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.行为层面的个体一致性差异，以及不同情境内部与跨情境的行为关联，被定义为动物个性（animal personalities）。这类变异模式已在众多动物类群中被发现，且极可能产生重要的生态与进化效应。尽管动物个性具有重要研究价值，但野生种群中动物个性变异的遗传与环境来源却鲜有系统性表征。我们采用贝叶斯动物模型（Bayesian animal model）方法，对北美红松鼠（Tamiasciurus hudsonicus）的攻击性、活动性与温顺性的遗传参数开展了估算。研究结果显示，其遗传力（heritability）较低（0.08~0.12）、同期群效应（cohort effect）为0.07~0.09，同时存在低至中等程度的母体效应（maternal effect，0.07~0.15）与永久环境效应（permanent environmental effect，0.08~0.16）。最后，我们发现活动性与攻击性之间存在显著的正向遗传相关（genetic correlation，0.68）与母体效应相关（maternal effect correlation，0.58），这为红松鼠的行为关联存在遗传基础提供了实证依据。本研究结果不仅证实了红松鼠行为存在可遗传变异，同时也凸显了包括母体效应在内的其他变异来源，在塑造行为性状的变异与协变模式中所发挥的关键作用。