Animal personality and sexual selection

Animal personalities, inter-individual differences in behaviour that are consistent across context and across time, have been found in a large range of taxa. Several evolutionary explanations for animal personality have been offered, but little research has focused on the potential role of sexual selection. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the potential role of sexual selection, specifically female mate choice, in the emergence and maintenance of animal personality and to investigate how animal personality, in turn, might influence processes of sexual selection. First, I give a number of examples demonstrating that male variation in behaviour is widespread. Subsequently, I show how female preference might emerge and how female preference can lead to the emergence of quantitative and qualitative variation in male behaviour. Then, I discuss how variation in male behaviour results in differences in compatibility with females. This leads to variation in female preference, of which I give examples. Finally, I address how variation in female preference maintains or even intensifies male variation in behaviour. In conclusion, female mate choice influences the emergence and maintenance of animal personality in several ways. Therefore, when studying animal personality it should be considered whether (and, if so, how) sexual selection plays a part in generating behavioural variation. Animal personality also affect processes of sexual selection. Consequently, when studying intersexual selection, personality differences, both in females and males, should be taken into account where relevant.