Octopuses possess approximately 500 million neurons, two-thirds of which are distributed throughout their arms rather than concentrated in a central brain. Each arm can taste, smell, and respond to stimuli independently, even after being severed from the body. Researchers studying octopus behavior have observed that one arm can solve a puzzle while the others appear engaged in unrelated activities.
Which choice most logically completes the text? Based on the passage, octopus cognition most likely _______
- A
produces simpler behaviors than those observed in fish of comparable size
- B
is fundamentally similar to that of vertebrate animals with centralized brains
- Ccheck_circle
involves a distributed form of intelligence that differs from typical centralized models
- D
depends entirely on the central brain to coordinate every arm movement
Explanation
Two-thirds of neurons in arms plus arms acting independently points to distributed intelligence. A contradicts the contrast implied; C contradicts the independent-arm evidence; D is unsupported by the passage.