Exploring the connection between emergent animal personality and fitness using a novel individual-based model and decision tree approach
Authored by Morteza Mashayekhi, Brian MacPherson, Robin Gras, Ryan Scott
Date Published: 2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2017.06.004
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Abstract
The connection between reproductive fitness and animal personality is
not fully understood. Using computer simulations and machine learning,
we found high accuracy rules that predict which personalities are
associated with fitness for two correlated measures of components of
fitness applied a posteriori for classificatory purposes: fitness
component (1) in terms of survival and short-term reproductive success,
and fitness component (2) in terms of long term reproductive success
which is indirectly related to survival of the parents. Animals are
represented in the abstract as individuals with a genome that through
time develops into certain characteristic behaviors and personalities.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first simulation study of its
kind that extracts rules to investigate the link between personality and
fitness. Clearly separated behaviors between fit and non-fit individuals
emerged through the evolution of the population over time without
top-down processing. Moreover, we did not employ a pre-defined fitness
function, in order to minimize any possible biases toward a specific
type of behavior. With respect to fitness component (1), we found that
individuals with one of two extreme values of a personality trait
(either bold or fearful) tend to be most fit, which agrees with
empirical studies. With respect to fitness component (2), we found that
when resources are low, fit individuals search for food whereas if food
is abundant, they focus on reproduction, thereby suggesting the context
dependence of fitness related behaviors. Once again, these results agree
with empirical studies.
Tags
Animal behavior
fitness
Climate-change
Consequences
Ecological models
Reproduction
Trade-offs
Antipredator behavior
Extra-pair
Animal personality
Rule extraction
Internal states
Energy acquisition rates
Lifetime fitness
Intrinsic growth
Menidia-menidia