In my view, everything is consciousness structured in gestalts; some are nested; some are overlapped; some are disjunctive. Nothing is fixed.
gestalt = a structure, arrangement, or pattern of physical, biological, or psychological phenomena so integrated as to constitute a functional unit with properties not derivable by summation of its parts
From this perspective, the evolution of a species
isn't determined by the species' individuals. Individuals have free-will, and their own individual evolvement goals. The species evolution
is determined by the needs of evolvement of the species' consciousness, which
isn't the sum of the individual consciousnesses, but a gestalt consciousnesses.
Also, a species' population
isn't homogeneous as level of consciousness; like in a school: pupils of all grade levels; not all pupils are at the same level of knowledge, ability, growth.