First, one has to define thinking and intelligence.
Animal scientists have argued this for ages. Surely monkeys are intelligent, as are dogs and cats. What about monotremes? Fish? Sharks? Lamprey? Starfish? Worms? Insects? All of these have a centralized nervous system. Is that the definition of intelligence. Jellyfish have nerves, but no centralized processing facility. Are they intelligent or do they just react? Sponges (the most ancient extant animal) have no nerves. Are they intelligent?
Plants communicate with each other warning of herbivory, within and between species. Is that intelligence?
Slime molds live as unicellular organisms when food is abundant, only to group up in worm like structures to search for greener pastures. If not found, they metamorphose into what resembles a fungal fruiting body? So are they unicellular or multicellular? Is that intelligence?
Intelligence is a human derived construct, not easily applicable to the vast diversity of living organisms.
grandtheftbonsai t1_j9shy0x wrote
Reply to Do all thinking creatures on Earth use neurons? Does an example of non-neuron based biological "intelligence" exist? by Wun_Weg_Wun_Dar__Wun
First, one has to define thinking and intelligence.
Animal scientists have argued this for ages. Surely monkeys are intelligent, as are dogs and cats. What about monotremes? Fish? Sharks? Lamprey? Starfish? Worms? Insects? All of these have a centralized nervous system. Is that the definition of intelligence. Jellyfish have nerves, but no centralized processing facility. Are they intelligent or do they just react? Sponges (the most ancient extant animal) have no nerves. Are they intelligent?
Plants communicate with each other warning of herbivory, within and between species. Is that intelligence?
Slime molds live as unicellular organisms when food is abundant, only to group up in worm like structures to search for greener pastures. If not found, they metamorphose into what resembles a fungal fruiting body? So are they unicellular or multicellular? Is that intelligence?
Intelligence is a human derived construct, not easily applicable to the vast diversity of living organisms.