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Cited by 32Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skillsPrimate Behavior and EcologyChild and Animal Learning Development

Unique numerical competence of Asian elephants on the relative numerosity judgment task

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Irie, Naoko, Hiraiwa-Hasegawa, Mariko, Kutsukake, Nobuyuki·2019·Journal of Ethology
DOI 10.1007/s10164-018-0563-y
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Abstract

Many animals demonstrate numerical competence even without language. However, their representation is mainly based on inaccurate quantity instead of absolute numbers. Thus, their performance on numerical tasks is affected by the distance, magnitude, and the ratio of comparisons (i.e., as distance decreases, magnitudes increase, or as ratios increase the accuracy of discrimination decreases). We report that Asian elephants’ numerical representation is quite different from that of other animals. We trained three Asian elephants to use a touch-panel apparatus and one female successfully learned to use the apparatus. Next, a relative numerosity judgment task was presented on the screen and the elephant was asked to touch, with the tip of her trunk, the figures with the larger numbers of items. The numbers of items in each figure ranged from 0 to 10. We found that her performance was unaffected by distance, magnitude, or the ratios of the presented numerosities but, consistent with observations of human counting, she required a longer time to respond to comparisons with smaller distances. This study provides the first experimental evidence that nonhuman animals have cognitive characteristics partially identical to human counting.

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  • One Asian elephant was able to discriminate between numbers 1-10, based only on visual cues (number of pictures on a touch screen) that were not confounded by the quantity of a food reward.

    “Another more recent study showed that one Asian elephant was able to discriminate between numbers 1-10, based only on visual cues (number of pictures on a touch screen) that were not confounded by the quantity of a food reward (Irie et al., 2019).”

    From Do elephants really never forget? What we know about elephant memory and a call for further investigation (2025) · cites this paper as Irie et al., 2019

  • The authors again found no magnitude/size or disparity/distance effects, providing more evidence that elephants may have a very large short-term memory capacity, and that they may even be able to count numbers-similar to humans-instead of simply estimating quantities.

    “The authors again found no magnitude/size or disparity/distance effects, providing more evidence that elephants may have a very large short-term memory capacity, and that they may even be able to count numbers-similar to humans-instead of simply estimating quantities (Irie et al., 2019).”

    From Do elephants really never forget? What we know about elephant memory and a call for further investigation (2025) · cites this paper as Irie et al., 2019

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Authors
Irie, N., Hiraiwa-Hasegawa, M., & Kutsukake, N.
Affiliations
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI (JP)
Corresponding author
Irie, Naoko
ORCID
Kutsukake, Nobuyuki
Venue
Journal of Ethology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2018-10-22
Volume
37
Issue
1
Pages
111-115
ISSN
  • 0289-0771 (ISSN-L)
  • 1439-5444
DOI
10.1007/s10164-018-0563-y
OpenAlex
W2897303235
Cited by
32
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 5
FWCI
4.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
correction (2019-12-20)
Open access
Licence
Locations
Journal of Ethology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (22-6613)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords
Asian elephant, numerical cognition, numerosity judgment, distance effects, magnitude effect, animal cognition

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