Personality in animals
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Personality in animals has been investigated across a variety of different scientific fields including agricultural science, animal behaviour, anthropology, psychology, veterinary medicine, and zoology.[1] Thus, the definition for animal personality may vary according to the context and scope of study. However, there is recent consensus in the literature for a broad definition that describes animal personality as individual differences in behaviour that are consistent across time and ecological context.[2] Here, consistency refers to the repeatability of behavioural differences between individuals and not a trait that presents itself the same way in varying environments.[3][4]
Animal personality traits are measurable and are described in over 100 species.[5] Personality in non-human animals has also been referred to as animal disposition, coping style, and temperament.[1] There are also personality norms through the species, often found between genders.[6] The diversity of animal personality can be compared in cross-species studies, demonstrating its pervasiveness in the evolutionary process of animals.[1] Research on animal personality variation has been burgeoning since the mid 1990s.[7] Recent studies have focused on its proximate causation and the ecological and evolutionary significance of personality in animals.[4]