Good evening Robert.

I agree that there are very important tools for surviving. As sight or audition. Or speed. Or strength. Consciousness is, undoubtedly, an evolutionary advantage, handy and desirable.
How do you define consciousness? The aware of the existence of self? Or the ability to perceive the surrounding environment as a preponderant influence in one´s survival?
I believe that fear and self-awareness are, in some manner, opposites:

- fear: the acknowledging of potential life threatening outer stimulus;
- consciousness: the realization that one exists within constant outer stimulus, in order to improve its' chances of survival (allowing choices).

Fearful individuals might be more keen to perceive themselves as existing, has they more often apart from potential threats, and by doing so, begone to perceived thyself has subsets of existence.
On the other hand, other type of outer and non potential threatening stimulus can do the work: rain, odor of potential mates and food, same specie individuals.

it is not clear, to me, that fear is the spark, but for sure, after consciousness was settled, fear was an important enzyme for developing self-awareness.

Don't you need to be conscious before you can feel anything, including fear?

Or another way to put this...why would causal chains suddenly need subjective experience. Billiard balls move when hit. yes, animals are more complicated, but it's got a complicated chain of causes.