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

<p class="CxSpFirst"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>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 (<i>SERT)</i>, are candidates for affecting animal personality, cognition and fitness.  In a model species, the great tit (<i>Parus major</i>), we reevaluated previous findings suggesting relationships between <i>SERT</i> 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 <i>SERT </i>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 more likely to problem-solve.  In both sexes, there was some evidence that minor allele homozygotes (CC) for SNP84 in exon 9 were more likely to problem-solve.  Only one SNP-behavior relationship was statistically significant after correcting for multiple comparisons, but several were associated with substantial effect sizes.  Our study provides a foundation for future research on the genetic basis of behavioral and cognitive variation in wild animal populations.  </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>