Journal
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
Volume 12, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641994
Keywords
brain; numerosity; number; comparative cognition; comparative neurobiology; approximate number system
Categories
Funding
- ERC AdvancedGrant SPANUMBRA [833504]
- PRIN 2017 ERC-SH4-A [2017PSRHPZ]
- European Research Council (ERC) [833504] Funding Source: European Research Council (ERC)
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The ability to represent and perform arithmetic operations on discrete quantities has been observed in various species, but the extent of similarity in underlying neural mechanisms remains unclear. Evidence for magnitude representation in vertebrate and invertebrate brains points to potential similarities in neural involvement across different animal species, highlighting the importance of future comparative studies in the neurobiology of number cognition.
The ability to represent, discriminate, and perform arithmetic operations on discrete quantities (numerosities) has been documented in a variety of species of different taxonomic groups, both vertebrates and invertebrates. We do not know, however, to what extent similarity in behavioral data corresponds to basic similarity in underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we review evidence for magnitude representation, both discrete (countable) and continuous, following the sensory input path from primary sensory systems to associative pallial territories in the vertebrate brains. We also speculate on possible underlying mechanisms in invertebrate brains and on the role played by modeling with artificial neural networks. This may provide a general overview on the nervous system involvement in approximating quantity in different animal species, and a general theoretical framework to future comparative studies on the neurobiology of number cognition.
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