News blog

Fruitflies evolve number sense

In a curious example of insect intelligence US and Canadian researchers report they have evolved a population of fruit flies that can count. The result, presented on 9 July at the First Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology in Ottawa, Canada, supports the notion that the neural mechanisms underlying basic arithmetic skills first emerged hundreds of millions of years ago. It could also eventually offer a key to understanding why some people have problems with numbers. 

BACK TO ARTICLE

Tell a Friend

Please ensure that your friend is content to receive an email from us with a link to the article. Select the following link to view our Privacy Policy.

BACK TO ARTICLE