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nasabere's picture

And what about bees and ants?

"Although it is difficult to separate humans from other mammals, the idea that all mammals do a certain amount of teaching and babysitting, even though some mammals end up as solitary creatures, does seem to suggest that the neocortex causes some sort of instinct to form a community, to ensure the success of procreation, to pass on behaviors not just through genes but also through parenting."

What could be more sophisticated than the multiple communication systems of bees? And ants for that matter. They have very highly-developed social organizations. In addition, it is commonly thought that "behaviors and actions for the survival of the individual and preservation of species" are part of the more "primitive brain," which is not exclusive to mammals. I don't know how I feel about that, but at any rate, "survival" and the "perpetuation of the species" seems to be an innate characteristic of all living organisms. I believe that the neo-cortex transcends such fundamentally basic functions.

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