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Neurons in the Endbrain of Numerically Naive Crows Spontaneously Encode Visual Numerosity.
Lysann Wagener1, Maria Loconsole1, Helen M Ditz1
1Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Current Biology : CB
|March 20, 2018
Summary
Numerosity, the ability to assess quantity, is not unique to the mammalian brain. Crows
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Comparative Cognition
Background:
- Humans and primates possess innate abilities to perceive numerosity, processed in the cerebral cortex.
- It remains unknown if this numerosity extraction is exclusive to mammalian brains or a broader evolutionary adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether non-mammalian vertebrates, specifically birds, exhibit spontaneous numerosity processing.
- To determine if neural substrates distinct from the mammalian cerebral cortex can support numerosity assessment.
Main Methods:
- Single-cell activity was recorded from the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) in numerically naive crows.
- Neuronal responses to varying quantities of items were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A subset of neurons in the crow's NCL demonstrated spontaneous responsiveness to numerosity.
- These neurons were tuned to specific numbers of items without prior training.
Conclusions:
- Numerosity-selective neuronal responses are present in the avian brain, suggesting a convergent evolutionary trait.
- This innate capacity in birds aids in exploiting numerical cues for survival behaviors like foraging and social interactions.
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