ment," following the epigenetic format (Staddon, 1983, p. 8); it is "the product of past evolution," limited by "future evolutionary possibilities" (Staddon, 1983, p. 8). Epigenesis was first proposed in the study of viruses and germs, but the concept has been extended to all living organisms. Behavior, along with physical attributes, is the result of a sophisticated combination of genes and environmental influences.
Scientists in other fields, especially genetics and the unravelling of DNA, are continuing to make progress that supports the epigenetic perspective. Animal behaviorists are also contributing to the general knowledge, in ways that enhance understanding of how the brains of all living organisms function and how their environment affects the development of the organisms' brains and the behavior that results from learning to exist. Donald R. Griffin (1993) argues that the fact that animals learn to adapt and survive under changing conditions proves their ability to think consciously:
When an animal faces new and difficult challenges, and when
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