Interesting, since many years I eat like a monkey (mostly fruits and some plants) + rice complement sometimes. And I turned to very local food (either foraged or a local producer), I eat small bugs, insects, slugs, ants, ... not really intentionally (I try to filter as much as possible), but it's just hard to avoid, and it doesn't really affect taste and as you say, they're marvelous nutrients in the end. Similarly, I tend to eat the most of fruits, their skin, etc.. and I can really feel a difference with standard shiny supermarket fruits/legumes, they are so less "nutritive"
It also reminds me of bears, they're often portrayed as honey-hunters, but in the end they are likely most interested by eating bees and larvae as well
Wow, interesting! That reminds me of something I vaguely remember reading, that cows get some essential nutrients from accidentally eating insects and soil on grass. Yet another important aspect insects play in ecosystems.
Depends whether you're ascribing intentionality to the cow, or to evolution. I'd go with the cow, because evolution barely has goals, let alone thoughts.
The cow probably does have a concept of grass. But I do think it probably isn't intentionally eating the insects, and therefore I'd call it “accidental”.
Well, concept in the meaning of: the mostly green things on the ground with that certain smell. And sure they certainly know the different types of gras and go for the ones they like. And they likely like the types that are best for them overal, because the cows that did go for the wrong types did not prosper so much in history.
Instinctal pattern matching.
But that probably includes the insects in the grass.
So I meant no concept of grass in the meaning of: Photosynthesis based plants of that family.
Concept of smell and taste of a certain patch of grass (including the insects) - certainly.
But humans did probably saw the connection between sun and growth and "plant" in general, while the cow just sees the grass. This is what I meant with concept.
A cow won't divide between vegan and meat. It just eats what it likes. Apparently grass with insects. Because normal grass has insects with it.
http://gorillaprotein.com/2010/01/07/where-do-gorillas-get-t...