Phenotypic correlations capture between-individual correlations underlying behavioral syndromes

Brommer, Jon E.; Class, Barbara

doi:10.1007/s00265-017-2278-4

Cited by 26 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Third, linkage between the two aforementioned syndromes should be tested. While the repeatability of traits involved can inform on the stability of impacts of intraspecific trait variability on ecosystem functioning, we suggest that functional syndromes may result from correlations among traits arising from both intra-and interindividual covariations of traits [54,55] and might therefore not require the repeatability of all traits involved in the syndrome. The functional syndrome may further vary with the environmental contexts, due to selective pressures and plastic changes, even if its structure in a given context is still crucial for ecosystem functioning.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

The functional syndrome: linking individual trait variability to ecosystem functioning

et al. 2017

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Phenotypic variability is increasingly assessed through functional response and effect traits, which provide a mechanistic framework for investigating how an organism responds to varying ecological factors and how these responses affect ecosystem functioning. Covariation between response and effect traits has been poorly examined at the intraspecific level, thus hampering progress in understanding how phenotypic variability alters the role of organisms in ecosystems. Using a multi-trait approach and a nine-month longitudinal monitoring of individual red-swamp crayfish (), we demonstrated that most of the measured response and effect traits were partially stable during the ontogeny of individuals. Suites of response and effect traits were associated with a response syndrome and an effect syndrome, respectively, which were correlated to form a functional syndrome. Using a bioenergetic model, we predicted that differences in the response syndrome composition of hypothetical populations had important ecological effects on a key ecosystem process (i.e. whole-lake litter decomposition) to a level similar to those induced by doubling population size. Demonstrating the existence of a functional syndrome is likely to improve our understanding of the ecological impacts of phenotypic variation among individuals in wild populations across levels of biological organization, and the linkage between ecosystem and evolutionary ecology.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

The functional syndrome: linking individual trait variability to ecosystem functioning

et al. 2017

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“…To test for correlations between personality traits, we used phenotypic correlations—an approach that has recently been shown to adequately capture behavioral syndrome structures [ 111 ]. To this end, we used mean values from both assessments and calculated Pearson correlations (after checking that the error structure was normally distributed).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personality differentially affects individual mate choice decisions in female and male Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

Chen

Zhou

et al. 2018

PLoS ONE

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Consistent individual differences in behavioral tendencies (animal personality) can affect individual mate choice decisions. We asked whether personality traits affect male and female mate choice decisions similarly and whether potential personality effects are consistent across different mate choice situations. Using western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) as our study organism, we characterized focal individuals (males and females) twice for boldness, activity, and sociability/shoaling and found high and significant behavioral repeatability. Additionally, each focal individual was tested in two different dichotomous mate choice tests in which it could choose between computer-animated stimulus fish of the opposite sex that differed in body size and activity levels, respectively. Personality had different effects on female and male mate choice: females that were larger than average showed stronger preferences for large-bodied males with increasing levels of boldness/activity (i.e., towards more proactive personality types). Males that were larger than average and had higher shoaling tendencies showed stronger preferences for actively swimming females. Size-dependent effects of personality on the strength of preferences for distinct phenotypes of potential mating partners may reflect effects of age/experience (especially in females) and social dominance (especially in males). Previous studies found evidence for assortative mate choice based on personality types or hypothesized the existence of behavioral syndromes of individuals’ choosiness across mate choice criteria, possibly including other personality traits. Our present study exemplifies that far more complex patterns of personality-dependent mate choice can emerge in natural systems.

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“…Following our argument above, a correlation between two behaviours each measured only once probably reflects mostly the within‐individual rather than the among‐individual pattern of covariance (Brommer, 2013; Dingemanse et al., 2012). This is not a problem provided that among‐ and within‐individual correlations do not differ (Brommer & Class, 2017; Dingemanse & Dochtermann, 2013). Unfortunately, meta‐analyses often show that this assumption does not hold (Dochtermann, 2011; Niemelä & Dingemanse, 2018a).…”

Section: Definitions and Study Designsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Criteria for acceptable studies of animal personality and behavioural syndromes

2020

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Phenotypic correlations capture between-individual correlations underlying behavioral syndromes

Cited by 26 publications

References 46 publications

The functional syndrome: linking individual trait variability to ecosystem functioning

The functional syndrome: linking individual trait variability to ecosystem functioning

Personality differentially affects individual mate choice decisions in female and male Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

Criteria for acceptable studies of animal personality and behavioural syndromes

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