Meeting Abstract

P3-136   -   Temperature and the Pace-of-Life Syndrome Gopal, AC*; Alujevic, K; Logan, ML; University of Nevada Reno; University of Nevada Reno; University of Nevada Reno agopal@nevada.unr.edu

Physiological, behavioral, and life history traits tend to covary in animals such that individuals with high basal metabolic rates also bold and grow quickly (“bold-fast” type) whereas those with low metabolic rates develop slower and are shy (“shy-slow” type). This phenomenon, called the Pace-of-Life Syndrome (POLS), is thought to be generalizable to a wide range of taxa and ecological conditions. However, because many metabolic, physiological, and life history traits are temperature dependent, it is possible that the thermal physiology of individuals and the thermal environments in which they live might critically modify the relationships within POLS. Indeed, a slew of recent studies have found that individual animals also follow a “thermal behavioral syndrome” which leads to modifications of the classical POLS theory. Here, we identify the major themes and patterns that are emerging in this nascent field, and we further identify gaps and key outstanding questions in how temperature may drive or modify the POLS theory. Finally, we address issues with how temperature and POLS are integrated in empirical studies and suggest pathways by which this field can make progress towards a cohesive, comprehensive theory of the physiology-behavior-life history nexus.