{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T15:54:59Z","timestamp":1790351699867,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786320000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["32470531"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["32470531"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["32470531"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["32470531"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01h0zpd94","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Animal personalities, reflecting consistent individual behavioral differences, are increasingly recognized as key factors influencing fitness. However, their role in the reproductive success of endangered ungulates remains poorly understood. In this study, 17 personality traits, including \u201cClumsy\u201d, \u201cDominant\u201d, \u201cVigilant\u201d, \u201cAffiliative\u201d and so on, were assessed in 123 adult female captive Alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster) using a scale-based personality rating method. We explored the relationships between these personality traits and reproductive fitness indicators, including litter size, calving success, and fawn mortality. Our exploratory analyses revealed that \u201cClumsy\u201d scores were significantly higher in females that experienced calving failure (miscarriage or dystocia) compared to those that successfully gave birth (p = 0.013, Cohen\u2019s d = 0.88), indicating a large effect size. However, no traits were correlated with litter size. For fawn mortality, although initial correlation analyses suggested associations with \u201cVigilant\u201d and \u201cAffiliative\u201d, these were not supported when a Poisson regression model\u2014appropriate for count data\u2014was applied with litter size as an offset (model p = 0.092; all predictors p &gt; 0.05). These findings suggest that the previously observed associations between maternal personality and fawn mortality may have been influenced by the use of an inappropriate statistical model. Overall, our study highlights the importance of using distribution-appropriate models for count-based fitness data and provides exploratory, hypothesis-generating evidence that, while \u201cClumsy\u201d may be robustly associated with calving success (large effect size), personality\u2013fitness relationships in this species require further validation with larger samples and across different captive populations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani16162476","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T08:08:53Z","timestamp":1786349333000},"page":"2476","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Exploring Personality Traits Associated with Reproductive Success in Captive Female Alpine Musk Deer (Moschus chrysogaster)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Xiaoping","family":"Lu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Environment and Ecology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ni","family":"Qin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Environment and Ecology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Taifu","family":"Sun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Environment and Ecology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xueyi","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Environment and Ecology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiuxiang","family":"Meng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Environment and Ecology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"301","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-185X.2009.00103.x","article-title":"The development of animal personality: Relevance, concepts and perspectives","volume":"85","author":"Stamps","year":"2010","journal-title":"Biol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20180086","DOI":"10.1098\/rsbl.2018.0086","article-title":"Life-history trade-offs: Are they linked to personality in a precocial mammal (Cavia aperea)?","volume":"14","author":"Guenther","year":"2018","journal-title":"Biol. Lett."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"453","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.psych.55.090902.141913","article-title":"Personality development: Stability and change","volume":"56","author":"Caspi","year":"2005","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"372","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tree.2004.04.009","article-title":"Behavioral syndromes: An ecological and evolutionary overview","volume":"19","author":"Sih","year":"2004","journal-title":"Trends Ecol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"539","DOI":"10.1038\/447539a","article-title":"Animal personalities","volume":"447","author":"Bell","year":"2007","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"622","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.61.6.622","article-title":"The evolution of personality variation in humans and other animals","volume":"61","author":"Nettle","year":"2006","journal-title":"Am. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"361","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tree.2008.04.003","article-title":"Are animal personality traits linked to life-history productivity?","volume":"23","author":"Biro","year":"2008","journal-title":"Trends Ecol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1016\/j.evolhumbehav.2013.09.002","article-title":"The evolutionary fitness of personality traits in a small-scale subsistence society","volume":"35","author":"Gurven","year":"2014","journal-title":"Evol. Hum. Behav."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1439-0310.2009.01719.x","article-title":"Boldness and reproductive fitness correlates in the eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki","volume":"116","author":"Wilson","year":"2010","journal-title":"Ethology"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"278","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1461-0248.2011.01731.x","article-title":"Ecological implications of behavioural syndromes","volume":"15","author":"Sih","year":"2012","journal-title":"Ecol. Lett."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anbehav.2011.10.004","article-title":"The effect of variation in boldness and aggressiveness on the reproductive success of zebrafish","volume":"83","author":"Ariyomo","year":"2012","journal-title":"Anim. Behav."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"275","DOI":"10.4141\/A01-088","article-title":"Effect of temperament and behavioural reactions to the presence of a human during the pre-mating period on reproductive performance in farmed mink (Mustela vison)","volume":"82","author":"Korhonen","year":"2002","journal-title":"Can. J. Anim. Sci."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"448","DOI":"10.1093\/beheco\/arm144","article-title":"Fitness consequences of personality: A meta-analysis","volume":"19","author":"Smith","year":"2008","journal-title":"Behav. Ecol."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"847","DOI":"10.1098\/rspb.2004.2680","article-title":"Fitness consequences of avian personalities in a fluctuating environment","volume":"271","author":"Dingemanse","year":"2004","journal-title":"Proc. R. Soc. B"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"514","DOI":"10.1093\/beheco\/ari019","article-title":"Behavioral syndromes influence mating systems: Floater pairs of a lizard have heavier offspring","volume":"16","author":"Stapley","year":"2005","journal-title":"Behav. Ecol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"463","DOI":"10.1006\/anbe.2003.2100","article-title":"Predator-induced natural selection on temperament in bighorn ewes","volume":"65","author":"Bianchet","year":"2003","journal-title":"Anim. Behav."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16980","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1210780109","article-title":"Variation in personality and fitness in wild female baboons","volume":"109","author":"Seyfartha","year":"2012","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1331","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1088580","article-title":"Social bonds of female baboons enhance infant survival","volume":"302","author":"Silk","year":"2003","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1186","DOI":"10.2307\/1938674","article-title":"Individuality, social behavior, and reproductive success in yellow-bellied marmots","volume":"67","author":"Armitage","year":"1986","journal-title":"Ecology"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105168","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2020.105168","article-title":"Identifying personality traits and their potential application to the management of captive forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii)","volume":"234","author":"Yang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106367","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2024.106367","article-title":"Relationships between boldness and fecal steroid hormone levels in captive alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster) in China","volume":"278","author":"Huang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"713","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tree.2010.08.011","article-title":"Species differences in responses to captivity: Stress, welfare and the comparative method","volume":"25","author":"Mason","year":"2010","journal-title":"Trends Ecol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1086\/413673","article-title":"Behavioural aspects of animal domestication","volume":"59","author":"Price","year":"1984","journal-title":"Q. Rev. Biol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"124","DOI":"10.1086\/321307","article-title":"Explaining leptokurtik movement distributions: Intrapopulation variation in boldness and exploration","volume":"158","author":"Fraser","year":"2001","journal-title":"Am. Nat."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"928","DOI":"10.2478\/s11756-011-0093-3","article-title":"Relationships between musk extraction, social rank and tail-rubbing in male Alpine musk deer, Moschus sifanicus","volume":"66","author":"Meng","year":"2011","journal-title":"Biologia"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1168","DOI":"10.1126\/science.335.6073.1168-a","article-title":"Asian Medicine: Exploitation of Wildlife","volume":"335","author":"Meng","year":"2012","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"323","DOI":"10.1017\/S0376892900000369","article-title":"Decline of musk deer in China and prospects for management","volume":"27","author":"Geng","year":"2000","journal-title":"Environ. Conserv."},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"129","article-title":"Review of the distribution, status and conservation of musk deer in China","volume":"53","author":"Zhou","year":"2004","journal-title":"Folia Zool."},{"key":"ref_29","first-page":"355","article-title":"Stereotyped behavior of captive (Moschus sifanicus) in Xinglong Mountain Nature Reserve","volume":"3","author":"Meng","year":"2007","journal-title":"Chin. J. Ecol."},{"key":"ref_30","first-page":"155","article-title":"The social behavior in female musk deer and its influence on offspring\u2019s survival","volume":"22","author":"Xu","year":"2002","journal-title":"Acta Theriol. Sin."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"442","DOI":"10.1016\/0169-5347(94)90134-1","article-title":"Shyness and boldness in humans and other animals","volume":"9","author":"Wilson","year":"1994","journal-title":"Trends Ecol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"581","DOI":"10.1038\/nature05835","article-title":"Life-history trade-offs favour the evolution of animal personalities","volume":"447","author":"Wolf","year":"2007","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3959","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2010.0215","article-title":"An explanatory framework for adaptive personality differences","volume":"365","author":"Wolf","year":"2010","journal-title":"Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.1016\/S0168-1591(03)00013-3","article-title":"The temporal estrous patterns of female alpine musk deer in captivity","volume":"82","author":"Meng","year":"2003","journal-title":"Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"509","DOI":"10.1002\/zoo.20279","article-title":"Rating vs. coding in animal personality research","volume":"29","author":"Highfill","year":"2010","journal-title":"Zoo Biol."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"465","DOI":"10.1111\/brv.12007","article-title":"Animal personality: What are behavioural ecologists measuring?","volume":"88","author":"Carter","year":"2013","journal-title":"Biol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"140","DOI":"10.1002\/zoo.20249","article-title":"Using behavioral observations and keeper questionnaires to assess social relationships among captive female African elephants","volume":"29","author":"Freeman","year":"2010","journal-title":"Zoo Biol."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anbehav.2010.09.018","article-title":"Personality and foraging decisions in fallow deer, Dama dama","volume":"81","author":"Bergvall","year":"2011","journal-title":"Anim. Behav."},{"key":"ref_39","first-page":"266","article-title":"The classification of personality in captive Alpine musk deer (Moschus sifanicus)","volume":"38","author":"Sun","year":"2018","journal-title":"Acta Theriol. Sin."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1002\/zoo.20379","article-title":"Measuring animal personality for use in population management in zoos: Suggested methods and rationale","volume":"31","author":"Watters","year":"2012","journal-title":"Zoo Biol."},{"key":"ref_41","first-page":"158","article-title":"Stereotypy and welfare in mink","volume":"70","author":"Mason","year":"1992","journal-title":"J. Anim. Sci."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1016\/S0168-1591(98)00139-7","article-title":"Animal welfare in the musk deer","volume":"59","author":"Shrestha","year":"1998","journal-title":"Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref_43","unstructured":"Fraser, A.F., and Broom, D.M. (1990). Farm Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Balliere Tindall."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"163","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2006.05.041","article-title":"Why and how should we use environmental enrichment to tackle stereotypy behaviour?","volume":"102","author":"Mason","year":"2007","journal-title":"Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref_45","first-page":"539","article-title":"Stereotypic behavior of captive forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii)","volume":"53","author":"Han","year":"2018","journal-title":"Chin. J. Zool."},{"key":"ref_46","first-page":"374","article-title":"Relationships between stereotypical behavior and fecal steroid hormone in captive Alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster)","volume":"40","author":"Qin","year":"2020","journal-title":"Acta Theriol. Sin."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105828","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2022.105828","article-title":"Effects of social stress on the welfare of captive male Alpine musk deer: Stereotypic behavior, fecal cortisol, and musk secretion","volume":"258","author":"Zhou","year":"2023","journal-title":"Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"925","DOI":"10.1016\/S0149-7634(99)00026-3","article-title":"Coping styles in animals: Current status in behavior and stress-physiology","volume":"23","author":"Koolhaas","year":"1999","journal-title":"Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev."}],"container-title":["Animals"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/16\/16\/2476\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T08:28:52Z","timestamp":1786350532000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/16\/16\/2476"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]},"references-count":48,"journal-issue":{"issue":"16","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["ani16162476"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ani16162476","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-2615"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-2615","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]}}}