Social intelligence is needed for some concept of "cruel". Mammals tend to be more social than reptiles because reptiles dont give a social fuck to be cruel.
Cruel requires a judge. Some other similar minded creature so look at another acting "cruel" and feel impressed/anxious/safe/afraid or some other intersocial feeling.
It takes a lot of higher brain function to be "cruel". Just think, you have to:
1) Imagine something bad for someone else
2) Imagine how they'd feel about it
3) Do it anyways because you've built up some notion in your mind that they deserve it
4) For something you remember that damaged you emotionally 15 years ago
That's a lot of frontal lobe thinking for a reptile, especially since it accomplishes nothing towards feeding and mating.
this, cruelty requires high level abstract thought, long span memory and the ability to compare your previous experiences to the current input and even create nonexistent situations in your head
Predators have rational incentive to torture their prey to death. Prey in their death throes can still cause a lot of damage. In a state of nature even mild wounds can become infected and lead to death. Safer to just needle at your catch for a while and wait for the pain spasms to stop before you begin feasting.
Only primates, canines, felines, cetaceans, corvids, psittacines, hyenas, and cephalopods can be cruel.
Everything else is just doing what they need to survive, thoughtlessly.
The only reason you might reason that mammals are more cruel is because you think birds are mammals, or because mammals are superior lifeforms and pushed everything else off the top of the food chain so you see more of them in positions where they can be cruel.
>Only primates, canines, felines, cetaceans, corvids, psittacines, hyenas, and cephalopods can be cruel. >Everything else is just doing what they need to survive, thoughtlessly.
Procyonidbros...
Social intelligence is needed for some concept of "cruel". Mammals tend to be more social than reptiles because reptiles dont give a social fuck to be cruel.
Cruel requires a judge. Some other similar minded creature so look at another acting "cruel" and feel impressed/anxious/safe/afraid or some other intersocial feeling.
It takes a lot of higher brain function to be "cruel". Just think, you have to:
1) Imagine something bad for someone else
2) Imagine how they'd feel about it
3) Do it anyways because you've built up some notion in your mind that they deserve it
4) For something you remember that damaged you emotionally 15 years ago
That's a lot of frontal lobe thinking for a reptile, especially since it accomplishes nothing towards feeding and mating.
this, cruelty requires high level abstract thought, long span memory and the ability to compare your previous experiences to the current input and even create nonexistent situations in your head
Predators have rational incentive to torture their prey to death. Prey in their death throes can still cause a lot of damage. In a state of nature even mild wounds can become infected and lead to death. Safer to just needle at your catch for a while and wait for the pain spasms to stop before you begin feasting.
orcas
intelligence = cruelty and or efficiency
lizards can't be cruel because they're too retarded
i don't think i've ever seen a lizard be what i would consider cruel.
only brutally efficient.
Only primates, canines, felines, cetaceans, corvids, psittacines, hyenas, and cephalopods can be cruel.
Everything else is just doing what they need to survive, thoughtlessly.
The only reason you might reason that mammals are more cruel is because you think birds are mammals, or because mammals are superior lifeforms and pushed everything else off the top of the food chain so you see more of them in positions where they can be cruel.
>Only primates, canines, felines, cetaceans, corvids, psittacines, hyenas, and cephalopods can be cruel.
>Everything else is just doing what they need to survive, thoughtlessly.
Procyonidbros...
This Anon should have been less specific, I don't think any Carnivoran is stupid.
Only smart creatures are capable of cruelty. Dumber creatures are pragmatic
Only humans can be cruel, so yes.
Why can only humans be cruel? Are other animals incapable of feelings or thought of any kind?
too much free time and energy to try and be cruel
Yes.