Monkeys can count! Researchers report a study on macaques that suggests humans may not be the only animal that can do math. From New Scientist:
(Utah State University psychologist Kerry) Jordan and colleague Elizabeth Brannon, of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, US, trained two eight-year-old female macaques to equate beeps to dots on a computer screen. So if a monkey heard seven beeps, it knew to tap a square on the screen displaying seven dots.Monkeys can count (New Scientist)
Next, the researchers tested the monkeys’ training in adding dots and beeps together.
The animals were presented dots of different sizes flash onto a screen. At the same time they heard a series of short tones.
To determine if the monkeys could combine the two, Jordan and Brannon showed the animals a screen with two numerical choices, represented as dots – one the correct sum, one incorrect.
Both monkeys did better than 50:50 – one added the sights and sounds correctly 72% of the time, the other 66% of the time.
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Birds such as the american coot and mockingbirds can count their eggs. Humans aren't the only animals that can do math.
Humans may not be the only animal that can count... that still surprises people?
^ I was going to bring up Alex too. That parrot's been counting since the 80's, hasn't he? As I recall though, he never got past 8. He was an amazing animal.
Rats can also count, at least up to 4. When presented with 6 tunnels at varying distances and with smell and scent tracks masked (by changing tunnels and floor coverings between each trial), rats could be trained to locate the correct tunnel with the food in it. The interesting thing is that for the 5th and 6th tunnels, the rats immediately skittered to the last tunnel, and then counted *backwards* to get to the correct tunnel.
Dawkins, Marian S, _Through Our Eyes Only? The search for animal consciousness, 1993, ISBN 0716745011
I, for one, welcome our new monkey overlords... wait, isn't this Fark?
You are welcome as well, Devophill
monkeys must think
"those darn humans really make us do stupid little things for our bananas"
Animals can think? Rational cognition didn't begin with modern humans? I guess I can eventually get used to this concept, which I find as hard to accept as the existence of Dinosaurs. I got over that one though... I realized that was no way for Noah to fit them on the Ark! Think about it... a mated pair of T-Rexs would have totally eaten all the cows and goats and stuff, and where on a 300 cubit long boat are you going to put a pair of brontosauruses? I think that we're lucky enough to have Elephants and whales.
i believe in the power of monkeys
http://current.com/items/88884042_infomania_chimps
They're smarter than us. For one thing, they would never watch American Idol. From what I understand, they mostly watch PBS.
Of course they are smarter. They play dumb so we can't force them to work for us...
Eventually it will be the other way around.