Model Organisms for Studying Decision-Making: a Phylogenetically Expanded Perspective

This article explores the use of model organisms in studying cognitive phenomenon decision-making. Drawing on framework biological control to develop a skeletal conception decision-making, we show that two core features decision-making mechanisms can be identified by organisms, such as E. coli, jellyfish, C. elegans, lamprey, and so on. First, decision are distributed heterarchically structured. Second, they depend heavily chemical information processing, involving neuromodulators. We end discussing implications for distinctively human