Anthropomorphic Physiology and Higher Intelligence

[Stryder50]

...and on it goes...

After this post, no.
My point, which you either fail to grasp, or take/respond to seriously, is that what you posted indicated you don't know what a galaxy is nor how they are so distant and separate from the one we are in.
With nearest ones being millions of light years distant/away, that is not only a measure of space, but also time.

 

[toobfreak]

I have been watching some science fiction videos on YouTube which describe human-like aliens in other galaxies. Assuming they might exist, I wonder about any connection between anthropomorphic physiology and higher intelligence.

Offhand, I'd say the upright, bipedal mammal came about as a matter of success and practicality, so, I'd expect a better than 50/50 chance of something similar happening in other species on other, similar blue water worlds supporting a technological society.

 

[Hector12]

Perhaps "higher intelligence" requires higher intelligence in order to understand the term. Do you think that dinosaurs would have eventually gone to the Moon if they had been allowed to evolve?

The descendants of one dinosaur would have. Although roughly the same size as humans he had the largest brain of any dinosaur. He had two arms could pick up things with his hands.

 

[Old Rocks]

Temperature control, cephalization, lateralization, and a unified sensorium. The biological attractors for evolution are the same everywhere.



Precise dynamic control of communication is important. It's nothing special though. It's an early requirement, it happens in single cells at the molecular level.



Elephants, whales, and dolphins all demonstrate higher intelligence. Dolphins can talk, elephants communicate with low frequency vibrations. Elephants are spiritual, they ritually mourn their dead.

Were it not for their limited lifespans, octopi would be among the intelligent species. They show amazing problem solving skills. Really, I would not even try to guess what is required for the development of intellect in life not as we know it.

 

[toobfreak]

Were it not for their limited lifespans, octopi would be among the intelligent species. They show amazing problem solving skills. Really, I would not even try to guess what is required for the development of intellect in life not as we know it.

Don't forget the cuttlefish.

 

[scruffy]

Really, I would not even try to guess what is required for the development of intellect in life not as we know it.

Easy. The purpose of the brain is to optimize the behavior of the organism in real time. Primarily that involves movement - muscle contraction.

Initially it begins as reactive (monosynaptic reflex arc) but there is tremendous evolutionary pressure for proactive control, so it happens quickly.

Every neuron added on top of the initial motor "command" becomes a prediction. Intellect is made up of inference and prediction (and the occasional creation of random samples from a distribution).

From an evolutionary standpoint, the development of intellect is assisted by the presence of "enough" serious threats.