Data for: Serotonin transporter (SERT) polymorphisms, personality and problem-solving in urban great tits

Understanding underlying genetic variation can elucidate how diversity in behavioral phenotypes evolves and is maintained.  Genes in the serotonergic signaling pathway, including the serotonin transporter gene (SERT), are candidates for affecting animal personality, cognition and fitness.  In a model species, the great tit (Parus major), we reevaluated previous findings suggesting relationships between SERT polymorphisms, neophobia, exploratory behavior and fitness parameters, and performed a first test of the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SERT and problem-solving in birds.  We found some evidence for associations between SERT SNPs and neophobia, exploratory behavior and laying date.  Furthermore, several SNPs were associated with behavioral patterns and success rates during obstacle removal problem-solving tests performed at nest boxes.  In females, minor allele homozygotes (AA) for nonsynonymous SNP226 in exon 1 made fewer incorrect attempts and were m...