Is there a correspondence between the intelligence of animals and their diet?

[entelecheia]

Hi

I have the impression that the less intelligent animals, whose brain has evolved less, are cruel bloodthirsty predators: crocodiles, snakes, lions, etc

And in the other hand, the more intelligent animals, closest to man, are semi-vegetarians or vegetarians: chimpanzee, gorilla, birds (like that famous mathematician parrot),

Good argument in favor to vegetarianism?

help me with their knowledge



thanks

 

[origin]

Hi

I have the impression that the less intelligent animals, whose brain has evolved less, are cruel bloodthirsty predators: crocodiles, snakes, lions, etc

And in the other hand, the more intelligent animals, closest to man, are semi-vegetarians or vegetarians: chimpanzee, gorilla, birds (like that famous mathematician parrot),

Good argument in favor to vegetarianism?

help me with their knowledge



thanks

No that is wishful thinking. The animal that is closest to us genetically is the chimpanzee. Have you ever seen a group of chimpanzees hunting monkeys - rather frightening. Or worse is when a group of chimpanzees raid another group - basically make war.

Now Bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees) are very peaceful. They enjoy eating, sleeping and sex.

By the way a snakes brain is just as evolved as ours. A human brain has probably changed more than a snakes brain since our family tree forked but you cannot say we evolved more.

Pea brained Iguanas are vegaterians and big brained whales are carnivores.

 

[typical animal]

Supposing that it were true, and the more intelligent you were the less meat you ate. What affect would that have on anything?

Supposing even that it were found that even in humans, the less meat a human ate, the more intelligent they were. What would that prove? What would it show?

Do you think that if there were a correlation in evolutionary terms that it would make sense that a human could make him/herself more intelligent by eating less meat? Would you expect them to go against their nature in order to become more intelligent?

Do you believe that more intelligent individuals are "superior" to other ones and if yes in what sense? Are you going to smugly say: "oh look at all those meat eaters, well I am more intelligent and superior"?


These are all questions that you need to ask yourself.

btw lions are highly intelligent creatures.

 

[entelecheia]

Supposing that it were true, and the more intelligent you were the less meat you ate. What affect would that have on anything?

Supposing even that it were found that even in humans, the less meat a human ate, the more intelligent they were. What would that prove? What would it show?

It could prove, as in the case of people who thinks wars and violence is innate ergo correct, that a level of conscience (which isn't equal to a level of intelligence) is linked to a level of kantian sensitivity and to a level of brain development.

btw lions are highly intelligent creatures

Could you post a reliable source? An omnivore bear isnt less intelligent than all veggie primates?
All my hardly trained cats leant absolutely nothin'

 

[entelecheia]

No that is wishful thinking. The animal that is closest to us genetically is the chimpanzee. Have you ever seen a group of chimpanzees hunting monkeys - rather frightening. Or worse is when a group of chimpanzees raid another group - basically make war.

Of course they do war, are brutal, they needto do it, for survival, not for pleasure.
My theory suggest a link exist between brain development and instinctive sensitivity toward cruel-free diet habits.

By the way a snakes brain is just as evolved as ours. A human brain has probably changed more than a snakes brain since our family tree forked but you cannot say we evolved more.

Pea brained Iguanas are vegaterians and big brained whales are carnivores

No, no, my darling Clementine, post a chart on intelligence levels of animals, and then tell me: that animal is in the level 3.8 and is an omnivore/carnivore.
Carnivores are basic, crawling, unintelligent creatures.

Yes pea iguanas are vegetarians but it is because competitors, they can compete with big predators, but pea iguanas don't belong to the category of intelligent animals.

One possible intelligent omnivore could be dolphins, the enjoy fish. But i am not sure if they belong to the category of intelligent animals.

 

[typical animal]

It could prove, as in the case of people who thinks wars and violence is innate ergo correct, that a level of conscience (which isn't equal to a level of intelligence) is linked to a level of kantian sensitivity and to a level of brain development.

Since conscience is a mental trait, it requires some level of brain development. Cruelty is also a mental trait and requires some level of brain development. The idea of a "reptilian brain" (a decent early idea for the time that seems a bit like what you seem to be trying to get at) is in fact hokum that was discredited a long time ago.

Could you post a reliable source? An omnivore bear isnt less intelligent than all veggie primates?
All my hardly trained cats leant absolutely nothin'

I know for a fact, if you don't believe me then... look you don't know anything. Leave me alone.

 

[ElectricFetus]

Carnivores and omnivores are generally more intelligent, at least within mammals and avians than their strictly herbivore counterparts. The former must have the intelligence to hunt down prey, some even work within social groups and hunting packs, the latter though need only be smart enough to avoid predation, this often being limited to detecting predators and running, in fact because of the diet of behaviors consisting of hard to process cellulose reduction on energy usage including brain power may be of benefit in some environments: hence the sloth whose very neurons are several times slower then other mammals to conserve energy, the sloth generally does not need to worry about predators so it does not need speed of any kind.

Humans though do not operate within this paradigm: our present intelligence will not be effected by diet as long as a its a high enough calories diet with all the necessary vitamins, we could in theory eat bacteria broths if necessary, we have the technology.

 

[iceaura]

There probably is some statistical evidence that eating pork makes you stupid, or at least no good at math.

But as far as other animals, the smartest ones are the ones that live a long time and have to handle complex changing situations, especially social ones, to reproduce successfully - opportunity and payoff.

Ravens, wolves and coyotes, eat meat and are the brightest of their kinds. Chimps eat more meat than gorillas and are smarter. Raccoons are smarter than muskrats, otters are smarter than beavers, the meat to brains correlation seems as often positive as negative.

Of course they do war, are brutal, they need to do it, for survival, not for pleasure.

Chimps enjoy hunting and fighting, same as people - animals are built to enjoy doing what they need to do, in general, humans no exception. There's a reason for this, of course - waiting until driven by need means waiting until partly incapacitated. It's much better to start hunting before you get seriously hungry.