Yu Yibo, Wang Yun, Zhong Liang, Zhu Hongjuan, Qu Jiapeng
Key laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China.
Research Center for Environment Protection and Water and Soil Conservation, China Academy of Transportation Sciences, Beijing 100029, China.
Animals (Basel). 2021 Jun 4;11(6):1676. doi: 10.3390/ani11061676.
Temperament is a consistent behavioral difference among individuals over time or in different contexts. A comprehensive understanding of temperament and complex behavioral interactions enhances knowledge on animal evolution, welfare, and productivity. However, reports on the development of behavioral consistency over ontogeny are vague. Here, we tested the ontogeny of the temperament and physiological traits of Tibetan sheep () in three crucial age stages. The mean level of the risk-taking variable increased, while that of the vocalizations variable decreased. The exploration variable was stable over ontogeny. The novelty decreased and the heart rate increased from the juvenile to the adolescent stage but stabilized at the adult stage. The fecal cortisol concentration (CORT) variable was stable at the juvenile and adolescent stages but decreased at the adult stage. Stable correlations were reported for the juvenile and adolescent stages and for the behavioral variables and heart rate. However, some correlations emerged only after maturation, whereas others disappeared over ontogeny. Moreover, CORT was independent of temperament and heart rate at different ages. These results demonstrate that age affects temperament and physiology and their correlations. Hence, developmental aspects should be incorporated into future temperament studies.
气质是个体在不同时间或不同情境下表现出的一致行为差异。全面了解气质和复杂的行为相互作用有助于增进对动物进化、福利和生产力的认识。然而，关于个体发育过程中行为一致性发展的报道并不明确。在此，我们在三个关键年龄阶段测试了藏羊的气质和生理特征的个体发育情况。冒险变量的平均水平上升，而发声变量的平均水平下降。探索变量在个体发育过程中保持稳定。从幼年到青少年阶段，新奇感降低，心率增加，但在成年阶段趋于稳定。粪便皮质醇浓度（CORT）变量在幼年和青少年阶段保持稳定，但在成年阶段下降。在幼年和青少年阶段以及行为变量和心率之间报告了稳定的相关性。然而，一些相关性仅在成熟后出现，而其他相关性在个体发育过程中消失。此外，不同年龄阶段的CORT与气质和心率无关。这些结果表明年龄会影响气质和生理及其相关性。因此，未来的气质研究应纳入发育方面的内容。
