Environmental complexity during early life shapes average behavior in adulthood

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjiu Xu ◽  
Qi Yao ◽  
Wenwen Zhang ◽  
Feng Zhang ◽  
Haifeng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Environmental Complexity ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
Average Behavior ◽  
Behavioral Traits ◽  
Population Average ◽  
Robust Evidence ◽  
Different Levels

Abstract Personality has been identified in a range of animal taxa during the last few decades, with important ecological and evolutionary implications. Investigating the effects of environmental factors during early life can provide important insights into the ontogeny of animal personality. We reared newborn mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, in tanks of different structural complexities, and measured their behavioral traits (i.e., shyness, exploration, and sociability) when they reached sexual maturity. Univariate linear mixed-effects models were fitted to test the effects of environmental complexity and sex on population-average behavior, whereas multivariate models were fitted to quantify behavioral repeatability (i.e., personality) and among-individual correlations (i.e., behavioral syndromes). On average, females were shyer and more social than males, and the fish reared in complex environments were shyer, less explorative, and more social than those reared in open environments. Among-individual differences were consistently large across trials for all behaviors, indicating that personality variation was present in mosquitofish of both sexes reared in different environments. Repeatability did not differ among behaviors, and there were no differences in repeatability in any behavior between sexes or among environments. A negative correlation between shyness and exploration was found in mosquitofish from all treatments at both phenotypic and among-individual levels, with the latter indicating a strong shyness–exploration behavioral syndrome. Our study provides robust evidence that average levels of personality might vary when mosquitofish are raised in different levels of structural complexity during early life.

The Emergence and Maintenance of Ethical Leadership in Organizations

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silke Astrid Eisenbeiß ◽  
Steffen R. Giessner
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Ethical Leadership ◽  
Leadership Behavior ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Organizational Characteristics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Environmental Complexity ◽  
Group Influence ◽  
Analysis Society ◽  
Different Levels

The present paper gives a review of empirical research on ethical leadership and shows that still little is known known about the contextual antecedents of ethical leadership. To address this important issue, a conceptual framework is developed that analyzes the embeddedness of organizational ethical leadership. This framework identifies manifest and latent contextual factors on three different levels of analysis – society, industry, and organization – which can affect the development and maintenance of ethical leadership. In particular, propositions are offered about how (1) societal characteristics, notably the implementation and the spirit of human rights in a society and societal cultural values of responsibility, justice, humanity, and transparency; (2) industry characteristics such as environmental complexity, the content of the organizational mandate, and the interests of stakeholder networks; and (3) intra-organizational characteristics, including the organizational ethical infrastructure and the ethical leadership behavior of a leader’s peer group, influence the development and maintenance of ethical leadership in organizations. This list of factors is not exhaustive, but illustrates how the three levels may impact ethical leadership. Implications for managerial practice and future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Adaptive response to a future life challenge: consequences of early-life environmental complexity in dual-purpose chicks

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Yan ◽  
Kate Hartcher ◽  
Wen Liu ◽  
Jinlong Xiao ◽  
Hai Xiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Adaptive Plasticity ◽  
Environmental Complexity ◽  
Dual Purpose ◽  
Stress Related Genes ◽  
Life Challenge ◽  
Environmental Challenge

Abstract Conditions in early life play profound and long-lasting effects on the welfare and adaptability to stress of chickens. This study aimed to explore the hypothesis that the provision of environmental complexity in early life improves birds’ adaptive plasticity and ability to cope with a challenge later in life. It also tried to investigate the effect of the gut-brain axis by measuring behavior, stress hormone, gene expression, and gut microbiota. One-day-old chicks were split into 3 groups: (1) a barren environment (without enrichment items) group (BG, n = 40), (2) a litter materials group (LG, n = 40), and (3) a perches with litter materials group (PLG, n = 40). Then, enrichment items were removed and simulated as an environmental challenge at 31 to 53 d of age. Birds were subjected to a predator test at 42 d of age. In the environmental challenge, when compared with LG, PLG birds were characterized by decreased fearfulness, lower plasma corticosterone, improved gut microbial functions, lower relative mRNA expression of GR, and elevated mRNA expressions of stress-related genes CRH, BDNF, and NR2A in the hypothalamus (all P < 0.05). Unexpectedly, the opposite was true for the LG birds when compared with the BG (P < 0.05). Decreased plasma corticosterone and fearfulness were accompanied by altered hypothalamic gene mRNA expressions of BDNF, NR2A, GR, and CRH through the HPA axis in response to altered gut microbial compositions and functions. The findings suggest that gut microbiota may integrate fearfulness, plasma corticosterone, and gene expression in the hypothalamus to provide an insight into the gut-brain axis in chicks. In conclusion, having access to both perches and litter materials in early life allowed birds to cope better with a future challenge. Birds in perches and litter materials environment may have optimal development and adaptive plasticity through the gut-brain axis.

scholarly journals Environmental temperature during early life affects the personality of mosquitofish in adulthood

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haifeng Li ◽  
Xinyu ZHang ◽  
Yi Wu ◽  
Feng ZHang ◽  
CHunlin Li
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
High Temperatures ◽  
Low Temperatures ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Environmental Temperature ◽  
Phenotypic Trait ◽  
Behavioral Syndrome ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Female Fish ◽  
Behavioral Traits

Abstract Personality has been observed in a variety of animal taxa with important implications in ecology and evolution. Exploring the influence of environmental temperature during early life on personality could help to understand the ontogeny of this phenotypic trait in animals. In this study, we reared newborn mosquitofish Gambusia affinis at high (30°C) and low (25°C) water temperatures and measured their shyness and exploration upon sexual maturity. We tested the repeatability of each behavioral trait; the correlation between them; and the effects of rearing temperature, sex, and body length on the behaviors. When growing up at low temperatures, female fish exhibited repeatability in shyness and exploration, and males exhibited marginal repeatability in shyness. However, neither of the 2 behaviors were repeatable when the fish were reared at high temperatures. There was a negative correlation between shyness and exploration, indicating that the 2 behaviors comprise a behavioral syndrome in this species. Mosquitofish reared at high temperatures were more explorative than those reared at low temperatures, while there was no difference in shyness between the 2 treatments. Body length and sex had no significant effects on the average values of the 2 behaviors. The results indicate that environmental temperature during early life could shape the personality of mosquitofish and modify the average of the behavioral traits. These findings might provide insights to understand the ontogeny of animal personality and how changes in environmental temperature influence animal dispersal by shaping their personality.

scholarly journals Regional musical culture management in 1939-1945 (on materials of the Volga Region)

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-142
Author(s):  
Olga Vladimirovna Tuzova
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Models ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Regional Culture ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Musical Culture ◽  
Professional Affiliation ◽  
Functional Complex ◽  
Different Levels

The paper deals with some problems of musical institutions management in the Volga Region in 1939 1945 on the example of 8 musical cultural models of rear, frontal and front-line types: Kuibyshev, Ulyanovsk, Penza, Saratov, Engels, Kazan, Stalingrad, Astrakhan. The author reconstructs the structure and functional complex of the management component, describes the responsibilities of the commissioners of Performances and Repertoire Control Main Department at different levels and detects the role of the Communist party in the music management of the region. The author notes instability and incomplete correspondence of the administrative board in some models as a negative factor. A significant impact on musical culture management in the region provided emergency-revaluation processes: range of competencies and staff. Changes in the geography of governance structures affected the Stalingrad model of front type. Some actual data about the material provision of the management component are provided: departments placement and employees salaries. Structural complexity of administrative areas during 1939 1945 is stated. The author restores a number of regional culture managers names and their professional affiliation.

scholarly journals Embodied intelligence via learning and evolution

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agrim Gupta ◽  
Silvio Savarese ◽  
Surya Ganguli ◽  
Li Fei-Fei
Keyword(s):  
Intelligent Control ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Environmental Complexity ◽  
Baldwin Effect ◽  
Computational Framework ◽  
Mechanistic Basis ◽  
Embodied Intelligence ◽  
And Control

AbstractThe intertwined processes of learning and evolution in complex environmental niches have resulted in a remarkable diversity of morphological forms. Moreover, many aspects of animal intelligence are deeply embodied in these evolved morphologies. However, the principles governing relations between environmental complexity, evolved morphology, and the learnability of intelligent control, remain elusive, because performing large-scale in silico experiments on evolution and learning is challenging. Here, we introduce Deep Evolutionary Reinforcement Learning (DERL): a computational framework which can evolve diverse agent morphologies to learn challenging locomotion and manipulation tasks in complex environments. Leveraging DERL we demonstrate several relations between environmental complexity, morphological intelligence and the learnability of control. First, environmental complexity fosters the evolution of morphological intelligence as quantified by the ability of a morphology to facilitate the learning of novel tasks. Second, we demonstrate a morphological Baldwin effect i.e., in our simulations evolution rapidly selects morphologies that learn faster, thereby enabling behaviors learned late in the lifetime of early ancestors to be expressed early in the descendants lifetime. Third, we suggest a mechanistic basis for the above relationships through the evolution of morphologies that are more physically stable and energy efficient, and can therefore facilitate learning and control.

scholarly journals Geomorphometric analysis of cave ceiling channels mapped with 3D terrestrial laser scanning

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Gallay ◽  
Zdenko Hochmuth ◽  
Ján Kaňuk ◽  
Jaroslav Hofierka
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Scalar Fields ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Unique Manner ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Different Levels

Abstract. The change of hydrological conditions during the evolution of caves in carbonate rocks often results in a complex subterranean geomorphology which comprises specific landforms such as ceiling channels, anastomosing half tubes, or speleothems organised vertically in different levels. Studying such complex environments traditionally requires tedious mapping, however, this is being replaced with terrestrial laser scanning technology. Laser scanning overcomes the problem of reaching high ceilings providing new options to map underground landscapes with unprecedented level of detail and accuracy. The acquired point cloud can be handled conveniently with dedicated software, but applying traditional geomorphometry to analyse the cave surface is limited. This is because geomorphometry has been focused on parameterisation and analysis of surficial terrain. The theoretical and methodological concept has been based on two-dimensional scalar fields which is sufficient for most cases of the surficial terrain. The terrain surface is modelled with a bivariate function of altitude (elevation) and represented by a raster digital elevation model. However, the cave is a three-dimensional entity therefore a different approach is required for geomorphometric analysis. In this paper, we demonstrate the benefits of high resolution cave mapping and 3-D modelling to better understand the palaeohydrography of the Domica cave in Slovakia. This methodological approach adopted traditional geomorphometric methods in a unique manner and also new methods used in 3D computer graphics which can be applied to study other 3-D geomorphological forms

Principal Proactivity

2016 ◽  
pp. 29-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuncer Fidan ◽  
Ali Balcı
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Proactive Behavior ◽  
Strategic Learning ◽  
Feedback Seeking ◽  
Environmental Complexity ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Organizational Functioning ◽  
Proactive Behaviour ◽  
Different Levels

Increasing environmental complexity and ambiguity require organizations to rely on their members' proactive behaviors to deal with potential chaotic occurences surrounding the organizational functioning. Individuals respond these occurences by displaying various proactive behavior forms to build predictability islands in ocean of uncertainty. In this context, principal proactivity is one of key determinants of effectiveness of schools functioning in complex and anarchic environments. In this study, numerous forms of proactive behaviour were categorized under six general dimensions as innovativeness, issue selling, social networking, strategic scanning, strategic learning and feedback seeking. A causal comparative design was used to determine levels of general forms of proactive behavior performed by school principals. The data were collected from school principals working at different levels of public and private schools in Istanbul Province during 2014-2015 year. According to the results of study, the most frequent form of proactive behaviour displayed by school principals was strategic learning.

scholarly journals Geomorphometric analysis of cave ceiling channels mapped with 3-D terrestrial laser scanning

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1827-1849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Gallay ◽  
Zdenko Hochmuth ◽  
Ján Kaňuk ◽  
Jaroslav Hofierka
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Scalar Fields ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Unique Manner ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Different Levels

Abstract. The change of hydrological conditions during the evolution of caves in carbonate rocks often results in a complex subterranean geomorphology, which comprises specific landforms such as ceiling channels, anastomosing half tubes, or speleothems organized vertically in different levels. Studying such complex environments traditionally requires tedious mapping; however, this is being replaced with terrestrial laser scanning technology. Laser scanning overcomes the problem of reaching high ceilings, providing new options to map underground landscapes with unprecedented level of detail and accuracy. The acquired point cloud can be handled conveniently with dedicated software, but applying traditional geomorphometry to analyse the cave surface is limited. This is because geomorphometry has been focused on parameterization and analysis of surficial terrain. The theoretical and methodological concept has been based on two-dimensional (2-D) scalar fields, which are sufficient for most cases of the surficial terrain. The terrain surface is modelled with a bivariate function of altitude (elevation) and represented by a raster digital elevation model. However, the cave is a 3-D entity; therefore, a different approach is required for geomorphometric analysis. In this paper, we demonstrate the benefits of high-resolution cave mapping and 3-D modelling to better understand the palaeohydrography of the Domica cave in Slovakia. This methodological approach adopted traditional geomorphometric methods in a unique manner and also new methods used in 3-D computer graphics, which can be applied to study other 3-D geomorphological forms.

scholarly journals Risk assessment and the use of novel shortcuts in spatial detouring tasks in jumping spiders

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1488-1498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Aguilar-Argüello ◽  
Daniel Gerhard ◽  
Ximena J Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Ability ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Dimensional Space ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Environmental Complexity ◽  
3 Dimensional ◽  
Jumping Spiders ◽  
Efficient Route

AbstractSelection on individuals that incorporate risk to quickly and accurately make a priori navigational assessments may lead to increased spatial ability. Jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) are characterized by their highly acute vision, which mediates many behaviors, including prey capture and navigation. When moving to a specific goal (prey, nest, a potential mate, etc.), salticids rely on visual cues and spatial memory to orient in 3-dimensional space. Salticid spatial ability has been studied in homing and detour tasks, with Portia being considered one of the most skillful genera in terms of spatial ability in the family. Commonly living in complex environments, salticids are likely to encounter a wide variety of routes that could lead to a goal, and, as selection favors individuals that can accurately make assessments, they may be able to assess alternative route distances to select the most efficient route. Here, we tested whether 2 salticid species (Portia fimbriata and Trite planiceps) can discriminate and assess between different available routes by their length, and riskiness to escape from a stressful scenario. Results suggest that while Portia is more likely to choose the easiest and shortest escape routes, Trite is faster in both decision making about which route to take, and to escape. However, some individuals were able to use novel shortcuts instead of the routes expected, with Portia containing a higher proportion of shortcut-takers than Trite. These differences in spatial ability seem to correspond with the environmental complexity inhabited by each species.

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