We are only starting to understand how variation in cognitive ability can result from local adaptations to environmental conditions. A major question in this regard is to what extent selection on cognitive ability in a specific context affects that ability in general through correlated evolution. To address this question we performed artificial selection on visual associative learning in female Nasonia vitripennis wasps. Using appetitive conditioning in which a visual stimulus was offered in association with a host reward, the ability to learn visual associations was enhanced within 10 generations of selection. To test for correlated evolution affecting this form of learning, the ability to readily form learned associations in females was also tested using an olfactory instead of a visual stimulus in the appetitive conditioning. Additionally, we assessed whether the improved associative learning ability was expressed across sexes by colour-conditioning males with a mating reward. Both females and males from the selected lines consistently demonstrated an increased associative learning ability compared to the control lines, independent of learning context or conditioned stimulus. No difference in relative volume of brain neuropils was detected between the selected and control lines.

data selection linescsv file with the performance index of 4 selected and 4 control lines (A- D) at each of 10 generations of selectiondata intermediate relaxed selectionperformance index of the 4 selection events in between the end of the selection experiment and the assessment of the learning ability of males of generation 38data innate colour prefcsv file with the colour preference of selected and control lines measured at generations 0, 3, 6 and 9data G11 female olfactorycsv file with the performance index of females of the selected and control lines of generation 11 in an olfactory associative learning taskdata G38 male visualcsv file with the performance index of males of the selected and control lines of generation 38 in a visual associative learning taskdata brainscsv file with the relative volumes of the brain neuropils of female wasps of the selected and control lines