The 'Math' gene used by fish to calculate could help us treat human neurodevelopmental diseases
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Fish help researchers trace the origins of how the brain calculates math, reports a review in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy . An international team has reviewed more than 200 publications, which together show that fish perceive quantity using parts of their brains similar to those used by mammals and birds. Research is still underway to find the specific brain circuits that enable number processing, but these findings could eventually help treat human ailments that impair math skills. “Fish is on par with other animals in terms of a sense of quantity,” said the correspondent author Prof. Giorgio Vallortigara from the University of Trento in Italy. “There are species, particularly the zebrafish, which are ideal models for studying the molecular and genetic basis of a sense of quantity. This could have important implications for neurodevelopmental diseases that affect number cognition, such as developmental dyscalc