Researchers at Duke University recently tested the math skills of monkeys. The researchers gave the same test to monkeys and to college students. Unlike previous experiments, both the monkeys and the humans took the same test.
The participants (human and monkey) looked at two sets of dots on a computer screen. Then, very quickly, they looked at another screen and had to choose the correct sum, or the number of dots added together. Of course, the test did not use language or number symbols—only dots.
Surprisingly, researchers found that monkeys were able to do addition quite well. Both the monkeys and the humans answered each math problem in about one second. The humans were correct about 94 percent of the time, and the monkeys were correct about 76 percent of the time.
The scientists say that the results show that monkeys can do mathematical thinking. Previous studies showed that rats, birds, and other animals also can do simple math tasks. Researchers are beginning to understand that the ability to do simple math is not just a human characteristic. The study also shows that some types of math skills do not have to be learned. Instead, they are common to all humans—and some animals, too.