Authors: Gionata Stancher Valeria Anna Sovrano Davide Potrich Giorgio Vallortigara
Publish Date: 2013/01/04
Volume: 16, Issue: 2, Pages: 307-312
Abstract
Discrimination of quantity has been argued to rely on two nonverbal representational systems an object file system OFS for representing small values ≤3–4 and an analog magnitude system AMS for representing large magnitudes 4 Infants’ ability to discriminate 1 versus 2 1 versus 3 2 versus 3 but not 1 versus 4 or 2 versus 4 seems to prove the independence of such systems Here we show that redtail splitfin fish Xenotoca eiseni performed relative quantity estimations preferring to approach the location previously occupied by the larger in number between two groups of conspecifics no longer visible at test in sets of 1 versus 2 and 2 versus 3 items but failed at 3 versus 4 items thus showing the same setsize limit as infants for discrimination of small quantities However when tested with quantities that spanned the boundary of the two systems that is 1 versus 4 and 2 versus 4 fish succeeded These results thus point to either the use of continuous physical variables and/or the use of the AMS also for small numerousness in fish in this taskThis study was supported by research grant from by the Cassa di Risparmio of Trento e Rovereto We wish to thank Eleonora Galvagni for her help with the experiments and the Civic Museum of Rovereto for the facilities made available at the field station of “SperimentArea”
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