Behavioral plasticity allows individual organisms to alter behavioral traits in response to environmental or state-dependent conditions. Structured animal personality traits often influence the degree of between-individual variation in plasticity within a population, especially as it relates to an individual’s behavioral coping style towards disturbances. Here, we investigated whether boldness and exploration measured during novel object tests in young Galápagos sea lion pups were associated with individual behavioral responses towards capture. We found that only state-related traits, such as sex and body condition, and not personality affected baseline capture responses (struggle and escape responses after release). Male pups and those that maintained good body condition tended to show initially low struggle and escape behavior. These responses, however, were not highly repeatable within individuals during the study period. Different personality types greatly differed in how they modulated their behavior over time, and few sea lions utilized fixed strategies. Unexpectedly, bolder but less explorative individuals habituated quickest to capture, while shy and explorative pups increased responses over time. Pups found to be bolder but less explorative in novel object tests also moved between fewer sites within their habitat based on observational data. This may suggest that these individuals may be less sensitive to disturbances by increasing familiarity within a limited home range. Our results illustrate that individual pups may differentially assess risk and adjust behavior to cope with disturbance within their early life environment. Galápagos sea lions are an endangered pinniped species which live within a habitat characterized by a large degree of environmental uncertainty. We hypothesized that, depending on their personality, Galápagos sea lion pups may show varying degrees of behavioral plasticity in response to a dynamic early life environment. We show that bold pups and those that were less explorative during novel object tests and within their natural habitat were more likely to habituate quickly to stressful experiences (i.e., a capture and handling regime). We postulate that a familiarity with the physical and social environment in addition to personality traits may play an important role in how individual sea lion pups assess and cope with early life risks.

中文翻译：

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大胆和探索的种内变化塑造了加拉帕戈斯海狮幼崽对压力的行为反应

行为可塑性允许个体有机体改变行为特征以响应环境或状态依赖条件。结构化的动物人格特征通常会影响群体内个体间可塑性的变化程度，特别是因为它与个体对干扰的行为应对方式有关。在这里，我们调查了在年轻的加拉帕戈斯海狮幼崽的新物体测试中测量的大胆和探索是否与个体对捕获的行为反应有关。我们发现只有与状态相关的特征，如性别和身体状况，而不是个性影响基线捕获反应（释放后的斗争和逃避反应）。雄性幼崽和那些保持良好身体状况的幼崽最初往往表现出较低的挣扎和逃避行为。这些回应，然而，在研究期间，在个体中的重复性并不高。不同的性格类型在如何随着时间的推移调节自己的行为方面存在很大差异，很少有海狮使用固定策略。出乎意料的是，更大胆但探索性较低的个体最容易习惯捕捉，而害羞和探索性的幼崽随着时间的推移会增加反应。根据观察数据，在新物体测试中发现更大胆但探索性较低的幼崽也会在其栖息地内较少的地点之间移动。这可能表明这些人可能通过在有限的家庭范围内增加熟悉度而对干扰不那么敏感。我们的结果表明，个体幼崽可能会以不同的方式评估风险并调整行为以应对其早期生活环境中的干扰。加拉帕戈斯海狮是一种濒临灭绝的鳍足类物种，它们生活在一个以高度环境不确定性为特征的栖息地中。我们假设，根据它们的个性，加拉帕戈斯海狮幼崽可能会表现出不同程度的行为可塑性，以响应动态的早期生活环境。我们表明，大胆的幼崽和那些在新物体测试期间和在其自然栖息地内探索性较低的幼崽更有可能迅​​速适应压力体验（即捕获和处理制度）。我们假设，除了性格特征之外，对物理和社会环境的熟悉可能在个体海狮幼崽如何评估和应对早期生活风险方面发挥重要作用。根据他们的个性，加拉帕戈斯海狮幼崽可能会表现出不同程度的行为可塑性，以应对动态的早期生活环境。我们表明，大胆的幼崽和那些在新物体测试期间和在其自然栖息地内探索性较低的幼崽更有可能迅​​速适应压力体验（即捕获和处理制度）。我们假设，除了性格特征之外，对物理和社会环境的熟悉可能在个体海狮幼崽如何评估和应对早期生活风险方面发挥重要作用。根据他们的个性，加拉帕戈斯海狮幼崽可能会表现出不同程度的行为可塑性，以应对动态的早期生活环境。我们表明，大胆的幼崽和那些在新物体测试期间和在其自然栖息地内探索性较低的幼崽更有可能迅​​速适应压力体验（即捕获和处理制度）。我们假设，除了性格特征之外，对物理和社会环境的熟悉可能在个体海狮幼崽如何评估和应对早期生活风险方面发挥重要作用。我们表明，大胆的幼崽和那些在新物体测试期间和在其自然栖息地内探索性较低的幼崽更有可能迅​​速适应压力体验（即捕获和处理制度）。我们假设，除了性格特征之外，对物理和社会环境的熟悉可能在个体海狮幼崽如何评估和应对早期生活风险方面发挥重要作用。我们表明，大胆的幼崽和那些在新物体测试期间和在其自然栖息地内探索性较低的幼崽更有可能迅​​速适应压力体验（即捕获和处理制度）。我们假设，除了性格特征之外，对物理和社会环境的熟悉可能在个体海狮幼崽如何评估和应对早期生活风险方面发挥重要作用。