Two questions in the research of animal personality—whether there is a correlation between a personality trait and individual reproductive success,and what is the genetic basis underlying a personality trait—remain ...Two questions in the research of animal personality—whether there is a correlation between a personality trait and individual reproductive success,and what is the genetic basis underlying a personality trait—remain unresolved.We addressed these two questions in three shrub-nesting birds,the Azure-winged Magpie(Cyanopica cyanus,AM),White-collared Blackbird(Turdus albocinctus,WB),and Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush(Trochalopteron henrici,BL).The personality type of an individual was first identified according to its response to a territorial intruder.Then,we compared the fleeing distance,breeding parameters,and differential expressed genes(DEGs) in the brain transcriptome between bold and shy breeders.In the three species,bold breeders exhibited more aggressiveness towards an intruder of their territory than did shy breeders.The reproductive success of bold breeders was significantly higher than that of shy breeders in AM but not in WB and BL.The three species shared one DEG,crabp1,which was up-regulated in bold relative to in shy individuals.By regulating the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone,higher crabp1 gene expression can decrease cellular response to retinoic acid.Therefore,bold individuals are insensitive to external stresses and able to exhibit more aggressiveness to intruders than their shier counterparts.Aggressiveness is beneficial to bold individuals in AM but not in WB and BL because the former could evoke neighbors to make the same response of defending against intruders but the latter could not.Although a personality trait may have the same genetic basis across species,its correlation with reproductive success depends largely on the life history style of a species.展开更多
Aggression has multiple benefits and is often coupled with other behaviors("behavioral syndromes").The level of aggressiveness is influenced by an adaptive benefit-cost ratio suggesting that benefits should ...Aggression has multiple benefits and is often coupled with other behaviors("behavioral syndromes").The level of aggressiveness is influenced by an adaptive benefit-cost ratio suggesting that benefits should outweigh the costs of aggression.Here,we assess if several behaviors are coupled in two behaviorally different populations(aggressive,peaceful)of the high-elevation ant Tetramorium alpestre.For three weeks,we collected colony fragments and analyzed boldness,exploring,foraging,and risk-taking behaviors.We hypothesized that the aggressive population is bolder,more explorative and risk-prone,and forages more food than the peaceful population.To test whether(a)the combination of experiments and parameters used yields a good setup,(b)populations differ behaviorally,and(c)populations display behavioral syndromes,we assessed(a)the frequency of repeatable behaviors of each experiment,(b)the behavioral means among populations,and(c)the behavioral repeatability,respectively.We found that(a)boldness and exploring were most repeatable and represent a good experimental setup,(b)the aggressive population was bolder and more explorative and risk-prone than the peaceful population,(c)boldness and exploring behaviors were highly repeatable in both populations,thus corroborating our hypothesis.The results suggest that boldness,exploring,and risk-taking but not foraging are presumably coupled with aggression and indicate the presence of behavioral syndromes in this ant.Under specific ecological conditions,aggression may be coupled with other behaviors and important for finding food.Aggression is probably adaptive in T.alpestre,possibly indicating that selection favors aggression at least partially,which may counteract the complete loss of intraspecific aggression.展开更多
Lately, there has been an increasing interest in intraspeciflc variation in behaviour, and numerous studies on persona- lity have been performed in a variety of animals, including several fish species. Individuals hav...Lately, there has been an increasing interest in intraspeciflc variation in behaviour, and numerous studies on persona- lity have been performed in a variety of animals, including several fish species. Individuals have been divided into coping style categories or arranged along a behaviour gradient, such as the bold/shy continuum. However, many fish species live in groups, and the social environment can influence the behaviour of an animal in different ways. There may be conflicts within groups due to competition for resources, and dominance hierarchies are commonly found. On the other hand, there are many benefits of con- sensus decision-making within the group. Conformity of behaviour is probably adaptive, due to the benefit of public information on, for example, food resources and predation risk. Accordingly, studies of fish shoals have found evidence of consensus deci- sion-making. Furthermore, factors in the environment, such as predation risk would also influence the behaviour expressed. To be able to understand behaviour patterns in a group of fish, it is necessary to consider the variation of individual characteristics, and how the group, as well as other environmental factors, affects the behaviour of individuals. Here, I will review studies on different aspects of personality within a social context in fish, with a special emphasis on the Eurasian perch Percafluviatilis [Current Zo- ology 58 （1）： 35-44, 2012].展开更多
Understanding and predicting species range-expansions and biological invasions is an important challenge in modem ecology because of rapidly changing environments. Recent studies have revealed that consistent within-s...Understanding and predicting species range-expansions and biological invasions is an important challenge in modem ecology because of rapidly changing environments. Recent studies have revealed that consistent within-species variation in behavior （i.e. animal personality） can be imperative for dispersal success, a key stage in the invasion process. Here we investigate the composition and correlation of two important personality traits associated with invasion success, activity and boldness, and how they are connected to sex and individual size in a newly colonised population of the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis in Lake Vanem, Sweden. We found no effect of sex or size on behavioral expressions orE. sinensis but a clear positive correlation between boldness and activity. In addition, this study generates important baseline data for monitoring behavioral develop ment, and thereby changing ecological impact, of an invading population over time. This has implications for predicting ecological effects of invasive species as well as for managing ecological invasions.展开更多
Animals are increasingly faced with human?induced stressors that vary in space and time, thus we can expect populati on-level diverge nee in behaviors that help animals to cope with en vironme ntal change. However, em...Animals are increasingly faced with human?induced stressors that vary in space and time, thus we can expect populati on-level diverge nee in behaviors that help animals to cope with en vironme ntal change. However, empirical evidenee of behavioral trait divergence across environmental extremes is lacking. We tested for variation in behavioral traits among 2 populations of an African cichlid fish (Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor victoriae Seegers, 1990) that experience extremes of dissolved oxygen (DO) and turbidity and are known to vary in a number of physiological and life history traits associated with these stressors. Using a comm on garden reari ng experime nt, F1 progeny from wild-caught parents originating from a swamp (low DO, clear) and a river (high DO, turbid) were reared in high DO, clear water. Predator simulation assays were conducted to test for (1) variation in boldness, general activity, and foraging activity between populations,(2) differences in correlations betwee n behaviors with in and across populati ons, and (3) repeatability of behaviors. There was strong evide nee for diverge nee betwee n populati ons, with swamp fish being more bold (i.e.z leaving refuge sooner after a simulated predator attack) and active (i.e., spent more time out of refuge) than river fish. Across populations there were positive correlations between foraging activity and both boldness and general activity;however, within populations, there was only a strong positive relationship between foraging activity and boldness in the river population. Here, we have demonstrated that populations that originate from drastically different environments can produce proge ny that exhibit measurable differences in behaviors and their correlated relati on ships eve n whe n reared un der comm on conditions.展开更多
Biological invasions threaten biodiversity worldwide,and therefore,understanding the traits of successful invaders could mitigate their spread.Many comm only invasive species do well in disturbed habitats,such as urba...Biological invasions threaten biodiversity worldwide,and therefore,understanding the traits of successful invaders could mitigate their spread.Many comm only invasive species do well in disturbed habitats,such as urban environments,and their abilities to effectively respond to disturbarices could con tribute to their invasiveness.Yet,there are non invasive species that also do well in disturbed habitats.The question remains whether urban invaders behave differently in urban environments than noninvaders,which could suggest an"urban-exploiting"phenotype.In Southern California,the co-occurrence of in vasive Italia n wall lizards Pod arc is siculus,brown anoles Anolis sagrei,and green anoles A.carolinensis,and native western fence lizards Sceloporus occidentalis offers an opportunity to test whether invasives exhibit consistent differences in risk-taking within human-altered habitats compared with a native species.We predicted that invasive lizards would exhibit more bold behavior by having shorter flight-initiation distances(FIDs)and by being found farther from a refuge(behaviors that would presumably maximize foraging in low-risk environments).Invasive populations had similar or longer FIDs,but were consistently found at distances closer to a refuge.Collectively,invasive lizards in urban habitats were not bolder than a native species.Relianee on nearby refuges might help species successfully invade urban habitats,and if a general pattern,may pose an added challenge in detecting or eliminating them.展开更多
Selection forces often generate sex-specific differences in various traits closely related to fitness.While in adult spiders(Araneae),sexes often differ in coloration,body size,antipredator,or foraging behavior,such s...Selection forces often generate sex-specific differences in various traits closely related to fitness.While in adult spiders(Araneae),sexes often differ in coloration,body size,antipredator,or foraging behavior,such sex-related differences are less pronounced among immatures.However,sex-specific life-history strategies may also be adaptive for immatures.Thus,we hypothesized that among spiders,immature individuals show different life-history strategies that are expressed as sex-specific differences in body parameters and behavioral features,and also in their relationships.We used immature individuals of a protandrous jumping spider,Carrhotus xanthogramma,and examined sex-related differences.The results showed that males have higher mass and larger prosoma than females.Males were more active and more risk tolerant than females.Male activity increased with time,and larger males tended to capture the prey faster than small ones,while females showed no such patterns.However,females reacted to the threatening abiotic stimuli more with the increasing number of test sessions.In both males and females,individuals with better body conditions tended to be more risk averse.Spiders showed no sex-specific differences in interindividual behavioral consistency and in intraindividual behavioral variation in the measured behavioral traits.Finally,we also found evidence for behavioral syndromes(i.e.,correlation between different behaviors),where in males,only the activity correlated with the risk-taking behavior,but in females,all the measured behavioral traits were involved.The present study demonstrates that C.xanthogramma sexes follow different life-history strategies even before attaining maturity.展开更多
Animal personality is often studied within compressed periods of observation that represent narrow windows in comparison to animal lifespans.Although much is known about the relations between repeatable personality tr...Animal personality is often studied within compressed periods of observation that represent narrow windows in comparison to animal lifespans.Although much is known about the relations between repeatable personality traits and cross-situational behavioral plasticity,less is known about how such traits might differ across age classes or life history transitions.We conducted a cross-sectional study of startle response duration in 3 size classes of Pagurus bernhardus,the common European hermit crab.We defined size classes using transitions in the preferred species of gastropod shells that accompany growth,and this change in preference is in turn associated with a transition from intertidal to subtidal habitats.Compared with small-and medium-sized intertidal individuals the larger subtidal hermit crabs behaved cautiously by showing startle responses of greater duration following disturbance.Startle responses were also repeatable within all 3 size classes,confirming the presence of animal personality in intertidal hermit crabs and demonstrating that this pattern is retained within the largest size classes,which have undergone the transition from intertidal to subtidal habitat.Interestingly,there was a trend for the pattern of repeatable startle response durations to increase with size class,with the highest value for repeatability and the greatest range of startle response durations being present within the large subtidal population.The greater range of startle responses indicates that the longer startle response durations in some larger individuals are more likely due to developmental changes with age and habitat use than reflecting selection against the boldest individuals during earlier stages of life.展开更多
基金provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 32071491, 31772465, 31672299, 31572271, and 32260128)the Natural Sciences Foundation of the Tibetan (XZ202101ZR0051G)。
文摘Two questions in the research of animal personality—whether there is a correlation between a personality trait and individual reproductive success,and what is the genetic basis underlying a personality trait—remain unresolved.We addressed these two questions in three shrub-nesting birds,the Azure-winged Magpie(Cyanopica cyanus,AM),White-collared Blackbird(Turdus albocinctus,WB),and Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush(Trochalopteron henrici,BL).The personality type of an individual was first identified according to its response to a territorial intruder.Then,we compared the fleeing distance,breeding parameters,and differential expressed genes(DEGs) in the brain transcriptome between bold and shy breeders.In the three species,bold breeders exhibited more aggressiveness towards an intruder of their territory than did shy breeders.The reproductive success of bold breeders was significantly higher than that of shy breeders in AM but not in WB and BL.The three species shared one DEG,crabp1,which was up-regulated in bold relative to in shy individuals.By regulating the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone,higher crabp1 gene expression can decrease cellular response to retinoic acid.Therefore,bold individuals are insensitive to external stresses and able to exhibit more aggressiveness to intruders than their shier counterparts.Aggressiveness is beneficial to bold individuals in AM but not in WB and BL because the former could evoke neighbors to make the same response of defending against intruders but the latter could not.Although a personality trait may have the same genetic basis across species,its correlation with reproductive success depends largely on the life history style of a species.
基金supported by the Austrian Science Fund(FWF,grant number P 30861)awarded to F.M.S.
文摘Aggression has multiple benefits and is often coupled with other behaviors("behavioral syndromes").The level of aggressiveness is influenced by an adaptive benefit-cost ratio suggesting that benefits should outweigh the costs of aggression.Here,we assess if several behaviors are coupled in two behaviorally different populations(aggressive,peaceful)of the high-elevation ant Tetramorium alpestre.For three weeks,we collected colony fragments and analyzed boldness,exploring,foraging,and risk-taking behaviors.We hypothesized that the aggressive population is bolder,more explorative and risk-prone,and forages more food than the peaceful population.To test whether(a)the combination of experiments and parameters used yields a good setup,(b)populations differ behaviorally,and(c)populations display behavioral syndromes,we assessed(a)the frequency of repeatable behaviors of each experiment,(b)the behavioral means among populations,and(c)the behavioral repeatability,respectively.We found that(a)boldness and exploring were most repeatable and represent a good experimental setup,(b)the aggressive population was bolder and more explorative and risk-prone than the peaceful population,(c)boldness and exploring behaviors were highly repeatable in both populations,thus corroborating our hypothesis.The results suggest that boldness,exploring,and risk-taking but not foraging are presumably coupled with aggression and indicate the presence of behavioral syndromes in this ant.Under specific ecological conditions,aggression may be coupled with other behaviors and important for finding food.Aggression is probably adaptive in T.alpestre,possibly indicating that selection favors aggression at least partially,which may counteract the complete loss of intraspecific aggression.
文摘Lately, there has been an increasing interest in intraspeciflc variation in behaviour, and numerous studies on persona- lity have been performed in a variety of animals, including several fish species. Individuals have been divided into coping style categories or arranged along a behaviour gradient, such as the bold/shy continuum. However, many fish species live in groups, and the social environment can influence the behaviour of an animal in different ways. There may be conflicts within groups due to competition for resources, and dominance hierarchies are commonly found. On the other hand, there are many benefits of con- sensus decision-making within the group. Conformity of behaviour is probably adaptive, due to the benefit of public information on, for example, food resources and predation risk. Accordingly, studies of fish shoals have found evidence of consensus deci- sion-making. Furthermore, factors in the environment, such as predation risk would also influence the behaviour expressed. To be able to understand behaviour patterns in a group of fish, it is necessary to consider the variation of individual characteristics, and how the group, as well as other environmental factors, affects the behaviour of individuals. Here, I will review studies on different aspects of personality within a social context in fish, with a special emphasis on the Eurasian perch Percafluviatilis [Current Zo- ology 58 （1）： 35-44, 2012].
文摘Understanding and predicting species range-expansions and biological invasions is an important challenge in modem ecology because of rapidly changing environments. Recent studies have revealed that consistent within-species variation in behavior （i.e. animal personality） can be imperative for dispersal success, a key stage in the invasion process. Here we investigate the composition and correlation of two important personality traits associated with invasion success, activity and boldness, and how they are connected to sex and individual size in a newly colonised population of the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis in Lake Vanem, Sweden. We found no effect of sex or size on behavioral expressions orE. sinensis but a clear positive correlation between boldness and activity. In addition, this study generates important baseline data for monitoring behavioral develop ment, and thereby changing ecological impact, of an invading population over time. This has implications for predicting ecological effects of invasive species as well as for managing ecological invasions.
文摘Animals are increasingly faced with human?induced stressors that vary in space and time, thus we can expect populati on-level diverge nee in behaviors that help animals to cope with en vironme ntal change. However, empirical evidenee of behavioral trait divergence across environmental extremes is lacking. We tested for variation in behavioral traits among 2 populations of an African cichlid fish (Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor victoriae Seegers, 1990) that experience extremes of dissolved oxygen (DO) and turbidity and are known to vary in a number of physiological and life history traits associated with these stressors. Using a comm on garden reari ng experime nt, F1 progeny from wild-caught parents originating from a swamp (low DO, clear) and a river (high DO, turbid) were reared in high DO, clear water. Predator simulation assays were conducted to test for (1) variation in boldness, general activity, and foraging activity between populations,(2) differences in correlations betwee n behaviors with in and across populati ons, and (3) repeatability of behaviors. There was strong evide nee for diverge nee betwee n populati ons, with swamp fish being more bold (i.e.z leaving refuge sooner after a simulated predator attack) and active (i.e., spent more time out of refuge) than river fish. Across populations there were positive correlations between foraging activity and both boldness and general activity;however, within populations, there was only a strong positive relationship between foraging activity and boldness in the river population. Here, we have demonstrated that populations that originate from drastically different environments can produce proge ny that exhibit measurable differences in behaviors and their correlated relati on ships eve n whe n reared un der comm on conditions.
基金This work was supported by the Urban Nature Research Center at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County,and the National Science Foundation through a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology(DBI-1611562 to B.J.P.).
文摘Biological invasions threaten biodiversity worldwide,and therefore,understanding the traits of successful invaders could mitigate their spread.Many comm only invasive species do well in disturbed habitats,such as urban environments,and their abilities to effectively respond to disturbarices could con tribute to their invasiveness.Yet,there are non invasive species that also do well in disturbed habitats.The question remains whether urban invaders behave differently in urban environments than noninvaders,which could suggest an"urban-exploiting"phenotype.In Southern California,the co-occurrence of in vasive Italia n wall lizards Pod arc is siculus,brown anoles Anolis sagrei,and green anoles A.carolinensis,and native western fence lizards Sceloporus occidentalis offers an opportunity to test whether invasives exhibit consistent differences in risk-taking within human-altered habitats compared with a native species.We predicted that invasive lizards would exhibit more bold behavior by having shorter flight-initiation distances(FIDs)and by being found farther from a refuge(behaviors that would presumably maximize foraging in low-risk environments).Invasive populations had similar or longer FIDs,but were consistently found at distances closer to a refuge.Collectively,invasive lizards in urban habitats were not bolder than a native species.Relianee on nearby refuges might help species successfully invade urban habitats,and if a general pattern,may pose an added challenge in detecting or eliminating them.
基金supported by the National Research,Development,and Innovation Office of Hungary(K112743).
文摘Selection forces often generate sex-specific differences in various traits closely related to fitness.While in adult spiders(Araneae),sexes often differ in coloration,body size,antipredator,or foraging behavior,such sex-related differences are less pronounced among immatures.However,sex-specific life-history strategies may also be adaptive for immatures.Thus,we hypothesized that among spiders,immature individuals show different life-history strategies that are expressed as sex-specific differences in body parameters and behavioral features,and also in their relationships.We used immature individuals of a protandrous jumping spider,Carrhotus xanthogramma,and examined sex-related differences.The results showed that males have higher mass and larger prosoma than females.Males were more active and more risk tolerant than females.Male activity increased with time,and larger males tended to capture the prey faster than small ones,while females showed no such patterns.However,females reacted to the threatening abiotic stimuli more with the increasing number of test sessions.In both males and females,individuals with better body conditions tended to be more risk averse.Spiders showed no sex-specific differences in interindividual behavioral consistency and in intraindividual behavioral variation in the measured behavioral traits.Finally,we also found evidence for behavioral syndromes(i.e.,correlation between different behaviors),where in males,only the activity correlated with the risk-taking behavior,but in females,all the measured behavioral traits were involved.The present study demonstrates that C.xanthogramma sexes follow different life-history strategies even before attaining maturity.
文摘Animal personality is often studied within compressed periods of observation that represent narrow windows in comparison to animal lifespans.Although much is known about the relations between repeatable personality traits and cross-situational behavioral plasticity,less is known about how such traits might differ across age classes or life history transitions.We conducted a cross-sectional study of startle response duration in 3 size classes of Pagurus bernhardus,the common European hermit crab.We defined size classes using transitions in the preferred species of gastropod shells that accompany growth,and this change in preference is in turn associated with a transition from intertidal to subtidal habitats.Compared with small-and medium-sized intertidal individuals the larger subtidal hermit crabs behaved cautiously by showing startle responses of greater duration following disturbance.Startle responses were also repeatable within all 3 size classes,confirming the presence of animal personality in intertidal hermit crabs and demonstrating that this pattern is retained within the largest size classes,which have undergone the transition from intertidal to subtidal habitat.Interestingly,there was a trend for the pattern of repeatable startle response durations to increase with size class,with the highest value for repeatability and the greatest range of startle response durations being present within the large subtidal population.The greater range of startle responses indicates that the longer startle response durations in some larger individuals are more likely due to developmental changes with age and habitat use than reflecting selection against the boldest individuals during earlier stages of life.
