Plant intelligence dux: a comprehensive rebuttal of Kingsland and Taiz.

Intelligence is a fundamental property for all life enabling an increased probability of survival and reproduction under wild circumstances. Kingsland and Taiz (2024) think that plants are not intelligent but seem unaware of the extensive literature about intelligence, memory, learning and chromatin topology in plants. Their views are consequently rejected.

Identification of intelligence-related proteins through a robust two-layer predictor.

In this study, we advance a robust methodology for identifying specific intelligence-related proteins across phyla. Our approach exploits a support vector machine-based classifier capable of predicting intelligence-related proteins based on a pool of meaningful protein features. For the sake of illustration of our proposed general method, we develop a novel computational two-layer predictor, Intell_Pred, to predict query sequences (proteins or transcripts) as intelligence-related or non-intelligence-related proteins or transcripts, subsequently classifying the former sequences into learning and memory-related classes.

Awareness and integrated information theory identify plant meristems as sites of conscious activity.

Lacking an anatomical brain/nervous system, it is assumed plants are not conscious. The biological function of consciousness is an input to behaviour; it is adaptive (subject to selection) and based on information. Complex language makes human consciousness unique.

Integrated information as a possible basis for plant consciousness.

It is commonly assumed that plants do not possess consciousness. Since the criterion for this assumption is usually human consciousness this assumption represents a top down attitude. It is obvious that plants are not animals and using animal criteria of consciousness will lead to its rejection in plants.