[MD] What is SOM?

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Ham]
I've acknowledged that, from the existential or causal perspective, 
Home sapiens evolved from more primitive creatures as per Darwin's 
theory of natural selection.

[Arlo]
Did these more primitive creatures (lets say the apes from which we 
evolved way back in prehistory) possess consciousness? If not, would 
you posit that "consciousness" is the result of a genetic mutation of 
some sort? To be more precise, where in the evolutionary tree of 
"man" did consciousness first appear, and to what to you ascribe the 
appearance of "consciousness" to (it sounds genetic, but I'll wait to 
hear your answer)?