Personality, Plasticity, and Resource Polymorphisms

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As humans, we all exhibit behavioural differences that give us a distinctive character or quality, even though our behaviour is flexible. We call these differences personality.******In the past few years, behavioural scientists have accumulated a lot of evidence that wild animals from the same population also differ in personality traits, such as general activity, sociability, boldness, and willingness to take risks in new situations. These scientists have also shown that differences in personality can be related to field behaviours important to an animal's survival and reproduction, including foraging, mating, and finding a new place to live. Trying to understand the genetic (nature) and environmental (nurture) mechanisms creating these personality differences is an area of active research.******Our research on brook charr (also called brook trout) examines how personality differences contribute to the tendency for populations of animals to diverge into subgroups differing in where and what they eat, and the size and form of their body and brains. This phenomenon, called resource polymorphism, occurs commonly in fishes from northern streams and lakes. Resource polymorphisms represent unique biodiversity that can lead to the evolution of new species. Understanding the mechanisms creating resource polymorphisms is needed in this time of global losses of species, especially fish. ******Our research will examine the co-creation of personality and resource polymorphisms in three steps. It will first examine personality differences early in life and the intrinsic factors (e.g. energy state) influencing these differences. It will then ask if these personality differences predispose individuals to adopt a specific foraging style and location. Lastly, it will test a variety of mechanisms that could create behavioural feedback loops that can cause the divergence in behaviour and body form seen in resource polymorphisms. For example, foraging in a particular style or location can induce changes in body shape that reinforce that foraging style, such that individuals with differing foraging styles develop very different body forms. ******In this way, resource polymorphisms offer an excellent opportunity to understand the mechanisms creating animal personalities, and the factors facilitating and constraining flexibility in behaviour. At the same time, feedback models proposed to understand divergence in personality provide an excellent opportunity to learn about the mechanisms responsible for resource polymorphism, in ways that should help us preserve this fascinating form of biodiversity.