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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Behavioral Assessment of Manual Dexterity in Non-Human Primates

Behavioral Assessment of Manual Dexterity in Non-Human Primates

Published on: November 11, 2011

How much does number matter to a monkey (Macaca mulatta)?

Jessica F Cantlon¹, Elizabeth M Brannon

¹Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0999, USA. jfc2@duke.edu

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Animal Behavior Processes

|January 18, 2007

Summary

Rhesus monkeys prioritize numerical value over other object features like color or shape when making decisions. This suggests animals automatically process numerical information, challenging the idea that number is only a last resort.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Science
Animal Behavior
Comparative Psychology

Background:

Understanding numerical cognition in nonhuman animals is crucial for insights into the evolution of number representation.
Two competing hypotheses exist: number is a last resort or automatically processed.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the salience of numerical information compared to non-numerical properties (shape, color, surface area) in rhesus monkeys' decision-making.
To determine if prior experience with numerical discrimination influences the propensity to represent number.

Main Methods:

Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were tested on a matching task with both numerical and non-numerical options.
The study compared decisions based on numerical matches versus non-numerical matches (color, surface area, shape).
The influence of previous laboratory experience with numerical discrimination was also assessed.

Main Results:

Monkeys consistently favored numerical value when the numerical ratio was favorable, irrespective of other properties.
This behavior occurred even when non-numerical matches were available.
Previous laboratory experience did not significantly alter the propensity to represent number.

Conclusions:

The findings support the hypothesis that animals automatically represent numerical attributes.
Numerical information is highly salient for rhesus monkeys, not merely a last resort.
This highlights the fundamental nature of numerical representation in primate cognition.