Numerical Competence in the Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)

众所周知，黑猩猩是我们最亲近的非人类亲戚， 但他们惊人的认知能力 与人类的关系仍在探索中 博伊森博士和 伯恩森正在调查的数字能力 黑猩猩 他们对年轻动物的初步研究 展示了数字技能，包括基本的计数和 的增订条文 进一步的研究应该有助于我们理解 认知能力的相似性和差异 跨物种的研究，并致力于澄清那些可能 支持非人类灵长类动物的数字技能。 除了这些 对基础科学知识的贡献，这些研究可能 对数字能力的理解和测试更加精确 更普遍地说， 非语言智力的一部分 因此，本项目可 提供了对语言认知能力的深入了解- 残疾或其他发育障碍儿童。 计数期间的电机标记（触摸或指向项目） 将评估其功能意义， 在学习的早期阶段， 算 这项研究将澄清这些行为， 在一只动物身上自发出现， 组织战略，以跟踪那些项目， 已经统计过的，还有有待统计的。 另一项研究将探索减法， 2到6片水果组成的阵列，覆盖它，然后 从动物的视野中移走1到4件物品。 早期结果 表明黑猩猩能够指出 通过选择正确的阿拉伯数字从隐藏的水果 在备选方案0至5中。 一只成年雌性黑猩猩， 一系列概念，包括符号语言系统，将 开始数字训练，遵循相同的程序， 用于幼畜。 与此同时，一台电脑- 将开发辅助测试设备， 训练和收集成年黑猩猩的数据。

Chimpanzees are well known to be our closest non-human relatives, but the surprising extent to which they share cognitive abilities with human beings is still being discovered. Drs. Boysen and Berntson are investigating the numerical competence of chimpanzees. Their preliminary research with young animals has demonstrated numerical skills including rudimentary counting and addition. Further studies should contribute to our understanding of the similarities and differences in cognitive capabilities across species and toward clarifying those processes that may support numerical skills in non-human primates. Besides these contributions to basic scientific knowledge, these studies may yield sharper tests for and understanding of numerical competence in children and, more generally, provide a better understanding of non-verbal intelligence. Thus, the present project may provide insights into the cognitive abilities of language- impaired or otherwise developmentally-challenged children. Motor tagging (touching or pointing to items) during counting will be evaluated for its functional significance relative to similar behaviors of children in the early stages of learning to count. This study will clarify whether or not these behaviors, which appeared spontaneously in one animal, serve as an organizing strategy for keeping track of those items that have already been counted and those that remain to be counted. Another study will explore subtraction, by presenting the animals an array of 2 to 6 pieces of fruit, covering it, and then removing 1 to 4 items out of the animal's view. Early results suggest that the chimpanzees are able to indicate the remainder of the hidden fruit by selecting the correct Arabic numeral from among alternatives 0 to 5. An adult female chimpanzee with extensive prior training on a range of concepts, including a symbolic language system, will begin training with numbers, following the same procedures that were used with the young animals. At the same time, a computer- assisted testing apparatus will be developed to facilitate training and data-collection with adult chimpanzees.