Behavioural mediators of genetic life-history trade-offs: a test of the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis in field crickets. Issue 1864 (4th October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Santostefano, Francesca; Wilson, Alastair J.; Niemelä, Petri T.; Dingemanse, Niels J.
• Is Part Of: Proceedings. Volume 284:Issue 1864(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-10-04
• Subjects: genetic correlations -- life-history trade-offs -- path analysis -- pace-of-life -- animal model; Biology -- Periodicals; 570.5
• DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1567
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0962-8452

Abstract

Abstract : The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis predicts associations between life history and 'risky' behaviours. Individuals with 'fast' lifestyles should develop faster, reproduce earlier, exhibit more risk-prone behaviours, and die sooner than those with 'slow' lifestyles. While support for POLS has been equivocal to date, studies have relied on individual-level (phenotypic) patterns in which genetic trade-offs may be masked by environmental effects on phenotypes. We estimated genetic correlations between life history (development, lifespan, size) and risky behaviours (exploration, aggression) in a pedigreed population of Mediterranean field crickets ( Gryllus bimaculatus ). Path analyses showed that behaviours mediated some genetic relationships between life history traits, though not those involved in trade-offs. Thus, while specific predictions of POLS theory were not supported, genetic integration of behaviour and life history was present. This implies a major role for risky behaviours in life history evolution.