DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Behavioral type - environment correlations in three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

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Consistent individual differences in behavior, analogous to personality in humans, are ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom. Animals can serve as models to study the evolutionary and ecological causes and consequences of personality in ways that are not possible in human psychology. For example, researchers interested in differences in boldness, aggression, and exploratory behavior have studied a fish, named the three-spined stickleback, that has a relatively short lifespan and is easy to care for. Previous studies have shown that different personalities of three-spined stickleback occur in different habitats and social environments in nature. The goal of this project is to determine 1) whether the personality of an individual is shaped by their environment, i.e. via plasticity; 2) if certain personalities consistently use certain environments over time (for example, if bold individuals always occur in large social groups); and 3) whether individuals tend to occur in environments for which they are well-suited. The project comprises an intensive laboratory-based experiment and a large-scale study of three-spined stickleback in their natural environment to provide a complete understanding of why some personalities are more likely to occur in certain habitats or social environments. This work has important implications for understanding why animals, including humans, show such marked variation in behavior that is consistent across time or context. This project provides ample training opportunities for undergraduates to become future scientists. The topic of the research, especially the field component, is highly accessible to a general audience and will be presented as science-in-action to local citizens and vacationers throughout the field season in rural Mendocino County, CA. Data from this project will be made available in the Dryad Digital Repository (datadryad.org).