ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2017, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (5): 810-824.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2017.00810

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Evolutionary evidences of primitive mathematics ability in human beings

YANG Weixing; ZHANG Mingliang; LI Hongxia; YANG Yalin; SI Jiwei   

  1. (School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China)
  • Received:2016-08-18 Online:2017-05-15 Published:2017-05-15
  • Contact: SI Jiwei, Email: sijiwei1974@126.com

Abstract:

Mathematics ability is one of key advanced cognitive functions in human beings. Previous research provided numerous evidences in the evolutionary studies about mathematics ability, which is adaptively significance of the survival and reproduction of organisms. In recent years, the findings of comparative psychology have revealed that behavioral performance and brain physiological mechanism of primitive mathematics abilities of nonhuman animals are parallel to those of adults and infants in human. Furthermore, studies of molecular genetics also show that mathematics ability is hereditary. These findings provide further understandings on the nature and inherent developing mechanism of this capacity in human beings.

Key words: primitive mathematics ability, non-human animals, infant, neuralphysiological mechanism, evolutionary genetics