Are other animals GREEDY and SELFISH and will do anything to gain POWER over others or is it only homo saps that are like that?

The impulse to power and dominance first developed in the top of the brain-stem, prior to the evolution of the limbic brain (in mammals) and the neo-cortex (in primates).

In a herd of animals, there is always a pecking order.

To see it in action, watch David Attenborough's nature documentaries on elephants, lions, meerkats and many other species of mammals.

Among mammals, it is usually the oldest and most experienced female who is the alpha. She decides where the herd grazes, where to go to seek shelter from bad weather, and when to go to water. She leads and shows the way in escape from predators, while the stallion, buck or bull runs behind, ready to turn on and attack the predator. The alpha female will strongly discipline obstreperous adolescents if their mother is not managing to do so. Occasionally, the alpha is one whose force of will and character is stronger. Behaviours are learned from the mother, so often the daughter of the alpha will later become the alpa.
I've watched it up close among horses.

This pattern seems to be almost always true of chimpanzees, gorillas and baboons, although there is more tolerance of males remaining in the troop so long as they respect the leader.  
Part of the reason that humans evolved intelligence is because we are complex social beings who need to be able to understand the relationships around us in order to survive, precreate and prosper.

In a bachelor herd, the strongest male leads the herd - decided by near-constant non-lethal play fights. The fighting gets serious during the rut or breeding season.
The strongest male will challenge the patriarch of a herd of females. If he wins, he leaves the bachelors to join the females. The loser either joins a bachelor herd, goes off to see if he can win another herd elsewhere or slowly dies of his injuries. Among the bachelors, the beta or second strongest becomes the new alpha.

When a female alpha is injured, sick or too old to assert and maintain dominance, the beta female takes over, and the old one has to find her new place in the hierarchy. She may continue to drop through the ranks till she becomes the omega and is either taken by a predator or goes off to quietly die hidden and in peace.

Among social reptiles such as alligators, crocodiles, Komodo Dragons and Water Dragons, it is always a male that dominates, always the biggest and strongest.

Thus, when we see homo saps willing to do anything to gain power over others, we can say that their behaviour is atavistic, tracing back to the time of dinosaurs.

Humans need to be trained in emotional intelligence, social behaviours and ethics from an early age. They need to learn not to exhibit the worst of dominance behaviours, starting with how they behave as toddlers towards parents, visitors, siblings and animals.

Some animals can practise simple forms of deceit, playing dead, hiding, distracting another to slip in an steal their food, etc.

Only homo saps can lie. This is because they're capable of imagining that which does not exist (an alternate reality) - and because they're excellent at acting and pretending.

As a general rule, most animals never take more than they need because it takes a lot of effort and energy to fulfil those needs.
But you will have noticed that many pet cats and dogs are obese. Clearly, the animal does not know when to stop eating when an effortless excess is frequently on offer.

Many humans seem to be the same. Electricity spoils us. We no longer have to chop a tree to boil water to make a cup of tea or a bath.



This post was edited by inky at July 8, 2019 2:10 AM MDT