[extropy-chat] The evolution of intelligence

[Christopher Healey]

David,

You might want to have a look at Terrance Deacon's "The Symbolic
Species: The Co-evolution of Language and the Brain."

It may not address the entire scope of what you're asking for here, but
it's sure to offer a great deal of insight toward more specific
inquiries to fill in those gaps.

-Chris 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org 
> [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of 
> David Lubkin
> Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 10:44 PM
> To: extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> Subject: [extropy-chat] The evolution of intelligence
> 
> I'm trying to understand what the evolution of intelligence 
> might have been, and am in search of pointers to background 
> sources. This seemed like a logical place to ask, given our 
> shared interests.
> 
> In some cognitive models, there's the idea of distinct 
> capabilities, each having a biological basis. Each of which 
> presumably conferred a reproductive advantage, in its first 
> through its final forms, although it may not be clear that 
> that advantage is wholly independent of the pre-existence of 
> another of the capabilities.
> 
> What is the set of cognitive subsystems known to exist in 
> some species? Which species have which subsystems? Why do 
> they have those and why not the others? What does this look 
> like in a taxonomic or timeline tree?
> 
> I've dusted off my sf writer hat lately so I'm mostly looking 
> for a plausible framework to draw on in creating lifeforms 
> for stories I'm working on. It would also be nice to find 
> folks in the pertinent fields who wouldn't mind if I asked 
> stupid questions or ran ideas by.
> 
> 
> -- David.
> 
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