Behavioral Ecology Advance Access published online on January 22, 2008
Behavioral Ecology, doi:10.1093/beheco/arm144
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fitness consequences of personality: a meta-analysis
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
Address correspondence to B.R. Smith. E-mail: smithbr{at}ucla.edu.
 |
Abstract |
|---|
The study of nonhuman personality capitalizes on the fact that individuals of many species behave in predictable, variable, and quantifiable ways. Although a few empirical studies have examined the ultimate consequences of personality differences, there has been no synthesis of results. We conducted a formal meta-analysis of published studies reporting fitness consequences of single personality dimensions to identify general trends across species. We found bolder individuals had increased reproductive success, particularly in males, but incurred a survival cost, thus, supporting the hypothesis that variation in boldness was maintained due to a "trade-off" in fitness consequences across contexts. Potential mechanisms maintaining variation in exploration and aggression are not as clear. Exploration had a positive effect only on survival, whereas aggression had a positive effect on both reproductive success and, not significantly, on survival. Such results would suggest that selection is driving populations to become more explorative and aggressive. However, limitations in meta-analytic techniques preclude us from testing for the effects of fluctuating environmental conditions or other forms of selection on these dimensions. Results do, however, provide evidence for general relationships between personality and fitness, and we provide a framework for future studies to follow in the hopes of spurring more in-depth, long-term research into the evolutionary mechanisms maintaining variation in personality dimensions and overall behavioral syndromes. We conclude with a discussion on how understanding and managing personality traits may play a key role in the captive breeding and recovery programs of endangered species.
Key words: behavioral syndrome, fitness, personality, reproductive success, survival.
Received 29 November 2006; revised 27 November 2007; accepted 28 November 2007.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. D. M. Wilson and J.-G. J. Godin Boldness and intermittent locomotion in the bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus Behav. Ecol., November 16, 2009; (2009) arp157v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. H. J. M. Kurvers, H. H. T. Prins, S. E. van Wieren, K. van Oers, B. A. Nolet, and R. C. Ydenberg The effect of personality on social foraging: shy barnacle geese scrounge more Proc R Soc B, October 28, 2009; (2009) rspb.2009.1474v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. A. Jones and J.-G. J. Godin Are fast explorers slow reactors? Linking personality type and anti-predator behaviour Proc R Soc B, October 28, 2009; (2009) rspb.2009.1607v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Carrete and J. L. Tella Individual consistency in flight initiation distances in burrowing owls: a new hypothesis on disturbance-induced habitat selection Biol Lett, October 28, 2009; (2009) rsbl.2009.0739v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. M. Logue, S. Mishra, D. McCaffrey, D. Ball, and W. H. Cade A behavioral syndrome linking courtship behavior toward males and females predicts reproductive success from a single mating in the hissing cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa Behav. Ecol., July 1, 2009; 20(4): 781 - 788. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Minderman, J. M. Reid, P. G.H. Evans, and M. J. Whittingham Personality traits in wild starlings: exploration behavior and environmental sensitivity Behav. Ecol., July 1, 2009; 20(4): 830 - 837. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. M. While, D. L. Sinn, and E. Wapstra Female aggression predicts mode of paternity acquisition in a social lizard Proc R Soc B, June 7, 2009; 276(1664): 2021 - 2029. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. D.M. Wilson and J.-G. J. Godin Boldness and behavioral syndromes in the bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus Behav. Ecol., March 1, 2009; 20(2): 231 - 237. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J Cote, A Dreiss, and J Clobert Social personality trait and fitness Proc R Soc B, December 22, 2008; 275(1653): 2851 - 2858. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Beauchamp What is the magnitude of the group-size effect on vigilance? Behav. Ecol., November 1, 2008; 19(6): 1361 - 1368. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|