When fishes had to come out of the water (I think because of the overpopulation of it) Nietzsche said there was never such a feeling of misery on Earth. Their instincts were totally useless and all they had was their little tiny consciousness to rely on. Based on this consciousness they had to develop their bodies and souls, and we can see how some of them have developed only their souls(consciousness) like snakes and some of them who have highly developed only bodies and instincts.
We can assume the same with plant- and meat-eaters: Nietzsche has planned to take the lion as the wisest of all animals instead of the snake in his Zarathustra, but then he changed his mind.
If we compare this two divisions we will see that meat-eaters have a higher developed nerv-system and senses, but plant-eaters have a better developed body. If they run in a straight line the meat-eaters will lose in a long run! But the ability and wisdom to calculate the running lane of the plant-eater make it possible for him to catch them before getting tired.
Thus, we can assume plant- and meat-eaters have had a common ancestor who got descendants of which the ones have been decadents and the others wise offspring. I could say now many other things about the process of division, but who will talk to me?
Self-awareness seems to be the last thing that exists among arts. Arts, just like individuals, are invisible to them selves. Only the philosopher tries to discover himself and he succeeds eventually too late in his life. Consciousness is always directed toward outside.
"We have absolutely no inner senses, everything is maybe just a fiction" - Nietzsche.
Now, if we take conscience as the parameter of higher or lower, then some questions may appear.
For example, is a snake higher than a cow?
The ability to survive falls with consciousness rising. Isn't it? The automatism of the instincts is directed toward survival.
Consciousness rises when something is wrong with instincts.
So, is the cow higher than the snake which is able to milk her?
Evolution must be wanted by all. The fittest must be brought up by all who love life. Culture, culture, über alles!
Not contentedness but more power; not peace but war; not virtue but fitness (Renaissance-style virtue, virtù, moraline-free virtue).