Being smart pays off, as it allows for more balanced decision-making. However, the origins of these abilities during evolution remain largely unexplored. Only if smarter individuals enjoy better survival and have higher reproductive rates than their conspecifics, improved cognitive abilities can evolve. Researchers from the German Primate Center (DPZ) – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research have recently examined the link between cognitive abilities and survival in gray mouse lemurs. The findings revealed that the animals that performed best in the cognition tests lived for longer. These results suggest that alternative strategies can contribute to an extended lifespan (Science Advances).