Publication
Title
Intrinsic individual variation in daily activity onset and plastic responses on temporal but not spatial scales in female great tits
Author
Abstract
In a variety of species, individuals appear to be consistent in the daily timing of their activity onset. Such consistent among-individual differences can result from both intrinsic factors, as individuals may e.g. differ genetically, and extrinsic factors, as the environment may vary on spatial and temporal scales. However, previous studies typically did not differentiate between their respective contributions on individual variation in the timing of activities. Here, we repeatedly measured the onset of activity in female great tits (Parus major) on consecutive days during the egg laying phase of the breeding season in four consecutive years. Subsequently, we used a variance partitioning analysis in order to determine which part of the total variation could be attributed to intrinsic (female identity) and extrinsic (nest box identity) factors. Overall, 27% of the total variation could be attributed to female identity. In addition, we found temporal variation in the activity onset, indicating that individuals can plastically adjust their timing. Yet despite their general ability to change the timing of activities over time, spatial environmental factors did not contribute significantly to the observed variation. Individuals may choose a habitat that matches the preferred timing of activities, or might not benefit from adjusting their timing to environmental factors that might vary on spatial scales.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Scientific reports. - London, 2011, currens
Publication
London : Nature Publishing Group , 2022
ISSN
2045-2322
DOI
10.1038/S41598-022-22935-1
Volume/pages
12 :1 (2022) , p. 1-9
Article Reference
18022
ISI
000874705000102
Pubmed ID
36289438
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier c:irua:192162
Creation 06.12.2022
Last edited 03.10.2024
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