Individual behavioural differences in social species a multidisciplinary study with mice and ants

• Ano de defesa: 2022
• Autor(a) principal: Jardim, Veridiana Angeluzzi
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: eng
• Instituição de defesa: Biblioteca Digitais de Teses e Dissertações da USP
• Palavras-chave em Português: Behavioural syndrome; Holcoponera striatula; Mus spicilegus; Personalidade; Personality; Síndrome comportamental
• Link de acesso: https://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/47/47132/tde-07122022-092630/

Interest in animal personality has been growing in recent decades, and with this we see the expansion of approaches, theories and methods in which animal personality is studied. More than that, what was previously an area very restricted to vertebrate species, now expands to many other taxonomic groups, such as invertebrates, adding even more to the discussion of the field. In this thesis I aimed to understand and integrate individual differences in behaviour in a theoretical and methodological approach, for species from two distinct taxonomic groups: a mouse species of wild origin, the mound building mouse (Mus spicilegus) and the ant Holcoponera striatula. I present in this thesis two main articles and one in the appendix, each article focused on different aspects, working in a complementary way discussing individual differences in behaviour. My work with mice is presented in two distinct articles. The first one (already published) focuses on the judgment bias test, a methodological tool that allowed us to integrate cognition and personality. The second one, presented in the appendix (already published), allowed a more physiological approach, connecting oxidative stress, ontogenesis, and personality. With ants, I seek to understand the inter-individual differences in behaviour in a multi-testing study over extensive repetition (article currently under review). In this thesis I show that, firstly, it is possible to find, discuss and integrate personality between vertebrates and invertebrate species. More specifically, I discuss the methodological limitations regarding the way we adapt, execute, and interpret behavioural tests, and how individual differences in behaviour influence these processes. Ontogenically, we also discuss how early parameters interact with personality resulting in different levels of oxidative stress expressed in the adult life. Despite the great differences and peculiarities in the way species perceive, process, and respond to their environment, and the various ways in this phenomenon can be studied, the future of personality research lies in the collaboration of the various fronts, approaches and species, adding and integrating knowledge for a more robust discussion of animal personality