Turkish sheep die in 'mass jump'

[dysfunction]

I imagine that the aformentioned dogs, cats and pigs would all be the same as the sheep in that if you went into a room full of dogs or cats, axed one of the heads off; I don't imagine the other dogs/cats/pigs thinking "oh shit, he's cutting another cat's head off, i better run or maybe help". It's liking watching bison on the TV, unless they're being chased by a lion, they just stand there. If the lion is eating their best mate 20 feet away, again they just stand there.

No...other animals get very distressed when at a slaughterhouse and its "their turn". So they have to find ways of shielding them from their mates being killed...

 

[Louster]

Might have something to do with the fact that, for the last 3000 years or so (probably more but I am being conservative) humans are being born into an extremely safe environment whereas most animals are born into a environment that will eat them as soon as mummy goes to get some food.

You could also look at it the other way round though. You're saying that babies are born vulnerable because there's a safe environment, but it could also be that because babies are born vulnerable, a safe environment has to be provided. As a link here recently pointed out, correlation isn't causation. I'm pretty sure I read that human babies are born, relative to their lifespan or physical development or some such, incredibly prematurely compared to other animals, due to the size of our heads being such that birth wouldn't physically work if we were born any later. So our big brains mean that we have to be born earlier, and hence are more vulnerable, and hence have to be protected.

On the other hand, I'm pretty sure there're other animals whose offspring are sufficiently vulnerable that they have to be nurtured and protected for a good length of time as well. I think there're two strategies that animals adopt in this respect - producing only a few offspring and nurturing/protecting them, or producing a shitload and leaving them to their own devices. Both have advantages/disadvantages.

Anyhow, point being there's a load more to this than your explanation, and I'm probably mainly talking shit as it's been ages since I read anything about this.

As for the whole "animal intelligence" thing, it's pretty obvious that most of the arguments on here are basically borne from people's likes/dislikes of whatever animal type. First of all, it's hard enough just defining what the hell is even meant by "intelligence", and given specific enough definitions you could probably argue the case for pretty much any given animal. Of course, wikipedia is as interesting as ever.

 

[Mazling]

Sorry to follow up your elegant post with a shite one, louster, but here is something interesting on the intelligence of dogs. (nsfw banners, you could try a direct link).

 

[Hansmoleman]

My dog growled at his own bottom after he farted

sigged!

 

[TdC]

A new born baby just has to figure out how to work the boobies and that is it.

my gf didn't believe me when I told her that I had to practice the skill learnt as a baby or it would fade over time