Model and Data Concur and Explain the Coexistence of Two Very Distinct Animal Behavioral Types
Behaviors may enhance fitness in some situations while being detrimental in others. Linked behaviors (behavioral syndromes) may be central to understanding the maintenance of behavioral variability in natural populations. The spillover hypothesis of premating sexual cannibalism by females explains g...
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/9/9/241 |
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| author | Jordi Moya-Laraño Rubén Rabaneda-Bueno Emily Morrison Philip H. Crowley |
| author_facet | Jordi Moya-Laraño Rubén Rabaneda-Bueno Emily Morrison Philip H. Crowley |
| author_sort | Jordi Moya-Laraño |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Behaviors may enhance fitness in some situations while being detrimental in others. Linked behaviors (behavioral syndromes) may be central to understanding the maintenance of behavioral variability in natural populations. The spillover hypothesis of premating sexual cannibalism by females explains genetically determined female aggression towards both prey and males: growth to a larger size translates into higher fecundity, but at the risk of insufficient sperm acquisition. Here, we use an individual-based model to determine the ecological scenarios under which this spillover strategy is more likely to evolve over a strategy in which females attack approaching males only once the female has previously secured sperm. We found that a classic spillover strategy could never prevail. However, a more realistic early-spillover strategy, in which females become adults earlier in addition to reaching a larger size, could be maintained in some ecological scenarios and even invade a population of females following the other strategy. We also found under some ecological scenarios that both behavioral types coexist through frequency-dependent selection. Additionally, using data from the spider <i>Lycosa hispanica</i>, we provide strong support for the prediction that the two strategies may coexist in the wild. Our results clarify how animal personalities evolve and are maintained in nature. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:03:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-53ee4f3b7b534f29ad21d5d56506844c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:03:51Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-53ee4f3b7b534f29ad21d5d56506844c2023-11-20T10:52:32ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372020-08-019924110.3390/biology9090241Model and Data Concur and Explain the Coexistence of Two Very Distinct Animal Behavioral TypesJordi Moya-Laraño0Rubén Rabaneda-Bueno1Emily Morrison2Philip H. Crowley3Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEZA-CSIC), Carrera de Sacramento s/n, 04120 Almería, SpainDepartment of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEZA-CSIC), Carrera de Sacramento s/n, 04120 Almería, SpainDepartment of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USADepartment of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USABehaviors may enhance fitness in some situations while being detrimental in others. Linked behaviors (behavioral syndromes) may be central to understanding the maintenance of behavioral variability in natural populations. The spillover hypothesis of premating sexual cannibalism by females explains genetically determined female aggression towards both prey and males: growth to a larger size translates into higher fecundity, but at the risk of insufficient sperm acquisition. Here, we use an individual-based model to determine the ecological scenarios under which this spillover strategy is more likely to evolve over a strategy in which females attack approaching males only once the female has previously secured sperm. We found that a classic spillover strategy could never prevail. However, a more realistic early-spillover strategy, in which females become adults earlier in addition to reaching a larger size, could be maintained in some ecological scenarios and even invade a population of females following the other strategy. We also found under some ecological scenarios that both behavioral types coexist through frequency-dependent selection. Additionally, using data from the spider <i>Lycosa hispanica</i>, we provide strong support for the prediction that the two strategies may coexist in the wild. Our results clarify how animal personalities evolve and are maintained in nature.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/9/9/241frequency-dependent selectionbehavioral typessexual cannibalismindividual-based modelsbehavioral syndromesanimal personality |
| spellingShingle | Jordi Moya-Laraño Rubén Rabaneda-Bueno Emily Morrison Philip H. Crowley Model and Data Concur and Explain the Coexistence of Two Very Distinct Animal Behavioral Types Biology frequency-dependent selection behavioral types sexual cannibalism individual-based models behavioral syndromes animal personality |
| title | Model and Data Concur and Explain the Coexistence of Two Very Distinct Animal Behavioral Types |
| title_full | Model and Data Concur and Explain the Coexistence of Two Very Distinct Animal Behavioral Types |
| title_fullStr | Model and Data Concur and Explain the Coexistence of Two Very Distinct Animal Behavioral Types |
| title_full_unstemmed | Model and Data Concur and Explain the Coexistence of Two Very Distinct Animal Behavioral Types |
| title_short | Model and Data Concur and Explain the Coexistence of Two Very Distinct Animal Behavioral Types |
| title_sort | model and data concur and explain the coexistence of two very distinct animal behavioral types |
| topic | frequency-dependent selection behavioral types sexual cannibalism individual-based models behavioral syndromes animal personality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/9/9/241 |
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