Is Consciousness Computationally Functional?

Consciousness is a major feature of mammalian nervous systems. Recent evidence indicates it may extend from mammals to birds and even cephalopods (Edelman, Seth 2009). Since all major biological adaptations are functional, or sequelae of biofunctions, and since brains perform computations, it would seem that consciousness must have a basic biocomputational function. Biologically, that means of course that consciousness endows nervous systems with one or more adaptive advantages leading to higher gene frequencies for those brains. Given that mammals have existed for some 200 million years, and that mammals share the thalamocortical core that supports conscious states, it is very likely that conscious brains have gathered not just one but many biocomputational functions. That certainly accords with our common sense notions of conscious (as well as unconscious) activities.