Evolution of Intelligence in Animals

Intelligence, including the ability to categorize things as good or bad, emerged across evolution, leading to unique characteristics in species like squirrels, crows, and dolphins. Different breakthroughs in brain development, such as steering and reinforcement learning, laid the foundation for progressively sophisticated intelligence. The complex structures in fish and mammal brains reflected their capacity for learning, recognizing patterns, and planning actions based on rewards. The evolution of brains in vertebrates and the emergence of neural structures for cognitive functions marked significant steps in the history of intelligence.