Plant sentience: A hypothesis based on shaky premises

Animal Sentience, vol. 8

Abstract

Plants may produce fascinating behavioural phenomena for which the label ‘cognitive process’ may be applicable, at least by some definitions. Segundo-Ortin & Calvo (2023) base their hypothesis that plants might be sentient on the premise of demonstrated presence of cognitive complexity. However, the way phenomena are ascribed, and how the term ‘cognitive’ is used by Segundo-Ortin & Calvo, deviates from the common practice in studies of animal cognition, implying greater complexity than seems justified. It thus provides a questionable basis for attributing sentience to plants.

Authors 1

1. Carel ten Cate corresponding Aachen Institute of Biology, Leiden University Institute of Biology of Leiden University

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Biology, Leiden University

   Institute of Biology of Leiden University

   Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Netherlands