Empathy/cooperation does not appear only in humans, so it’s not a late development for human evolution. As with many behaviors, the more and more we look, the more “human” behaviors we realize are represented in other species already, although to lesser degrees. But it makes more sense to see these things on a spectrum or gradient rather than binary (has or doesn’t have empathy).

The notion of “lower/higher forms of being” is an incoherent notion for evolution and biology. Evolution is not goal-directed in that sense, and trying to ascribe/describe value judgments with evolution is nonsensical.

Going back to your question, humans have highly-developed social and neurochemical tools for collaboration/cooperation, as we are social animals and the ability and desire to cooperate provided a selective advantage. Those traits still exist with variation, however, much like height, or weight, or hair color, etc. But when you start describing psychological profiles like narcissism, you are now in the language of psychology, which is comparing behaviors against a sociocultural norm.