September 26, 2007

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A study of 98 female North American red squirrels showed that personality did not impact parturition date or litter size. However, a female's activity was correlated with the growth rate of her offspring in the nest and overwinter. The magnitude and direction of the effects changed among life history stages and years, possibly in association with food supply. These results suggest that balancing selection may play a role in maintaining variation in personality in this population.Full Story

Source
Ecology Letters

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