Dogs Can Process Numbers 🐶 Counting Treats?

🐶 Study Shows Dogs Can Process Numbers 🐾

They're (roughly) Counting Their Treats

Merna Emara   * Dec 24, 2019

'Our work not only shows that dogs use a similar part of their brain to process numbers of objects as humans do - it shows that they don't need to be trained to do it' 

Dogs not only sniff, jump, cuddle and act as our furry buddies - they also seem to be capable of processing numbers like us, according to a recent report in Science Magazine.

A new study from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, published by Biology Letters, indicates that while dogs do not have the capability of counting numbers exactly as humans do, they do notice when we put less food in their bowls, or reward them with extra treats, meaning they can understand quantities.

The so-called “approximate number system” has long been known to exist in many animals, but Science points out that earlier studies used trained animals in their research into animal numeracy. This left it open to doubt whether numeric abilities were innate or trained — but the new research indicates that a common, untrained brain function has been transferred across animal evolution, when it comes to numbers and quantity

For the new study Gregory Berns, a neuroscientist at Emory University, along with five colleagues, recruited a mix of 11 different breeds of dogs, to examine whether a certain part of the dogs’ brains was sensitive to numbers.

The dogs entered a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner, where they were kept motionless. Resting their heads on a block, they focused on an array of light grey dots on a black background. The number of grey dots changed every 300 milliseconds, and as the number changed, researchers noted the activity in a region of the canine brain called the parietotemporal cortex. Known as the parietal cortex in the human brain, this brain function helps humans to process a change in numbers.

Eight of the 11 dogs passed the scanning test, showing a similar behaviour pattern to the human brain. Three dogs did not pass the test, something Berns says could be put down to their individual breeds.

 

Dogs Process Numerical Quantities

in Similar Brain Region as Humans

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https://youtu.be/GwBbMLdm750

Dogs spontaneously process basic numerical quantities, using a distinct part of their brains that corresponds closely to number-responsive neural regions in humans, finds a study at Emory University. “Our work is the first to show that dogs use a similar part of their brain to process numbers of objects as humans do — and we’ve shown that they don’t need to be trained to do it,” says Gregory Berns, Emory professor of psychology and senior author of the study. Biology Letters published the results

“Our work not only shows that dogs use a similar part of their brain to process numbers of objects as humans do — it shows that they don’t need to be trained to do it,” Berns said in a release issued by Emory University.

Lauren Aulet, a psychologist at Emory, also participated in the study. She said understanding how dogs can detect changes in quantity could be a significant breakthrough. It is hoped the research will, down the road, offer scientists deeper insight into things like how to treat brain abnormalities.

She said:  “We went right to the source, observing the dogs’ brains, to get a direct understanding of what their neurons were doing when the dogs viewed varying quantities of dots. That allowed us to bypass the weaknesses of previous behavioral studies of dogs and some other species.”

“Part of the reason that we (humans) are able to do calculus and algebra is because we have this fundamental ability for numerosity that we share with other animals,” Aulet added. “I’m interested in learning how we evolved that higher math ability and how these skills develop over time in individuals, starting with basic numerosity in infancy.”

Michael Beran, psychologist at Georgia State University, told Science the study is compelling and exciting. “It further increases our confidence that (these representations of quantity in the brain) are ancient and widespread among species,” he said.

Emory neuroscientist Gregory Berns is researching how dogs think and view the world.

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  https://nationalpost.com/news/a-new-study-shows-dogs-can-process-numbers-and-theyre-counting-their-treats?utm_source=pocket-ff-recs