NATURAL CONSCIOUSNESS:
ITS EMERGENCE, COMPARATIVE, BEHAVIORAL AND NEURAL BIOLOGY
9-18 June 2025 / Galapagos Islands
NATURAL CONSCIOUSNESS:
ITS EMERGENCE, COMPARATIVE, BEHAVIORAL AND NEURAL BIOLOGY
9-18 June 2025 / Galapagos Islands
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
The 2025 Animal Consciousness Conference brought together specialists in evolutionary and behavioral biology, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy to assess where we stand today in advancing Darwin’s unfinished program: understanding the biological origins and basis of consciousness.
Focus: The conference highlighted a naturalistic approach—tracing the evolutionary history of consciousness, mapping its distribution across species, exploring its adaptive functions, and examining the neural mechanisms that support it.
Program themes:
1. Emergence and evolution of consciousness
2. Diversity and distribution of consciousness
3. Common mechanisms and functions of consciousness
4. Experimental studies and objective tests for consciousness
With their unmistakably Darwinian flavor, these themes made the Galápagos Islands an especially inspiring setting for the meeting.
Focus: The conference highlighted a naturalistic approach—tracing the evolutionary history of consciousness, mapping its distribution across species, exploring its adaptive functions, and examining the neural mechanisms that support it.
Program themes:
1. Emergence and evolution of consciousness
2. Diversity and distribution of consciousness
3. Common mechanisms and functions of consciousness
4. Experimental studies and objective tests for consciousness
With their unmistakably Darwinian flavor, these themes made the Galápagos Islands an especially inspiring setting for the meeting.
SPEAKERS
- Konstantin AnokhinInstitute for Advanced Brain Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- Nicholas HumphreyDarwin College, Cambridge, UK
- Lars ChittkaResearch Centre for Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Nicola ClaytonDepartment of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Yang DanUniversity of California, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, US
- Graziano Fiorito
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn,
Naples, Italy
- Martin GiurfaInstitute of Biology Paris Seine, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
- Eva JablonkaTel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Masanori KohdaGraduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
- Andreas NiederInstitute of Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Mu-ming PooInstitute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China
- Anil SethSussex Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex,Brighton, UK
- Giorgio VallortigaraCenter for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZER
- Konstantin Anokhin
Lomonosov Moscow State
University, Moscow
PROGRAMME
Natural Consciousness Conference
10:00 – 19:00 Arrivals, registration
19:00 – 21:00 Welcome Dinner
19:00 – 21:00 Welcome Dinner
Priming Session — Quito
09:00 – 09:15 Konstantin Anokhin
Conference opening, introductory notes
09:15 – 09:45 Lars Chittka
Insects as a model for the study of animal consciousness before 1910 and today
09:45 – 10:15 Nicola Clayton
Topics and tools for understanding subjective experience in animals
10:15 – 10:45 Yang Dan
Circuit mechanism for frontal cortical ignition during wakefulness, sleep, and anesthesia
11:00 – 11:30 Graziano Fiorito
A search for neural hallmarks of conscious states in octopus
11:30 – 12:00 Martin Giurfa
Awareness in an insect?
12:00 – 12:30 Nicholas Humphrey
The evolution of what?
12:30 – 13:00 Eva Jablonka
When cognition becomes conscious: An evolutionary approach
15:00 – 15:30 Masanori Kohda
Distinguishing consciousness from intelligence and a new idea on the evolutionary origin of consciousness based on this distinction
15:30 – 16:00 Andreas Nieder
Biological prerequisites for consciousness in birds and mammals
16:30 – 17:00 Mu-ming Poo
From mirror self-recognition to self-consciousness
17:15 – 17:45 Anil Seth
Consciousness in humans and elsewhere
17:45 – 18:15 Giorgio Vallortigara
Early steps in the evolution of consciousness
18:15 – 18:45 Konstantin Anokhin
Extending Darwin’s program to the algorithmic origin of consciousness
09:00 – 09:15 Konstantin Anokhin
Conference opening, introductory notes
09:15 – 09:45 Lars Chittka
Insects as a model for the study of animal consciousness before 1910 and today
09:45 – 10:15 Nicola Clayton
Topics and tools for understanding subjective experience in animals
10:15 – 10:45 Yang Dan
Circuit mechanism for frontal cortical ignition during wakefulness, sleep, and anesthesia
11:00 – 11:30 Graziano Fiorito
A search for neural hallmarks of conscious states in octopus
11:30 – 12:00 Martin Giurfa
Awareness in an insect?
12:00 – 12:30 Nicholas Humphrey
The evolution of what?
12:30 – 13:00 Eva Jablonka
When cognition becomes conscious: An evolutionary approach
15:00 – 15:30 Masanori Kohda
Distinguishing consciousness from intelligence and a new idea on the evolutionary origin of consciousness based on this distinction
15:30 – 16:00 Andreas Nieder
Biological prerequisites for consciousness in birds and mammals
16:30 – 17:00 Mu-ming Poo
From mirror self-recognition to self-consciousness
17:15 – 17:45 Anil Seth
Consciousness in humans and elsewhere
17:45 – 18:15 Giorgio Vallortigara
Early steps in the evolution of consciousness
18:15 – 18:45 Konstantin Anokhin
Extending Darwin’s program to the algorithmic origin of consciousness
09:24 Flight Quito — San Cristobal Island
Flight duration: 3.5 hours
12:12 Arrival at the Galapagos Islands
12:45 Meet the guide and transfer to the pier
12:50 Transfer to the yacht by motorboats
13:30 Lunch on the yacht
15:00 Tijeretas Hill visit
Duration: 1 hour
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
Flight duration: 3.5 hours
12:12 Arrival at the Galapagos Islands
12:45 Meet the guide and transfer to the pier
12:50 Transfer to the yacht by motorboats
13:30 Lunch on the yacht
15:00 Tijeretas Hill visit
Duration: 1 hour
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
07:00 Breakfast on the yacht
08:30 Disembark at Witch's Hill
Duration: 1 hour hike
10:30 – 12:00 Session 1
Lars Chittka & Martin Giurfa
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 2
Nicola Clayton & Andreas Nieder
15:15 Disembark at Cape Pitt
Duration: 2.5 hours
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
08:30 Disembark at Witch's Hill
Duration: 1 hour hike
10:30 – 12:00 Session 1
Lars Chittka & Martin Giurfa
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 2
Nicola Clayton & Andreas Nieder
15:15 Disembark at Cape Pitt
Duration: 2.5 hours
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
07:00 Breakfast on the yacht
08:30 Disembark at Cape Suarez
Duration: 1.5 hours
10:30 – 12:00 Session 3
Graziano Fiorito & Masanori Kohda
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 4
Mu-ming Poo & Yang Dan
15:30 Disembark at Española Island (Gardner Bay)
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
08:30 Disembark at Cape Suarez
Duration: 1.5 hours
10:30 – 12:00 Session 3
Graziano Fiorito & Masanori Kohda
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 4
Mu-ming Poo & Yang Dan
15:30 Disembark at Española Island (Gardner Bay)
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
07:00 Breakfast on the yacht
09:00 Disembark on Floreana Island
(Cormorant Point and snorkeling)
Duration: 1 hour walk
10:30 – 12:00 Session 5
Nicholas Humphrey & Giorgio Vallortigara
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 6
Eva Jablonka & Konstantin Anokhin
15:15 Disembark on Floreana Island
(Post Office Bay)
Duration: 30 minute walk / 1 hour snorkeling
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
09:00 Disembark on Floreana Island
(Cormorant Point and snorkeling)
Duration: 1 hour walk
10:30 – 12:00 Session 5
Nicholas Humphrey & Giorgio Vallortigara
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 6
Eva Jablonka & Konstantin Anokhin
15:15 Disembark on Floreana Island
(Post Office Bay)
Duration: 30 minute walk / 1 hour snorkeling
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
07:00 Breakfast on the yacht
09:00 Disembark on Santa Cruz Island (Highlands)
Duration: 45 minutes transport / 1.5 hour walk
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 7
Anil Seth
15:15 Disembark on Santa Cruz Island (Charles Darwin Station)
Duration: 1.5 hour walk
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
09:00 Disembark on Santa Cruz Island (Highlands)
Duration: 45 minutes transport / 1.5 hour walk
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 7
Anil Seth
15:15 Disembark on Santa Cruz Island (Charles Darwin Station)
Duration: 1.5 hour walk
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
07:00 Breakfast on the yacht
08:30 Disembark on Genovesa Island (El Barranco)
Duration: 45 minutes
10:30 – 12:00 Session 8
Emergence and evolution of consciousness
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 9
Common functions and mechanisms of consciousness
15:30 Disembark on Genovesa Island (Darwin Bay)
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
08:30 Disembark on Genovesa Island (El Barranco)
Duration: 45 minutes
10:30 – 12:00 Session 8
Emergence and evolution of consciousness
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 9
Common functions and mechanisms of consciousness
15:30 Disembark on Genovesa Island (Darwin Bay)
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
07:00 Breakfast on the yacht
08:30 Disembark on Rabida Island
Duration: 1.5 hour tour / boat ride
10:30 – 12:00 Session 10
Diversity and distribution of consciousness
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 11
Experimental studies of consciousness
15:30 Disembark on Bartolomé Island
Duration: 1.5 hour hike, 1 hour beach time, swimming or snorkeling
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
08:30 Disembark on Rabida Island
Duration: 1.5 hour tour / boat ride
10:30 – 12:00 Session 10
Diversity and distribution of consciousness
12:30 Lunch on the yacht
13:30 – 15:00 Session 11
Experimental studies of consciousness
15:30 Disembark on Bartolomé Island
Duration: 1.5 hour hike, 1 hour beach time, swimming or snorkeling
18:30 Briefing with the guide
19:00 Dinner on the yacht
06:00 Breakfast on the yacht
07:30 Landing on Santa Cruz Island (Twin Craters)
Duration: 45 minutes drive / 1.5 hour walk
09:30 Transfer to the airport
11:40 Departure
07:30 Landing on Santa Cruz Island (Twin Craters)
Duration: 45 minutes drive / 1.5 hour walk
09:30 Transfer to the airport
11:40 Departure
LOCATION
Galapagos Islands
Galapagos National Park, Ecuador
The Galapagos Islands are located about 1,000 km off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean and are part of the Galapagos National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The archipelago is known for its extraordinary biodiversity and its historical connection to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. The volcanic landscapes, unique wildlife and remote location make the islands one of the most remarkable natural environments in the world.
Galapagos National Park, Ecuador
The Galapagos Islands are located about 1,000 km off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean and are part of the Galapagos National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The archipelago is known for its extraordinary biodiversity and its historical connection to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. The volcanic landscapes, unique wildlife and remote location make the islands one of the most remarkable natural environments in the world.
ACCOMMODATION DURING THE CRUISE
Coral I Expedition Yacht
Coral I Expedition Yacht
Accommodation was provided aboard the expedition yacht Coral I, which served as both residence and meeting venue during the Galapagos cruise.
The yacht’s interior featured warm wood design, spacious social areas and observation decks that created an inspiring atmosphere for informal discussions during the Galapagos part of the meeting.
The yacht’s interior featured warm wood design, spacious social areas and observation decks that created an inspiring atmosphere for informal discussions during the Galapagos part of the meeting.
CONTACTS
- Konstantin Anokhin
Email: contact@anyminds.org
Lomonosov Moscow State
University, Moscow
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