Data from: Temperament and cognitive flexibility across lemur species

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.