Archives
Bees Can Count
“Bees Can Count”
Bees seem to be cleverer than one thought – they can count, but up to four only, according to a new study. Earlier studies suggested that counting abilities were exclusive to vertebrates. Now an international team has found bees also possess rudimentary number awareness and are able to recognize numbers upto four. In fact, according to researchers, the bees do not technically “count” but are able to notice and recall how many dots they see. “We never expected to find such abilities in insects. Our feeling now is that – so far as these very basic skills go – there is probably no boundary between insects, animals and us,” said lead researcher Dr. Shaowu Zhang of ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science in Australia.
