Macroevolutionary evidence suggests trait-dependent coevolution between behaviour and life-history

Species with fast life-histories typically prioritize current over future reproductive events, compared to species with slow life-histories. These species therefore require greater energetic input into reproduction, but also likely have less time to realize their reproductive potential. Hence, behaviours that increase access to both resources and mating opportunities, at a cost of increased mortality risk, are thought to coevolve with the pace of life-history. However, whether this prediction holds across species remains untested under standardized conditions. Here, we test how risky behaviours, which facilitate access to resources and mating opportunities (i.e. activity, boldness and aggression), along with metabolic rate, coevolve with the pace of life-history across 20 species of killifish, which present remarkable divergences in the pace of life-history. We found a positive association between the pace of life-history and aggression, but not with other behavioural traits or metaboli...