General Features
• Evolutionary path separate from mammals
• Godfrey-Smith: contact with them is like meeting an
Anatomy & Nervous System
• Neurons not concentrated in the brain
• 2/3 of neurons are located in the
• Result: "Distributed intelligence" (limbs act independently)
Colour Change
• Used for:
◦ Camouflage (hiding from predators)
◦ To with others (e.g. rivalry/courtship)
Tool Use & Behaviour
• Veined Octopus: carries shells for shelter
• Problem-solving: ability to unscrew a to get food
• Evidence of "play" (usually only seen in vertebrates)
The Evolutionary Puzzle
• Intelligence usually evolves in social, long-lived animals
• Cephalopods have a very short
• They are animals (do not learn from parents)
Genetics
• Ability to edit their own RNA
• Helps them adapt to changes in
• Disadvantage: slows down their evolution
Conclusion
• Intelligence can emerge in forms
