Pierre Pica, Cathy Lemer, Stanislas Dehaene, and Veronique Izard conducted a study on numerical cognition in an Amazonian indigenous group, the Mundurukú, who have a limited number vocabulary (only numbers 1-5). The study aimed to explore whether arithmetic abilities depend on language or are innate. The Mundurukú could approximate large numbers but struggled with exact arithmetic beyond 5. This suggests a distinction between a nonverbal system for approximate numbers and a language-based system for exact numbers. The study supports the idea that exact arithmetic requires language, while approximation does not. The results imply that numerical approximation is a basic cognitive ability present even in preverbal infants and many animals. The study also highlights the importance of language in developing exact arithmetic skills during childhood. The findings contribute to the ongoing debate about the relationship between language and arithmetic, suggesting that while language is crucial for exact arithmetic, approximation can occur without it. The study provides evidence that numerical approximation is a fundamental cognitive ability, independent of language, and is present in various species. The research underscores the role of language in the development of exact arithmetic, indicating that language is essential for precise numerical processing.Pierre Pica, Cathy Lemer, Stanislas Dehaene, and Veronique Izard conducted a study on numerical cognition in an Amazonian indigenous group, the Mundurukú, who have a limited number vocabulary (only numbers 1-5). The study aimed to explore whether arithmetic abilities depend on language or are innate. The Mundurukú could approximate large numbers but struggled with exact arithmetic beyond 5. This suggests a distinction between a nonverbal system for approximate numbers and a language-based system for exact numbers. The study supports the idea that exact arithmetic requires language, while approximation does not. The results imply that numerical approximation is a basic cognitive ability present even in preverbal infants and many animals. The study also highlights the importance of language in developing exact arithmetic skills during childhood. The findings contribute to the ongoing debate about the relationship between language and arithmetic, suggesting that while language is crucial for exact arithmetic, approximation can occur without it. The study provides evidence that numerical approximation is a fundamental cognitive ability, independent of language, and is present in various species. The research underscores the role of language in the development of exact arithmetic, indicating that language is essential for precise numerical processing.