Evidence of Genetic Relationships Between Sociality, Emotional Reactivity and Production Traits in Japanese Quail

Abstract Text: The social behavior of animals, which is partly controlled by genetics, is involved in their adaptation to large breeding groups. Genetic relationships between different social behaviors, fear behaviors and production traits were estimated in a second generation cross of two lines of Quail divergently selected for their social reinstatement behavior. A strong genetic correlation existed between sexual and aggressive behaviors, both being significantly positively correlated to the response to the novel object test. Strong genetic correlations between behaviors and productions were also highlighted. Higher weights were genetically associated with increased emotional reactivity estimated by the duration of tonic immobility. The age at first egg was earlier in birds with high social reinstatement behavior but delayed in case of higher emotional reactivity. A higher egg production was genetically associated with a lower emotional reactivity toward a novel object but also with higher sexual and aggressive behaviors.

Keywords: Social behavior, Selection, Bird