Animal Personalities

Animal Personalities Behavior, Physiology, and Evolution

edited by Claudio Carere and Dario Maestripieri

University of Chicago Press, 2013
Cloth: 978-0-226-92205-8 | Paper: 978-0-226-92197-6 | Electronic: 978-0-226-92206-5
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.001.0001

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ABOUT THIS BOOKAUTHOR BIOGRAPHYREVIEWSTABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Ask anyone who has owned a pet and they’ll assure you that, yes, animals have personalities. And science is beginning to agree. Researchers have demonstrated that both domesticated and nondomesticated animals—from invertebrates to monkeys and apes—behave in consistently different ways, meeting the criteria for what many define as personality. But why the differences, and how are personalities shaped by genes and environment? How did they evolve? The essays in Animal Personalities reveal that there is much to learn from our furred and feathered friends.

The study of animal personality is one of the fastest-growing areas of research in behavioral and evolutionary biology. Here Claudio Carere and Dario Maestripieri, along with a host of scholars from fields as diverse as ecology, genetics, endocrinology, neuroscience, and psychology, provide a comprehensive overview of the current research on animal personality. Grouped into thematic sections, chapters approach the topic with empirical and theoretical material and show that to fully understand why personality exists, we must consider the evolutionary processes that give rise to personality, the ecological correlates of personality differences, and the physiological mechanisms underlying personality variation.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Claudio Carere is adjunct professor of animal behavior and animal physiology in the Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Tuscia University, Italy. Dario Maestripieri is professor of comparative human development, evolutionary biology, and neurobiology at the University of Chicago.

REVIEWS

“The editors provide a cornucopia full of studies on animal personalities, diverse in biological approaches and levels of investigation as well as in species. Gone are the days, not so long ago, when the intrepid few planted the seeds of research on personalities in animals other than humans and did so despite suspicion of the enterprise.”

— Jeanne Altmann, Princeton University

“Fascinating. . . . [and] valuable in promoting our understanding of the specific needs and motivation of different individuals, and consequently to improving their management.”

— Ori Pomerantz, Tel Aviv University, Animal Welfare

“In this timely volume, the first one synthesizing and integrating the research on animal personality, Claudio Carere and Dario Maestripieri, two recognized scholars of behavioral biology, provide a collection of essays diverse in biological approaches and levels of investigation as well as in species—from invertebrates to monkeys and apes, including humans. . . . There is currently no other compilation of papers providing such a broad and updated overview about a subject at the forefront of science. Various research perspectives and approaches . . . have been brought together striving to develop new avenues of research. They include applied areas with an overall holistic approach to the subject, which makes the volume particularly valuable for a wide audience, ranging from undergraduate students uncertain of their future choices, biologists of virtually all disciplines, medical researchers, veterinarians, and psychologists.”

— Enrico Alleva, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Annali dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità

“This synthesis of a blossoming area of research is valuable for all academic libraries. Highly recommended.”

— B. E. Fleury, Tulane University, Choice

Contributors

Animal Personalities - Claudio Carere, Dario Maestripieri
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0001
[animal behavior, domesticated animals, undomesticated animals, personalities, reproduction, survival, conservation]
Research has shown that animal behaviour and physiology vary among individuals of the same species in both domesticated and undomesticated animals. This book discusses variations in personalities, the functional significance of personalities in terms of reproduction, survival, and animal conservation. (pages 1 - 9)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Part I. Personalities across Animal Taxa

The Bold and the Spineless Invertebrate Personalities - Jennifer A. Mather, David M. Logue
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0002
[invertebrates, drosophila fruit flies, western grass spider, agelenopsis aperta, behavioral spillover, fishing spider, dolomedes triton, behavior tradeoffs, field cricket, gryllus sp]
This chapter focuses on personality studies in invertebrates. It discusses studies on the genetic control of the behavior of Drosophila fruit flies, foraging-predation tradeoffs in the Western grass spider (Agelenopsis aperta), behavioral spillover in the fishing spider (Dolomedes triton), behavioral tradeoffs in the field cricket (Gryllus sp.), and heritability of personality development in cephalopods. (pages 12 - 35)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Evolutionary Perspectives on Personality in Stickleback Fish - Alison M. Bell, Susan A. Foster, Wund Matthew
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0003
[personality, stickleback fishes, sticklebacks, adaptive radiation, behavioral syndrome]
This chapter examines personality in stickleback fish. Studies have shown that individual behavioral differences among populations are common in sticklebacks. By comparing groups of sticklebacks that either do or do not behave consistently, the chapter investigates the selective factors which can favor the evolution of personality in fishes. It begins with a discussion on the adaptive radiation of stickleback fish, followed by a brief historical background of stickleback behavioral research. The chapter then shows how relating individual differences among populations offers insights into the boldness-aggressiveness behavioral syndrome. (pages 36 - 65)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Avian Personality - Kees Van Oers, Naguib Marc
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0004
[birds, avian personality, genetic behavioral variation, animal welfare, husbandry, differential fitness]
Birds are key model organisms that helped behavioral biologists address a wide range of ecological and evolutionary questions. This chapter provides a historical overview of, and recent advances in, avian personality research. It also discusses the causes of genetic behavioral variation, the developmental aspects of personality, animal welfare and husbandry, and differential fitness effects. (pages 66 - 95)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Differential Behavioral Ecology - Alexander Weiss, Mark J. Adams
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0005
[nonhuman primates, differential psychology, trade-offs, life-history strategies, human personality, multidimensional approaches, multivariate approaches]
Nonhuman primates are ideal subjects for studies that link approaches from differential psychology and behavioral ecology. This chapter examines personality studies in nonhuman primates and integrates the findings obtained from differential psychology research, such as trade-offs and life-history strategies, human personality assessment, and multidimensional and multivariate approaches. (pages 96 - 123)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Personalities in a Comparative Perspective - Samuel D. Gosling, Pranjal H. Mehta
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0006
[animal personality, human personality, personality, cross-species comparison, personality psychology]
This chapter discusses the benefits of animal personality studies for understanding human personality. It first reviews animal personality studies across different species and then illustrates the benefits of taking a comparative perspective in personality research. The chapter also discusses some basic principles for making cross-species comparisons in personality psychology. (pages 124 - 145)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Part II. Genetics, Ecology, and Evolution of Animal Personalities

Quantitative and Molecular Genetics of Animal Personality - Kees Van Oers, David L. Sinn
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0007
[genetics, animal personality, additive genetic effects, nonadditive genetic effects, genetic correlations, heritability, animal traits]
This chapter addresses the quantitative and molecular genetics of animal personality. It discusses the role of additive and nonadditive genetic effects, genetic correlations between animal personality traits, and modes of development and heritability. The chapter also presents a formal meta-analysis of published studies on the heritability of personality estimates of animal traits. (pages 148 - 200)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

What Is the Evidence that Natural Selection Maintains Variation in Animal Personalities? - Niels J. Dingemanse, Denis Réale
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0008
[evolutionary mechanisms, behavioral variation, natural selection, phenotypic variation, selection acting, behavioral consistency]
This chapter investigates the role of evolutionary mechanisms in maintaining behavioral variation in animals. It analyzes whether natural selection favors situations where both phenotypic variation and behavioral consistency are maintained at the same time. The chapter focuses on empirical studies conducted in wild populations, which document selection acting on behavioral consistency. (pages 201 - 220)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Frontiers on the Interface between Behavioral Syndromes and Social Behavioral Ecology - Andrew Sih
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0009
[behavioral syndromes, mating, cooperation, social ecology, social situation, social plasticity, sensitivity, adaptive social plasticity, social skill, population fitness]
This chapter discusses how behavioral syndromes relate to mating and cooperation. It also examines the social ecology of behavioral syndromes by considering the following issues: (1) key aspects of social situation and quantifying variation in social situation; (2) the effects of social situation on fitness of different behavioral types; (3) variations in social plasticity and sensitivity; (4) adaptive social plasticity or social skill; and (5) the effects of the mix of behavioral types on group dynamics and population fitness. (pages 221 - 251)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

The Evolution of Animal Personalities - Max Wolf, G. Sander Van Doorn, Olof Leimar, Franz J. Weissing
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0010
[animal personalities, state differences, frequency-dependent selection, spatiotemporal variation, non-equilibrium dynamics, behavior, adaptive behavioral correlations]
This chapter focuses on evolutionary causes of animal personalities. First, it discusses the causes of variation within populations, and, in particular, describes how state differences, frequency-dependent selection, spatiotemporal variation in the environment, and non-equilibrium dynamics can cause variation in behavior. The chapter also examines the role of the architecture of behavior, stable state variables, and social conventions in causing adaptive behavioral correlations. (pages 252 - 275)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Part III. Development of Personalities and Their Underlying Mechanisms

Ontogeny of Stable Individual Differences - James P. Curley, Igor Branchi
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0011
[neurobiology, behavior, mother–offspring interactions, peer interaction, communal nesting, development]
This chapter discusses the mechanisms through which stable individual differences in neurobiology and behavior emerge during development, which include mother–offspring interactions, and peer interaction and communal nesting. The interaction between genes and environment in shaping behavioral responses is also discussed. Finally, the chapter describes the epigenetic routes of environmental influence on development. (pages 278 - 316)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Parental Influences on Offspring Personality Traits in Oviparous and Placental Vertebrates - Ton G. G. Groothuis, Dario Maestripieri
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0012
[maternal effects, personality development, oviparous vertebrates, placental vertebrates, maternal stress, androgens, estrogens]
This chapter explores the maternal effects on offspring personality development in both oviparous and placental vertebrates. In particular, it discusses how prenatal maternal stress and prenatal exposure to varying levels of androgens and estrogens can result in stable individual differences in offspring physiology and behavior later in life. (pages 317 - 352)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Neuroendocrine and Autonomic Correlates of Animal Personalities - Doretta Caramaschi, Claudio Carere, Andrea Sgoifo, Jaap M. Koolhaas
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0013
[animal personality, stress, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, sympatho-adrenomedullary pathway, sam, hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal, hpg, neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine]
This chapter explores the relationship between physiological and behavioral traits commonly considered in animal personality assessments, discussing the physiological responses to stress and the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), the sympatho-adrenomedullary pathway (SAM), and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG). It also presents evidence on linking the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, as well as cortical brain structures such as the hippocampus, to behavioral variations. (pages 353 - 377)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Part IV. Implications of Personality Research for Conservation Biology, Animal Welfare, and Human Health

Animal Personality and Conservation Biology The Importance of Behavioral Diversity - Brian R. Smith, Daniel T. Blumstein
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0014
[personality, behavioral diversity, genetic diversity, wild, captivity, exotic species, invasive species]
This chapter discusses how personality and behavioral diversity are important determinants of genetic diversity and the long-term persistence of populations, and also describes the anthropogenic factors influencing behavioral diversity in the wild and in captivity. This is followed by a discussion on the role of personality research in identifying potential threats such as exotic and invasive species. The chapter concludes with recommendations for understanding managing behavioral diversity. (pages 380 - 413)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Personality Variation in Cultured Fish Implications for Production and Welfare - Huntingford Felicity, Mesquita Flavia, Sunil Kadri
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0015
[personality variation, cultured fish, coping styles, fitness correlates, domestication, captive rearing, fish culture, fish personalities, fish]
This chapter examines personality variation in many species of cultured fish, and discusses coping styles, fitness correlates, domestication, and captive rearing. It also lists the criteria for effective fish culture and explores the different ways in which fish personalities are important for effective fish culture. (pages 414 - 440)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Behavioral, Physiological, and Health Biases in Laboratory Rodents - Sonia A. Cavigelli, Kerry C. Michael, Christina M. Ragan
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226922065.003.0016
[behavioral biases, rodent strains, physiological biases, health biases, human personality, animal research]
This chapter analyzes the behavioral biases seen among different laboratory rodent strains to determine whether these biases are associated with physiological and/or health biases, and the extent to which these relationships provide a basis for understanding the relationship between human personality and health. It also addresses the importance of animal research on personality, physiology, and health for a better understanding of human personality and health. (pages 441 - 498)
This chapter is available at:
University of Chicago Press
https://academic.oup.com/chica...

Index