Muraco James J, Monroe Dillon J, Aspbury Andrea S, Gabor Caitlin R
Population and Conservation Biology Group, Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
Biology (Basel). 2021 Mar 3;10(3):186. doi: 10.3390/biology10030186.
Studies of suites of correlated behavioral traits (i.e., behavioral syndromes) aid in understanding the adaptive importance of behavioral evolution. Behavioral syndromes may be evolutionarily constrained, preventing behaviors from evolving independently, or they may be an adaptive result of selection on the correlation itself. We tested these hypotheses by characterizing the behavioral syndromes in two sympatric, closely related species and testing for differences between the species. We studied the unisexual Amazon molly () and one of its bisexual, parent species, the sailfin molly (). Sympatric female sailfin and Amazon mollies compete for mating which could affect the behavioral syndromes found in each species. We identified a behavioral syndrome between exploration and activity in both species that did not differ between species. Additionally, we explored the relationship between a stress response hormone, cortisol, and behavioral type, and did not detect a relationship. However, differed from in their cortisol release rates. Behavioral syndromes may be constrained in this complex, aiding in mate acquisition for by virtue of having a similar behavioral type to . The difference between the females in cortisol release rates may be a useful mate identification cue for males to offset higher mating mistakes associated with the similar behavioral types.
对一系列相关行为特征（即行为综合征）的研究有助于理解行为进化的适应性重要性。行为综合征可能在进化上受到限制，阻止行为独立进化，或者它们可能是对相关性本身进行选择的适应性结果。我们通过描述两个同域分布、亲缘关系密切的物种的行为综合征并测试物种间的差异来检验这些假设。我们研究了单性的亚马逊帆鳉（）及其双性的亲本物种之一帆鳍鳉（）。同域分布的雌性帆鳍鳉和亚马逊帆鳉会争夺配偶，这可能会影响每个物种中发现的行为综合征。我们在两个物种中都确定了探索和活动之间的一种行为综合征，且物种间没有差异。此外，我们探讨了应激反应激素皮质醇与行为类型之间的关系，但未检测到两者之间存在关联。然而，[物种名称1]和[物种名称2]在皮质醇释放率上存在差异。行为综合征在这种复合体中可能受到限制，[物种名称1]由于与[物种名称2]具有相似的行为类型，有助于其获得配偶。雌性在皮质醇释放率上的差异可能是雄性识别配偶的有用线索，以抵消与相似行为类型相关的较高交配错误。
