The ability to learn complex, symbolic math is a uniquely human trait,
but it is intricately connected to a primitive sense of magnitude that
is shared by many animals.
“Our results clearly show that uniquely human branches of mathematics
interface with an evolutionarily primitive general magnitude system. We were able to show how
variations in both advanced arithmetic and geometry skills specifically
correlated with variations in our intuitive sense of magnitude.”
Babies as young as six months can roughly distinguish between less and
more, whether it’s for a number of objects, the size of objects, or the
length of time they see the objects. This intuitive, non-verbal sense of
magnitude, which may be innate, has also been demonstrated in non-human
animals.
When given a choice between a group of five bananas or two
bananas, for example, monkeys will tend to take the bigger bunch.
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