Innate responses to numerousness reveal neural activation in different brain regions in newly-hatched visually naïve chicks

• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34162
• Publication Date: 2024-07-06T16:52:12Z
• Authors: Elena Lorenzi; Matilde Perrino; Andrea Messina; Mirko Zanon; Giorgio Vallortigara
• Keywords: Numerical Cognition; Biological neural network

Whether non-symbolic encoding of quantity is predisposed at birth with dedicated hard-wired neural circuits debated. Here we presented newly-hatched visually naive chicks stimuli (flashing dots) either identical or different numerousness (with a ratio 1:3) their continuous physical appearance (size, contour length, density, convex hull) randomly changing. Chicks spontaneously tell apart the on basis number elements. Upon presentation fixed changing showed expression early gene c-fos in visual Wulst, hippocampal formation, intermediate medial mesopallium, and caudal part nidopallium caudolaterale. The results support hypothesis that ability to discriminate quantities does not require any specific instructive experience involves network several populations number-selective neurons. Evidence for innateness numerical cognition have implications both neurobiology philosophy mathematics.