BoisFrance
| | - Stephen J. Cornell
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | - Milena Cairo
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (UMR 7204)Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleParisFrance
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5
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Gulotta NA, Mathot KJ. Does fluctuating selection maintain variation in nest defense behavior in Arctic peregrine falcons ( Falco peregrinus tundrius)? Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9284. [PMID: 36177133 PMCID: PMC9471043 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral expression can vary both within- (i.e., plasticity) and among-individuals (i.e., animal personality), and understanding the causes and consequences of variation at each of these levels is a major area of investigation in contemporary behavioral ecology. Here, we studied sources of variation in both plasticity and personality in nest defense behavior in Arctic peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus tundrius) in two consecutive years. We found that peregrines adjusted their nest defense in response to nesting stage and year, revealing plastic, state-dependent, adjustment of nest defense. At the same time, nest defense behavior was repeatable in peregrine falcons both within and between years. We tested if fluctuating selection on behavioral types (i.e., individuals average phenotypic expression) and/or assortative mating acted to maintain long-term among-individual differences in nest defense behavior. We found that selection on female nest defense differed across years; being positive in 1 year and negative in the other. We also found support for assortative mating in the first year, but disassortative mating in the second. We propose two potential explanations for the observed year-specific patterns of nonrandom mating: (1) year-specific plastic adjustment of nest defense and/or (2) changes in the age-structure of the breeding population. These posthoc explanations are speculative, and require further study. Unfortunately, we could not evaluate this directly with the available data, and future studies are needed with more than 2 years of data on nest-defense and fitness outcomes, and with a larger number of marked individuals, to properly evaluate these potential explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick A Gulotta
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada.,Nunavut Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada.,Present address: Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | - Kimberley J Mathot
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada.,Nunavut Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
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6
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Masilkova M, Boukal D, Ash H, Buchanan-Smith HM, Konečná M. Linking personality traits and reproductive success in common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Sci Rep 2022; 12:13341. [PMID: 35922528 PMCID: PMC9349211 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16339-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal personality can affect individual fitness and population growth. Personality traits of either parent or parents' combination may facilitate reproduction and offspring survival across species. However, previous studies focused mainly on the role of only one sex, and the link between personality and fitness has not been confirmed in primates. We examined this link in both sexes of captive common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), a cooperatively breeding primate with extensive paternal care. We studied the effects of five personality traits of the parents (Agreeableness, Assertiveness, Conscientiousness, Inquisitiveness, and Patience), including their absolute and directional differences within pairs, on key components of reproductive performance. We expected pairs with more similar personality scores to have higher reproductive success as found in other species with long-term pairs and biparental care, but found no evidence for this hypothesis. Instead, we detected strong effects of female traits on inter-birth intervals, which were shorter in more agreeable females, and fecundity rates, which were higher in more inquisitive females. Male traits appeared to have only a limited effect on reproductive success of the pair. Our study demonstrates that various aspects of animal personality underpin reproductive performance in captive common marmosets and provides novel insights into the possible ultimate causes of personality in cooperatively breeding species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Masilkova
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - David Boukal
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Hayley Ash
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
| | - Hannah M Buchanan-Smith
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK
- Scottish Primate Research Group, Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | - Martina Konečná
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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7
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Rudolfová V, Petrásek T, Antošová E, Frynta D, Landová E, Valeš K, Nekovářová T. Inter-individual differences in laboratory rats as revealed by three behavioural tasks. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9361. [PMID: 35672428 PMCID: PMC9174278 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13288-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Stable inter-individual differences in behaviour and personality have been studied for several decades now. The aim of this study was to test the repeatability of behaviour of the Long Evans strain of laboratory rats in order to assess their inter-individual differences. Male laboratory rats (n = 36) were tested in a series of tasks (Open field test, Elevated plus maze test, and modified T-maze test) repeated over time to assess their personality traits. To evaluate the temporal stability of the behaviour, we calculated repeatability estimates of the examined traits. We also checked for a link in behavioural traits across these experiments, which would suggest the existence of a behavioural syndrome. We found stable inter-individual differences in behaviour. Interestingly, no link emerged between the tasks we studied and therefore we did not find support for a behavioural syndrome. The lack of behavioural correlations between these experiments suggests that the results derived from these tasks should be interpreted carefully, as these experiments may measure various behavioural axes. Moreover, the animals habituate to the apparatus. Consequently, behaviour in the Open field test and Elevated plus maze test is not fully consistent and repeatable across subsequent trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Rudolfová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Petrásek
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.,National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Eliška Antošová
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Landová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Valeš
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.,National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Nekovářová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. .,Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic. .,National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic. .,Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
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8
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Faust KM, Goldstein MH. Adult exploration predicts parental responsiveness to juvenile songs in zebra finch parent–juvenile interactions. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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9
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Eccard JA, Herde A, Schuster AC, Liesenjohann T, Knopp T, Heckel G, Dammhahn M. Fitness, risk taking, and spatial behavior covary with boldness in experimental vole populations. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8521. [PMID: 35154645 PMCID: PMC8829380 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals of a population may vary along a pace-of-life syndrome from highly fecund, short-lived, bold, dispersive "fast" types at one end of the spectrum to less fecund, long-lived, shy, plastic "slow" types at the other end. Risk-taking behavior might mediate the underlying life history trade-off, but empirical evidence supporting this hypothesis is still ambiguous. Using experimentally created populations of common voles (Microtus arvalis)-a species with distinct seasonal life history trajectories-we aimed to test whether individual differences in boldness behavior covary with risk taking, space use, and fitness. We quantified risk taking, space use (via automated tracking), survival, and reproductive success (via genetic parentage analysis) in 8 to 14 experimental, mixed-sex populations of 113 common voles of known boldness type in large grassland enclosures over a significant part of their adult life span and two reproductive events. Populations were assorted to contain extreme boldness types (bold or shy) of both sexes. Bolder individuals took more risks than shyer ones, which did not affect survival. Bolder males but not females produced more offspring than shy conspecifics. Daily home range and core area sizes, based on 95% and 50% Kernel density estimates (20 ± 10 per individual, n = 54 individuals), were highly repeatable over time. Individual space use unfolded differently for sex-boldness type combinations over the course of the experiment. While day ranges decreased for shy females, they increased for bold females and all males. Space use trajectories may, hence, indicate differences in coping styles when confronted with a novel social and physical environment. Thus, interindividual differences in boldness predict risk taking under near-natural conditions and have consequences for fitness in males, which have a higher reproductive potential than females. Given extreme inter- and intra-annual fluctuations in population density in the study species and its short life span, density-dependent fluctuating selection operating differently on the sexes might maintain (co)variation in boldness, risk taking, and pace-of-life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana A Eccard
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
| | - Antje Herde
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
- Animal Behaviour Faculty of Biology University of Bielefeld Bielefeld Germany
| | - Andrea C Schuster
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Thilo Liesenjohann
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
- BioConsult SH GmbH & Co. KG Husum Germany
| | - Tatjana Knopp
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
| | - Gerald Heckel
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Melanie Dammhahn
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
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10
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Harrison LM, Noble DWA, Jennions MD. A meta-analysis of sex differences in animal personality: no evidence for the greater male variability hypothesis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:679-707. [PMID: 34908228 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The notion that men are more variable than women has become embedded into scientific thinking. For mental traits like personality, greater male variability has been partly attributed to biology, underpinned by claims that there is generally greater variation among males than females in non-human animals due to stronger sexual selection on males. However, evidence for greater male variability is limited to morphological traits, and there is little information regarding sex differences in personality-like behaviours for non-human animals. Here, we meta-analysed sex differences in means and variances for over 2100 effects (204 studies) from 220 species (covering five broad taxonomic groups) across five personality traits: boldness, aggression, activity, sociality and exploration. We also tested if sexual size dimorphism, a proxy for sex-specific sexual selection, explains variation in the magnitude of sex differences in personality. We found no significant differences in personality between the sexes. In addition, sexual size dimorphism did not explain variation in the magnitude of the observed sex differences in the mean or variance in personality for any taxonomic group. In sum, we find no evidence for widespread sex differences in variability in non-human animal personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Harrison
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Daniel W A Noble
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
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11
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Haave-Audet E, Besson AA, Nakagawa S, Mathot KJ. Differences in resource acquisition, not allocation, mediate the relationship between behaviour and fitness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:708-731. [PMID: 34859575 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Within populations, individuals often show repeatable variation in behaviour, called 'animal personality'. In the last few decades, numerous empirical studies have attempted to elucidate the mechanisms maintaining this variation, such as life-history trade-offs. Theory predicts that among-individual variation in behavioural traits could be maintained if traits that are positively associated with reproduction are simultaneously associated with decreased survival, such that different levels of behavioural expression lead to the same net fitness outcome. However, variation in resource acquisition may also be important in mediating the relationship between individual behaviour and fitness components (survival and reproduction). For example, if certain phenotypes (e.g. dominance or aggressiveness) are associated with higher resource acquisition, those individuals may have both higher reproduction and higher survival, relative to others in the population. When individuals differ in their ability to acquire resources, trade-offs are only expected to be observed at the within-individual level (i.e. for a given amount of resource, if an individual increases its allocation to reproduction, it comes at the cost of allocation to survival, and vice versa), while among individuals traits that are associated with increased survival may also be associated with increased reproduction. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, asking: (i) do among-individual differences in behaviour reflect among-individual differences in resource acquisition and/or allocation, and (ii) is the relationship between behaviour and fitness affected by the type of behaviour and the testing environment? Our meta-analysis consisted of 759 estimates from 193 studies. Our meta-analysis revealed a positive correlation between pairs of estimates using both survival and reproduction as fitness proxies. That is, for a given study, behaviours that were associated with increased reproduction were also associated with increased survival, suggesting that variation in behaviour at the among-individual level largely reflects differences among individuals in resource acquisition. Furthermore, we found the same positive correlation between pairs of estimates using both survival and reproduction as fitness proxies at the phenotypic level. This is significant because we also demonstrated that these phenotypic correlations primarily reflect within-individual correlations. Thus, even when accounting for among-individual differences in resource acquisition, we did not find evidence of trade-offs at the within-individual level. Overall, the relationship between behaviour and fitness proxies was not statistically different from zero at the among-individual, phenotypic, and within-individual levels; this relationship was not affected by behavioural category nor by the testing condition. Our meta-analysis highlights that variation in resource acquisition may be more important in driving the relationship between behaviour and fitness than previously thought, including at the within-individual level. We suggest that this may come about via heterogeneity in resource availability or age-related effects, with higher resource availability and/or age leading to state-dependent shifts in behaviour that simultaneously increase both survival and reproduction. We emphasize that future studies examining the mechanisms maintaining behavioural variation in populations should test the link between behavioural expression and resource acquisition - both within and among individuals. Such work will allow the field of animal personality to develop specific predictions regarding the mediating effect of resource acquisition on the fitness consequences of individual behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elène Haave-Audet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Anne A Besson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Kimberley J Mathot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Canada Research Chair, Integrative Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
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12
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Cusick JA, DuVal EH, Cox JA. Breeder aggression does not predict current or future cooperative group formation in a cooperatively breeding bird. Ethology 2021; 127:404-415. [PMID: 34456404 DOI: 10.1111/eth.13141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In cooperatively breeding species, subordinates forgo reproduction to assist breeders in raising offspring. When cooperative breeding is facultative, breeders from the same population may differ in whether they are assisted by non-breeding helpers. Predation risk is a major source of nest failure and assistance during nest defense is often an overlooked, yet important, way helpers assist breeders. A breeder's aggressive response to a nest predator could have important implications for whether they form cooperatively breeding groups. We investigated the hypothesis that breeder aggression towards a nest predator is related to current and future helper recruitment. We tested the prediction that less aggressive breeders were more likely to form cooperative groups, which could occur if these breeders benefit from helper assistance during nest defense. We also considered the possibility that more aggressive breeders were more likely to form cooperative groups. We assessed the effects of partnerships and tested whether aggression exhibited by breeding partners was correlated. We conducted this work in the facultative, cooperatively breeding brown-headed nuthatch (Sitta pusilla). We measured breeder aggression in response to a taxidermy model of a nest predator to determine whether breeders' aggression correlated with their current or future helper recruitment. We found no evidence of a sex difference in aggression among breeders and aggression scores of breeding partners were not significantly correlated. Aggression scores for both breeding males and breeding females were unrelated to whether they formed cooperative groups in the current year. We followed most of the breeding males, though not breeding females, across years and found that breeding males' aggression scores were unrelated to helper recruitment the following year. Our results suggest that breeders' responses to nest predators are not related to cooperative group formation in this species and that males and females showed comparable levels of aggression towards a nest predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Cusick
- Florida State University, Department of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306.,Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, 13093 Henry Beadel Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306
| | - Emily H DuVal
- Florida State University, Department of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306
| | - James A Cox
- Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, 13093 Henry Beadel Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306
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Holtmann B, Lara CE, Santos ESA, Gillum JE, Gemmell NJ, Nakagawa S. The association between personalities, alternative breeding strategies and reproductive success in dunnocks. J Evol Biol 2021; 35:539-551. [PMID: 34314544 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Although consistent between-individual differences in behaviour (i.e. animal personality) are ubiquitous in natural populations, relatively few studies have examined how personalities influence the formation of social relationships. Yet, behavioural characteristics of both sexes might be key when it comes to pair-bond formation, and cooperation with partners to successfully rear offspring. We here use a wild population of dunnocks (Prunella modularis) to first investigate whether individuals mate nonrandomly (i.e. assortative mating) with regard to four behavioural traits-flight-initiation distance (FID), provisioning, activity and vigilance-that differ in repeatability and have previously been associated with mating patterns and fitness in other species. Second, we test whether an individual's FID is associated with variability in the dunnocks' mating system (i.e. monogamous pairs vs. polygamous groups). Finally, we determine whether FID and provisioning of males and females associate with their reproductive success. We found no statistical support for assortative mating in FID between males and females. Interestingly, in polygamous groups, co-breeding males differed in their FIDs with dominant alpha males having significantly shorter FIDs compared with subordinate beta-males. Moreover, there was evidence for assortative mating in provisioning for alpha males and females in polygamous groups. We also found that male provisioning influenced reproductive success of both sexes, whereas female provisioning rates only positively correlated with her own but not their partner(s) reproductive output. Our results suggest that personality differences may have important implications for social relationships, the emergence of different mating patterns and ultimately reproductive success within populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Holtmann
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Carlos E Lara
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Eduardo S A Santos
- BECO Lab, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Joanne E Gillum
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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14
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Male aggressiveness and risk-taking during reproduction are repeatable but not correlated in a wild bird population. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03044-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The existence of among-individual variation in behaviour within populations is poorly understood. Recent theory suggests that fine-scale individual differences in investment into current versus future reproduction may lead to a ‘slow-fast’-pace-of-life continuum, also referred to as the ‘pace-of-life-syndrome’ (POLS) hypothesis. According to this idea, individuals are predicted to differ in their level of risk-taking, which may drive among-individual variation and covariation of behaviours. Consistent individual differences in aggression, an ecologically relevant and potentially risky behaviour, have been reported across the animal kingdom. Here we test whether such individual differences in aggression are a manifestation of underlying differences in risk-taking. In a wild blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) population, we used standard behavioural tests to investigate if male territorial aggressiveness and risk-taking during breeding are positively related. At the start of breeding, we simulated conspecific territorial intrusions to obtain repeated measures of male aggressiveness. Subsequently, we measured male risk-taking as their latency to resume brood provisioning after presenting two different predators at their nest: human and sparrowhawk, a common predator of adult songbirds. First, we found substantial repeatability for male aggressiveness (R = 0.56 ± 0.08 SE). Second, while males took longer to resume provisioning after presentation of a sparrowhawk mount as compared to a human observer, risk-taking was repeatable across these two predator contexts (R = 0.51 ± 0.13 SE). Finally, we found no evidence for a correlation between male aggressiveness and risk-taking, thereby providing little support to a main prediction of the POLS hypothesis.
Significance statement
Consistent, and often correlated, individual differences in basal behaviours, such as aggression, exploration and sociability, are found across the animal kingdom. Why individuals consistently differ in their behaviour is poorly understood, as behavioural traits would seem inherently flexible. The ‘pace-of-life syndrome’ (POLS) hypothesis proposes observed behavioural variation to reflect differences in risk-taking associated with individual reproductive strategies. We tested this idea in a wild blue tit population by investigating whether individual males that were more aggressive toward territorial intruders also took more risk when provisioning their nestlings under a threat of predation. While we found consistent individual differences in both aggressiveness and risk-taking, these behaviours were not significantly correlated. Therefore, our study demonstrates among-individual variation in ecologically relevant behaviours in wild blue tits but provides little support for the POLS hypothesis.
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Cusick JA, Wellman CL, Demas GE. The call of the wild: using non-model systems to investigate microbiome-behaviour relationships. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb224485. [PMID: 33988717 PMCID: PMC8180253 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.224485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
On and within most sites across an animal's body live complex communities of microorganisms. These microorganisms perform a variety of important functions for their hosts, including communicating with the brain, immune system and endocrine axes to mediate physiological processes and affect individual behaviour. Microbiome research has primarily focused on the functions of the microbiome within the gastrointestinal tract (gut microbiome) using biomedically relevant laboratory species (i.e. model organisms). These studies have identified important connections between the gut microbiome and host immune, neuroendocrine and nervous systems, as well as how these connections, in turn, influence host behaviour and health. Recently, the field has expanded beyond traditional model systems as it has become apparent that the microbiome can drive differences in behaviour and diet, play a fundamental role in host fitness and influence community-scale dynamics in wild populations. In this Review, we highlight the value of conducting hypothesis-driven research in non-model organisms and the benefits of a comparative approach that assesses patterns across different species or taxa. Using social behaviour as an intellectual framework, we review the bidirectional relationship between the gut microbiome and host behaviour, and identify understudied mechanisms by which these effects may be mediated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Cusick
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Biology Building 142, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Animal Behavior Program, Indiana University, 409 N. Park Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Cara L. Wellman
- Animal Behavior Program, Indiana University, 409 N. Park Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-7007, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Psychology Building, 1101 E 10th Street Bloomington, IN 47405-2204, USA
| | - Gregory E. Demas
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Biology Building 142, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Animal Behavior Program, Indiana University, 409 N. Park Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Psychology Building, 1101 E 10th Street Bloomington, IN 47405-2204, USA
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16
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de Azevedo CS, Young RJ. Animal Personality and Conservation: Basics for Inspiring New Research. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11041019. [PMID: 33916547 PMCID: PMC8065675 DOI: 10.3390/ani11041019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The study of animal personality is important to conserve animals because it can help in selecting the most appropriate individuals to be released into the wild. Individuals not so bold or aggressive, less stressed, who explore their new environment with greater caution are often more likely to survive after release into the wild. In contrast, bolder and more aggressive animals reproduce more successfully and, therefore, can be released with the aim of rapid repopulation of an area. These and other aspects of how animal personality can help in conservation programs, as well as how to collect personality data are covered in this paper. Abstract The number of animal species threatened with extinction are increasing every year, and biologists are conducting animal translocations, as one strategy, to try to mitigate this situation. Furthermore, researchers are evaluating methods to increase translocation success, and one area that shows promise is the study of animal personality. Animal personality can be defined as behavioral and physiological differences between individuals of the same species, which are stable in time and across different contexts. In the present paper, we discuss how animal personality can increase the success of translocation, as well as in the management of animals intended for translocation by evaluating personality characteristics of the individuals. Studies of the influence of birthplace, parental behavior, stress resilience, and risk assessment can be important to select the most appropriate individuals to be released. Finally, we explain the two methods used to gather personality data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, s/n Bauxita, Ouro Preto, MG 35.400-000, Brazil
- Correspondence:
| | - Robert John Young
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford Manchester, Peel Building—Room G51, Salford M5 4WT, UK;
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17
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Sepers B, Erven JAM, Gawehns F, Laine VN, van Oers K. Epigenetics and Early Life Stress: Experimental Brood Size Affects DNA Methylation in Great Tits (Parus major). Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.609061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Early developmental conditions are known to have life-long effects on an individual’s behavior, physiology and fitness. In altricial birds, a majority of these conditions, such as the number of siblings and the amount of food provisioned, are controlled by the parents. This opens up the potential for parents to adjust the behavior and physiology of their offspring according to local post-natal circumstances. However, the mechanisms underlying such intergenerational regulation remain largely unknown. A mechanism often proposed to possibly explain how parental effects mediate consistent phenotypic change is DNA methylation. To investigate whether early life effects on offspring phenotypes are mediated by DNA methylation, we cross-fostered great tit (Parus major) nestlings and manipulated their brood size in a natural study population. We assessed genome-wide DNA methylation levels of CpG sites in erythrocyte DNA, using Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS). By comparing DNA methylation levels between biological siblings raised in enlarged and reduced broods and between biological siblings of control broods, we assessed which CpG sites were differentially methylated due to brood size. We found 32 differentially methylated sites (DMS) between siblings from enlarged and reduced broods, a larger number than in the comparison between siblings from control broods. A considerable number of these DMS were located in or near genes involved in development, growth, metabolism, behavior and cognition. Since the biological functions of these genes line up with previously found effects of brood size and food availability, it is likely that the nestlings in the enlarged broods suffered from nutritional stress. We therefore conclude that early life stress might directly affect epigenetic regulation of genes related to early life conditions. Future studies should link such experimentally induced DNA methylation changes to expression of phenotypic traits and assess whether these effects affect parental fitness to determine if such changes are also adaptive.
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18
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Long-term effects of prenatal sound experience on songbird behavior and their relation to song learning. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02939-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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19
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Dammhahn M, Mazza V, Schirmer A, Göttsche C, Eccard JA. Of city and village mice: behavioural adjustments of striped field mice to urban environments. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13056. [PMID: 32747632 PMCID: PMC7400609 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69998-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental question of current ecological research concerns the drives and limits of species responses to human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC). Behavioural responses to HIREC are a key component because behaviour links individual responses to population and community changes. Ongoing fast urbanization provides an ideal setting to test the functional role of behaviour for responses to HIREC. Consistent behavioural differences between conspecifics (animal personality) may be important determinants or constraints of animals’ adaptation to urban habitats. We tested whether urban and rural populations of small mammals differ in mean trait expression, flexibility and repeatability of behaviours associated to risk-taking and exploratory tendencies. Using a standardized behavioural test in the field, we quantified spatial exploration and boldness of striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius, n = 96) from nine sub-populations, presenting different levels of urbanisation and anthropogenic disturbance. The level of urbanisation positively correlated with boldness, spatial exploration and behavioural flexibility, with urban dwellers being bolder, more explorative and more flexible in some traits than rural conspecifics. Thus, individuals seem to distribute in a non-random way in response to human disturbance based on their behavioural characteristics. Animal personality might therefore play a key role in successful coping with the challenges of HIREC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Dammhahn
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Valeria Mazza
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Annika Schirmer
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Claudia Göttsche
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Jana A Eccard
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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20
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Hannebaum SL, Wagnon GS, Brown CR. Variation in neophobia among cliff swallows at different colonies. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226886. [PMID: 31869383 PMCID: PMC6927619 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal groups often represent nonrandom subsets of individuals, and increasing evidence indicates that individuals may sort among groups based on their personalities. The size of a group can predict its personality composition in some species due to differential suitability of a personality for groups of certain sizes, and the group itself may function more effectively if particular personality types are present. We quantified cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) behavioral measures using linear and generalized linear mixed models to identify whether they: (1) varied among individuals within colonies and among colonies, (2) were related to reproductive success, and (3) predicted levels of parental care. Significant among-individual and among-colony site variation in a cliff swallow's latency to enter its nest when presented with a novel stimulus was revealed. We also found significant among-individual variation in the number of attacks directed toward a novel stimulus at the nest and in the response to broadcast of a cliff swallow alarm call recording, but among site variation in these measures was not significant. We did not find evidence for behavioral syndromes linking the personalities measured. Differences among individuals in latency to enter the nest and the number of attacks were not significantly related to reproductive success or to the extent to which birds fed their nestlings. However, extent of nestling feeding was significantly predicted by the number of mist net captures. The limited evidence in general of systematic variation in the behavior we measured among cliff swallow colonies may reflect the different and sometimes opposing selection pressures on behavior in different social environments. Future work should perhaps examine variation in other behavioral traits, such as foraging, in cliff swallow colonies of different sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey L. Hannebaum
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Gigi S. Wagnon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Charles R. Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America
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21
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Dingemanse NJ, Barber I, Dochtermann NA. Non-consumptive effects of predation: does perceived risk strengthen the genetic integration of behaviour and morphology in stickleback? Ecol Lett 2019; 23:107-118. [PMID: 31646755 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Predators can shape genetic correlations in prey by altering prey perception of risk. We manipulated perceived risk to test whether such non-consumptive effects tightened behavioural trait correlations in wild-caught stickleback from high- compared to low-risk environments due to genetic variation in plasticity. We expected tighter genetic correlations within perceived risk treatments than across them, and tighter genetic correlations in high-risk than in low-risk treatments. We identified genetic variation in plasticity, with genetic correlations between boldness, sociality, and antipredator morphology, as expected, being tighter within treatments than across them, for both of two populations. By contrast, genetic correlations did not tighten with exposure to risk. Tighter phenotypic correlations in wild stickleback may thus arise because predators induce correlational selection on environmental components of these traits, or because predators tighten residual correlations by causing environmental heterogeneity that is controlled in the laboratory. Our study places phenotypic integration firmly into an ecological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Iain Barber
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Brackenhurst Ln, Southwell NG25 0QF, UK
| | - Ned A Dochtermann
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, 1340 Bolley Drive, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
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22
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Mutzel A, Olsen AL, Mathot KJ, Araya-Ajoy YG, Nicolaus M, Wijmenga JJ, Wright J, Kempenaers B, Dingemanse NJ. Effects of manipulated levels of predation threat on parental provisioning and nestling begging. Behav Ecol 2019; 30:1123-1135. [PMID: 31289429 PMCID: PMC6606999 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental provisioning behavior is a major determinant of offspring growth and survival, but high provisioning rates might come at the cost of increased predation threat. Parents should thus adjust provisioning activity according to current predation threat levels. Moreover, life-history theory predicts that response to predation threat should be correlated with investment in current reproduction. We experimentally manipulated perceived predation threat in free-living great tits (Parus major) by presenting parents with a nest predator model while monitoring different aspects of provisioning behavior and nestling begging. Experiments were conducted in 2 years differing greatly in ecological conditions, including food availability. We further quantified male territorial aggressiveness and male and female exploratory tendency. Parents adjusted provisioning according to current levels of threat in an apparently adaptive way. They delayed nest visits during periods of elevated perceived predation threat and subsequently compensated for lost feeding opportunities by increasing provisioning once the immediate threat had diminished. Nestling begging increased after elevated levels of predation threat, but returned to baseline levels by the end of the experiment, suggesting that parents had fully compensated for lost feeding opportunities. There was no evidence for a link between male exploration behavior or aggressiveness and provisioning behavior. In contrast, fast-exploring females provisioned at higher rates, but only in the year with poor environmental conditions, which might indicate a greater willingness to invest in current reproduction in general. Future work should assess whether these personality-related differences in delivery rates under harsher conditions came at a cost of reduced residual reproductive value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Mutzel
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Anne-Lise Olsen
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kimberley J Mathot
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Yimen G Araya-Ajoy
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Marion Nicolaus
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Jan J Wijmenga
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Research Group Evolutionary Ecology of Variation, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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23
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Szász E, Markó G, Hegyi G, Török J, Garamszegi LZ, Rosivall B. Nest-site defence aggression during courtship does not predict nestling provisioning in male collared flycatchers. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2672-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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24
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Thys B, Lambreghts Y, Pinxten R, Eens M. Nest defence behavioural reaction norms: testing life-history and parental investment theory predictions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:182180. [PMID: 31183140 PMCID: PMC6502369 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.182180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Predation is the primary source of reproductive failure in many avian taxa and nest defence behaviour against predators is hence an important aspect of parental investment. Nest defence is a complex trait that might consistently differ among individuals (personality), while simultaneously vary within individuals (plasticity) according to the reproductive value of the offspring. Both complementary aspects of individual variation can influence fitness, but the causality of links with reproductive success remains poorly understood. We repeatedly tested free-living female great tits (Parus major) for nest defence (hissing) behaviour across the nesting cycle, by presenting them with a model predator. Hissing behaviour was highly repeatable but, despite population-level plasticity, we found no support for individual differences in plasticity. Path analysis revealed that repeatable differences in hissing behaviour had no direct effect on nest success or fledgling number. However, our best supported path-model showed that more fiercely hissing females laid smaller clutches, with clutch size in turn positively influencing fledgling number, suggesting that females are most likely facing a trade-off between investment in nest defence and reproduction. Strong stabilizing selection for optimal plasticity, in combination with life-history trade-offs, might explain the high repeatability of nest defence and its link with reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bert Thys
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Yorick Lambreghts
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Antwerp School of Education, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
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25
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Male territorial aggression and fitness in collared flycatchers: a long-term study. Naturwissenschaften 2019; 106:11. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1606-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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26
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Kaiser A, Merckx T, Van Dyck H. Personality traits influence contest outcome, and vice versa, in a territorial butterfly. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2778. [PMID: 30808995 PMCID: PMC6391398 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39155-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Holding a territory is often crucial in order to acquire key resources, including mating partners. However, few studies have investigated the role of animal personality in the context of territorial conflicts and how the contest outcome itself may influence personality traits. We studied personality in male Speckled wood butterflies, Pararge aegeria, before and after territorial contests for sunspot territories. Before interactions, boldness decreased with age, while activity and exploration were only influenced by ambient conditions. Neither age nor morphology did influence the probability to win contests, but winners were more active and more explorative than losers and, moreover, males that received a red wing mark were more likely to be winners. Butterflies that lost a contest showed pronounced behavioural changes. Mean boldness increased and its repeatability was disrupted, while no such change was detected in winners. The observed boldness increase in losers may be explained by a ‘desperado effect’, though its implication for successive contests remains unknown. Given that territoriality is expected to have important consequences for reproductive success, our results suggest that personality traits may indirectly contribute to individual fitness by influencing the ability to gain access to mate-location patches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Kaiser
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Thomas Merckx
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Hans Van Dyck
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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27
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Behavioral repeatability and choice performance in wild free-flying nectarivorous bats (Glossophaga commissarisi). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2637-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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28
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Aimon C, Le Bayon N, Le Floch S, Claireaux G. Food deprivation reduces social interest in the European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.190553. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.190553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Periods of food deprivation up to several months are common features for fishes and in such conditions, fitness will be determined by their capacity to maximize food encounter while minimizing predation risk. In this context, the propensity to take risk and the willingness to associate with conspecifics are particularly important as they contribute to alleviating the trade-off between predation avoidance and foraging efficiency. This study examined to what extent food deprivation modulates fish risk-taking and social behaviours, as well as the relationship between them. To address these issues juvenile European sea bass were either fed daily with a maintenance ration or food-deprived during 3 weeks. Risk-taking and sociability were assessed through measurements of fish willingness to explore a novel environment, to interact with a novel object or a conspecific. Multivariate analysis allowed the identification of three behaviours, risk-taking, exploratory activity and solitariness. Food-deprived fish interacted less with conspecifics than control fish. After food-deprivation, no difference in terms of risk-taking and exploratory patterns was observed. Finally, the relationship between risky-taking and solitariness was influenced by the feeding status. When food-deprived fish with higher propensity to take risk displayed increased solitariness while, when fed normally they interacted more with conspecifics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandre Aimon
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale, LEMAR (UMR 6539), Centre Ifremer de Bretagne, 29280 Plouzané, France
- CEDRE, Research Department, 715 rue Alain Colas, CS 41836, Brest 29218-Cedex 2, France
| | - Nicolas Le Bayon
- Ifremer, LEMAR (UMR 6539), Centre Ifremer de Bretagne, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Stéphane Le Floch
- CEDRE, Research Department, 715 rue Alain Colas, CS 41836, Brest 29218-Cedex 2, France
| | - Guy Claireaux
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale, LEMAR (UMR 6539), Centre Ifremer de Bretagne, 29280 Plouzané, France
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Nicolaus M, Barrault SCY, Both C. Diet and provisioning rate differ predictably between dispersing and philopatric pied flycatchers. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Nicolaus
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Solange C Y Barrault
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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30
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Tognetti A, Ganem G, Raymond M, Faurie C. Female mound-building mice prefer males that invest more in building behavior, even when this behavior is not observed. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2569-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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31
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Scherer U, Schuett W. No male mate choice for female boldness in a bi-parental West African cichlid, the rainbow krib ( Pelvicachromis pulcher). PeerJ 2018; 6:e5373. [PMID: 30123707 PMCID: PMC6087618 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In many species, males have a lower reproductive investment than females and are therefore assumed to increase their fitness with a high number of matings rather than by being choosy. However, in bi-parental species, also males heavily invest into reproduction. Here, reproductive success largely depends on costly parental care; with style and amount of parental effort in several cases being associated with personality differences (i.e., consistent between-individual differences in behaviour). Nonetheless, very little is known about the effect of personality differences on (male) mate choice in bi-parental species. Methods In the present study, we tested male mate choice for the level and consistency of female boldness in the rainbow krib, Pelviachromis pulcher, a bi-parental and territorial West African cichlid. Individual boldness was assumed to indicate parental quality because it affects parental defence behaviour. For all males and females, boldness was assessed twice as the activity under simulated predation risk. Mate choice trials were conducted in two steps. First, we let a male observe two females expressing their boldness. Then, the male could choose between these two females in a standard mate choice test. Results We tested for a male preference for behavioural (dis-)similarity vs. a directional preference for boldness but our data support the absence of effects of male and/or female boldness (level and consistency) on male mating preference. Discussion Our results suggest female personality differences in boldness may not be selected for via male mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Scherer
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
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32
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Costanzo A, Romano A, Ambrosini R, Parolini M, Rubolini D, Caprioli M, Corti M, Canova L, Saino N. Barn swallow antipredator behavior covaries with melanic coloration and predicts survival. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanzo
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Parolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Caprioli
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Margherita Corti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Canova
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli, Pavia, Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
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33
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Habitat-dependent effects of personality on survival and reproduction in red squirrels. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2546-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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34
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Sex differences in life history, behavior, and physiology along a slow-fast continuum: a meta-analysis. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:132. [PMID: 30100667 PMCID: PMC6060830 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2534-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis predicts that behavior and physiology covary with life history. Evidence for such covariation is contradictory, possibly because systematic sources of variation (e.g. sex) have been neglected. Sexes often experience different selection pressures leading to sex-specific allocation between reproduction and self-maintenance, facilitating divergence in life-history. Sex-specific differences in means and possibly variances may therefore play a key role in the POLS framework. We investigate whether sexes differ in means and variances along the fast-slow pace-of-life continuum for life history and physiological and behavioral traits. In addition, we test whether social and environmental characteristics such as breeding strategy, mating system, and study environment explain heterogeneity between the sexes. Using meta-analytic methods, we found that populations with a polygynous mating system or for studies conducted on wild populations, males had a faster pace-of-life for developmental life-history traits (e.g., growth rate), behavior, and physiology. In contrast, adult life-history traits (e.g., lifespan) were shifted towards faster pace-of-life in females, deviating from the other trait categories. Phenotypic variances were similar between the sexes across trait categories and were not affected by mating system or study environment. Breeding strategy did not influence sex differences in variances or means. We discuss our results in the light of sex-specific selection that might drive sex-specific differences in pace-of-life and ultimately POLS.
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35
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Wischhoff U, Marques-Santos F, Manica LT, Roper JJ, Rodrigues M. Parenting styles in white-rumped swallows (Tachycineta leucorrhoa) show a trade-off between nest defense and chick feeding. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Uschi Wischhoff
- Pós-graduação em Ecologia; Conservação e Manejo de Vida Silvestre; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Belo Horizonte Brazil
| | - Fernando Marques-Santos
- Pós-graduação em Ecologia; Conservação e Manejo de Vida Silvestre; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Belo Horizonte Brazil
| | - Lilian T. Manica
- Departamento de Zoologia; Universidade Federal do Paraná; Curitiba Brazil
| | - James J. Roper
- Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação; Universidade Federal do Paraná; Curitiba Brazil
| | - Marcos Rodrigues
- Departamento de Zoologia; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Belo Horizonte Brazil
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36
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Dubuc-Messier G, Caro SP, Perrier C, van Oers K, Réale D, Charmantier A. Gene flow does not prevent personality and morphological differentiation between two blue tit populations. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1127-1137. [PMID: 29791058 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the causes and consequences of population phenotypic divergence is a central goal in ecology and evolution. Phenotypic divergence among populations can result from genetic divergence, phenotypic plasticity or a combination of the two. However, few studies have deciphered these mechanisms for populations geographically close and connected by gene flow, especially in the case of personality traits. In this study, we used a common garden experiment to explore the genetic basis of the phenotypic divergence observed between two blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) populations inhabiting contrasting habitats separated by 25 km, for two personality traits (exploration speed and handling aggression), one physiological trait (heart rate during restraint) and two morphological traits (tarsus length and body mass). Blue tit nestlings were removed from their population and raised in a common garden for up to 5 years. We then compared adult phenotypes between the two populations, as well as trait-specific Qst and Fst . Our results revealed differences between populations similar to those found in the wild, suggesting a genetic divergence for all traits. Qst -Fst comparisons revealed that the trait divergences likely result from dissimilar selection patterns rather than from genetic drift. Our study is one of the first to report a Qst -Fst comparison for personality traits and adds to the growing body of evidence that population genetic divergence is possible at a small scale for a variety of traits including behavioural traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Dubuc-Messier
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS 5175, Montpellier, France.,Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel P Caro
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS 5175, Montpellier, France.,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Charles Perrier
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS 5175, Montpellier, France
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Anne Charmantier
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS 5175, Montpellier, France.,Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Santema P, Kempenaers B. Complete brood failure in an altricial bird is almost always associated with the sudden and permanent disappearance of a parent. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1239-1250. [PMID: 29892974 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A central goal in evolutionary ecology is to identify factors that explain variation in reproductive success, i.e. in the number of offspring produced. In altricial birds, a substantial part of this variation is determined by the number of nestlings that die before fledging, but surprisingly little is known about the proximate causes of offspring mortality during the nestling period. We used a uniquely comprehensive dataset of parental nestbox visits from seven breeding seasons to investigate the association between parental behaviour and nestling mortality in a population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). In almost all nests that suffered complete brood mortality one of the parents had suddenly disappeared during the nestling stage. In contrast, parental disappearance in nests with partial brood mortality was rare and equally common as in nests with no brood loss. With few exceptions, parents that disappeared during the nestling stage were never observed again and never returned to breed. In contrast, parents that remained after their partner disappeared were equally likely to be observed again or return to breed as parents of nests where both parents stayed. Visit rates at nests where a parent would disappear did not differ from those at nests where both parents stayed. Taken together, our results show that - in contrast to partial brood failure - complete brood failure is almost always associated with the sudden and permanent disappearance of one of the parents, probably due to predation. Partial and complete brood mortality should be treated as distinct processes that have different underlying causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Santema
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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38
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Animal personality and behavioral syndromes in amphibians: a review of the evidence, experimental approaches, and implications for conservation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2493-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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39
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Guenther A. Life-history trade-offs: are they linked to personality in a precocial mammal ( Cavia aperea)? Biol Lett 2018; 14:rsbl.2018.0086. [PMID: 29669847 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history trade-offs are predicted to contribute to the maintenance of personality variation. Individuals with 'fast' lifestyles should develop faster, reproduce earlier and exhibit more risky behaviours. Evidence for such predicted links, however, remains equivocal. Here, I test how growth rate, timing of maturation, litter size and maternal effort correlate with exploration, boldness, fearlessness, docility and escape latency. I found several links that were predicted by recent theory while others were against theoretical predictions, e.g. fast-growing individuals were more fearful. Thus, while I found personality to be integrated with life history, I cannot fully support recent hypotheses aiming to explain such behaviour-life-history associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Guenther
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany .,GELIFES - Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen - Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen, The Netherlands
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40
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Scherer U, Kuhnhardt M, Schuett W. Predictability is attractive: Female preference for behaviourally consistent males but no preference for the level of male aggression in a bi-parental cichlid. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195766. [PMID: 29634757 PMCID: PMC5892930 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195766] [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: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Although personality traits can largely affect individual fitness we know little about the evolutionary forces generating and maintaining personality variation. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that personality variation in aggression is sexually selected in the monogamous, bi-parental cichlid Pelvicachromis pulcher. In this species, breeding pairs form territories and they aggressively defend their territory and offspring against con- and heterospecific intruders. In our mate choice study, we followed up two alternative hypotheses. We either expected females to show a directional preference for a high level and high consistency of aggression (potentially indicating mate choice for male parental quality). Alternatively, we expected females to choose males for (dis-)similarity in the level/consistency of aggression (potentially indicating mate choice for compatibility). Individual level and consistency of aggression were assessed for males and females using mirror tests. After eavesdropping on aggressive behaviour of two males (differing in level and consistency of aggression) females were then allowed to choose between the two males. Males, but not females, showed personality variation in aggression. Further, females generally preferred consistent over inconsistent males independent of their level of aggression. We did not detect a general preference for the level of male aggression. However, we found an above average preference for consistent high-aggression males; whereas female preference for inconsistent high-aggression did not deviate from random choice. Our results suggest behavioural consistency of aggression in male rainbow kribs is selected for via female mate choice. Further, our study underlines the importance of considering both the level and the consistency of a behavioural trait in studies of animal behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Scherer
- Biocentre Grindel, Zoological Institute, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Mira Kuhnhardt
- Biocentre Grindel, Zoological Institute, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- Biocentre Grindel, Zoological Institute, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom
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41
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Unravelling the relationships between life history, behaviour and condition under the pace-of-life syndromes hypothesis using long-term data from a wild bird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2461-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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42
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Chin SY, Hopkins WA, Cristol DA. Mercury alters initiation and construction of nests by zebra finches, but not incubation or provisioning behaviors. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2017; 26:1271-1283. [PMID: 29022240 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-017-1852-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is an environmental contaminant that impairs avian reproduction, but the behavioral and physiological mechanisms underlying this effect are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine whether lifetime dietary exposure to mercury (1.2 µg/g wet weight in food) impacted avian parental behaviors, and how this might influence reproductive success. To distinguish between the direct effects of mercury on parents and offspring, we created four treatment groups of captive-bred zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), with control and mercury-exposed adults raising cross-fostered control or mercury-exposed eggs (from maternal transfer). Control parents were 23% more likely to fledge young than parents exposed to mercury, regardless of egg exposure. Mercury-exposed parents were less likely to initiate nests than controls and spent less time constructing them. Nests of mercury-exposed pairs were lighter, possibly due to an impaired ability to bring nest material into the nestbox. However, nest temperature, incubation behavior, and provisioning rate did not differ between parental treatments. Unexposed control eggs tended to have shorter incubation periods and higher hatching success than mercury-exposed eggs, but there was no effect of parental exposure on these parameters. We accidentally discovered that parent finches transfer some of their body burden of mercury to nestlings during feeding through secretion in the crop. These results suggest that, in mercury-exposed songbirds, pre-laying parental behaviors, combined with direct exposure of embryos to mercury, likely contribute to reduced reproductive success and should be considered in future studies. Further research is warranted in field settings, where parents are exposed to greater environmental challenges and subtle behavioral differences might have more serious consequences than were observed in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Y Chin
- Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, USA
| | - William A Hopkins
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Daniel A Cristol
- Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, USA.
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Ruuskanen S, Groothuis TGG, Baugh AT, Schaper SV, Vries B, Oers K. Maternal egg hormones in the mating context: The effect of pair personality. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Suvi Ruuskanen
- Section of EcologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of Turku Turku Finland
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Ton G. G. Groothuis
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | | | - Sonja V. Schaper
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Bonnie Vries
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Kees Oers
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
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45
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Bremner-Harrison S, Cypher BL, Van Horn Job C, Harrison SWR. Assessing personality in San Joaquin kit fox in situ: efficacy of field-based experimental methods and implications for conservation management. J ETHOL 2017; 36:23-33. [PMID: 29353954 PMCID: PMC5746588 DOI: 10.1007/s10164-017-0525-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Utilisation of animal personality has potential benefit for conservation management. Due to logistics of robust behavioural evaluation in situ, the majority of studies on wild animals involve taking animals into captivity for testing, potentially compromising results. Three in situ tests for evaluation of boldness in San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) were developed (ENOT: extended novel object test; RNOT: rapid novel object test; TH: trap/handling test). Each test successfully identified variation in boldness within its target age class(es). The TH test was suitable for use across all age classes. Tests were assessed for in situ suitability and for quantity/quality of data yielded. ENOT was rated as requiring high levels of time, cost and labour with greater likelihood of failure. However, it was rated highly for data quantity/quality. The TH test was rated as requiring little time, labour and cost, but yielding lower quality data. RNOT was rated in the middle. Each test had merit and could be adapted to suit project or species constraints. We recommend field-based evaluation of personality, reducing removal of animals from the wild and facilitating routine incorporation of personality assessment into conservation projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Bremner-Harrison
- Endangered Species Recovery Program, California State University, Stanislaus, CA USA
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, Nottinghamshire NG25 0HU UK
| | - Brian L. Cypher
- Endangered Species Recovery Program, California State University, Stanislaus, CA USA
| | | | - Stephen W. R. Harrison
- Endangered Species Recovery Program, California State University, Stanislaus, CA USA
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, Nottinghamshire NG25 0HU UK
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46
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Serrano-Davies E, Araya-Ajoy YG, Dingemanse NJ, Sanz JJ. Personality-related differences in response to habitat in Mediterranean blue tits. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Serrano-Davies
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Biochemistry; University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM); Toledo Spain
| | - Yimen G. Araya-Ajoy
- Department of Biology; Center for Biodiversity Dynamics; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); Trondheim Norway
| | - Niels J. Dingemanse
- Department of Biology II Behavioural Ecology; Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (LMU); Planegg-Martinsried Germany
| | - Juan José Sanz
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology; National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC); Madrid Spain
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47
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Cauchard L, Angers B, Boogert NJ, Lenarth M, Bize P, Doligez B. An Experimental Test of a Causal Link between Problem-Solving Performance and Reproductive Success in Wild Great Tits. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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48
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Charmantier A, Demeyrier V, Lambrechts M, Perret S, Grégoire A. Urbanization Is Associated with Divergence in Pace-of-Life in Great Tits. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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49
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Wetzel DP. Problem‐solving skills are linked to parental care and offspring survival in wild house sparrows. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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50
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Within- and between-individual (co)variance partitioning reveals limited pleiotropic effects of testosterone on immune function, sexual signaling, and parental investment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2308-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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