DOI: 10.5061/dryad.tb2rbp0fn
title: Variation in DRD4 gene methylation in wild great tits is associated with behavioural tolerance for human disturbance but not with habitat urbanization

description: The increasing presence and activities of people in both urban
 environments and non-urban areas result in the exposure of many wild
 animal populations to persistent human disturbance. As a response,
 individuals in disturbed populations often become tolerant towards humans
 that can have significant ecological and societal consequences, for
 example by affecting ecosystem services and human-wildlife conflicts.
 Although several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the emergence
 and spread of disturbance tolerance, their biological bases are rarely
 investigated in natural populations. In this study, we investigated
 behavioural tolerance in great tits (Parus major) along urbanization
 gradients of two cities representing different levels of human
 disturbances. Specifically, we studied whether variation in disturbance
 tolerance is related to epigenetic variation in the DRD4 gene that are
 often linked to behavioural plasticity. We did not detect differences in
 DNA methylation at 23 CpG sites between wild great tit populations
 breeding in differently urbanized areas. However, variation in methylation
 at some CpG sites was associated with two proxies of tolerance, the return
 latency and the vigilance behaviour of parent birds measured after
 standardized disturbance. These findings suggest that epigenetic variation
 may be involved in the processes generating behavioural tolerance for
 human disturbance. These results have implications for the understanding
 of the mechanisms by which animal populations can respond to disturbances
 in human-dominated environments.
description: # Variation in DRD4 gene methylation in wild great tits is associated with
 behavioural tolerance for human disturbance but not with habitat
 urbanization We have submitted our raw data
 (**data_series_aghetal_JAB.csv**). Data were collected for a behavioural
 genetics project that studied tolerance to human disturbance in great tits
 (*Parus major*) breeding in various habitats. ## Descriptions ###
 data_series_aghetal_JAB_Data * *ring_ID*: ring number ID of individual *
 *site*: breeding site * *plot*: subsite on the breeding site * *region*:
 sample site region (Veszprem or Budapest) * *urbcat*: habitat category of
 the plot of the breeding site * urb = urbanized habitats * sub = suburban
 habitats * for = natural habitats (forest) * *nestbox*: nestbox ID *
 *broodID*: brood ID * *blood_sample_date*: date of blood sampling *
 *sampling*: date of blood sampling relative to behavioural data
 (before/after) * *date*: date of behavioural sampling * *year*: year of
 the behavioural sampling (2021/2022) * *yearday*: day of the year of the
 behavioural sampling * *video_num*: order of the behavioural test (1/2/3)
 * *check_num*: number of nest checks of the focal nest box before the day
 of the behavioural test * *brood*: annual brood * 1 = first * 2 = second *
 *sex*: sex of the individual (male/female) * *age*: age of the individual
 (second year/older) * *start_time*: time of the start of the sampling on
 the video * *first_latency*: time of the return latency * *first_lat_mp*:
 time of the return latency in ms * *vig_in1*: vigilance score after first
 arrival * *vig_out1*: vigilance score before first leaving * *vig_in2*:
 vigilance score after second arrival * *vig_out2*: vigilance score before
 second leaving * *vig_in3*: vigilance score after third arrival *
 *vig_out3*: vigilance score before third leaving * *vig_in_median*: median
 value of the vigilance score after arrival * *vig_out_median*: median
 value of the vigilance score before leaving * *ISA*: Proportion of
 impervious surface area (100 m radius around nest box) * *CpG_396*: level
 of methylation at CpG 396 * *CpG_406*: level of methylation at CpG 406 *
 *CpG_419*: level of methylation at CpG 419 * *CpG_432*: level of
 methylation at CpG 432 * *CpG_441*: level of methylation at CpG 441 *
 *CpG_447*: level of methylation at CpG 447 * *CpG_454*: level of
 methylation at CpG 454 * *CpG_459*: level of methylation at CpG 459 *
 *CpG_465*: level of methylation at CpG 465 * *CpG_467*: level of
 methylation at CpG 467 * *CpG_474*: level of methylation at CpG 474 *
 *CpG_481*: level of methylation at CpG 481 * *CpG_487*: level of
 methylation at CpG 487 * *CpG_493*: level of methylation at CpG 493 *
 *CpG_497*: level of methylation at CpG 497 * *CpG_514*: level of
 methylation at CpG 514 * *CpG_518*: level of methylation at CpG 518 *
 *CpG_522*: level of methylation at CpG 522 * *CpG_533*: level of
 methylation at CpG 533 * *CpG_543*: level of methylation at CpG 543 *
 *CpG_548*: level of methylation at CpG 548 * *CpG_573*: level of
 methylation at CpG 573 * *CpG_588*: level of methylation at CpG 588
 Missing data code: NA