(2021新高考适应卷,D)Theaveragebear,itseems,isgettingeversmarter.First,itturnedoutthatatleastonecanuseacomb.Nowitappearsthatsomecancount,too.
JenniferVonk,ofOaklandUniversity,inMichigan,andMichaelBeran,fromGeorgiaStateUniversity,setthreeAmericanblackbearsthetaskofdistinguishingbetweennumericallylargerandsmallergroupsofdots(点)onacomputerscreen.Inreturnforafoodrewardonebear,Brutus,wouldtouchthemoreheavilydottedpatternwithhisnose.Theothers,BellaandDusty,wouldtouchthescreenwiththeirclaws(爪子).
AstheresearchersreportinAnimalBehavior,thebearsdidbestwithpatternswherethecoloureddotsdidnotmoveandwheremoreofthemalsotookupalargercolouredarea.Thiscouldbeexplainedbythebearsdistinguishingthedifferentareasofcolourratherthantrulycountingthedots.However,thethreebearsmanagedtopickoutthebiggernumberofdotseveninpairsofpatternswherefewerdotstookupalargerarea.
Movingpatterns,whereeachdotfolloweditsownpatharoundthescreen,weremoreofachallenge.ButBrutus,atleast,wasnotdefeated.Heseemedtobecountingmobiledotsevenwhenthescientiststriedtomisleadhimbymovingthetotalcolouredareaofthedotsatthesametime.
Itisnotentirelysurprisingthatbearsshouldhaveahighdegreeofintelligence.Theyfacealotofchallengeswhentryingtogetfood.Theyare,however,alwaysalone,andsodonothavethecomplexsocialsystemsthatcontributetoanimalsmarts.Perhaps,then,theirmathsskilldevelopedbecausetheycannotcountontheirfriendsforhelp.
