Negative phenotypic and genetic correlation between natal dispersal propensity and nest-defence behaviour in a wild bird.

ABSTRACT: Natural selection is expected to favour the integration of dispersal and phenotypic traits allowing individuals to reduce dispersal costs. Accordingly, associations have been found between dispersal and personality traits such as aggressiveness and exploration, which may facilitate settlement in a novel environment. However, the determinism of these associations has only rarely been explored. Here, we highlight the functional integration of individual personality in nest-defence behaviour and natal dispersal propensity in a long-lived colonial bird, the Alpine swift (Apus melba), providing insights into genetic constraints shaping the coevolution of these two traits. We report a negative association between natal dispersal and nest-defence (i.e. risk taking) behaviour at both the phenotypi

SUBMITTER: Bize P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5543023 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature