As a proposal, would consciousness not come about once a species starts becoming _maladapted_ to its environment? As the population dies out only those with co

As a proposal, would consciousness not come about once a species starts becoming _maladapted_ to its environment? As the population dies out only those with consciousness and... I hesitate to say... smarts survive. This would have to happen an untold number of times for us to get where we are today.