Is personality and its association with energetics sex‐specific in yellow‐necked mice Apodemus flavicollis?
Abstract For the last two decades, behavioral physiologists aimed to explain a plausible covariation between energetics and personality, predicted by the “pace‐of‐life syndrome” (POLS) hypothesis. However, the results of these attempts are mixed with no definitive answer as to which of the two most...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-07-01
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Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10233 |
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author | Beau N. Strijker Karolina Iwińska Bram van derZalm Karol Zub Jan S. Boratyński |
author_facet | Beau N. Strijker Karolina Iwińska Bram van derZalm Karol Zub Jan S. Boratyński |
author_sort | Beau N. Strijker |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Abstract For the last two decades, behavioral physiologists aimed to explain a plausible covariation between energetics and personality, predicted by the “pace‐of‐life syndrome” (POLS) hypothesis. However, the results of these attempts are mixed with no definitive answer as to which of the two most acknowledged models “performance” or “allocation” predicts covariation between consistent among‐individual variation in metabolism and repeatable behavior (animal personality). The general conclusion is that the association between personality and energetics is rather context‐dependent. Life‐history, behavior, and physiology as well as its plausible covariation can be considered a part of sexual dimorphism. However, up to now, only a few studies demonstrated a sex‐specific correlation between metabolism and personality. Therefore, we tested the relationships between physiological and personality traits in a single population of yellow‐necked mice Apodemus flavicollis in the context of a plausible between‐sexes difference in this covariation. We hypothesized that the performance model will explain proactive behavior in males and the allocation model will apply to females. Behavioral traits were determined using the latency of risk‐taking and the open field tests, whereas the basal metabolic rates (BMR) was measured using indirect calorimetry. We have found a positive correlation between body mass‐adjusted BMR and repeatable proactive behavior in male mice, which can support the performance model. However, the females were rather consistent mainly in avoidance of risk‐taking that did not correlate with BMR, suggesting essential differences in personality between sexes. Most likely, the lack of convincing association between energetics and personality traits at the population level is caused by a different selection acting on the life histories of males and females. This may only result in weak support for the predictions of the POLS hypothesis when assuming that only a single model explaining the link between physiology and behavior operates in males and females. Thus, there is a need to consider the differences between sexes in behavioral studies to evaluate this hypothesis. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:52:51Z |
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id | doaj.art-dad8e2ac47504c62b8e871c9c12eadf1 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2045-7758 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:52:51Z |
publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
publisher | Wiley |
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series | Ecology and Evolution |
spelling | doaj.art-dad8e2ac47504c62b8e871c9c12eadf12024-01-11T02:50:01ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-07-01137n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10233Is personality and its association with energetics sex‐specific in yellow‐necked mice Apodemus flavicollis?Beau N. Strijker0Karolina Iwińska1Bram van derZalm2Karol Zub3Jan S. Boratyński4Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences Leeuwarden The NetherlandsUniversity of Białystok Doctoral School in Exact and Natural Sciences Białystok PolandVan Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences Leeuwarden The NetherlandsMammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża PolandMammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża PolandAbstract For the last two decades, behavioral physiologists aimed to explain a plausible covariation between energetics and personality, predicted by the “pace‐of‐life syndrome” (POLS) hypothesis. However, the results of these attempts are mixed with no definitive answer as to which of the two most acknowledged models “performance” or “allocation” predicts covariation between consistent among‐individual variation in metabolism and repeatable behavior (animal personality). The general conclusion is that the association between personality and energetics is rather context‐dependent. Life‐history, behavior, and physiology as well as its plausible covariation can be considered a part of sexual dimorphism. However, up to now, only a few studies demonstrated a sex‐specific correlation between metabolism and personality. Therefore, we tested the relationships between physiological and personality traits in a single population of yellow‐necked mice Apodemus flavicollis in the context of a plausible between‐sexes difference in this covariation. We hypothesized that the performance model will explain proactive behavior in males and the allocation model will apply to females. Behavioral traits were determined using the latency of risk‐taking and the open field tests, whereas the basal metabolic rates (BMR) was measured using indirect calorimetry. We have found a positive correlation between body mass‐adjusted BMR and repeatable proactive behavior in male mice, which can support the performance model. However, the females were rather consistent mainly in avoidance of risk‐taking that did not correlate with BMR, suggesting essential differences in personality between sexes. Most likely, the lack of convincing association between energetics and personality traits at the population level is caused by a different selection acting on the life histories of males and females. This may only result in weak support for the predictions of the POLS hypothesis when assuming that only a single model explaining the link between physiology and behavior operates in males and females. Thus, there is a need to consider the differences between sexes in behavioral studies to evaluate this hypothesis.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10233allocationbehaviormetabolic rateperformancepersonalitysex‐specific |
spellingShingle | Beau N. Strijker Karolina Iwińska Bram van derZalm Karol Zub Jan S. Boratyński Is personality and its association with energetics sex‐specific in yellow‐necked mice Apodemus flavicollis? Ecology and Evolution allocation behavior metabolic rate performance personality sex‐specific |
title | Is personality and its association with energetics sex‐specific in yellow‐necked mice Apodemus flavicollis? |
title_full | Is personality and its association with energetics sex‐specific in yellow‐necked mice Apodemus flavicollis? |
title_fullStr | Is personality and its association with energetics sex‐specific in yellow‐necked mice Apodemus flavicollis? |
title_full_unstemmed | Is personality and its association with energetics sex‐specific in yellow‐necked mice Apodemus flavicollis? |
title_short | Is personality and its association with energetics sex‐specific in yellow‐necked mice Apodemus flavicollis? |
title_sort | is personality and its association with energetics sex specific in yellow necked mice apodemus flavicollis |
topic | allocation behavior metabolic rate performance personality sex‐specific |
url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10233 |
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