Numerical Competence in the Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
{'Code': '08090200', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Fred Stollnitz'}
Chimpanzees are well known to be our closest non-human relatives,               but the surprising extent to which they share cognitive abilities               with human beings is still being discovered.  Drs. Boysen and                   Berntson are investigating the numerical competence of                          chimpanzees.  Their preliminary research with young animals has                 demonstrated numerical skills including rudimentary counting and                addition.  Further studies should contribute to our understanding               of the similarities and differences in cognitive capabilities                   across species and toward clarifying those processes that may                   support numerical skills in non-human primates.  Besides these                  contributions to basic scientific knowledge, these studies may                  yield sharper tests for and understanding of numerical competence               in children and, more generally, provide a better understanding                 of non-verbal intelligence.  Thus, the present project may                      provide insights into the cognitive abilities of language-                      impaired or otherwise developmentally-challenged children.                                                                                                      Motor tagging (touching or pointing to items) during counting                   will be evaluated for its functional significance relative to                   similar behaviors of children in the early stages of learning to                count.  This study will clarify whether or not these behaviors,                 which appeared spontaneously in one animal, serve as an                         organizing strategy for keeping track of those items that have                  already been counted and those that remain to be counted.                       Another study will explore subtraction, by presenting the animals               an array of 2 to 6 pieces of fruit, covering it, and then                       removing 1 to 4 items out of the animal's view.  Early results                  suggest that the chimpanzees are able to indicate the remainder                 of the hidden fruit by selecting the correct Arabic numeral from                among alternatives 0 to 5.                                                                                                                                      An adult female chimpanzee with extensive prior training on a                   range of concepts, including a symbolic language system, will                   begin training with numbers, following the same procedures that                 were used with the young animals.  At the same time, a computer-                assisted testing apparatus will be developed to facilitate                      training and data-collection with adult chimpanzees.
[{'FirstName': 'Sarah', 'LastName': 'Boysen', 'EmailAddress': 'boysen.1@osu.edu', 'StartDate': '02/15/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}, {'FirstName': 'Gary', 'LastName': 'Berntson', 'EmailAddress': 'berntson.2@osu.edu', 'StartDate': '02/15/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Co-Principal Investigator'}]
{'Name': 'Ohio State University Research Foundation -DO NOT USE', 'CityName': 'Columbus', 'ZipCode': '432101016', 'PhoneNumber': '6146888734', 'StreetAddress': '1960 KENNY RD', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Ohio', 'StateCode': 'OH'}
{'Code': '1160', 'Text': 'IBN ANIMAL BEHAVIOR'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1988&All=true', 'xml': '8820027.xml'}