Early social environment influences the behaviour of a family-living lizard
Early social environment can play a significant role in shaping behavioural development. For instance, in many social mammals and birds, isolation rearing results in individuals that are less exploratory, shyer, less social and more aggressive than individuals raised in groups. Moreover, dynamic asp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.161082 |
| _version_ | 1818151269559173120 |
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| author | Julia L. Riley Daniel W. A. Noble Richard W. Byrne Martin J. Whiting |
| author_facet | Julia L. Riley Daniel W. A. Noble Richard W. Byrne Martin J. Whiting |
| author_sort | Julia L. Riley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Early social environment can play a significant role in shaping behavioural development. For instance, in many social mammals and birds, isolation rearing results in individuals that are less exploratory, shyer, less social and more aggressive than individuals raised in groups. Moreover, dynamic aspects of social environments, such as the nature of relationships between individuals, can also impact the trajectory of development. We tested if being raised alone or socially affects behavioural development in the family-living tree skink, Egernia striolata. Juveniles were raised in two treatments: alone or in a pair. We assayed exploration, boldness, sociability and aggression repeatedly throughout each juvenile's first year of life, and also assessed social interactions between pairs to determine if juveniles formed dominant–subordinate relationships. We found that male and/or the larger skinks within social pairs were dominant. Developing within this social environment reduced skink growth, and subordinate skinks were more prone to tail loss. Thus, living with a conspecific was costly for E. striolata. The predicted negative effects of isolation failed to materialize. Nevertheless, there were significant differences in behavioural traits depending on the social environment (isolated, dominant or subordinate member of a pair). Isolated skinks were more social than subordinate skinks. Subordinate skinks also became more aggressive over time, whereas isolated and dominant skinks showed invariable aggression. Dominant skinks became bolder over time, whereas isolated and subordinate skinks were relatively stable in their boldness. In summary, our study is evidence that isolation rearing does not consistently affect behaviour across all social taxa. Our study also demonstrates that the social environment plays an important role in behavioural development of a family-living lizard. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T13:36:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1189b4fbe64a4b0dbfe02020d5c3067e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T13:36:09Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-1189b4fbe64a4b0dbfe02020d5c3067e2022-12-22T01:05:00ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032017-01-014510.1098/rsos.161082161082Early social environment influences the behaviour of a family-living lizardJulia L. RileyDaniel W. A. NobleRichard W. ByrneMartin J. WhitingEarly social environment can play a significant role in shaping behavioural development. For instance, in many social mammals and birds, isolation rearing results in individuals that are less exploratory, shyer, less social and more aggressive than individuals raised in groups. Moreover, dynamic aspects of social environments, such as the nature of relationships between individuals, can also impact the trajectory of development. We tested if being raised alone or socially affects behavioural development in the family-living tree skink, Egernia striolata. Juveniles were raised in two treatments: alone or in a pair. We assayed exploration, boldness, sociability and aggression repeatedly throughout each juvenile's first year of life, and also assessed social interactions between pairs to determine if juveniles formed dominant–subordinate relationships. We found that male and/or the larger skinks within social pairs were dominant. Developing within this social environment reduced skink growth, and subordinate skinks were more prone to tail loss. Thus, living with a conspecific was costly for E. striolata. The predicted negative effects of isolation failed to materialize. Nevertheless, there were significant differences in behavioural traits depending on the social environment (isolated, dominant or subordinate member of a pair). Isolated skinks were more social than subordinate skinks. Subordinate skinks also became more aggressive over time, whereas isolated and dominant skinks showed invariable aggression. Dominant skinks became bolder over time, whereas isolated and subordinate skinks were relatively stable in their boldness. In summary, our study is evidence that isolation rearing does not consistently affect behaviour across all social taxa. Our study also demonstrates that the social environment plays an important role in behavioural development of a family-living lizard.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.161082asynchronous birthbehavioural flexibilitybehavioural syndromepersonalityreptilesocial feedback |
| spellingShingle | Julia L. Riley Daniel W. A. Noble Richard W. Byrne Martin J. Whiting Early social environment influences the behaviour of a family-living lizard Royal Society Open Science asynchronous birth behavioural flexibility behavioural syndrome personality reptile social feedback |
| title | Early social environment influences the behaviour of a family-living lizard |
| title_full | Early social environment influences the behaviour of a family-living lizard |
| title_fullStr | Early social environment influences the behaviour of a family-living lizard |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early social environment influences the behaviour of a family-living lizard |
| title_short | Early social environment influences the behaviour of a family-living lizard |
| title_sort | early social environment influences the behaviour of a family living lizard |
| topic | asynchronous birth behavioural flexibility behavioural syndrome personality reptile social feedback |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.161082 |
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