"Personality" traits or behavioural syndromes
Animals are typically faced with the challenge of acquiring resources, such as mates or food, while minimising associated costs, such as exposure to predators or rivals. Individuals of many species differ consistently in their behavioural reactions toward different stimuli, such as predators, rivals, and potential mates, reflecting their assessment of this trade-off. These typical reactions, described as ‘personalities’, or ‘behavioural syndromes’, appear to be heritable and therefore subject to selection.
Using a combination of high-definition digital video and 3D animation techniques, I have explored some of the constraints on the behaviour of both birds and lizards. The study of animal personalities is particularly difficult because often times, as we have shown, what appears to be a behavioural syndrome is in fact a by-product of something entirely different and external to the animal, such as social position in the hierarchy. This rooster is aggressively responding to an HDV playback of a rival male, illustrating how effective video playback can be as a behavioural tool.
Relevant publications
Using a combination of high-definition digital video and 3D animation techniques, I have explored some of the constraints on the behaviour of both birds and lizards. The study of animal personalities is particularly difficult because often times, as we have shown, what appears to be a behavioural syndrome is in fact a by-product of something entirely different and external to the animal, such as social position in the hierarchy. This rooster is aggressively responding to an HDV playback of a rival male, illustrating how effective video playback can be as a behavioural tool.
Relevant publications