Barcelona (Lord Media): A new study conducted in Spain reveals that giraffes possess basic quantitative estimation and simple mathematical abilities. The research was collaboratively conducted by scientists from the University of Barcelona, the University of Leipzig, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, with findings published in Scientific Reports.
During the study, four giraffes at the Barcelona Zoo were shown two containers with varying amounts of carrot pieces. The containers were then covered, and additional carrot pieces were either added or removed.
Results indicated that the giraffes correctly chose the container with more carrots 68% of the time, a performance significantly better than chance.
Researchers further tested whether the giraffes were influenced by human gestures or genuinely estimating quantities. Findings showed that two of the four giraffes might have been swayed by external cues, while the other two consistently made accurate choices.
Experts suggest that this study points to the presence of basic numerical understanding in giraffes, although further research is necessary to fully comprehend this ability.
