Curriculum Vitae
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Dr. Kees van Oers (Wieringen, 1971) studies the genetic background, physiology and fitness consequences of variation in avian personality. In 2005 he obtained a personal VENI-grant to study the evolutionary genetics of personality using a linkage study in a natural population. This work is currently extended in collaboration with the Animal Breeding and Genomics Center in an NGI-grant on songbird genomics.
- 2009- Research Scientist Dept. Animal Ecology, NIOO-KNAW
- 2006-2009 VENI-Researcher Dept. Animal Population Biology, NIOO-KNAW
- 2004-2005 postdoc at the Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology (Seewiesen, Germany); study on "the relation between promiscuity and personality"
- 2003-2004 postdoc at the Dept. Animal Population Biology, NIOO-KNAW; "an association study between the PmaDRD4 gene and personality in great tits"
- 1998-2003 PhD student on the quantitative genetic background of personalities in Great Tits under supervision of Arie van Noordwijk (NIOO-KNAW), Gerdien de Jong (Utrecht University)and Piet Drent (NIOO-KNAW). Defended thesis at Utrecht University November 2003
- 1996 MSc in Animal Ecology at University of Groningen
- 1990-1994 BSc Utrecht University in Ecology
Editorial tasks
Consulting editor for Animal Behaviour
Editor for ARDEA
Expertise
Animal Personality
- Proximate (genetics, physiology) and ultimate (natural and sexual selection) aspects explaining variation in personality
- Conceptual issues and the link to human personality
Evolutionary Genetics, Ecological Genomics of Behavioural- and Life-History Traits
Quantitative and molecular genetics of behaviour in natural- and controlled lab populations
Projects
A. Evolutionary genetics of avian personality
This project aims to analyse the quantitative and molecular genetic basis of avian personalities and use this to study genotype x environment interaction. The final goal is to link this to natural and artificial selection. It is based on lines for fast and slow exploration and lines selected on low and high risk-taking behaviour, but also uses long-term data from pedigreed wild populations.
Subprojects include:
- Linkage mapping
- Candidate genes for great tit personality
- QTL x environment interaction
B. Frequency dependend fitness consequences of personality in a natural population
This PhD project is run by Eva Fucikova and supervised by Dr. Piet Drent and Dr. Kees van Oers
Promotor: Prof Dr. Marcel Visser
C. Molecular genetics of timing of reproduction
This project is part of the VICI project of Prof Dr. Marcel Visser
D. Physiological mechanisms underlying personality variation in great tits
Personality differences are expressed in situations of mild stress. The physiological mechanisms underlying these stress responses are therefore expected to vary along this variation. In rodents proactive coping styles (bold, “active” and aggressive animals) are associated with high neurosympathetic activity and low HPA reactivity, whereas reactive coping styles (shy, “passive” and less aggressive animals) are associated with high cardiac parasympathetic activity and high HPA reactivity. Measuring these physiological differences in relation to personality differences will give us direct information on the mechanisms underlying personality differences.
collaborators include: Dr. Michaela Hau (Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology, GE), Dr. P.J. Drent (NIOO-KNAW), Dr. Kate Buchanan (AUS), John Cockrem (NZ)
Co-Operation
Songbird Genomics: High throughput genetics and QTL mapping in wild passerines
Together with: Prof. Dr. martien Groenen (WuR), Prof. Dr. Marcel Visser, Dr. Richard Crooijmans and Dr. Nikkie van Bers
Testosterone and Fitness in relation to personality
with: Dr. Michaela Hau, MPIO, Radolfzell, Germany
Personality in Barnacle geese
PhD project of Ralf Kurvers (Recourse Ecology, Wageningen University)
The timing of moult in different Stone chat populations
with: Barbara Helm (MPIO, Radolfzell/Konstanz, GE)
The association between candidate genes and personality
Collaborators include: Dr. Richard Crooijmans (ABG, WUR) and Dr. Jacob Müller (MPIO, Seewiesen)
Selected Publications
Peer Reviewed Journals
In Press
Van Bers, N.E.M., van Oers, K., Kerstens, H. H. D., Dibbits, B. W., Crooijmans, R. P. M. A., Visser, M.E. & Groenen, M.A.M. Genome-wide SNP detection in the great tit Parus major using high throughput sequencing. Mol. Ecol. In Press
Korsten, P., Mueller, J.C., Hermannstädter, C., Bouwman, K.N., Dingemanse, N.J., Drent, P.J., Liedvogel, M., Matthysen, E., van Oers, K., van Overveld, T., Patrick, S.C., Quinn, J.L., Sheldon, B.C., Tinbergen, J.M. & Kempenaers, B. Association between DRD4 gene polymorphism and personality variation in great tits: a test across four wild populations. Mol. Ecol. In Press.
Kurvers, R.H.J.M., Prins, H.H.T., van Wieren, S.E., van Oers, K., Nolet, B.A. & Ydenburg, R.C. The effect of personality on social foraging: shy barnacle geese scrounge more. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B.. In Press.
van Oers, K., Richardson, D.S., Sæter, S.A. & Komdeur, J. Reduced blood parasite prevalence with age in the Seychelles Warbler: selective mortality or suppression of infection? J. Ornith. out online. Full article free access
2009
Kurvers, R.H.J.M., Eijkelenkamp, B., van Oers, K., van Lith, B., van Wieren, S.E., Ydenburg, R.C. & Prins, H.H.T. 2009. Personalty differences explain leadership in barnacle geese. Anim. Behav. 78:447-453
Jacot, A., Valcu, M., van Oers, K. & Kempenaers, B. 2009. Experimental nest site limitation affects reproductive strategies and parental investment in a hole-nesting passerine. Anim. Behav. 77: 1075-1083
Fucikova, E., Drent, P.J. & van Oers, K. 2009. Handling stress as a measurement of personality in Great tit nestlings (Parus major). Ethology 115: 366-374
2008
van Oers, K., Drent, P.J., Dingemanse, N.J. & Kempenaers, B. 2008. Personality is associated with extra-pair paternity in great tits (Parus major). Anim. Behav. 76: 577-584
van Oers, K. 2008. Animal Personality, Behaviours or Traits: What Are We Measuring? – invited commentary. Eur. J. Personality 22: 457-474
2007
Fidler, A.E., van Oers, K., Drent, P.J., Kuhn, S., Mueller, J.C. & Kempenaers, B. 2007. Drd4 gene polymorphisms are associated with personality variation in a passerine bird. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 274: 1685-1691
van Oers, K. & Carere, C. 2007. Long-term effects of repeated handling and bleeding in wild caught great tits Parus major. J. Ornith. 148 (Suppl 2):S185-S190.
van Oers, K. 2007. The need for interdisciplinary research in personality studies – invited commentary. Eur. J. Personality 21: 635-637
2005
van Oers, K., de Jong, G., van Noordwijk, A.J., Kempenaers, B. & Drent, P.J. 2005. Contribution of genetics to the study of animal personalities: a review of case studies. Behaviour 142: 1191-1212
van Oers, K., Klunder, M. & Drent, P.J. 2005. Context dependence of personalities: risk-taking behavior in a social and a nonsocial situation. Behav. Ecol. 16: 716-723
2004 and earlier
van Oers, K., de Jong, G. van Noordwijk, A.J. & Drent, P.J. 2004. A genetic analysis of avian personality traits: correlated response to artificial selection. Behav. Gen. 34: 611-619
van Oers, K., Drent, P., de Jong, G. & van Noordwijk, A.J. 2004. Additive and nonadditive genetic variation in avian personality traits. Heredity 93: 496-503
Carere, C. & van Oers, K. 2004. Shy and bold great tits (Parus major): body temperature and breath rate in response to handling stress. Phys. Behav. 82: 905-912
van Oers, K., Drent, P.J. de Goede, P. and van Noordwijk, A.J. 2004. Realized heritability and repeatability of risk-taking behaviour in relation to avian personalities. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 271: 65-73
Mols, C.M.M., van Oers, K., Witjes, L.M.A., Lessells, C.M., Drent, P.J. and Visser, M.E. 2004. Central assumptions of predator-prey models fail in a semi-natural experimental system. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B (Suppl.) 271: S85-S87
Drent, P.J., van Oers, K. and van Noordwijk, A.J. 2003. Realised heritability of personalities in the great tit (Parus major). Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 270: 45-51
van Oers, K., Heg, D. and Le Drean Quenech'du, S. 2002. Parasite infection and survival in the Oystercatcher. Ibis 144: 509-517
Dingemanse, N.J., Both, C. Drent, P.J. , van Oers, K. and van Noordwijk, A.J. 2002. Repeatability and heritability of exploratory behaviour in great tits. Anim. Behav. 64: 929-937
Book Chapters
van Oers, K. & Naguib, M. In Press. Avian Personality.
In: Animal Personalities: behavior, physiology, and evolution. Edited by Claudio Carere and Dario Maestripieri
Publisher: Chicago University Press
van Oers, K. & Sinn, D. In Press. The quantitative and molecular genetics of animal personality.
In: Animal Personalities: behavior, physiology, and evolution. Edited by Claudio Carere and Dario Maestripieri
Publisher: Chicago University Press
van Oers, C.H.J. and van Dijk, J. 2002. Distribution, feeding habits and behaviour ecology of the Buffon's Macaw (Ara ambigua guayaquilensis).
In: Bird Reasearch and Breeding. Pp 159-173, Ed. C.Mettke-Hofmann & U.Gansloßer
Publisher: Filander Verlag
Drent, P.J., Dingemanse, N.J. & van Oers, C.H.J. 2002
Functional significance and heritability in coping strategies in a wild territorial passerine: the great tit
In: Bird Reasearch and Breeding. Pp 25-46, Ed. C.Mettke-Hofmann & U.Gansloßer
Publisher: Filander Verlag
Links
Personal website with PDF's of publications, PR articles etc.
PhD thesis at the website of Utrecht University
Animal Personality Website of Sam Gosling's lab
ResearcherID: view my citations and links to papers
EOU 2009 website, International Ornithological meeting in Zurich 21-26 August 2009
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