We Evolved Pretty Quickly

DC85,What gives you the impression that "intellegent" [sic] is opposed to animaldom? Chimpanzees are intelligent. Dolphins are. Why, even those colourfully feathered, talking dinosaur descendants we call parrots are. It's just a matter of degrees. Or do you perhaps mean "conscious"?You say, "the Dionsaurs [sic] Had the Planet for around 160 Million Years and its [sic] amazing Something Didn't Evolve."
I'll take that as a sloppy way of saying that something intelligent didn't evolve in the age of the dinosaurs. Now, if we are to believe Mr. Spielberg, at least one of the dinosaur species themselves was pretty high up on the list of smart things. On second thought, I think we'd do well to believe just the experts our friend from Hollywood must have consulted, because he also produced "E.T."But again, you might also have meant to say that something conscious did not evolve. If so, you have a point, because consciousness (of the type we humans possess) is indeed unique in the animal kingdom, as far as I know.Cheers.P.S. Is there a reason for you to use capitals in mid-sentence? It seems like you're heavily into Pooh or something. Which is fine by the way, as long as you don't confuse "issues" with sneezes and Long Words don't Bother you. Anyway, you're forgiven. From the fact that you are a future paleontologist, I take it you are quite young, compared to an old fart like myself.{Edited to correct a typo, I don't know what possessed me.}[This message has been edited by Parasomnium, 07-18-2003]

How do I know consciousness (of the type we humans possess) is indeed unique in the animal kingdom?First of all, I said "as far as I know", meaning I'm not sure. Secondly, if there were other beings on this planet with our type of consciousness, we would have had coffee with them or something. Or an all out war. In any case, we would have met them.Cheers.[This message has been edited by Parasomnium, 07-30-2003]

Peter,It's my mistake that I used the term 'our type of consciousness'. I really should have said 'our degree of consciousness'. You see, I agree with you on the idea that consciousness is probably a matter of degree. (Probably anything evolved is a matter of degree.)'How consciousness is measured' needs a bit more elaboration, I think. What exactly about consciousness is it that we would like to measure? The degree of self-consciousness? The extend to which an animal is able to project himself into a future scenario? Or into someone else's shoes?Questions, questions...You mentioned "social animals -- not necessarily hive/insect type societies --"
What about the 'consciousness' of an insect society as a whole? You probably know that termites build nests with airconditioning. The individual termites are too simple to contain the concept, but all of them together they must be a pretty smart colony, to accomplish this astonishing feat. You may have heard of Douglas Hofstadter's fantasy about a conversation with an ant hill. Well, I'm thinking that it isn't such a wild eyed idea at all.Cheers.