A neural correlate of sensory consciousness in a corvid bird
Science September 25, 2020 A. Nieder, Lysann Wagener, Paul Rinnert
Neuronal activity in the pallial endbrain of carrion crows correlates with their perception of a visual stimulus, suggesting that sensory consciousness can arise in brains without a layered cerebral cortex. Single-neuron responses during a detection task show a two-stage temporal process: an early component reflecting physical stimulus intensity and a later component predicting the birds' perceptual reports. The authors argue this is an empirical marker of avian consciousness, indicating that the neural foundations for sensory consciousness either emerged before mammals or evolved independently in birds.