It's not pure speculation at all - it's a very active field of research that currently points to the fact that consciousness is a spectrum. There are animals th

It's not pure speculation at all - it's a very active field of research that currently points to the fact that consciousness is a spectrum. There are animals that recognise themselves in the mirror and have a clear concept of self versus other. There is evidence for plants communicating with each other by various means. So asking "when did our species become conscious?" is akin to asking "when did you become an adult?" and expecting a specific date or event as a reply...