Abstract
While among-individual variation in behaviour, or personality, is common across taxa, its mechanistic underpinnings are poorly understood. The Pace of Life syndrome (POLS) provides one possible explanation for maintenance of personality differences. POLS predicts that metabolic differences will covary with behavioural variation, with high metabolism associated with risk prone behaviour and ‘faster’ life histories (e.g., high growth, early maturation). We used a repeated measures approach, assaying metabolic traits (rate and scope), behaviour and growth to test these predictions in the Trinidadian guppy,Poecilia reticulata. We found that while individuals varied significantly in their behaviour and growth rate, more risk prone individuals did not grow significantly faster. Furthermore, after accounting for body size there was no support for among-individual variation in metabolic traits. Thus, while personality differences are clearly present in this population, they do not covary with metabolism and the POLS framework is not supported.
Highlights
Among individual variation in behaviour, or personality, is widespread across taxa, yet our knowledge of the mechanisms driving and maintaining this variation is limited
We conclude that while whole animal metabolic rate varies significantly among-individuals, this can be explained by body size alone, and there is no evidence of among-individual variation in mass-specific metabolic rate
Metabolic traits are not included in subsequent multivariate models
Summary
Among individual variation in behaviour, or personality, is widespread across taxa, yet our knowledge of the mechanisms driving and maintaining this variation is limited. POLS predicts that a fast pace-of life will be associated with more ‘risk prone’ behavioural types (Briffa et al, 2015) typically defined by greater boldness, exploratory tendency, and/or aggressiveness (Réale et al, 2010) These patterns are relatively well supported by studies comparing suites of traits at among-species and among-population levels. Populations of Trinidadian guppies, Poecilia reticulata, exposed to higher levels of predation tend to exhibit fast growth, early maturation and more risk-prone behaviours (e.g., emerging more rapidly from shelter in personality trials) (Reznick et al, 1996; Bronikowski et al, 2002; Harris et al, 2010)
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