代表的能力,歧视,并对离散量(数)进行算术运算,已在不同分类群的各种物种中得到记录,脊椎动物和无脊椎动物。我们不知道,然而,行为数据中的相似性在多大程度上对应于基础神经机制中的基本相似性。这里,我们审查震级表示的证据,离散(可数)和连续,遵循从主要感觉系统到脊椎动物大脑中关联的苍白区域的感觉输入路径。我们还推测了无脊椎动物大脑中可能的潜在机制以及通过人工神经网络建模所起的作用。这可以提供有关神经系统在不同动物物种中参与近似数量的一般概述。以及未来数字认知神经生物学比较研究的一般理论框架。
The ability to represent, discriminate, and perform arithmetic operations on discrete quantities (numerosities) has been documented in a variety of species of different taxonomic groups, both vertebrates and invertebrates. We do not know, however, to what extent similarity in behavioral data corresponds to basic similarity in underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we review evidence for magnitude representation, both discrete (countable) and continuous, following the sensory input path from primary sensory systems to associative pallial territories in the vertebrate brains. We also speculate on possible underlying mechanisms in invertebrate brains and on the role played by modeling with artificial neural networks. This may provide a general overview on the nervous system involvement in approximating quantity in different animal species, and a general theoretical framework to future comparative studies on the neurobiology of number cognition.