A study featured in Science Magazine indicates that dogs possess an innate ability to process numbers akin to humans, beyond their roles as companions.
Emory University’s research, published in Biology Letters, shows that while dogs may not count precisely like humans, they demonstrate an understanding of quantity.
The study delves into the “approximate number system,” demonstrating that dogs can discern variations in food portions and react to additional treats, indicating a grasp of quantities.
Unlike previous studies using trained animals, this research by Gregory Berns and colleagues suggests a shared brain function related to numbers across various animal species.
The study involved 11 diverse dog breeds undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging while focusing on changing arrays of grey dots.
This allowed researchers to monitor activity in the parietotemporal cortex, analogous to the human parietal cortex responsible for processing numerical changes.
Eight out of the 11 dogs exhibited behaviour similar to the human brain when tested, showing sensitivity to numerical changes. However, three dogs did not pass the scanning test, attributed to individual breed differences.
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