Photoperiod influences the behavioral and physiological phenotype during ontogeny

Guenther, Anja; Trillmich, Fritz

doi:10.1093/beheco/ars177

Cited by 37 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…However, the pre-natal critical period for the major photic effects on animal behavior and development probably lies closer to the equivalent of the last trimester in humans (Hoffman, 1978; Reppert, 1985; Stetson et al, 1986; Weaver et al, 1987; Lee and Zucker, 1988; Nagy et al, 1993; Bellavía et al, 2006; Butler et al, 2007). The types of behaviors influenced by photoperiod are species and gender dependent, and include the more bold behaviors observed for female Brazilian guinea pigs born in spring, whereas males do not show such clear differences (Guenther and Trillmich, 2013). Other behavioral effects are induced by a short postnatal photoperiod and include elevated measures of anxiety and depression seen in adult Siberian hamsters, collared lemmings, and nocturnal rodents, as well as reductions in learning and memory capacity seen in male white-footed mice (as reviewed by Walton et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for phenotypic plasticity in response to photic cues and the connection with genes of risk in schizophrenia

Miller¹

2013

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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Numerous environmental factors have been identified as influential in the development of schizophrenia. Some are byproducts of modern life, yet others were present in our evolutionary past and persist to a lesser degree in the current era. The present study brings together published epidemiological data for schizophrenia and data on variables related to photic input for places of residence across geographical regions, using rainfall as an inverse, proxy measure for light levels. Data were gathered from the literature for two countries, the former Yugoslavia and Ireland, during a time in the early 20th century when mobility was relatively limited. The data for Yugoslavia showed a strong correlation between hospital census rates for schizophrenia (by place of birth) and annual rain (r = 0.96, p = 0.008). In Ireland, the hospital census rates and first admissions for schizophrenia (by place of permanent residence) showed a trend for correlation with annual rain, reaching significance for 1st admissions when the rainfall data was weighted by the underlying population distribution (r = 0.71, p = 0.047). In addition, across the years 1921–1945, birth-year variations in a spring quarter season-of-birth effect for schizophrenia in Ireland showed a trend for correlation with January-March rainfall (r = 0.80, p ≤ 0.10). The data are discussed in terms of the effect of photoperiod on the gestation and behavior of offspring in animals, and the premise is put forth that vestigial phenotypic plasticity for such photic cues still exists in humans. Moreover, genetic polymorphisms of risk identified for psychotic disorders include genes modulated by photoperiod and sunlight intensity. Such a relationship between phenotypic plasticity in response to a particular environmental regime and subsequent natural selection for fixed changes in the environmentally responsive genes, has been well studied in animals and should not be discounted when considering human disease.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for phenotypic plasticity in response to photic cues and the connection with genes of risk in schizophrenia

Miller¹

2013

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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“…). Yet, few studies have investigated how developmental plasticity affect the integration between life history and behaviour, or have elucidated the mechanism generating this integration (but see Stamps & Groothuis ; Guenther & Trillmich ; Urszán et al . ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The contribution of developmental experience vs. condition to life history, trait variation and individual differences

DiRienzo

Montiglio

2016

Journal of Animal Ecology

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SUMMARY Developmental experience, for example food abundance during juvenile stages, is known to affect life history and behaviour. However, the life history and behavioural consequences of developmental experience have rarely been studied in concert. As a result it is still unclear whether developmental experience affects behaviour through changes in life history, or independently of it.The effect of developmental experience on life history and behaviour may also be masked or affected by individual condition during adulthood. Thus, it is critical to tease apart the effects of developmental experience and current individual condition on life history and behaviour.In this study we manipulated food abundance during development in the western black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus, by rearing spiders on either a restricted or ad lib diet. We separated developmental from condition dependent effects by assaying adult foraging behaviour (tendency to attack prey and to stay on out of the refuge following an attack) and web structure multiple times under different levels of satiation following different developmental treatments.Spiders reared under food restriction matured slower and at a smaller size than spiders reared in ad lib conditions. Spiders reared on a restricted diet were more aggressive towards prey and built webs structured for prey capture while spiders reared on an ad lib diet were less aggressive and build safer webs. Developmental treatment affected which traits were plastic as adults: restricted spiders built safer webs when their adult condition increased, while ad-lib spiders reduced their aggression when their adult condition increased. The amount of individual variation in behaviour and web structure varied with developmental treatment. Spiders reared on a restricted diet exhibited consistent variation in all aspects of foraging behaviour and web structure, while spiders reared on an ad lib diet exhibited consistent individual variation in aggression and web weight only.Developmental experience affected the average life history, behaviour, and web structure of spiders, but also shaped the amount of phenotypic variation observed among individuals. Surprisingly, developmental experience also determined the particular way in which individuals plastically adjusted their behaviour and web structure to changes in adult condition.

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“…It is somewhat surprising then that in the Guenther and Trillmich [105] study investigating anxiety-like and risk-taking behaviour in wild cavies the opposite conclusion was drawn. In that study an open-field-test, a long-field and a novel-object test were conducted.…”

Section: Effects Of Domestication On Animal Personalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To our knowledge, there are no studies in this area that directly compare the domestic and wild forms. However, Zipser et al [31] recently published a study regarding animal personalities in domestic guinea pigs and Guenther and Trillmich [105] provided data for the wild cavy.…”

Section: Effects Of Domestication On Animal Personalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Domestication affects the structure, development and stability of biobehavioural profiles

2015

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Domestication is an evolutionary process during which the biobehavioural profile (comprising e.g. social and emotional behaviour, cognitive abilities, as well as hormonal stress responses) is substantially reshaped. Using a comparative approach, and focusing mainly on the domestic and wild guinea pig, an established model system for the study of domestication, we review (a) how wild and domestic animals of the same species differ in behaviour, emotion, cognition, and hormonal stress responses, (b) during which phases of life differences in biobehavioural profiles emerge and (c) whether or not animal personalities exist in both the wild and domestic form. Concerning (a), typical changes with domestication include increased courtship, sociopositive and maternal behaviours as well as decreased aggression and attentive behaviour. In addition, domestic animals display more anxiety-like and less risk-taking and exploratory behaviour than the wild form and they show distinctly lower endocrine stress responsiveness. There are no indications, however, that domestic animals have diminished cognitive abilities relative to the wild form. The different biobehavioural profiles of the wild and domestic animals can be regarded as adaptations to the different environmental conditions under which they live, i.e., the natural habitat and artificial man-made housing conditions, respectively. Concerning (b), the comparison of infantile, adolescent and adult wild and domestic guinea pigs shows that the typical biobehavioural profile of the domestic form is already present during early phases of life, that is, during early adolescence and weaning. Thus, differences between the domestic and the wild form can be attributed to genetic alterations resulting from artificial selection, and likely to environmental influences during the pre- and perinatal phase. Interestingly, the frequency of play behaviour does not differ between the domestic and wild form early in life, but is significantly higher in domesticated guinea pigs at later ages. Concerning (c), there is some evidence that personalities occur in both wild and domestic animals. However, there may be differences in which behavioural domains – social and sexual behaviour, emotionality, stress-responsiveness – are consistent over time. These differences are probably due to changing selection pressures during domestication.

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Photoperiod influences the behavioral and physiological phenotype during ontogeny

Cited by 37 publications

References 65 publications

Evidence for phenotypic plasticity in response to photic cues and the connection with genes of risk in schizophrenia

Evidence for phenotypic plasticity in response to photic cues and the connection with genes of risk in schizophrenia

The contribution of developmental experience vs. condition to life history, trait variation and individual differences

Domestication affects the structure, development and stability of biobehavioural profiles

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