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July 23, 2004

Strange But True!

Q.  How much numbers sense is out there in the “wild kingdom”?  Can any animals count to five, 10, 45, 50...?

A.  Counting crows are famous for being able to keep track of up to six hunters lurking in a blind, who try to fool the critters by having two hunters go in, then one back out (2 -1 = 1), or four in and three or two out, etc.  The birds generally don’t lose count until five or six. For social animals, there is “strength in numbers,”says Mark Hauser in “American Scientist” magazine, such as three male chimpanzees attacking and killing a lone intruder at 3-1, but 2-1 may not be enough. Yet within the same social group, 2-1 may be enough to establish dominance. Rhesus monkeys can figure 2 + 1 and 2 - 1 but not 2 + 2. They seem to count one, two, three, many, says Hauser.


 
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