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Question
Is it possible for intellegent life to arise from insect-like creatures? If so, what kind of environment would it most likely take place in?
No one knows how intelligence arose, although there seems to have been be a general trend toward increasing intelligence in large animals over time. However, intelligence (on Earth) requires a relatively large brain to include enough neurons for thinking and remembering. Insects (on Earth) do not have enough brain mass to evolve very far toward intelligence, although we all know they do pretty well with the small brains they have (for example, in the ability of bees to communicate locations of food).
David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
July 18, 2005
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