/sci/ - Science & Math

>>15340826

>but corvids and octopusses are capable of cognition on the level of some mammals so I'm not sure it's essential for that to occur

Indeed, and it is a very good point here which we cannot ignore! Especially with the birds, who both got very complex communication (even the "stupid" ones do have highly complex and individualized songs after all) and with some a problem solution capability easily en par with the smartest apes. Gotta admit here ... I got no answer for that. Back in the lab days I did once try to find out if these examples you've mentioned also have some form of unusually "active" mobile elements in their genomes, maybe even their own ERVs. Sadly didn't find much on it. Or to put it differently perhaps, whether these animal clades do possess some form of similar genetic "fluidity", a different yet similar door. Compare a bit here to another general mechanism such as the neoteny we do see in tamed animals (and humans as well) which does make more sociable and in many cases more lernfähig.