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PriMath-The Role of Intrinsic Factors in Quantitative Cognitive Performance of Highly Social Primates
Kata Anna Bán1,2, Ádám Lőrincz1, Kata Frei1,3
1Department of Ecology University of Szeged Szeged Hungary.
Ecology and Evolution
|April 15, 2026
Summary
Animal cognitive abilities evolve with environmental pressures. In two New World primates, quantity discrimination relies on the Approximate Number System (ANS), with performance driven by ratio, not absolute quantity.
Area of Science:
- Comparative Cognition
- Primate Behavior
- Evolutionary Psychology
Background:
- Cognitive abilities in animals evolve in response to ecological selection pressures.
- Intrinsic traits like sex and age can influence cognitive strategy effectiveness, especially in social species.
- Understanding quantity discrimination mechanisms is key to deciphering animal cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate quantity discrimination in two highly social New World primate species.
- To explore how species-specific biology and intrinsic traits (sex, age) affect cognitive performance.
- To determine the underlying cognitive mechanisms for quantity discrimination.
Main Methods:
- Spontaneous choice tests were used with 14 focal individuals from two New World primate species.
- Five quantity combinations with varying ratios (0.25, 0.5, 0.75) were presented: 1 vs. 2, 1 vs. 4, 3 vs. 4, 6 vs. 8, and 6 vs. 12.
- Performance and response times were analyzed in relation to quantity ratios and intrinsic traits.
Main Results:
- Quantity discrimination performance was primarily ratio-dependent, not based on absolute numerical differences.
- The Approximate Number System (ANS) appears to be the main cognitive mechanism for quantity discrimination.
- Response times varied significantly with species, sex, and age, but overall performance did not differ.
Conclusions:
- New World primates utilize the ANS for quantity discrimination, with performance sensitive to numerical ratios.
- While intrinsic traits influence response times, they do not appear to significantly alter quantity discrimination performance.
- Findings suggest that social structure and feeding behaviors may shape cognitive strategies and performance in these species.
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