By one count evolution has delivered “serious intelligence” no less than three times (independently), in mammals, corvids, and cephalopods. If you take it broad

By one count evolution has delivered “serious intelligence” no less than three times (independently), in mammals, corvids, and cephalopods. If you take it broadly, you might include ant colonies as well. Intelligence can’t be that special. Oxygenic photosynthesis evolved exactly once and that took 1.5 billion years. That’s special.