Italian scientists discover newborn chicks have humans-like understanding of quantities

Scientists have long argued that human beings are born with an innate ability to separate smaller numbers from bigger numbers in a predetermined fashion. They assign the smaller numbers to the left-hand side and the bigger numbers on the right-hand side. Surprisingly, Italian scientists have discovered that baby chickens also show a similar understanding of numbers. A recent research hints that baby chicks tend to divide smaller and bigger numbers into left and right sections, respectively.

Until now, scientists have been arguing over whether humans actually have the understanding of numbers from their birth. There has been no clear evidence that could prove whether this ability is inborn or is acquired. Nevertheless, scientists agree that human beings use a “mental number line” to understand quantities. Recently, a group of scientists from Italy extended the study to baby chickens. The results were surprising.

It was observed that new born baby chicks have a way of understanding numbers that resembles closely with the humans’ ways of dealing with quantities. Even chickens tend to map numbers spatially, allocating the smaller numbers on the left side and the larger ones on the right side.

The study involved 60 new born chicks that were trained to seek out worms from plastic panels, which were numbered with the help of identical small boxes. The chicks repeatedly chose the left panel when the squares were lesser in number. They chose right when the squares were more in number.

The study head, Rosa Rugani, a psychologist at the University of Padova, said that the scientists could not determine what drove the chicks to make the choices they made. But it is ascertained that the responses were behavioral. She further explained that chicks could help in understanding the basics of cognitive abilities in humans. It could help scientists understand whether the “mental number line” is innate in humans or is the result of learning.