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What do numerical estimates tell us about developing an understanding of number? One theory is that bounded number line estimation (NLE) tasks reveal a “representational shift” from logarithmically to linearly organized mental representations of number over development. According to a different theoretical framework, developmental change in estimation reflects changes in children’s numerical knowledge and their ability to make appropriate relative judgments. Empirical support for this “proportion estimation” framework includes the fact that quantitative models of proportion estimation describe signature patterns of estimation bias. A recent study argued against this latter theory by suggesting that patterns of curvature in number line placements are simply artifacts of a task procedure in which participants receive explicit information about the location of the numerical midpoint. We tested this claim in two …