Natural selection, plasticity and the emergence of a behavioural syndrome in the wild

Adriaenssens, B. and Johnsson, J. I. (2013) Natural selection, plasticity and the emergence of a behavioural syndrome in the wild. Ecology Letters, 16(1), pp. 47-55. (doi: 10.1111/ele.12011)

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Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ele.12011

Abstract

Individuals often show consistent behavioural differences where behaviours can form integrated units across functionally different contexts. However, the factors causing and maintaining behavioural syndromes in natural populations remain poorly understood. In this study, we provide evidence for the emergence of a behavioural syndrome during the first months of life in wild brown trout (Salmo trutta). Behavioural traits of trout were scored before and after a 2-month interval covering a major survival bottleneck, whereupon the consistency and covariance of behaviours were analysed. We found that selection favoured individuals with high activity levels in an open-field context, a personality trait consistent throughout the duration of the experiment. In addition, a behavioural syndrome emerged over the 2 months in the wild, linking activity to aggressiveness and exploration tendency. These novel results suggest that behavioural syndromes can emerge rapidly in nature from interaction between natural selection and behavioural plasticity affecting single behaviours.

Item Type:Articles (Letter)
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Adriaenssens, Dr Bart
Authors: Adriaenssens, B., and Johnsson, J. I.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Journal Name:Ecology Letters
Publisher:Wiley
ISSN:1461-023X
ISSN (Online):1461-0248

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