Data from: Low heritabilities, but genetic and maternal correlations between red squirrel behaviours.

Consistent individual differences in behaviour, and behavioural
correlations within and across contexts, are referred to as animal
personalities. These patterns of variation have been identified in many
animal taxa and are likely to have important ecological and evolutionary
consequences. Despite their importance, genetic and environmental sources
of variation in personalities have rarely been characterized in wild
populations. We used a Bayesian animal model approach to estimate genetic
parameters for aggression, activity and docility in North American red
squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). We found support for low
heritabilities (0.08-0.12), and cohort effects (0.07-0.09), as well as low
to moderate maternal effects (0.07-0.15) and permanent environmental
effects (0.08-0.16). Finally, we found evidence of a substantial positive
genetic correlation (0.68) and maternal effects correlation (0.58) between
activity and aggression providing evidence of genetically-based
behavioural correlations in red squirrels. These results provide evidence
for the presence of heritable variation in red squirrel behaviour, but
also emphasize the role of other sources of variation, including maternal
effects, in shaping patterns of variation and covariation in behavioural
traits.