Behavioural and physiological correlates of personality in greylag geese (Anser anser) |
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Authors: | Simona Kralj-Fi?er Brigitte M Weiß Kurt Kotrschal |
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Institution: | 1. Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle für Ethologie, Grünau, Austria 2. Jovan Had?i Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Novi trg 2, P.O. Box 306, 1001, Ljubljana, Slovenia 3. Institut de Biologie, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland 4. Department for Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Abstract: | Personality means suites of correlated behavioural traits, also referred to as “behavioural syndromes” or “personality dimensions”.
Across animal taxa similar combinations of traits seem to prevail, which may have proximate foundation in common neuroendocrine
mechanisms. Hitherto, these have been rarely studied in intact social settings. We investigated personalities of greylag goose
males from a free-roaming flock that shows complex social relationships. In connection with our longitudinal study on the
consistency of behavioural and physiological responses to multiple challenges, we asked whether and how single, personality-related
behavioural traits correlate with each other to form personality dimension(s). We tested whether these dimensions were related
to physiological characteristics that previously showed limited plasticity (heart rate (HR), baseline and stress-induced excreted
immuno-reactive corticosterone (BM), and testosterone metabolites levels) and, furthermore, to age, body measures, and dominance
rank. Principal-components analysis based on behavioural variables revealed two factors: 51.1% of variability was explained
by “aggressiveness” and a further 19.1% by “sociability”. “Aggressiveness” comprised correlated measures of aggression, subordinance,
boldness, vigilance, and proximity to the mate. This “aggressiveness” positively correlated with stress-induced BM levels,
the HR increase during aggressive interactions, and with dominance rank, which may suggest proximate and functional contingencies
of this personality dimension. |
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