Genetic and environmental sources of behavioural individuality: a test of the standard model
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
- 2Environmental and Conservation Sciences Graduate Group, Fargo, ND, USA
- 3Department of Biological Sciences, INRAE, Paris, Île-de-France, France
Abstract
Behavioural variation is typically assumed to arise from the combination and interaction of genetic and environmental variation. However, recent work with genetically identical individuals has found that substantial behavioural individuality is expressed even when genetic and environmental variation are negligible. This surprising result requires direct testing of our standard model for the sources of behavioural individuality. Here, we tested the standard model by comparing among-individual variation in highly inbred crickets versus outbred crickets. Comparing inbred and outbred lines allows for direct testing of the standard model by contrasting the magnitude of among-individual variation in a uniform versus varied genetic background. We found substantial and significant differences in among-individual variances, with among-individual variances being roughly three times greater in outbred versus inbred crickets (posterior probability, p = 0.974). Repeatability was also significantly different between inbred and outbred crickets (0.15 versus 0.41, respectively; p = 0.984). This result supports the standard model and suggests that the surprising expression of behavioural variation in clonal and parthenogenic species may represent an important but unique pathway for the expression of behavioural individuality.
Related
- Behavioural state inference from movement and environmental data using Markovian step selection functions
- EXPRESS: Beyond the bowl: behavioural, sensory and environmental strategies to support healthy ageing in cats
- Light Rare Earth Elements in Plants: Environmental Sources, Bioavailability, Uptake, Nutrient Interactions, Mechanisms, and Concentration-Dependent Physiological and Signaling Reactions
- Genetic and behavioural repertoires support olfactory communication in wild capuchin monkeys
- Hebbian learning generates individuality in spatial decision-making
BibTeX
@article{sweep2026genetic,
title = {{Genetic and environmental sources of behavioural individuality: a test of the standard model}},
author = {Zachary J. Sweep and Raphaël Royauté and Ned A. Dochtermann},
journal = {Biology Letters},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1098/rsbl.2026.0511},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2026.0511},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genetic and environmental sources of behavioural individuality: a test of the standard model
AU - Zachary J. Sweep
AU - Raphaël Royauté
AU - Ned A. Dochtermann
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Biology Letters
DO - 10.1098/rsbl.2026.0511
UR - https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2026.0511
AB - Behavioural variation is typically assumed to arise from the combination and interaction of genetic and environmental variation. However, recent work with genetically identical individuals has found that substantial behavioural individuality is expressed even when genetic and environmental variation are negligible. This surprising result requires direct testing of our standard model for the sources of behavioural individuality. Here, we tested the standard model by comparing among-individual variation in highly inbred crickets versus outbred crickets. Comparing inbred and outbred lines allows for direct testing of the standard model by contrasting the magnitude of among-individual variation in a uniform versus varied genetic background. We found substantial and significant differences in among-individual variances, with among-individual variances being roughly three times greater in outbred versus inbred crickets (posterior probability, p = 0.974). Repeatability was also significantly different between inbred and outbred crickets (0.15 versus 0.41, respectively; p = 0.984). This result supports the standard model and suggests that the surprising expression of behavioural variation in clonal and parthenogenic species may represent an important but unique pathway for the expression of behavioural individuality.
SN - 1744-9561
SN - 1744-957X
ER -