Lemurs and macaques show similar numerical sensitivity

Jones, Sarah M.; Pearson, J. M.; DeWind, Nicholas K.; Paulsen, David J.; Tenekedjieva, Ana-Maria; Brannon, Elizabeth M.

doi:10.1007/s10071-013-0682-3

Cited by 22 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…All four subjects had participated in several previous experiments, but only two of these involved numerical judgments. In one study, Monkeys B and Y were presented with two stimulus arrays at the left and right of the screen, and were rewarded for touching the array with a greater number of dots (Jones et al, in press). In another unpublished study, Monkey B was presented with two stimulus arrays at the left and right or top and bottom of the screen, and was rewarded for making an eye movement toward the array with a greater number of dots.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) map number onto space

2014

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Humans map number onto space. However, the origins of this association, and particularly the degree to which it depends upon cultural experience, are not fully understood. Here we provide the first demonstration of a number-space mapping in a non-human primate. We trained four adult male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) to select the fourth position from the bottom of a five-element vertical array. Monkeys maintained a preference to choose the fourth position through changes in the appearance, location, and spacing of the vertical array. We next asked whether monkeys show a spatially-oriented number mapping by testing their responses to the same five-element stimulus array rotated ninety degrees into a horizontal line. In these horizontal probe trials, monkeys preferentially selected the fourth position from the left, but not the fourth position from the right. Our results indicate that rhesus macaques map number onto space, suggesting that the association between number and space in human cognition is not purely a result of cultural experience and instead has deep evolutionary roots.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) map number onto space

2014

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“…In a fitness trait, heritability has been constrained by evolutionary processes (see Merila & Sheldon (1999) for a review of empirical findings relative to fitness and heritability). Further evidence of conservation across species was noted by Jones et al (2014) which found similar levels of ANS acuity between species of lemurs and Old World monkeys. However, while Jones and colleagues (2014) found that mean ANS performance was similar across species, there was also notable individual differences within each species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Further evidence of conservation across species was noted by Jones et al (2014) which found similar levels of ANS acuity between species of lemurs and Old World monkeys. However, while Jones and colleagues (2014) found that mean ANS performance was similar across species, there was also notable individual differences within each species. Tosto et al (2014) reconciled the contention that ANS is a fitness trait (with low or non-significant heritability shaped by evolution) with the considerable variation within the population by proposing that unique environmental influences drive individual differences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Approximate number sense shares etiological overlap with mathematics and general cognitive ability

et al. 2017

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Approximate number sense (ANS), the ability to rapidly and accurately compare quantities presented non-symbolically, has been proposed as a precursor to mathematics skills. Earlier work reported low heritability of approximate number sense, which was interpreted as evidence that approximate number sense acts as a fitness trait. However, viewing ANS as a fitness trait is discordant with findings suggesting that individual differences in approximate number sense acuity correlate with mathematical performance, a trait with moderate genetic effects. Importantly, the shared etiology of approximate number sense, mathematics, and general cognitive ability has remained unexamined. Thus, the etiology of approximate number sense and its overlap with math and general cognitive ability was assessed in the current study with two independent twin samples (N = 451 pairs). Results suggested that ANS acuity had moderate but significant additive genetic influences. ANS also had overlap with generalist genetic mechanisms accounting for variance and covariance in mathematics and general cognitive ability. Furthermore, ANS may have genetic factors unique to covariance with mathematics beyond overlap with general cognitive ability. Evidence across both samples was consistent with the proposal that the etiology of approximate number sense functions similar to that of mathematics and general cognitive skills.

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“…As in other primates, ring-tailed and mongoose lemurs' ability to discriminate between quantities depends on the ratio between choices being at least 1: 3 or larger to successfully select the larger quantity in a spontaneous food choice task ( table 1 ) [Jones and Brannon, 2012]. In addition, the precision of their approximate number system is comparable to that of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) [Jones et al, 2014].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Cognition in Ring-Tailed Lemurs

Kittler

Schnoell²,

Fichtel³

2015

IJFP

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In order to better understand the evolution of cognitive abilities in primates, information on cognitive traits of the most basal living primates can provide important comparative baseline data. Compared to haplorhine primates, lemurs have relatively smaller brains and reduced abilities to solve problems in the technical and social domain. However, recent studies have suggested that some cognitive abilities of lemurs are qualitatively equal to those of haplorhines. Here, we review studies investigating cognitive abilities in the technical and social domain of ring-tailed lemur cognition. In the physical domain, ring-tailed lemurs exhibit similar qualitative cognitive skills as other lemurs but also haplorhine primates. In the social domain, ring-tailed lemurs appear to be more skilled in visual perspective taking than other lemurs. Compared to other lemurs, they also have highly elaborated communicative skills. Moreover, within-group coalitions have been observed in female ring-tailed lemurs during rare events of female evictions but not in other lemur species. However, in several other aspects of social cognition, such as reconciliation and social learning, ring-tailed lemurs' cognitive abilities are equal to those of other lemurs. Thus, additional systematic comparative studies in physical and social cognition are required for a more comprehensive understanding of the processes of cognitive evolution among primates.

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Lemurs and macaques show similar numerical sensitivity

Cited by 22 publications

References 85 publications

Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) map number onto space

Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) map number onto space

Approximate number sense shares etiological overlap with mathematics and general cognitive ability

Cognition in Ring-Tailed Lemurs

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