DOI: 10.5061/dryad.8kprr4z18
title: Data from: Temperament and cognitive flexibility across lemur species

description: Temperament can shape patterns of individual differences in animal
 cognition and behaviour. An influential hypothesis proposes that bolder
 and more exploratory individuals are less cognitively flexible than shy
 individuals. However, there is also evidence that the relationship between
 temperament and cognition may vary depending on the particular social and
 ecological challenges an individual faces. Here, we test the link between
 temperament and cognitive flexibility by examining seven lemur species (N
 = 65) with targeted variation in diet and social organization: Coquerel’s
 sifakas, Propithecus coquereli, ruffed lemurs (Varecia spp.), ringtailed
 lemurs, Lemur catta, mongoose lemurs, Eulemur mongoz, collared lemurs,
 Eulemur collaris, crowned lemurs, Eulemur coronatus, and blue-eyed black
 lemurs, Eulemur flavifrons. We assessed temperament by measuring responses
 to novel objects and persistence in trying to obtain an inaccessible
 reward and indexed cognitive flexibility in a reversal learning task. This
 allowed us to compare species’ responses as well as inter-relationships
 between temperament and cognitive flexibility across individuals. First,
 we found notable differences in both temperament and cognitive flexibility
 in these species. For example, frugivorous ruffed lemurs and folivorous
 sifakas were bolder and more persistent than other species, while sifakas
 performed worse in the reversal learning task compared to other species.
 Second, we found that bold individuals who were quicker to approach novel
 objects were less cognitively flexible across all individuals. However,
 this pattern could vary by species and measure of boldness: folivorous
 sifakas who spent more time near novel items were actually more
 cognitively flexible. Overall, these results provide support for the
 proposed relationship between bold temperament and reduced cognitive
 flexibility but also indicate that this relationship can differ across
 species, highlighting the importance of considering how socioecology may
 shape the link between temperament and cognition.
description: See publication for all methods.
description: # Data from: Temperament and cognitive flexibility across lemur species
 Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.8kprr4z18](10.5061/dryad.8kprr4z18) ##
 Description of the data and file structure This data set consists of four
 files (.xlsx format) with the data from this study. Each file includes a
 data tab with all the data from the task, as well as a key tab where all
 the variables reported in the main data tab are defined (also appended
 below). Each data file also includes the demographic characteristics of
 the lemurs that participated in the task (e.g., their species, age and
 sex); the relevant experimental parameters for the task (e.g., the trial
 type and trial number), and their responses (e.g., choices to approach or
 correct choices). NA values are defined for each task and indicate that a
 particular response measure was not applicable to that lemur (e.g., they
 did not participate in that task or they did not produce the relevant
 response). ### Files and variables #### File:
 Cantwell_et_al_Lemurs_Novel_Object_Task.xlsx **Description:** data from a
 task assessing responses to novel objects, by individuals from seven lemur
 species (willingness to approach, latency to approach, and duration in
 proximity) ##### Variables * Code ID: Lemur's unique identifying code
 * Species: Lemur's species (one of seven: ring-tailed lemurs;
 mongoose lemurs; black and white or red ruffed lemurs; Coquerel's
 sifakas; blue-eyed black lemurs; crowned lemurs; collared lemurs) * Sex:
 Lemur's sex (M = male, F = female) * Age: Age in years at time of
 test * Trial_Num: Trial number * Trial_Type: Trial type (baseline = table
 only; person = person sitting at table; static = stationary novel object;
 moving = moving novel object) * DurationInProximity: Amount of time spent
 in the proximity area in seconds * Approach: Whether or not the lemur
 approached the proximity area at any point during the trial (1 = yes, 0 =
 no) * LatencyProximity: Latency to approach the proximity area in seconds
 (NA = lemur did not approach the proximity area within the trial time
 limits) #### File: Cantwell_et_al_Lemurs_Persistence_Task.xlsx
 **Description:** data from a task assessing persistence to acquire
 inaccessible food, by individuals from seven lemur species (duration of
 attempt to access) ##### Variables * Code ID: Lemur's unique
 identifying code * Species: Lemur's species (one of seven:
 ring-tailed lemurs; mongoose lemurs; black and white or red ruffed lemurs;
 Coquerel's sifakas; blue-eyed black lemurs; crowned lemurs; collared
 lemurs) * Sex: Lemur's sex (M = male, F = female) * Age: Age in years
 at time of test * TotalManip: Total amount of time spent in contact with
 the box during the trial in seconds #### File:
 Cantwell_et_al_Lemurs_Reversal_Learning_Task.xlsx **Description:** data
 from a task assessing abilities to update responses across seven lemur
 species (trials to learn an initial contingency and responses after
 contingency is flipped) ##### Variables * CodeID: Lemur's unique
 identifying code * Species: Lemur's species (one of seven:
 ring-tailed lemurs; mongoose lemurs; black and white or red ruffed lemurs;
 Coquerel's sifakas; blue-eyed black lemurs; crowned lemurs; collared
 lemurs) * Sex: Lemur's sex (M = male, F = female) * Age: Age in years
 at time of test * NumberLearningTrials: Number of trials needed to proceed
 with the test * Trial_Num: Trial number within entire session *
 Trial_Num_Type: Trial number within each trial type * TrialType: The type
 of trial presented (exposure = food is hidden in full view of subject;
 learning trials = food is always hidden under the same box; test =
 contingencies are switched) * Choice: Lemur's choice: 1 = correct
 choice (choice of the baited location on that trial); 0 = incorrect choice
 (choice of the empty location) #### File:
 Cantwell_et_al_Lemurs_Task_Interrelationships.xlsx **Description:** Task
 Interrelationships: integrated data from individuals' performance
 across the three tasks ##### Variables * Code ID: Lemur's unique
 identifying code * Species: Lemur's species (one of seven:
 ring-tailed lemurs; mongoose lemurs; black and white or red ruffed lemurs;
 Coquerel's sifakas; blue-eyed black lemurs; crowned lemurs; collared
 lemurs) * Sex: Lemur's sex (M = male, F = female) * Age: Age in years
 at time of test * TotalManip: Total amount of time spent in contact with
 the box during the persistence task in seconds * ReversalCorrect: Number
 of correct reversal learning trials (NAs are individuals who did not
 complete this task) * LearningTrials: Number of trials required to proceed
 to the reversal phase in the reversal learning task (NAs are individuals
 who did not complete this task) * NovelMean: Average amount of time spent
 in the proximity area across novel object trials in seconds, including
 no-approach responses (e.g., 0 seconds of proximity) * LatencyMean:
 Average latency to approach the proximity area across novel object trials
 in seconds, including no-approach responses (latency set at 60-second
 maximum) * NovelMeanApproach: Average amount of time spent in the
 proximity area across novel object trials in seconds, excluding trials
 where the lemur does not approach this area (NA = lemur never approached
 on any trial) * LatencyMeanApproach: Average latency to approach the
 proximity area across novel object trials in seconds, excluding trials
 where the lemur does not approach this area (NA = lemur never approached
 on any trial) #