Abstract
Individuality is a striking feature of animal behavior. Individual animals differ in traits and preferences which shape their interactions and their prospects for survival. However, the mechanisms underlying behavioral individuation are poorly understood and are generally considered to be genetic-based. Here, we devised a large environment, Souris City, in which mice live continuously in large groups. We observed the emergence of individual differences in social behavior, activity levels, and cognitive traits, even though the animals had low genetic diversity (inbred C57BL/6J strain). We further show that the phenotypic divergence in individual behaviors was mirrored by developing differences in midbrain dopamine neuron firing properties. Strikingly, modifying the social environment resulted in a fast re-adaptation of both the animal’s traits and its dopamine firing pattern. Individuality can rapidly change upon social challenges, and does not just depend on the genetic status or the accumulation of small differences throughout development.
Highlights
Individuality is a striking feature of animal behavior
A high rate of successive distinct RFID detections on tubeantennas within short time intervals were observed (Fig. 1d), indicating group dynamics and social events, i.e. two mice sequentially transitioning from one sub-compartment to another
Social interactions markedly influence a number of behaviors[17,31], yet how they affect the development of inter-individual variability has rarely been addressed in standardized tests
Summary
Individuality is a striking feature of animal behavior. Individual animals differ in traits and preferences which shape their interactions and their prospects for survival. Experiments with groups of nearclonal mice reared in a large and controlled environment have demonstrated behavioral divergence[12,13], which may emerge from the magnification of small initial differences in the epigenetic status or micro-environment of the animal[11] In this perspective, the combination of individual history and initial differences would form a unique path for each individual and may explain the phenotypic variability observed at the population level. We developed an experimental setup that combines an environment where animals live together with a modular testing platform, where animals are tested individually In this environment, mice have individual access to specific feeding-related tasks while their social, circadian, and cognitive behaviors are monitored continuously and for long periods of time using multiple sensors. These data indicate that, in isogenic mice and for a conserved environment, social relationships impact development of individuality, possibly by regulating the activity of the DAergic system
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