Editing Evolutionary psychology (section)

====Consciousness====
{{See also|Consciousness|Animal consciousness}}

Consciousness meets [[George C. Williams (biologist)|George Williams]]' criteria of species universality, complexity,<ref>* {{cite journal |jstor=188711 |pages=648–70 |last1=Nichols |first1=S. |last2=Grantham |first2=T. |title=Adaptive Complexity and Phenomenal Consciousness |volume=67 |issue=4 |journal=Philosophy of Science |year=2000 |doi=10.1086/392859 |url=http://dingo.sbs.arizona.edu/~snichols/Papers/evolcons(final).pdf |access-date=28 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813055023/http://dingo.sbs.arizona.edu/~snichols/Papers/evolcons(final).pdf |archive-date=13 August 2017 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all |citeseerx=10.1.1.515.9722 |s2cid=16484193 }}</ref> and functionality, and it is a [[Phenotypic trait|trait]] that apparently increases fitness.<ref>Freeman and Herron. ''Evolutionary Analysis.'' 2007. Pearson Education, NJ.</ref>

In his paper "Evolution of consciousness," [[John Eccles (neurophysiologist)|John Eccles]] argues that special anatomical and physical adaptations of the mammalian [[cerebral cortex]] gave rise to consciousness.<ref>{{cite journal |jstor=2360081 |pages=7320–24 |last1=Eccles |first1=J. C. |title=Evolution of consciousness |volume=89 |issue=16 |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |year=1992 |pmid=1502142 |pmc=49701 |doi=10.1073/pnas.89.16.7320|bibcode=1992PNAS...89.7320E |doi-access=free }}</ref> In contrast, others have argued that the recursive circuitry underwriting consciousness is much more primitive, having evolved initially in pre-mammalian species because it improves the capacity for interaction with both social ''and'' natural environments by providing an energy-saving "neutral" gear in an otherwise energy-expensive motor output machine.<ref>Peters, Frederic [http://precedings.nature.com/documents/2444/version/1 "Consciousness as Recursive, Spatiotemporal Self-Location"]</ref> Once in place, this recursive circuitry may well have provided a basis for the subsequent development of many of the functions that consciousness facilitates in higher organisms, as outlined by [[Bernard J. Baars]].<ref>Baars, Bernard J. ''A Cognitive Theory of Consciousness.'' 1993. Cambridge University Press.</ref> [[Richard Dawkins]] suggested that humans evolved consciousness in order to make themselves the subjects of thought.<ref name=Gaulin-5/> Daniel Povinelli suggests that large, tree-climbing [[ape]]s evolved consciousness to take into account one's own mass when moving safely among tree branches.<ref name=Gaulin-5/> Consistent with this hypothesis, [[Gordon Gallup]] found that [[chimpanzee]]s and [[orangutan]]s, but not little monkeys or terrestrial [[gorilla]]s, demonstrated self-awareness in mirror tests.<ref name=Gaulin-5/>

The concept of consciousness can refer to voluntary action, awareness, or wakefulness. However, even voluntary behavior involves unconscious mechanisms. Many cognitive processes take place in the cognitive unconscious, unavailable to conscious awareness. Some behaviors are conscious when learned but then become unconscious, seemingly automatic. Learning, especially implicitly learning a skill, can take place seemingly outside of consciousness. For example, plenty of people know how to turn right when they ride a bike, but very few can accurately explain how they actually do so.<ref name=Gaulin-5/>

Evolutionary psychology approaches self-deception as an adaptation that can improve one's results in social exchanges.<ref name=Gaulin-5/>

Sleep may have evolved to conserve energy when activity would be less fruitful or more dangerous, such as at night, and especially during the winter season.<ref name=Gaulin-5>Gaulin and McBurney 2003 p. 101–21.</ref>