Genomic tools for behavioral ecologists to understand repeatable individual differences in behavior

Sarah Bengston (Corresponding author), Romain Dahan, Zoe Donaldson, Steven Phelps, K. van Oers, Andrew Sih, Alison Bell

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodicalArticleScientificpeer-review

56 Citations (Scopus)
328 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Behaviour is a key interface between an animal’s genome and its environment. Repeatable individual differences in behaviour have been extensively documented in animals, but the molecular underpinnings of behavioural variation among individuals within natural populations remain largely unknown. Here, we offer a critical review of when molecular techniques may yield new insights, and we provide specific guidance on how and whether the latest tools available are appropriate given different resources, system and organismal constraints, and experimental designs. Integrating molecular genetic techniques with other strategies to study the proximal causes of behaviour provides opportunities to expand rapidly into new avenues of exploration. Such endeavours will enable us to better understand how repeatable individual differences in behaviour have evolved, how they are expressed and how they can be maintained within natural populations of animals.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)944-955
JournalNature Ecology and Evolution
Volume2
Early online date12 Feb 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018

Keywords

  • international

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