The emergence of consciousness: Research on animals yields insights into how, when and why consciousness evolved.

Consciousness likely evolved gradually across animal lineages, with different species exhibiting varying degrees of conscious experience. Research on animals provides clues about the evolutionary pressures and neural mechanisms that gave rise to consciousness, suggesting it may be more widespread in the animal kingdom than previously assumed.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The emergence of consciousness: Research on animals yields insights into how, when and why consciousness evolved.