Cognitive processes are robust to early environmental conditions in two lizard species
Data files
Feb 27, 2026 version files 336.38 KB
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Learning.csv
333.10 KB
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README.md
3.28 KB
Abstract
Animals must acquire new information through learning to adjust their behavior adaptively. However, learning ability can be constrained by conditions experienced during early development, when the brain is especially susceptible to environmental conditions. For example, temperature can result in phenotypically plastic adjustments to growth, metabolism, and learning in ectotherms. In vertebrates, thermal conditions can increase the production of glucocorticoid (GCs) - ‘stress’ hormones. Maternal GCs can be transmitted to offspring during development, potentially impacting their learning abilities. GCs and thermal environments are, therefore, predicted to have interactive effects on the development of learning in ectotherms. Here, we investigated the combined effects of prenatal corticosterone (CORT) - the main GC in reptiles - and incubation temperature on associative learning using two species of lizards, Lampropholis delicata and L. guichenoti. We manipulated CORT levels and temperature in a 2x2 factorial design, and then subjected juveniles to a color-associative learning task. We predicted that elevated CORT and low temperatures would impair associative learning. However, both species showed similar learning rates independently of treatment. Our results suggest that these two species may have evolved mechanisms to maintain learning performance despite prenatal challenges. We also found that color affected decision-making in both species. Overall, we observed a non-learned preference towards blue, underscoring the need to carefully select the color used in cognitive tests involving visual stimuli.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.k98sf7mjr
Description of the data and file structure
Research paper
This repository contains the data used in the following manuscript:
Recio et al. 2024. Cognitive processes are robust to early environmental conditions in two lizard species. Behavioral Ecology.
Code and full text available at: https://github.com/Pablo-Recio/CORT_Temp_learning
Files and variables
File: Learning.csv
Description: main database used in the experiment, where we the impact of early environments (trt) on associative learning abilities (FC_associative) while controlling for stimulus presented (group).
Variables
- lizard_id: identity of the lizard
- position: position of each lizard in the room (which rack they were assigned to) and within the rack
- species: species
- sex: sex
- trt: treatment the lizard was subjected to. A = Control and B = CORT, the numbers indicate incubation temperature
- clutch: clutch identity the lizard belonged to
- age start: age at which lizards started the experiment (days)
- date_end_training: date when the last stage of the habituation/training phase was completed (day/month/year)
- date_first_trial: date when the first trial was done (day/month/year)
- days_since_training: time between compeltion of the habituation/training time until the first trial (days)
- group: indicates which was the colour the lizard was assigned to: B = blue, R = red. B_R indicates blue was the colour for the associative learning task
- trial_associative: number of the trial
- position_feeder_associative: position of the correct ramp during that trial
- FC_associative: first choice made, whether if it was correct (1) or not (0)
- notes_associative: observations made
- reinforcement: whether the lizard ate the cricket (1) or not (0) independently of first choice
- trial_reversal: number of the trial of the reversal (published in Recio et al 2024. Animal Behaviour)
- position_feeder_reversal: position of the correct ramp during that trial in the reversal learning task (published in Recio et al 2024. Animal Behaviour)
- FC_reversal: first choice made, whether if it was correct (1) or not (0)in the reversal learning task (published in Recio et al 2024. Animal Behaviour)
- reinfor_reversal: whether the lizard ate the cricket (1) or not (0) independently of first choicein the reversal learning task (published in Recio et al 2024. Animal Behaviour)
- notes_reversal: observations made in the reversal learning task (published in Recio et al 2024. Animal Behaviour)
- blue_asso: indicates whether the lizard chose the blue ramp or not
Code/software
The code is available at: https://github.com/Pablo-Recio/CORT_Temp_learning
All analyses are included in the R folder or in the ms file. R was the main program employed for writing the code
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
Data was derived from the following sources:
- NONE