Are generalists more innovative than specialists? A comparison of innovative abilities in two wild sympatric mouse lemur species.

ABSTRACT: The propensity to flexibly innovate behavioural variants might advantage animals when dealing with novel or modified ecological or social challenges. Interspecific innovative abilities can be predicted by the degree of ecological generalism and intraspecific variation is predicted by personality traits. To examine the effects of these factors on innovation, we compared problem-solving abilities in the generalist grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) and the more specialized Madame Berthe's mouse lemurs (Microcebus berthae) in western Madagascar. We examined personality traits by testing 54 individuals in open field and novel object tests, and we assessed problem-solving abilities by presenting an artificial feeding-box that could be opened by three different techniques. The

SUBMITTER: Henke-von der Malsburg J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6124029 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature