Ferkin Michael H, Pierce Andrew A, Sealand Robert O, Delbarco-Trillo Javier
Department of Biology, The University of Memphis, Ellington Hall, Memphis, TN 38152, USA.
Anim Cogn. 2005 Jul;8(3):182-9. doi: 10.1007/s10071-004-0244-9. Epub 2004 Dec 3.
Is it possible that voles have a sense of number? To address this question, we determined whether voles discriminate between two different scent-marking individuals and identify the individual whose scent marks was on top more often than the other individual. We tested whether voles show a preference for the individual whose scent marks was on top most often. If so, the simplest explanation was that voles can make a relative size judgement-such as distinguishing an area containing more of one individual's over-marks as compared to less of another individual's over-marks. We found that voles respond preferentially to the donor that provided a greater number of over-marks as compared to the donor that provided a lesser number of over-marks. Thus, we concluded that voles might display the capacity for relative numerousness. Interestingly, female voles were better able than male voles to distinguish between small differences in the relative number of over-marks by the two scent donors.
田鼠有可能具有数字感吗？为了解决这个问题，我们确定田鼠是否能区分两个不同的气味标记个体，并识别出其气味标记在上方的次数比另一个个体更多的个体。我们测试了田鼠是否对其气味标记在上方次数最多的个体表现出偏好。如果是这样，最简单的解释是田鼠可以进行相对大小判断——比如区分一个包含更多某一个体重叠标记的区域与另一个包含较少重叠标记的区域。我们发现，与提供较少重叠标记的供体相比，田鼠对提供较多重叠标记的供体有优先反应。因此，我们得出结论，田鼠可能表现出相对数量的能力。有趣的是，雌性田鼠比雄性田鼠更能区分两个气味供体在重叠标记相对数量上的细微差异。
