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308 results for “Individual variation”
Data from: Preen oil chemical composition encodes individuality, seasonal variation and kinship in black kites Milvus migrans
Evidence that bird odour can encode social information that can be used in chemical communication is growing, but is restricted to a few taxonomic groups. Among birds, diurnal raptors (i.e. birds from the Accipitriformes and Falconiformes order) have always been considered as mainly relying on their visual abilities. Although they seem to have a functional sense of smell, whether their odour can convey social information has yet to be determined. Combining gas-chromatography-mass-spectrometry (GCMS) and microsatellite data, we tested whether chemical compounds from preen gland secretions can encode sex, age, individuality, seasonal differences and genetic relatedness in the gregarious accipitriform black kite Milvus migrans. While no differences in preen oil composition were found between age classes, an individual signature was detected. While a seasonal variation was found in both sexes, compounds differ between sexes in the non-breeding season. Finally, a significant correlation between chemical proximity and genetic proximity was detected in male-male dyads and male-female dyads but not in female-female dyads. Our study provides the first evidence in raptors that preen secretion can convey information that may potentially be used in individual recognition, reproductive synchronization and inbreeding avoidance, and suggests that raptors may rely upon their olfactory abilities more than previously thought. This study opens promising avenues for further studies in raptor chemical communication.
Data from: Shape analysis of symmetric structures: quantifying variation among individuals and asymmetry
Morphometric studies often consider parts with internal left-right symmetry, for instance, the vertebrate skull. This type of symmetry is called object symmetry and is distinguished from matching symmetry, in which two separate structures exist as mirror images of each other, one on each body side. We explain a method for partitioning the total shape variation of landmark configurations with object symmetry into components of symmetric variation among individuals and asymmetry. This method is based on the Procrustes superimposition of the original and a reflected copy of each landmark configuration and is compatible with the two-factor ANOVA model customary in studies of fluctuating asymmetry. We show a fully multivariate framework for testing the effects in the two-factor model with MANOVA statistics, which also applies to shapes with matching symmetry. We apply the new methods in a small case study of pharyngeal jaws of the Neotropical cichlid fish Amphilophus citrinellus. The analysis revealed that the symmetric component of variation in the pharyngeal jaws is dominated by the contrast between two alternative trophic morphs in this species and that there is subtle but statistically significant directional asymmetry. Finally, we provide some general recommendations for morphometric studies of symmetric shapes.
Data from: Heritable variation in colour patterns mediating individual recognition
Understanding the developmental and evolutionary processes that generate and maintain variation in natural populations remains a major challenge for modern biology. Populations of Polistes fuscatus paper wasps have highly variable colour patterns that mediate individual recognition. Previous experimental and comparative studies have provided evidence that colour pattern diversity is the result of selection for individuals to advertise their identity. Distinctive identity-signalling phenotypes facilitate recognition, which reduces aggression between familiar individuals in P. fuscatus wasps. Selection for identity signals may increase phenotypic diversity via two distinct modes of selection that have different effects on genetic diversity. Directional selection for increased plasticity would greatly increase phenotypic diversity but decrease genetic diversity at associated loci. Alternatively, heritable identity signals under balancing selection would maintain genetic diversity at associated loci. Here, we assess whether there is heritable variation underlying colour pattern diversity used for facial recognition in a wild population of P. fuscatus wasps. We find that colour patterns are heritable and not Mendelian, suggesting that multiple loci are involved. Additionally, patterns of genetic correlations among traits indicated that many of the loci underlying colour pattern variation are unlinked and independently segregating. Our results support a model where the benefits of being recognizable maintain genetic variation at multiple unlinked loci that code for phenotypic diversity used for recognition.
Data from: Combining animal personalities with transcriptomics resolves individual variation within a wild-type zebrafish population and identifies underpinning molecular differences in brain function
Resolving phenotype variation within a population in response to environmental perturbation is central to understanding biological adaptation. Relating meaningful adaptive changes at the level of the transcriptome requires the identification of processes that have a functional significance for the individual. This remains a major objective towards understanding the complex interactions between environmental demand and an individual's capacity to respond to such demands. The interpretation of such interactions and the significance of biological variation between individuals from the same or different populations remain a difficult and under-addressed question. Here, we provide evidence that variation in gene expression between individuals in a zebrafish population can be partially resolved by a priori screening for animal personality and accounts for >9% of observed variation in the brain transcriptome. Proactive and reactive individuals within a wild-type population exhibit consistent behavioural responses over time and context that relates to underlying differences in regulated gene networks and predicted protein–protein interactions. These differences can be mapped to distinct regions of the brain and provide a foundation towards understanding the coordination of underpinning adaptive molecular events within populations.
Data from: Individual variation in the oxidative costs of personality traits
1.'Personality traits' are behavioural differences between individuals that are stable within individuals. Different combinations of personality traits can correlate with fitness variation but the mechanisms remain unclear. There is the suggestion that personality reflects variation in physiology. For example, 'fast' (bold, active, fast exploring) individuals are predicted to maintain a higher metabolic rate than 'slow' animals. A raised metabolic rate can result in a proliferation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which, if unchecked, cause oxidative stress. Thus, the 'extended pace of life theory' predicts that 'fast' individuals will pay higher oxidative costs than 'slow' ones. Alternatively, stress hormones, which are often relatively high in 'slow' individuals, can also cause proliferation of ROS and subsequent oxidative damage. Here, we assessed co-variation between personality and oxidative profile in wild blue tits. 2.The personality traits neophobia (latency to approach food near novel objects), activity level in a novel environment and exploratory tendency (controlling for differences in activity) assayed in captivity were repeatable within individuals but were uncorrelated with each other. Reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs an index of pro-oxidant status) and OXY (antioxidant capacity) were also uncorrelated with each other and did not vary with age or sex. Blood sampling birds within three minutes of capture from their familiar cage versus after 15 minutes of exposure to a standardised stressor did not affect ROMs or OXY. 3.Wintering blue tits that were both highly neophobic and exploratory had low OXY defences and individuals that showed low neophobia and low exploration had high OXY defences. Variation in ROMs was not explained by any personality trait. High exploratory tendency also correlated with a reduction in body condition in captivity, but body condition did not predict ROMs or OXY. Activity level in the exploration trial did not vary with oxidative profile or change in body condition. 4.Personality types differed in antioxidant defences, and it was the combination of an individual's personality traits that proved important. ROS production and antioxidant defences will vary due to many processes e.g. resource allocation, not just metabolic rate and stress responsiveness. Consequently, the costs of personality traits and thus the predictions regarding fitness are complex. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Metabolic rate interacts with resource availability to determine individual variation in microhabitat use in the wild
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Ecological pressures such as competition can lead individuals within a population to partition resources or habitats, but the underlying intrinsic mechanisms that determine an individual's resource use are not well understood. Here we show that an individual's own energy demand and associated competitive ability influence its resource use, but only when food is more limiting. We tested whether intraspecific variation in metabolic rate leads to microhabitat partitioning among juvenile Atlantic salmon (<i>Salmo salar</i>) in natural streams subjected to manipulated nutrient levels and subsequent <i>per capita</i> food availability. We found that individual salmon from families with a higher baseline (standard) metabolic rate (which is associated with greater competitive ability) tended to occupy faster flowing water, but only in streams with lower <i>per capita</i> food availability. Faster flowing microhabitats yield more food, but high metabolic rate fish only benefited from faster growth in streams with high food levels, presumably because in low food environments the cost of a high metabolism offset the benefits of acquiring a productive microhabitat. The benefits of a given metabolic rate were thus context-dependent. These results demonstrate that intraspecific variation in metabolic rate can interact with resource availability to determine the spatial structuring of wild populations.</p>
Data from: Individual foraging variation drives social organization in bottlenose dolphins
Identifying foraging variation within a population and assessing its relationship with social structure is essential to increase knowledge about the evolution of social systems. Here, we investigated individual foraging variation in bottlenose dolphins and its potential influence on their social organization. We used generalized affiliation indices and applied social network analysis to data collected over 4 consecutive years of research in a coastal area subject to significant use and pressure by humans. Our findings revealed variation in foraging behavior among individual bottlenose dolphins, which in turn shapes their social organization. Our results indicated that individuals that frequently foraged within human-altered areas (i.e., shellfish farms) exhibited weaker Strength, Reach, and Affinity compared to others. These bottlenose dolphins profit from a reliable and easily located food source which may increase their energy intake and inter-individual competition. In contrast, individuals that foraged less frequently within the shellfish farms occupied a central position within the network and exhibited strong associations. These individuals may benefit from increased cooperation and reduced intragroup competition, thus increasing learning and information-sharing, as they may face a patchy and irregular distribution of prey. We also demonstrated that bottlenose dolphins preferred to affiliate with other individuals with similar foraging strategies (i.e., homophily), which could promote, through time, a segregation of the population into behaviorally distinct groups. These findings provide valuable insight into the evolution of bottlenose dolphin social systems and their response to human-induced changes in the marine environment.
Data from: Individual variation in the social plasticity of water dragons
Individuals should alter when they socially associate with conspecifics to avoid potentially costly interactions. Moreover, individuals may vary in their propensity to use information about conspecifics when making such social decisions. However, surprisingly little is known about either the determinants of, or individual variation in, such 'social plasticity'. We show here that eastern water dragons (Intellegama lesueurii lesueurii) may simultaneously use information from different components of their social environment when deciding whether or not to socially associate. In particular, we found that individuals altered when they socially associated according to levels of potential conflict and competition in their social environment; both sexes socially associated more at higher local density than would be expected under increased random encounters. Further, females were more likely to socially associate during the breeding season, and when there were more males and/or conspecifics whom they typically avoided in their social environment. This suggests that females may seek safety in numbers when the potential for intra-sexual conflict or sexual harassment is high. Using a behavioural reaction-norm framework, we also provide novel evidence to show that individuals vary in the extent and direction of their social plasticity, and that males varied more than females. Our study thus implies that individuals use multiple cues in their environment when deciding to socially associate, and that the resulting social plasticity varies between the sexes and between individuals.
Data from: Individual variation, population-specific behaviours, and stochastic processes shape marine migration phenologies
1. The phenology of long distance migrations can influence individual fitness, moderate population dynamics, and regulate the availability of ecosystem services to other trophic levels. Phenology varies within and among populations, and can be influenced by conditions individuals experience both prior to departure and encounter en route. 2. Assessing how intrinsic and extrinsic factors (e.g. individual physical condition vs. environmental conditions) interact to influence variation in migratory phenologies across ecological scales is often limited due to logistical constraints associated with tracking large numbers of individuals from multiple populations simultaneously. 3. We used two natural tags, DNA and otolith microstructure analysis, to estimate the relative influence of individual traits (life history strategy, body size at departure, and growth during migration), population-specific strategies, and interannual variability on the phenology of marine migrations in juvenile sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka. 4. We show that the timing and duration of juvenile sockeye salmon migrations were correlated with both life history strategy and body size, while migration duration was also correlated with departure timing and growth rates during migration. Even after accounting for the effect of individual traits, several populations exhibited distinct migration phenologies. Finally, we observed substantial interannual and residual variation, suggesting stochastic environmental conditions moderate the influence of carry-over effects that develop prior to departure, as well as population-specific strategies. 5. Migratory phenologies are shaped by complex interactions between drivers acting at multiple ecological and temporal scales. Given evidence that intraspecific diversity can stabilize ecological systems, conservation efforts should seek to maintain migratory variation among populations and preserve locally adapted phenotypes; however, variation within populations, which may buffer systems from environmental stochasticity, should also be regularly assessed and preserved.
Data from: Age-dependent trait variation: the relative contribution of within-individual change, selective appearance and disappearance in a long-lived seabird
1. Within populations, the expression of phenotypic traits typically varies with age. Such age-dependent trait variation can be caused by within-individual change (improvement, senescence, terminal effects) and/or selective (dis)appearance of certain phenotypes among older age classes. 2. In this study we applied two methods (decomposition and mixed-modelling) to attribute age-dependent variation in seven phenological and reproductive traits to within-individual change and selective (dis)appearance, in a long-lived seabird, the common tern (Sterna hirundo). 3. At the population level, all traits, except the probability to breed, improved with age (i.e., phenology advanced and reproductive output increased). Both methods identified within-individual change as the main responsible process, and within individuals, performance improved until age 6-13, before levelling off. In contrast, within individuals, breeding probability decreased to age 10, then levelled off. 4. Effects of selective appearance and disappearance were small, but showed that longer-lived individuals had a higher breeding probability and bred earlier, and that younger recruits performed better throughout life than older recruits in terms of both phenology and reproductive performance. In the year prior to death, individuals advanced reproduction, suggesting terminal investment. 5. The decomposition method attributed more age-dependent trait variation to selective disappearance than the mixed-modelling method: 14-36% versus 0-8%, respectively, which we identify to be due to covariance between rates of within-individual change and selective (dis)appearance leading to biased results from the decomposition method. 6. We conclude that the decomposition method is ideal for visualising processes underlying population change in performance from one age class to the next, but that a mixed-modelling method is required to investigate the significance and relative contribution of age-effects. 7. Considerable variation in the contribution of the different age-processes between the seven phenotypic traits studied, as well as notable differences between species in patterns of age-dependent trait expression, calls for better predictions regarding optimal allocation strategies with age.
Data from: Personality and gonadal development as sources of individual variation in response to GnRH challenge in female great tits
Seasonal timing of reproduction is a key life-history trait, but we know little about the mechanisms underlying individual variation in female endocrine profiles associated with reproduction. In birds, 17β-estradiol is a key reproductive hormone that links brain neuroendocrine mechanisms, involved in information processing and decision making, to downstream mechanisms in the liver, where egg-yolk is produced. Here we test, using a simulated induction of the reproductive system through a GnRH-challenge, whether the ovary of pre-breeding female great tits responds to a brain stimulation by increasing estradiol. We also assess how this response is modified by individual-specific traits like age, ovarian follicle size and personality, using females from lines artificially selected for divergent levels of exploratory behaviour. We show that a GnRH injection leads to a rapid increase in circulating concentrations of estradiol but responses varied among individuals. Females with more developed ovarian follicles showed stronger responses and females from lines selected for fast exploratory behaviour showed stronger increases compared to females from the slow line, indicating a heritable component. This study shows that the response of the ovary to a reproductive stimulation from the brain greatly varies among individuals and that this variation can be attributed to several commonly measured individual traits, which sheds light on the mechanisms shaping heritable endocrine phenotypes.
Data from: Positioning behavior according to individual color variation improves camouflage in novel habitats
Behavior can play a key role in adaptation, especially in novel environments. Here we study how ground-perching grasshoppers that colonized street pavements as novel habitats behaviorally manage their detection rates by predators. We found that grasshoppers positioned themselves aligned with the spaces between adjacent bricks more than expected by chance. By performing a virtual predation experiment, we confirmed that this positioning behavior decreases predation rate. Surprisingly, individuals with a poorer cryptic coloration made greater use of this positioning behavior, while individuals with a better cryptic coloration relied more on background color matching. Additionally, positioning behavior interacted with other anti-predation behaviors: individuals who were positioned on the space between bricks allowed potential predators to get closer before fleeing. These results indicate that these grasshoppers showed adaptive flexibility in camouflage and escape behaviors as a function of both individual and environmental variation. Such behavioral flexibility should allow organisms to cope better with novel environments, which deserves more study especially in the current context of global change.
FIGURE 5 in Problems with the taxonomy of Phytoptus tetratrichus Nalepa 1890 (Acari: Eriophyoidea) inhabiting Tilia spp.: Analysis based on morphological variation among individuals
FIGURE 5. Leaf damage caused by Phytoptus tetratrichus on Tilia americana.
Data from: Simple metrics to characterize inter-individual and temporal variation in habitat selection behaviour
<p>1. Individual variation in habitat selection and movement behavior is receiving growing attention, but primarily with respect to characterizing behaviors in different contexts as opposed to decomposing structure in behavior within populations. This focus may be limiting advances in understanding the diversity of individual behavior and its influence on population organization. We propose a framework for characterizing variation in space-use behavior with the aim of advancing interpretation of its form and function.</p> <p>2. Using outputs from integrated Step Selection Analyses of 20 years of telemetry data from African elephants (<em>Loxodonta Africana</em>), we developed four metrics characterizing differentiation in resource selection behavior within a population [specialization (magnitude of the response independent of direction), heterogeneity (inter-individual variation), consistency (temporal shift in response) and reversal (frequency of directional changes in the response)].</p> <p>3. We contrast insight from the developed metrics relative to the mean population response using an example focused on two covariates. We then expanded this contrast by evaluating if the metrics identify structurally important information on seasonal shifts in resource selection behaviors in addition to that provided by mean selection coefficients through Principal Component Analyses (PCAs) and a random forest classification.</p> <p>4. The simplified example highlighted that for some covariates focusing on the population average failed to capture complex individual variation in behaviors. The PCAs revealed that the developed metrics provided additional information in explaining the patterns in elephant selection beyond that offered by population average covariate values. For elephants, specialization and heterogeneity were informative, with specialization often being a better descriptor of differences in seasonal resource selection behavior than population average responses. Summarizing these metrics spatially and temporally, we illustrate how these metrics can provide insights on overlooked aspects of animal behavior.</p> <p>5. Our work offers a new approach in how we conceptualize variation in space-use behavior (i.e., habitat selection and movement) by providing ways of encapsulating variation that enables diagnoses of the drivers of individual level variability in a population. <span>The developed metrics explicitly distill how variation in a behavior is structured among individuals and over time which could facilitate comparative work across time, populations, or strata within populations.</span></p>
Repeatable individual variation in migration timing in two anadromous salmonids and ecological consequences
<p>Consistent individual differences in behaviour has been demonstrated for many animals, but there are few studies of consequences of such repeated behaviour in the wild. We tested consistency in migration timing to and from the sea among anadromous Arctic char (<i>Salvelinus alpinus</i>) and brown trout (<i>Salmo trutta</i>), using data from a study period of about 25 years, including more than 27,000 uniquely Carlin-tagged individuals that migrated to sea for feeding in the spring and returned to the river in late summer for up to 13 successive years. Consistency was found between individuals across time in timing of the seaward migration. Individuals migrating early during their first migration tended to migrate early the following years, and late migrants tended to migrate late. The same pattern was found also at ascent to freshwater. Hence, this study demonstrated that individual fish in nature can differ in behaviour related to migration timing, and that these differences can be consistent during their life time. Early migrants increased their mass more than late migrants, and had a higher specific growth rate. Early migrating Arctic char, but not brown trout, experienced a longer life after the first migration to sea than late migrants. In both species, maturity occurred earlier in individuals that migrated early. For brown trout, but not for Arctic char, fecundity was significantly correlated to the timing of smolt migration. Hence, the repeatable individual variation in migration timing seemed to have ecological and fitness consequences in terms of growth, longevity, timing of maturity, and life-time fecundity.</p>
Figures 4–5 in Individual variation in the advertisement call of Aplastodiscus albosignatus (Anura: Hylidae) is correlated with body size and environmental temperature
Figures 4–5. Spectrogram and oscillogram of two advertisement calls of the same male of Aplastodiscus albosignatus: (4) call with the dominant frequency in the first harmonic (= minimum frequency); (5) call with the dominant frequency in the third harmonic. Male recorded on January 14, 2020, voucher of specimen RLUTF 1220, voucher of recording FNJV 45563, 4.7 g, 44.8 mm, 18.1 °C.
The Realtime Detection for Individual Variation of Analgesic ：A Comparison of Sufentanil vs Fentanyl
ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT01748071. IPD Sharing: Not stated. Countries: 1. Publications: 0.
Mechanisms Underlying Individual Variations of Taste and Smell in Obesity
ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT04714892. IPD Sharing: YES. Countries: 1. Publications: 0.
Data from: Predicting gene function from uncontrolled expression variation among individual wild-type Arabidopsis plants
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Data from: Skill not athleticism predicts individual variation in match performance of soccer players
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.