title: Genetic influences on response to novel objects and dimensions of personality in Papio baboons.
abstract: Behavioral variation within and between populations and species of the genus Papio has been studied extensively, but little is known about the genetic causes of individual- or population-level differences. This study investigates the influence of genetic variation on personality (sometimes referred to as temperament) in baboons and identifies a candidate gene partially responsible for the variation in that phenotype. To accomplish these goals, we examined individual variation in response to both novel objects and an apparent novel social partner (using a mirror test) among pedigreed baboons (n = 578) from the Southwest National Primate Research Center. We investigated the frequency and duration of individual behaviors in response to novel objects and used multivariate factor analysis to identify trait-like dimensions of personality. Exploratory factor analysis identified two distinct dimensions of personality within this population. Factor 1 accounts for 46.8 % of the variance within the behavioral matrix, and consists primarily of behaviors related to the "boldness" of the subject. Factor 2 accounts for 18.8 % of the variation, and contains several "anxiety" like behaviors. Several specific behaviors, and the two personality factors, were significantly heritable, with the factors showing higher heritability than most individual behaviors. Subsequent analyses show that the behavioral reactions observed in the test protocol are associated with animals' social behavior observed later in their home social groups. Finally we used linkage analysis to map quantitative trait loci for the measured phenotypes. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in a positional candidate gene (SNAP25) are associated with variation in one of the personality factors, and CSF levels of homovanillic acid and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol. This study documents heritable variation in personality among baboons and suggests that sequence variation in SNAP25 may influence differences in behavior and neurochemistry in these nonhuman primates.
authors.affiliation: Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brent
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Alvarenga
authors.forename: Anthony G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Comuzzie
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shelledy
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mahaney
authors.forename: Yung-Yu
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: J John
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Jay R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005026:Ethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010215:Papio / Q000235:genetics*; D010375:Pedigree; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012919:Social Behavior; D050825:Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25 / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005026:Ethylene Glycols; D010636:Phenols; D050825:Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25; C034604:4-hydroxyphenethylene glycol; D006719:Homovanillic Acid