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Sex differences in the predictability of risk-taking behavior
Jack A Brand1, Jason Henry2, Gabriela C Melo1
1School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia.
Summary
Individual differences in behavioral predictability may be heritable. In mosquitofish, males were bolder than females, but sex differences in behavioral predictability varied by assay.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral ecology
- Animal behavior
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Individual differences in behavioral consistency (predictability) are recognized, with potential heritability.
- Factors driving variation in behavioral predictability, especially sex-specific differences, remain unclear.
- Behavioral predictability has implications for fitness, particularly concerning predation vulnerability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in the predictability of risk-taking behavior in eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki).
- To determine if mean-level risk-taking behavior and its predictability differ between males and females across multiple assays.
Main Methods:
- Repeatedly measured risk-taking behavior in male and female mosquitofish using refuge-use, thigmotaxis, and foraging latency assays.
- Conducted a total of 954 behavioral trials to assess repeatability and individual consistency.
- Analyzed sex differences in both the average level of risk-taking and its predictability.
Main Results:
- Risk-taking behavior was repeatable within each assay, and some individuals showed consistent boldness across assays.
- Males exhibited consistently higher levels of risk-taking behavior than females across all assays.
- Sex differences in behavioral predictability were assay-specific, varying in magnitude and direction.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral predictability can be independent of mean-level behavioral traits.
- Males and females may adjust the consistency of their risk-taking behavior differently in response to environmental cues.
- Findings highlight the complex interplay between sex, behavior predictability, and environmental context.
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