Honeybees first non-human animals that can differentiate between even and odd numbers, study finds

Scientists call for further testing of odd-even categorisation in wider variety of animals

Researchers found that the neural network could correctly categorise the numbers as odd or even with 100 per cent accuracy (Getty/iStock)

Honeybees are the first non-human animals to demonstrate the ability to differentiate between even and odd numbers, a new study reveals.

Scientists, including those from Monash University in Australia, say odd and even categorisation – also called parity classification – had never been shown in non-human animals until now.

A new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology, showed that honeybees can learn to do parity tasks that are considered to be abstract, high-level concepts in humans.