Wolves and Dogs May Rely on Non-numerical Cues in Quantity Discrimination Tasks When Given the Choice.

ABSTRACT: A wide array of species throughout the animal kingdom has shown the ability to distinguish between quantities. Aside from being important for optimal foraging decisions, this ability seems to also be of great relevance in group-living animals as it allows them to inform their decisions regarding engagement in between-group conflicts based on the size of competing groups. However, it is often unclear whether these animals rely on numerical information alone to make these decisions or whether they employ other cues that may covary with the differences in quantity. In this study, we used a touch screen paradigm to investigate the quantity discrimination abilities of two closely related group-living species, wolves and dogs, using a simultaneous visual presentation paradigm. Both species were

SUBMITTER: Rivas-Blanco D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7518719 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature