Repeatability and heritability of exploratory behaviour in great tits from the wild

TY - JOUR

T1 - Repeatability and heritability of exploratory behaviour in great tits from the wild

AU - Dingemanse, N.J.

AU - Both, C.

AU - Drent, P.J.

AU - Van Oers, K.

AU - Van Noordwijk, A.J.

N1 - Reporting year: 2002 Metis note: 3127; CTE; PVD ; AnE; file:///L:/Endnotedatabases/NIOOPUB/pdfs/Pdfs2002/Dingemanse_ea_3127.pdf

PY - 2002

Y1 - 2002

N2 - We investigated whether individual great tits, Parus major, vary consistently in their exploratory behaviour in a novel environment and measured the repeatability and heritability of this trait. Wild birds were caught in their natural habitat, tested in the laboratory in an open field test on the following morning, then released at the capture site. We measured individual consistency of exploratory behaviour for recaptured individuals (repeatability) and estimated the heritability with parent–offspring regressions and sibling analyses. Measures of exploratory behaviour of individuals at repeated captures were consistent in both sexes and study areas (repeatabilities ranged from 0.27 to 0.48). Exploration scores did not differ between the sexes, and were unrelated to age, condition at fledging or condition during measurement. Heritability estimates were 0.22–0.41 (parent–offspring regressions) and 0.37–0.40 (sibling analyses). We conclude that (1) consistent individual variation in open field behaviour exists in individuals from the wild, and (2) this behavioural variation is heritable. This is one of the first studies showing heritable variation in a behavioural trait in animals from the wild, and poses the question of how this variation is maintained under natural conditions.

AB - We investigated whether individual great tits, Parus major, vary consistently in their exploratory behaviour in a novel environment and measured the repeatability and heritability of this trait. Wild birds were caught in their natural habitat, tested in the laboratory in an open field test on the following morning, then released at the capture site. We measured individual consistency of exploratory behaviour for recaptured individuals (repeatability) and estimated the heritability with parent–offspring regressions and sibling analyses. Measures of exploratory behaviour of individuals at repeated captures were consistent in both sexes and study areas (repeatabilities ranged from 0.27 to 0.48). Exploration scores did not differ between the sexes, and were unrelated to age, condition at fledging or condition during measurement. Heritability estimates were 0.22–0.41 (parent–offspring regressions) and 0.37–0.40 (sibling analyses). We conclude that (1) consistent individual variation in open field behaviour exists in individuals from the wild, and (2) this behavioural variation is heritable. This is one of the first studies showing heritable variation in a behavioural trait in animals from the wild, and poses the question of how this variation is maintained under natural conditions.

U2 - 10.1006/anbe.2002.2006

DO - 10.1006/anbe.2002.2006

M3 - Article

SN - 0003-3472

VL - 64

SP - 929

EP - 938

JO - Animal Behaviour

JF - Animal Behaviour

IS - 6

ER -