In the animal kingdom, numerical understanding is considered a unique ability of humans, but recent research reveals the exact opposite. Living creatures, from bees to giraffes, demonstrate astonishing counting skills that reflect a deep level of numerical perception and quantitative understanding. This article discusses how many species, such as bees that count landmarks as they move or lions that assess the sounds of foes, interact with numbers in a way that reflects a more complex awareness than we previously thought. It also highlights new scientific discoveries showing not only the ability to count but also more abstract concepts like zero. This journey will explore how the brains of animals, no matter how small, can contain mechanisms that distinguish them in understanding numbers, and what these findings might mean for our human understanding of mathematics.
Understanding Numbers in the Animal Kingdom
Numerical understanding is considered a hallmark of humans, as it is a criterion of intelligence that distinguishes them from other creatures. However, recent research shows that many animals possess numerical abilities that may seem complex enough to challenge this belief. For example, honeybees calculate landmarks while navigating to nectar sources, while lions count the roars they hear from a rival group to decide whether to attack or retreat. Some ants and spiders can also track their steps and the number of prey they have captured.
The diversity of numerical abilities among living organisms shows that understanding numbers is not limited to humans. Even invertebrates like insects and octopuses, as well as amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, all exhibit the ability to distinguish numbers. This idea also extends to the concept of “many,” or what can be identified by the creature’s mental sensing, as animals not only possess a sense of “greater than” or “less than,” but they also represent a certain quantitative perception.
Some studies show that this numerical perception is an ancient and general ability, allowing certain animals to perform simple calculations and even understand the concept of “zero.” Numerous experiments have shown that primates and honeybees can treat zero as a number, positioning it on a mental number line just as they do with other numbers like one or two. These abilities suggest that numerical skills may have evolved in stages across different species, raising questions about the reasons why nature equipped many creatures with these basic skills.
Numerical Perception in Animals
In the early 20th century, the phenomenon of the horse “Clever Hans” diverged from our understanding of numerical perception in animals. This horse could solve a range of arithmetic problems, but it was actually reliant on precise observations of the trainer’s movements. This misunderstanding clouded public perceptions of numerical abilities in animals with ongoing doubts. However, recent experimental studies over the past two decades have shown that even the smallest creatures like bees and ants are capable of astonishing feats of numerical perception.
The mechanisms underlying these numerical abilities are common across species. There appears to be a system for approximating quantities that can sometimes err, but the majority of the time is accurate. When comparing very small groups like six dots and three dots, the comparison is easy, whereas it becomes more complex when comparing groups that are close in number. Studies on monkeys have shown the presence of neurons in the cerebral cortex that respond to certain numerical patterns, indicating a heritable sense of number in many animals.
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recent experiments suggest that animals are not only capable of understanding numbers but also have the ability to perform basic operations such as addition and subtraction. Interactions between animals and their environment can reflect numerical learning in a self-directed manner, such as birds that track hidden items and understand the amount of food remaining in a box. When researchers trained bees to recognize a certain number of colors, they were able to correctly identify choices based on numerical outcomes.
These findings indicate that numerical cognition is not merely an arbitrary ability but is a possible and acquired trait across species, highlighting the complexity and diversity in the cognitive abilities of animals.
Advanced Numerical Abilities Among Animals
It is fascinating how certain species have demonstrated more complex numerical abilities that reflect advanced numerical reasoning. For instance, previous studies have shown that newly hatched chicks can distinguish between two groups of items, often opting to approach the larger group. When the groups were covered with screens and some items were swapped, the chicks continued to choose the larger group, suggesting an ability to perform advanced calculations without the need for training.
Furthermore, researchers have observed that some species, such as primates and bees, can devise plans for foraging and accurately count the amount of food remaining, along with other complex services that reflect cognitive dimensions and numerical processes. Similar tests conducted on wild animals revealed that these species are not only capable of distinguishing numbers but also interact with their environments in ways that serve their survival goals.
The ability to comprehend numbers and perform calculations may be intrinsically embedded in all living organisms, assisting neuroscientists and animal behaviorists in exploring the complex capabilities among different species. Linking these dimensions to human contexts and scientific practices will help create a comprehensive picture of how civilizations can evolve based on numerical perception and its impact.
There are indications that living beings share a kind of language that allows them to interact with the world around them and the data they collect. These abilities have evolved over time, paving the way for a deeper understanding of animals and the nature of their numerical thinking.
Numerical Competence in Animals: Potentials and Concepts
Recent research shows that animals possess complex numerical cognition that exceeds the simplicity commonly recognized. This understanding, known as numerical competence, manifests in the ability of animals to handle concepts related to numbers, not only simple numbers but also more complex concepts like “zero.” Studies have demonstrated that some species, such as primates and bees, achieve a genuine understanding of the representation of numbers, including zero, a concept considered challenging by many biological psychologists due to the abstract nature of zero. For instance, monkeys have neurons in the prefrontal cortex that specifically respond to zero, indicating that they recognize it as a quantity and understand its absence as a distinctive quantity.
There are numerous examples of numerical competence among animals. For instance, previous studies have shown that bees can recognize numbers by interacting with different shapes. This research has established that numerical cognition can appear independently in various species as a result of their adaptation to their specific environments. This opens the door to discussions on how this numerical competence may have developed in different yet similar ways among animals in diverse ecological contexts, raising further curiosity about the evolution of numerical cognition over time.
Zero: A Unique Concept in Numerical Cognition
Zero is considered one of the most complex mathematical concepts and poses a challenge even for humans who need some time to comprehend it. Young children do not attribute importance to zero as a number, seeing it instead as an absence or loss, and for many of them, it takes years before they become accustomed to using it as a clear and defined number. However, research suggests that monkeys may possess a rudimentary understanding of the concept of zero, indicating that this perception of more than mere absence may exist in the animal kingdom.
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For example, research has shown that monkeys tend to confuse an empty set with a set of one more than they confuse an empty set with a set containing two, indicating that zero is considered a quantity close to the number one in their numerical perception. These findings reinforce the idea that numerical perception may be a common trait across species. But what is the reason for the evolution of this perception beyond mere environmental necessity?
Mathematical Operations and Abstract Concepts in Animals
Mathematical operations require an understanding of the meanings of numbers and their contexts, leading us to question how animals perceive numbers in general. Numerical perception is important in processes such as foraging or assessing risks. The concept of zero also reflects a dual need: not only to understand ‘what is present’ but also ‘what it means for there to be nothing’. This represents an important evolution in thinking as a whole in the animal kingdom, not limited to whales or monkeys but potentially including honeybees as well.
Research suggests that this competence in mathematical concepts may have arisen as a response to environmental challenges rather than simply as a result of visual needs. Some species, such as monkeys and bees, may have developed different nervous systems, but they yield the same results in their interaction with numbers. It is also important to understand that these mathematical operations are not limited to higher animals but also include simpler species such as fish and worms.
Evolution and Heredity: Searching for the Biological Basis of Numerical Perception
In the pursuit of a deeper understanding of how numerical competence has evolved, current research is focused on uncovering the biological and behavioral foundations behind this perception. Some studies indicate the existence of certain genes that may be linked to numbers, opening a new avenue for understanding how numerical competencies evolve across generations. Researchers suggest that the evolution of mathematical abilities may arise from the need to solve problems related to the surrounding environment.
Much research is still being conducted to grasp how genes relate to numerical abilities. The existence of studies exploring these matters in agriculture and the world of bees reflects a growing interest in understanding the concept of numbers more deeply. Mathematical understanding is not merely a typical skill of humans but could be a shared evolutionary goal that includes all types of creatures.
Mathematical Thinking: Multitool Experiments in Numerical Understanding
Scientists’ experiments vary significantly, from simple tests that involve observing animal behavior when evaluating groups to using advanced technology such as neural recorders to understand how numerical information is processed. What is considered numerical thinking has led new behavioral traits in research to expand, requiring new tools to comprehend the subtle differences in numerical perception. These differences in number recognition allow scientists to understand how species provide varying responses to each.
The complex challenges presented by different environments may highlight the need for diverse strategies. For instance, in a recent study, scientists allowed bees to experiment with new ways to interact with numbers, leading to intriguing conjectures about behavioral patterns and enabling understanding of how these behaviors enhance numerical understanding. This shows that experiments are not just about increasing numerical competence but understanding the driving reasons behind this understanding.
Source link: https://www.quantamagazine.org/animals-can-count-and-use-zero-how-far-does-their-number-sense-go-20210809/
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