Of city and village mice
- A fundamental question of current ecological research concerns the drives and limits of species responses to human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC). Behavioural responses to HIREC are a key component because behaviour links individual responses to population and community changes. Ongoing fast urbanization provides an ideal setting to test the functional role of behaviour for responses to HIREC. Consistent behavioural differences between conspecifics (animal personality) may be important determinants or constraints of animals’ adaptation to urban habitats. We tested whether urban and rural populations of small mammals differ in mean trait expression, flexibility and repeatability of behaviours associated to risk-taking and exploratory tendencies. Using a standardized behavioural test in the field, we quantified spatial exploration and boldness of striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius, n = 96) from nine sub-populations, presenting different levels of urbanisation and anthropogenic disturbance. The level of urbanisationA fundamental question of current ecological research concerns the drives and limits of species responses to human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC). Behavioural responses to HIREC are a key component because behaviour links individual responses to population and community changes. Ongoing fast urbanization provides an ideal setting to test the functional role of behaviour for responses to HIREC. Consistent behavioural differences between conspecifics (animal personality) may be important determinants or constraints of animals’ adaptation to urban habitats. We tested whether urban and rural populations of small mammals differ in mean trait expression, flexibility and repeatability of behaviours associated to risk-taking and exploratory tendencies. Using a standardized behavioural test in the field, we quantified spatial exploration and boldness of striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius, n = 96) from nine sub-populations, presenting different levels of urbanisation and anthropogenic disturbance. The level of urbanisation positively correlated with boldness, spatial exploration and behavioural flexibility, with urban dwellers being bolder, more explorative and more flexible in some traits than rural conspecifics. Thus, individuals seem to distribute in a non-random way in response to human disturbance based on their behavioural characteristics. Animal personality might therefore play a key role in successful coping with the challenges of HIREC.…
Verfasserangaben: | Melanie DammhahnORCiDGND, Valeria MazzaORCiD, Annika SchirmerORCiDGND, Claudia Göttsche, Jana EccardORCiDGND |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-480063 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.25932/publishup-48006 |
ISSN: | 1866-8372 |
Titel des übergeordneten Werks (Deutsch): | Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe |
Untertitel (Englisch): | behavioural adjustments of striped field mice to urban environments |
Schriftenreihe (Bandnummer): | Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe (1007) |
Publikationstyp: | Postprint |
Sprache: | Englisch |
Datum der Erstveröffentlichung: | 24.10.2020 |
Erscheinungsjahr: | 2020 |
Veröffentlichende Institution: | Universität Potsdam |
Datum der Freischaltung: | 24.10.2020 |
Freies Schlagwort / Tag: | animal personality; apodemus-agrarius; avian personalities; exploratory-behavior; fitness consequences; individual variation; natal dispersal; natural-selection; personality-traits; rural populations |
Ausgabe: | 1007 |
Seitenanzahl: | 14 |
Quelle: | Scientific Reports 10 (2020) Art. 13056 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69998-6 |
Organisationseinheiten: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Biochemie und Biologie |
DDC-Klassifikation: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 50 Naturwissenschaften / 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik |
6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 60 Technik / 600 Technik, Technologie | |
Peer Review: | Referiert |
Publikationsweg: | Open Access / Green Open-Access |
Lizenz (Deutsch): | CC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International |
Externe Anmerkung: | Bibliographieeintrag der Originalveröffentlichung/Quelle |