Leon,

You wrote, "At the same time it would be intriguing to substitute their favorite food sources for the things humans value."  I would like to understand this.

Leon,  I think you’re asking, “Could we have turned out differently?”  Our intelligence essentially is the intelligence of mold.  Can we return to the seemingly unaffected decision making ways of mold?  We agree oats are good, but what needs to be removed to effectuate peace?   I agree with you, we suffer from tunnel vision, and not something of a tunnel vision, but true tunnel vision.  Richard Dawkins would not necessarily see us as on or off a linear path as you commented.  Regardless, we are on a path not of our own making.  Our DNA propels us.  But, in this biological thrust forward (backward, or sideways) we not always receptive to communications that fall outside our normal sensory ranges.  Your examples of a good mate and nice dwelling may detract us from perceiving these communications, but there is likely something, let’s say, deeper.  I have yet to find anyone looking for this.  Perhaps, there are people who are now or who will in the future look for what needs to be removed, turned on, or something else for us to become aware of this perception. This perception probably cannot be taught or developed since I can’t teach myself to see or hear differently or better, but there is no denying the communication signals are all around us.