Anatomically, aren't herbivores more efficient than carnivores?

[Puppies04]

It is hard to survive all winter as a herbivore when there is no plant material around. You have to use up all the fat it took you months and months to put on. Why not evolve to eat herbivores and your food supply never runs out.

Now who is efficient?

 

[DaveSimmons]

In order for a being to advance with technology it must first survive long enough and to do that it will need to make its way to apex predator. You can't develop technology and math and physics if you spend all day eating primary food stuffs. A predator benefits by eating concentrated food that can dramatically reduce the amount of time needed for food production leaving time to develop -- math, physics and technology!

A plant sapient could become the apex predator through chemical warfare or minions (symbiotic alliance, parasitic control).

A herbivore could become the apex species through tool use, and increase available plant matter through cultivation.

A "brain" bug could become apex predator through telepathic control of other insect species. Would You Like To Know More?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

A plant sapient could become the apex predator through chemical warfare or minions (symbiotic alliance, parasitic control).

A herbivore could become the apex species through tool use, and increase available plant matter through cultivation.

A "brain" bug could become apex predator through telepathic control of other insect species. Would You Like To Know More?

“Forgive Brian Stirling, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!”

 

[K7SN]

Say wut?

You forget that many of the critters considered either carnivore or herbivore are really omnivores; like wolves, bears, skunk bear (you call them wolverines), pigs ad of course to quote Paul Rozin "Humans are quintessential omnivores." One might say an omnivore is more anatomically efficient then either true herbivores or carnivores, but I would dispute that. Many, but not all, large efficient herbivorous, are ruminant. Ruminants have a four-compartment an efficient four part stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum A cow lazily chewing her cud is efficient but so is a sloth in their environ. Each animal occupies their niche because they are efficient, different niches require different strategies and different anatomical adaptations.

 

[Brian Stirling]

A strategy that require a large percentage of time be devoted to eating isn't going to have the time to develop technology and it's that simple. Lions spend very little time looking for food and can spend upwards of 20 hours per day sleeping -- a herbivore that that sleeps 20 hours a day will soon die! A plant, rooted to the ground, isn't going anywhere.

This isn't an anthropomorphic thing -- just a realization that some paths point in the right direction while others do not. The first technology, mechanical technology, requires the application of force and only land based beings can anchor there body to provide that force (Newton's 3rd law). A water based being will not be able to develop much in the line of chemical or electrical technology because of the medium they live in and will not be able to anchor themselves to provide force in the same way as land based beings.


Brian

 

[KeithTalent]

Don't know about that, but they are definitely tastier.

KT

 

[NuclearNed]

Herbivores don't eat bacon, therefore we must shun and belittle them.

 

[zinfamous]

Herbivores don't eat bacon, therefore we must shun and belittle them.

I live by only one motto: "Never trust anyone that doesn't eat pig, regardless of their reason."

I don't care all that much about bacon, specifically, but it's the callous and arbitrary shunning of the most diverse and tasty food source that bothers me.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

A strategy that require a large percentage of time be devoted to eating isn't going to have the time to develop technology and it's that simple. Lions spend very little time looking for food and can spend upwards of 20 hours per day sleeping -- a herbivore that that sleeps 20 hours a day will soon die! A plant, rooted to the ground, isn't going anywhere.

This isn't an anthropomorphic thing -- just a realization that some paths point in the right direction while others do not. The first technology, mechanical technology, requires the application of force and only land based beings can anchor there body to provide that force (Newton's 3rd law). A water based being will not be able to develop much in the line of chemical or electrical technology because of the medium they live in and will not be able to anchor themselves to provide force in the same way as land based beings.


Brian

You still don't get it. You are basing your assumptions on the ecology of the earth and it's history. What if insects were dominant? What if plants were dominant? Your view of science reminds me of Samuel Clemens line about "lies, damn lies and, statistics." Tell me why an aquatic species would want to create a wheel in the first place? Your assumption that mechanical technology is a necessary first building block for any other technology is demonstrably false, aquatic creatures use chemicals, color, vocalizations and, currents as technology. Some fish and birds use parts of their brains that sense electrical patterns made by other living creatures and those of the earth itself. The earth is not the only place in the universe with life. Why do you believe that life has to follow the same course it has on earth? Your reasoning is limited, false and, arrogant.

 

[coffeejunkee]

Hmm, hard to say. I've heard dinosaurs like Brontosaurus, Diplodocus etc. were the most efficient eating machines in terms of food to bodymass ratio ever. A blue whale though is even bigger and they are carnivores (although they only eat very small animals and don't really have to hunt for them like fex. a cheetah). Being waterbased might help too, don't have to fight gravity so much.

But my vote goes to omnivores that cook their food. Cooking food makes it much easier for the digestive organs to extract energy from the food. Therefore these animals have to eat much less food than they would otherwise. It also enables them to have a really big brain that uses about 20% of their total energy intake, much higher than any other animal. This is why it seems unlikely for intelligent life to develop in water.