Animal personality due to social niche specialisation
The existence of ‘animal personality’, i.e. consistent individual differences in behaviour across time and contexts, is an evolutionary puzzle that has recently generated considerable research interest. Although social factors are generally considered to be important, it is as yet unclear how they might select for personality. Drawing from ecological niche theory, we explore how social […]
Acute and repeated exposure to social conflict in male golden hamsters: Increases in plasma POMC-peptides and cortisol and decreases in plasma testosterone
The purpose of the present study was to characterize the hormonal response of dominant and submissive male hamsters to acute and repeated exposure to social conflict. We found that submissive, but not dominant, males exhibited elevated plasma levels of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), cortisol, and [beta]-endorphin ([beta]-EP) following one exposure to an agonistic encounter. After five exposures […]
Reproductive correlates of social network variation in plurally breeding degus (Octodon degus)
Studying the causes and reproductive consequences of social variation can provide insight into the evolutionary basis of sociality. Individuals are expected to behave adaptively to maximize reproductive success, but reproductive outcomes can also depend on group structure. Degus (Octodon degus) are plurally breeding rodents, in which females allonurse indiscriminately. However, communal rearing does not appear […]