Evolution of cognitive and neural solutions enabling numerosity judgements: lessons from primates and corvids

Abstract

Brains that are capable of representing numerosity, the number of items in a set, have arisen repeatedly and independently in different animal taxa. This review compares the cognitive and physiological mechanisms found in a nonhuman primate, the rhesus macaque, and a corvid songbird, the carrion crow, in order to elucidate the evolutionary adaptations underlying numerical competence. Monkeys and corvids are known for their advanced cognitive competence, despite them both having independently and distinctly evolved endbrains that resulted from a long history of parallel evolution. In both species, numerosity is represented as an analogue magnitude by an approximate number system that obeys the Weber-Fechner Law. In addition, the activity of numerosity-selective neurons in the fronto-parietal association cortex of monkeys and the telencephalic associative area nidopallium caudolaterale of crows mirrors the animals' performance. In both species' brains, neuronal activity is tuned to a preferred numerosity, encodes the numerical value in an approximate fashion, and is best represented on a logarithmic scale. Collectively, the data show an impressive correspondence of the cognitive and neuronal mechanisms for numerosity representations across monkeys and crows. This suggests that remotely related vertebrates with distinctly developed endbrains adopted similar physiological solutions to common computational problems in numerosity processing.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The origins of numerical abilities'.

Introduction: The origins of numerical abilities

“…Nieder [16] shows that both rhesus macaques and corvids recognize specific numerosities using a match-to-sample paradigm very similar to the one pioneered by Koehler, with performance showing Weber-like properties.…”

“…It is interesting to note in this regard that neurons responding to numerosities have been in found in the nidopallium caudolaterale in the avian brain by Nieder [16]. The relationship, if any, of the nidopallium caudolaterale with the mammalian brain is, however, uncertain.…”

“…Homologous regions supporting numerical tasks can be found in other primates [16]. Now similarities, or even equivalences, in behaviour across all these species are no guarantee that the mechanisms that produce them are the same.…”

Sequential Presentation Protects Working Memory From Catastrophic Interference

“…Furthermore, Cicchini, Anobile, and Burr () argued that, outside the domain of number processing, gain control seems to be the usual explanation for Weber signatures. However, as this model is rarely made explicit, and many authors explain Weber ratio signatures based on assumptions about the format and distribution of the mental representations of quantities that are not always independently motivated (e.g., Dehaene, Izard, Spelke, & Pica, ; Feigenson et al., ; Izard & Dehaene, ; Nieder, ; Pardo‐Vazquez et al., ; Piazza, Izard, Pinel, Bihan, & Dehaene, ; Whalen et al., ), we present the gain control model in some detail in its purest and simplest form.…”

Raven Calls Indicate Sender’s Neural State

“…Interestingly, the raven, an intelligent avian, has been used in many specific mind and brain studies for decades [21][22][23]. For example, the raven's memory predict future [24], sequence tool used to get the award [25], the awareness of density of article [26], and so on. Ravens' call often appears frequently during their foraging [27], defend the territory [28], rutting and mating [29], infant parenting [30].…”