I think the real question here is when consciousness evolved and where did it evolve from? Researchers have always felt a cerebral cortex is necessary to experi

I think the real question here is when consciousness evolved and where did it evolve from? Researchers have always felt a cerebral cortex is necessary to experience "consciousness" but crows have confirmed that's not necessary which only deepens the mystery: This research has important consequences for our understanding of the evolution of higher intelligence. First, a cerebral cortex is not needed, and there are other anatomical means to achieve the same outcome. Second, either the evolution of consciousness is very ancient, tracing back to the last common ancestor of mammals and birds about 320 million years ago, or, equally intriguing, consciousness arose at least twice later on, independently in mammals and birds. Both options raise the likelihood, in my view, that higher intelligence on other planets may not necessarily be mammal or human-like, but could very well be birdlike. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/crows-are-even-smarter-we-thought-180976970/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/crows-are-...