Long-term repeatability and age-related plasticity of female behaviour in a free-living passerine

摘要: Behaviour is often both repeatable among individuals (i.e. personality) and plastically adjusted within according to environmental conditions or age. Yet, little known about the repeatability age-related plasticity in behavioural traits across lifetime of free-living animals, which is, however, crucial for understanding development evolutionary consequences personality wild. Here, we explored long-term (co)variation age-dependent expression two female behaviours, female–female aggression hissing behaviour, using longitudinal data great tits, Parus major. Both behaviours were years but did not covary females into a syndrome. In contrast declined with age on population level, was due within-individual selective disappearance. Moreover, individual differed their level plasticity, more aggressive showing steeper decline than less females, resulting pattern where became similar At same time, increased age, mostly driven by decrease variance Large between- differences same-sex early life higher later may be functionally linked requirements constraints. Overall, our findings suggest that how will respond selection might depend when during cycle operating, has important dynamics animal