DOI: 10.5061/dryad.tb2rbp06n
title: Data from: Songbird species that display more-complex vocal learning are better problem-solvers and have larger brains

description: Complex vocal learning, a critical component of human spoken language, has
 been assumed to be associated with more-advanced cognitive abilities.
 Tests of this hypothesis between individuals within a species have been
 inconclusive and have not been done across species. In this work, we
 measured an array of cognitive skills - namely problem-solving,
 associative and reversal learning, and self-control - across 214
 individuals of 23 bird species, including 19 wild-caught songbird species
 and two vocal nonlearning species. We found that the greater the vocal
 learning abilities of a species, the better their problem-solving skills
 and the relatively larger their brains. These conclusions held when
 controlling for non-cognitive variables and phylogeny. Our results support
 a hypothesis of shared genetic and cognitive mechanisms between vocal
 learning, problem-solving, and bigger brains in songbirds.
description: # Complete dataset and code for: "Songbird species displaying more
 complex vocal learning are better problem-solvers and have larger
 brains" *** Dataset contains of all variables for each individual,
 including behavioral traits, experimental conditions and published
 metrics. Code is the complete R code used for all analyses. ## Description
 of the data and file structure species: Scientific species name animal:
 Additional scientific species name for phylogenetic analyses sp\_common:
 Common species name bird\_ID: Individual bird ID captive\_status:
 Domesticated or wild-caught species sex: Male or female Location: Capture
 site Food\_deprivation\_time: Fasting period (h, logged) Shyness: Shyness
 (average of 4 days, logged) Neophobia: Neophobia (average of 4 days,
 logged) tPS1234: Problem-solving (average number of trials to succeed the
 4 problem-solving tasks) lPS1234: Problem-solving (average number of
 trials to succeed the 4 problem-solving tasks, logged) tDetour\_reaching:
 Self-control (trials to succeed the detour-reaching task)
 lDetour\_reaching: Self-control (trials to succeed the detour-reaching
 task, logged) tLearning: Associative learning (trials to succeed the
 discrimination learning task) lLearning: Associative learning (trials to
 succeed the discrimination learning task, logged) tReversal\_learning:
 Reversal learning (trials to succeed reversal of the discrimination
 learning task) lReversal\_learning: Reversal learning (trials to succeed
 reversal of the discrimination learning task, logged) Bodyweight: Initial
 bodyweight (g, logged) Relative\_brain\_size: Relative brain size
 (residuals of brain volume and bodyweight) Call\_rep: Call repertoire
 (number of unique calls) lCall\_rep: Call repertoire (number of unique
 calls, logged) Song\_rep: Song repertoire (number of unique songs)
 lSong\_rep: Song repertoire (number of unique songs, logged)
 SongCall\_rep: Complete vocalization repertoire (number of unique songs
 and calls) lSongCall\_rep: Complete vocalization repertoire (number of
 unique songs and calls. logged) VLC: Vocal learning complexity (PC1)
 VLTnum: Vocal learning type (1: non-learner, 2: closed-ended vocal
 learner, 3: open-ended vocal learner, 4: mimic) OCnum: Open-endedness (0:
 closed-ended, 1: open-ended) OCsongnum: Song open-endedness (0:
 closed-ended, 1: open-ended) Mnum: Mimicry (0: non-mimic, 1: mimic) VLT:
 Vocal learning type (categorical) "NA" values in the dataset
 indicate missing values (behavioral tests not successfully completed) ##
 Sharing/Access information NA ## Code/Software Code can be run with R.