According to a study by PNAS, infants and animals respond to the approximate number of elements through sight and sound, only human children and adults can estimate number differences at a ratio.
So, what does this all mean? Well, us homosapiens and animals are pretty similar in terms of numerical skills, but it is the numerical language that sets us apart.
Numbers play a generally vital part in an animal’s life, whether it be hunting prey in groups or seeking shelter in large groups.
It is understanding number symbols that make humans the most superior though, because how many times have you seen a dog writing down its times tables? It’s not entirely clear when humans started writing down number symbols, though it no doubt links back to our neanderthal relatives 60,000 years ago.
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