is consciousness present in fish?

IS CONSCIOUSNESS PRESENT IN FISH?

QuébecMichel CabanacDépartement de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

PROLEGOMENON

- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

TUA IQ L YX

Y

INTENSIT

Y

Z

HE

DO

NIC

ITY

DURATIONT

What is consciousness?

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?

- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

An emergence is,

The appearance in a system of newproperties that could not be anticipatedfrom the individual properties of theelements that constitute the system

A couple of examples...

condensateur

bobine

bobine+

condensateuren série

(a)

(b)

(c)

ENTRÉE SORTIEIN OUT

capacity

capacity+

coil

coil

Other examples:

Atoms H+ & H+ & O-- ——> WATER

with its extraordinary proerties

Or,

The inert separate parts ——>

a car, with its properties of moving, accelerating, etc.

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?

- natural selectionHOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

Charles Darwin1809-1882

 ”I have called this principle,by which each slight variation,If usefull, is preserved, by theterm Natural Selection “

(The Origin of Species)

C. Lloyd MORGAN (1852-1936)

Mario BUNGE (2002)Université McGill

Leda COSMIDES & John TOOBY (2002) U. of California

Postulate: Consciousness evolved from sensation, i.e., sensation was the first element of consciousness

Correlate: Consciousness kept the structure of sensation

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?

- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

Z

HE

DO

NIC

ITY

TUA IQ L YX

Y

INTENSIT

Y

DURATIONT

WHAT IS EMOTION?

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion

- signs of sensory pleasureMAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

« L'homme est né pour le plaisir: il le sent il

n'en faut point d'autre preuve. Il suit donc sa

raison en se donnant au plaisir »

Pascal, 1623-1662 (Discours sur les passions de

l'amour)

« The cardinal mystery of neurobiology is not self love or dreams of immortality but intentionality »

E. O. Wilson, 1978 (On Human Nature).

SENSORY PLEASURE

Z

HE

DO

NIC

ITY

TUA IQ L YX

Y

INTENSIT

Y

DURATIONT

Finaly, in the thinking being, behavior is a question of motivation

« Surprise. Here is an expert in motivation! »

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALSBIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

Emotional fever

4 0

(°C

)

)

3 53 02 52 01 51 0502 4

2 6

2 8

3 0

3 2

3 4

TIME ( min )

3 9

3 8

3 7

3 6

tail

brain

RAT

T t

ail (

ºC)

T b

rain

(ºC

)

Briese E., Cabanac M. (1991). Physiol. Behav. 49: 1153-1157

Emotional tachycardia

Cabanac A., Cabanac M. (2000) Behav. Proc. 52: 89-95.

Ingestive mimics

Gustatory pleasure

Aversive mimics

Norgren R., Grill H. G. (1982)

Cabanac M., Lafrance L. (1989)

Sensory pleasure in rat

Cabanac M., Serres P. (1976). J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 90: 435-441.

Pleasure and conflict of motivations in rat

Cabanac M., Johnson K.G. (1983) Physiol. Behav. 31: 249-253.

Mammals: conclusion

- signs of emotion (fever, tachycardia);- signs of sensory pleasure (taste, temperature, conflict of motivations…);- maximizing pleasure plaisir motivates behavior.

CONSCIOUSNESS IS LIKELY TO EXIST IN MAMMALS

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

I. Pepperberg & Alex (2001)

HumanHomo ‘sapiens’

AristotePsittacus erythacus(« Aristoteles dixit »)

Cabanac M. (2001)

41.2

41.4

41.6

41.8

42

0 3 6 9 12 15 18

TIME (min)

x x

xx x x x

30

32

34

36

38

0 3 6 9 12 15 18

x x x x

xxx

crest

cloacaT

EM

PE

RA

TU

RE

(°C

)

birdEmotional fever

Cabanac M., Aizawa S. (2000)Physiol. Behav. 69: 541-545

foot

Emotional tachycardia

Cabanac M., Aizawa S. (2000)Physiol. Behav. 69: 541-545

Hen

Birds: conclusion

- signs of motion (fever, tachycardia);- verbal signs of sensory pleasure (taste, caress…).

CONSCIOUSNESS IS LIKELY TO EXIST IN BIRDS

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

Emotional fever

240210180

CO

RE

TE

MP

ER

AT

UR

E

(°C

)

1501209060300

TIME (min)

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

38

l i •o

lizard

periodical manipulationcontrol without manipulation

Cabanac M., Gosselin F. (1993) Anim. Behav. 46: 200-202

Emotional tachycardia

Cabanac A., Cabanac M. (2000) Behav. Proc. 52: 89-95

PLEASURE AND DECISION MAKING (lizards)

Balaskó M., Cabanac M. (1998) Brain Behav. Evol. 52: 257-262

Reptiles: conclusion

- signs of emotion (fever, tachycardia);- signs of sensory pleasure (taste, temperature, conflict of motivations…);- maximizing pleasure motivates behavior.

CONSCIOUSNESS IS LIKELY TO EXIST IN REPTILES

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANSFISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

No emotional tachycardia in amphibians

Cabanac A., Cabanac M. (2000) Behav. Proc. 52: 89-95

No aquired taste aversion in amphibians

LiCl saline TREATMENT

100

0

New beforeNew after

*0

100

FO

OD

INT

AK

E (

%)

LiCl saline

lizards frogs & salamanders

Paradis S., Cabanac M. (2004) Behav. Proc. 67: 11-18

FO

OD

INT

AK

E (

%)

TREATMENT

No emotional fever in amphibians

15

20

25

30

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

CO

RE

TE

MP

ER

AT

UR

E (

ºC)

TIME (min)Cabanac A. J., Cabanac M. (2004) J. thermal Biol. 29: 669-673

Rana sp.

AMPHIBIANS: conclusion

- no signs emotion (fever, tachycardia);- no signs of sensory pleasure (taste).

CONSCIOUSNESS IS UNLIKELY TO EXISTIN AMPHIBIANS

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISHPOSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

No emotional fever in fish (C. auratus)

37°C 34°C

air air

Cabanac M., Laberge F. (1998) Physiol. Behav. 63: 377-379

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS

- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

R. Rial (2005)

Sleep

Sleep

M. C. Nicolau, M. Akaârir, A. Gamundí, J. González, R. V. Rial (2000) Why we sleep: the evolutionary pathway to the mammalian sleep Progr. Neurobiol. 2000, 62: 379-406.

For Rial et col. The evolution of awakening is the main force towards a development of the brain.Cortical awakening is specific to mammals, as well as sleep with its two states (slow wave sleep, spindles and ‘rapid’ sleep ).

Reptiles possess a wake slow EEG(with spindles) in the whole brain.

Amphibians, without cortex, don’t show any sign of sleep.

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep

- playCONCLUSION

Play

G. Burghardt (2000)

Play

For Burghardt, is an activity

- incompletely fonctional (useless on first sight),- volontarily initiated (which implies intention and, for him, pleasure),- non serious,- repetitive,- when the subject is completely relaxed.

G. M. Burghardt (2005) The Genesis of Animal Play. Cambridge (Mass.) MIT Press

G. M. Burghardt The Genesis of Animal Play. Cambridge, Mass.: M.I.T. Press, 2005

Burghardt recognizes it without ambiguity- in mammals, - in birds - in reptiles.

He never observed it in amphibians

Some criteria can be found in some fish(sharks, tunas) andsome invertebrates (cephalopodes, bees).

PROLEGOMENON- what is consciousness?- what is an emergence?- natural selection

HOW MAY WE ACCEPT CONSCIOUSNESS IN AN ANIMAL?- signs of emotion- signs of sensory pleasure

MAMMALS

BIRDS

REPTILES

AMPHIBIANS

FISH

POSSIBLE CONFIRMATIONS- sleep- play

CONCLUSION

Squamata yes yes yes

Anoura no no no

Mammalia yes yes yes

Urodela no no no

Crocodilia

Aves yes yes yes

Sphenodontia

Chelonia yes

Gymnophiona

Dipneusta

Emergence of Consciousnessin early Amniota

Signs of: SensoryEmotion pleasure Play

Rhipidistia

Tetrapoda

Lissamphibia

Teleostea no no

Two major emergences occured in our world:

- Life emerged from the physical world.

- Consciousness emerged from the living world probably with amniotes (bad news regarding Fish).

Consciousness is nevertheless deeply rooted in the living world since the beginning of the secondaryera.

If that is true, then fishes behave like robots….

…the complete story in:

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