ETD RECORD
Behavioral evolution in the zebrafish, Danio rerio
Citation
Oswald, Mary.. (2010). Behavioral evolution in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Theses and Dissertations Collection, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections. https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/etd/items/etd_57.html
- Title:
- Behavioral evolution in the zebrafish, Danio rerio
- Author:
- Oswald, Mary.
- Date:
- 2010
- Keywords:
- Zebra danio--Behavior--Evolution Zebra danio--Breeding
- Program:
- Biology
- Abstract:
- Domestication can result in marked differences in captive animals relative to their wild counterparts. Although specific husbandry techniques and environmental conditions differ, one characteristic is remarkably similar across a wide range of taxa: adaptation to captivity consistently produces animals that are willing to take greater risks than their wild counterparts. This propensity to take risks is often collectively described as 'boldness', with individuals varying in their placement along a bold-shy continuum of behavior. Despite the prevalence of consistent individual differences in boldness-related behavior, it is often unclear whether these behaviors are changing independently in response to selection, or are converging on a consistent phenotype due to underlying genetic and/or physiological constraints. In this dissertation, 1 describe a series of experiments in which I use the zebrafish to understand the genetic and physiological mechanisms that constrain evolution along the bold-shy continuum during domestication. My work demonstrates that, not only do zebrafish populations vary in their placement along the bold-shy continuum, but this placement is consistent with variation among wild and domestic populations in other species. There is limited plasticity in this behavior with regard to changing ecological and social situations, suggesting a genetic component to the variation. An individual's placement along the bold- shy continuum also influences foraging decisions under a variety of risk conditions. The evolution of a bold behavioral type that encompasses multiple functional behaviors during domestication is likely due, at least in part, to underlying genetic constraints. A potential physiological system that may govern these constraints is the stress axis. However, it is still unclear whether attenuation of the stress axis during domestication actually causes evolution along the bold-shy continuum or is a manifestation of behavioral adaptation to captivity.
- Description:
- Thesis (Ph. D., Biology)--University of Idaho, May 2010.
- Major Professor:
- Barrie D. Robinson.
- Defense Date:
- May 2010.
- Type:
- Text
- Format Original:
- ix, 125 leaves :ill. ;29 cm.
- Format:
- record
Rights
- Rights:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted. For more information, please contact University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives Department at libspec@uidaho.edu.
- Standardized Rights:
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/