I know this is a recurring topic, but a lot of reasearch has been
undertaken in the past several years which is germane to the issues
involved, so perhaps it is time to revisit the question......

One of the arguments most commonly used in defense of shell collecting,
is that molluscs, with the exeption of the Cephalopods, have rather
primitive nervous systems so they a) don't really feel "pain" per se,
and b) are most certainly not self-aware ("sentient") in any sense of
the concept.  Therefore, killing them for natural-history related
pursuits is not analagous to say, killing elephants (highly intelligent,
most definitely sentient life-forms with nervous systems on a par with
our own) for for hides and tusks or for "trophies" or "sport".  That
said, many cephalopods definitely ARE intelligent animals with a
well-developed nervous system: they are not in the same league with
periwinkles or Donax clams by a long shot!! (sigh - i've just convinced
myself they shouldn't be collected for anything less than valid
scientific reasons, and even then, sparingly!!  Good thing my stock of
this class of Mollusca is VERY small.... it will not be replentished
now).

The question: can the most intelligent of cephalopods be considered
self-aware in the same sense that elephants, primates and people clearly
are?  What has recent research demonstrated with regards to this
matter?  What exactly would they have to do, before they would be
generally accepted as sentient beings? (or for that matter, is
"sentience" the same thing, or as simple as being aware of one's self as
an individual?

 From the whiter than white country of Winter (Mon pays ce n'est pas un
pays - c'est Hiver!!),
ross mayhew.
( http://www.schnr-specimen-shells.com/ )

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