Numerosity, a facility for estimating and comparing quantities of objects or events, seems to be widely present in animals, but this ability is not yet fully understood

Can animals count?

22 May 2024

Published in Science Advances, the research offers a significant breakthrough in understanding the neural basis of numerical ability, a fundamental cognitive skill in humans.

The research team was led by Professor Yung Wing-ho of City University and involved researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, including Professor Ke Ya from the School of Biomedical Sciences. They developed a special training method involving sounds representing different numbers to test the rats’ numeracy skills. They also employed brain manipulation techniques and AI modelling to ensure the rats were primarily responding to the number of sounds and not influenced by other factors like sound volume.

The study’s key findings are that rats demonstrated the ability to distinguish between small quantities (two or three sounds),key despite the influence of continuous sound magnitudes; that blocking a specific brain region (the posterior parietal cortex) disrupted the rats’ ability to understand numbers, suggesting a dedicated brain area for numeracy and that this research offers a vital animal model for further investigation into the neural mechanisms behind numerical ability in humans, including potential links to mathematical talents and disabilities.

Professor Yung summarised the significance of this discovery saying, “This will help us better understand how animals perceive and quantify numbers.”

The study not only sheds light on animal cognition but also holds promise for future research into the neural circuits underlying number processing and the genetic basis for mathematical abilities. Additionally, the neural network modelling techniques employed could have practical applications in the field of artificial intelligence.

Professor Yung Wing Ho was awarded a Croucher Fellowship in 1990 to study at the University of Oxford.