New Study Reveals: Fish Have Surprising Mathematical Skills
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Fish Intelligence
Recent research indicates that fish may possess cognitive abilities that surpass previous assumptions. While mathematical skills have been documented in various species such as primates, bees, and spiders, new findings from a team led by Prof. Vera Schlüssel at the University of Bonn, Germany, suggest that both stingrays and cichlids can learn to tackle basic addition and subtraction tasks involving numbers up to five.
Section 1.1: The Experimental Approach
So how do researchers prompt fish to solve mathematical equations? The team devised a clever method involving geometric shapes. For instance, when presented with four blue squares, it signified the instruction to “add one,” whereas yellow squares indicated a subtraction task. This technique had previously proven successful in evaluating the mathematical capabilities of bees.
Following this setup, the fish were shown two new images—one depicting three squares and the other five. If the squares were blue, indicating addition, the fish were rewarded with food for selecting the image with five squares. This established a connection in the fish’s minds between the blue color and an increase in quantity, while yellow signified a decrease.
Subsection 1.1.1: Testing Their Skills
The researchers aimed to determine whether the fish genuinely understood the concepts of addition and subtraction. To test their learning, tasks like “3+1” or “3–” were introduced without prior exposure during training. Upon completion of the learning phase, the fish encountered these new problems for the first time. Remarkably, they often swam toward the correct solutions, even when faced with choices between four and five objects after the “3+1” task—two options that were both greater than the original count.
Chapter 2: Insights into Fish Cognition
This discovery is particularly intriguing given that fish lack a neocortex, the region of the brain associated with complex cognitive functions in higher mammals.
Section 2.1: Understanding the Purpose of Mathematical Ability
The biological significance of this mathematical skill remains unclear. According to Professor Vera Schlüssel, there is currently no known ecological reason that would necessitate advanced numerical understanding in the studied species. Other animals, such as those that monitor the quantity of stripes on potential mates or the number of eggs in a nest, exhibit numerical awareness for specific ecological purposes. However, this rationale does not apply to stingrays and cichlids.
For more details on this groundbreaking study, visit the University of Bonn's website.
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