Intelligence as Perception and Movement

Animals have frequently astounded us with interesting neural capabilities despite having smaller brains and fewer neurons than humans. Dolphins, the next intelligent animals after humans (Yes, they are smarter than primates), have demonstrated countless times how high their social and emotional intelligence is, they are also extremely quick learners, and while exhibiting these qualities, I have a theory that perception and movement play a large role in their high intelligence.

Scientists have been studying a small organism called Trichoplax adhaerens, a brainless biomachine. They are one of the species in the phylum placozoa, They are very small organisms with no internal organs or a nervous system, They are known to co-ordinate their movements to find food and reproduce by perception of their environment. These complicated actions are carried out by this organism without the need of a brain.

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

Small organisms like these move around via cilia, which are delicate hair-like structures. Cilia have long been recognized to aid organisms in swimming and movement. However, when scientist Manu Prakash and his team examined the Trichoplax adhaerens under a microscope, he discovered a group of cilia marching on a surface like a programmed machine. The researchers then designed an experiment to measure the frequency of each cillium as it balanced the torque from neighboring cells with the force of its attachment to the surface below, and as a result, they realized a common phenomenon known as “Walking.” As a result, it became clear that it does not swin, but rather walks.

As each cillium walked, it displayed features comparable to those found in individual neurons. A simple adjustment in direction can shift the status from stall to movement. When the researchers looked at all the ciliated cells at once, they noticed the cells were synchronized like a flock of birds, which they described as a flocking dynamics, but in the case of birds, they are controlled by brains, whereas in the case of Trichoplax, they are just cilia connected by strings, which is simply astounding.

A collection of cells capable of a wide variety of behaviors such as obtaining food and keeping the organism alive, which are actions we anticipate from a brain, provides a different perspective on intelligence. Placozoa, being at the base of the tree of life, can shed light on how the nervous system evolved over time. This will most likely provide insight on how other animals adapt for their smaller brains than humans through perception and movement.

Credits.