Natures wonders: barnacle cyanobacteria symbiosis (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, December 07, 2016, 15:00 (2906 days ago) @ dhw

David’s comment: Logically not a match made by heaven. Cyanobacteria are in the ocean as are mollusks. They naturally fell together for mutual benefit.

dhw: Delighted to read your comment. A fine example of cooperation, and if your God did not reach down from heaven, or did not plant instructions in the first cells, I would suggest that maybe the barnacles and the cyanobacteria worked this arrangement out for themselves. Rather intelligent of them, don’t you think?

DAVID: No real intelligence. Just practical adaptation with mutual benefit.

dhw: What do you mean by “real” intelligence? I would suggest that it takes a certain degree of sentience, communication. information-processing, decision-making for organisms to cooperate for their mutual benefit. Do you put barnacles and cynobacteria on the same intelligence level as, say, stones and water?

None of what you list suggests 'intelligence' at a brain processing level. I still contend cyanobacteria carry intelligently-designed automatic processes, and mollusks were happy to snuggle together with them.