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.

行为上的稳定个体差异，以及不同情境内部与跨情境间的行为关联，被定义为动物个性（animal personalities）。这类变异模式已在诸多动物类群中被发现，且很可能带来重要的生态学与进化学后果。尽管其研究意义重大，但野生种群中动物个性变异的遗传与环境来源却鲜有被系统解析。本研究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进行了估算。研究结果显示，该种群的遗传力（heritability）较低（0.08~0.12），同时存在显著的同群效应（cohort effects，0.07~0.09），另有低至中等强度的母体效应（maternal effects，0.07~0.15）与永久环境效应（permanent environmental effects，0.08~0.16）。最后，本研究发现活动性与攻击性之间存在显著正向遗传相关（genetic correlation，0.68）以及母体效应相关（maternal effects correlation，0.58），证实了北美红松鼠中存在基于遗传基础的行为关联。本研究结果不仅证实了北美红松鼠行为存在可遗传的变异，同时也强调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重要作用。