Life After People: Who would replace us?

[The Big Al]

After seeing the History Channel special on what would happen to our civilization after we're gone, it got me thinking. What would be next? What species would evolve into the next dominant species on earth? The show suggested the chimps but that's rather cliche. I came up with a few ideas of my own that I think are a little more imaginative.

Sharks: Sharks have ruled the oceans almost unchanged for the past 400 million years. Likely, with human sewage and fishing ceasing, the oceans would become abundant with life and shark would reign supreme once again. Recent studies have proven sharks are actually very intelligent and capabe of solving problems. Many species of sharks have a social structure of some kind. However, sharks lack the arms and hands needed to use tools and will likely not evolve them. So while they may be the dominant species, they won't replace man.

Dolphins: Like sharks, dolphins are smart, have a social structure, but lacks the ability to manipulate tools. They also seem to have a language. They are perhaps the greatest opposition to sharks for oceanic domination. Who knows? In a post humanity ocean dolphins and sharks might share a relationship similar to early humans and Neanderthals.

Otters: Unlike sharks and dolphins, otters do have some dexterity and are able to use simple tools. In terms of technology, they're as advanced as the earliest hunter/gatherer groups of humans. And some species of otter have a social structure. On post humanity earth, otters could evolve to walk on their hind legs and hands to manipulating their tools and constructing more complicated ones.

Beavers: Of all the species, beavers are most like humans in that they change their environment. Not only do they build impressive damns but maintain them and repair damage. Like otters, if they evolved to into bipeds and learned to use tools they could easily take the place of man.

Octopus: The octopus has intelligence and dexterity. However, their major problems are a short life span and being low on the food chain. If they mutated to live longer and found a way to move up in the world, it would be easy to the octopus to make the leaps needed to be the next human like species after us.

These are just some of the ideas I came up with. What do you think?

 

[Perxio]

Wow, I've thought of this before pretty recently, I'm surprised they did a special on it. I hate that I missed it, but at least the encore's on Wednesday. Just gotta remember...

Replacing us...

Well, I have to say some birds may have a shot. I think it was ravens that could actually manipulate wires to get food out of something, which is impressive because they had to figure out how to manipulate the wires to work- and nothing in nature really bends and holds like a wire. And don't even get me started on other birds; Alex, the gray parrot, showed just how much capacity they have for intelligence and comprehension of it, making his own sentences and so on- whatever he did, it wasn't just playing back recordings, he'd ask his own questions, make his own sentences relating to what he wanted, could add, describe (big, small, same, etc), could spell (when they didn't even know he could until he got impatient when he asked for his reward and they didn't give him a nut at one point and spelled it out for them), make his own words to describe something that reminds him of two things and the words would be from the English language ("banerry" for red apples- mixing the words banana for texture and cherry for the color and shape), etc. I'd say some bird species would at LEAST give other animals a run for their money. The larger birds generally have long life spans- like large parrots can live longer than 70 years, and I'd say that's about average of a human lifespan? They also live in groups and all. Corvidae live in groups, have strong social structure, and there's more, I'm too lazy to write more. Just Corvidae and some parrots would, again, give others a run for their money. I'd put my money on these guys more than any other animal.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

The insects will seize control, grow to gigantic size, and start wearing belts. The ants, termites, and bees already have a societal structure. Just let it evolve.

 

[Dark Fire]

I was just going to make a new thread about this. Doubt I'll ever get to start a topic round here =P Anyways...

You mentioned animals that will become dominantin the future, but I am almost positive none of them will have the mental capacity that we evolved. Like the show said, it is very likely animals will become smarter, but unlikely they will sit down and begin to wonder about the mysteries of life. Sad thing is, if the chimps (to be cliche =P) do reach that point they would have to start from scratch, seeing as all our history, inventions, theories, postulates, etc. will be wiped out. But then again, wondering what sort of thing future "wise" animals come up with is kind of exciting. Will they come up with thoeries that match our own, or create something completely new (which might work as well)? Gets you thinking.

To answer the question. I cannot imagine an animal replacing us that is not a primate. Sure other animals can use tools, none have shown the abilities primates have. They are after all the nearest thing to humans (some more closely than others). Does that mean chimps will be our replacements? Doubt it, but it will most likely be a homonoid.

I also think that no aquatic animal will be able to rival our accomplishments. None of them have the ability to manipulate their surroundings.

What if a mass extinction was to wipe out most of the world's species, not just humans, wonder what sort of animals would evolve? Could be that an ancestor of Earth's next rules will come out of the evolutionary explosion. And it might not be a mammal either.


Several things were brought to my attention after watching the show.
- Can you imagine how dark it will be when we're gone? Kinda wild to think about.
- What sort of thing (for that's exactly what it is) would just wipe out 6.5 billion humans overnight? If it's a virus or disease, a certain fraction of people would most likely be immune, and with our massive population that would equate to several million survivors. More than enough to keep us from dying off. Also, would a disease like this affect other animals, mainly primates and other closely related mammals? What I'm trying to say is, what caused our death?
- The notion that endangered species would make a comeback is nice.
- Imagine if you're one of the last people to survive. Chances are you cannot run the entire infrastructure of our society, so you'd have to lead a relatively more primitive way of life.
- If the fact that our transmissions turn to backround noise after two light year is true ... that sucks.

 

[The Big Al]

The insects will seize control, grow to gigantic size, and start wearing belts. The ants, termites, and bees already have a societal structure. Just let it evolve.

I was thinking of social insects as well. Though, that would require a super oxidized atmosphere (which creates big bugs). But if we did a super oxidized atmosphere insects could rule.

I also think that no aquatic animal will be able to rival our accomplishments. None of them have the ability to manipulate their surroundings.

The octopus and beaver say hi. Also, it wasn't until the invention of agrarian culture that humans began to manipulate their surroundings beyond small, temporary camps.

 

[Dark Fire]

Good point. I should have said no fish or porpoise will be able to do so.

 

[betagold]

After seeing the History Channel special on what would happen to our civilization after we're gone, it got me thinking. What would be next? What species would evolve into the next dominant species on earth? The show suggested the chimps but that's rather cliche. I came up with a few ideas of my own that I think are a little more imaginative.
Otters: Unlike sharks and dolphins, otters do have some dexterity and are able to use simple tools. In terms of technology, they're as advanced as the earliest hunter/gatherer groups of humans. And some species of otter have a social structure. On post humanity earth, otters could evolve to walk on their hind legs and hands to manipulating their tools and constructing more complicated ones.

This is a flashback to the episode of South Park where Cartman went into the future, and fought the otter athiests. Anyways...

I think anything's possible. Anything can happen, and if we're all gone, we'll never know. We'll leave it at that.

 

[Every Breaking Wave]

Elephants. They have very complex social structures and are among the most intelligent animals to have ever existed; I don't feel uncomfortable in saying that their intelligence is on par with ours. Not only that, they also have incredible dexterity with their trunk, although let's not forget that of all the dominant species that have existed, only humans have ever actually possessed any real dexterity.

 

[Drybones|ROOTBEER|]

Only time knows. So does the Global Warming, Evolution and God.

 

[Ben Cousins]

Nothing. If we die, so will the earth. The only way I can see us all dying is if the earth explodes to some degree.

 

[Irinya]

I agree with Ben Cousins, but thinking that takes the fun out if the topic =P.

I think that dolphins and whales have a shot. They are already mammals, are very intelligent, and have a strong sense of community. Not to mention that dolphins have already lived on land before...who's to say that can't evolve back onto it?

 

[ShinyFlareon]

I think that dolphins and whales have a shot. They are already mammals, are very intelligent, and have a strong sense of community. Not to mention that dolphins have already lived on land before...who's to say that can't evolve back onto it?

Or that the eventual end of humanity's reign on the planet wasn't caused by our own effects of global warming finally melting the polar ice caps and flooding the planet so that there's no land left?

I agree on the dolphins/whales theory, but I'm rather confused. Does the dominant species after humans necessarily have to create a civilization, like we did? The world managed just fine for millions of years without the dominant species building skyscrapers or roads, or making factories and such.

 

[bell02+]

I thought the two guesses most people had were Octopuses and Roaches.

 

[dukeburger]

Nothing. If we die, so will the earth. The only way I can see us all dying is if the earth explodes to some degree.

That is a huge misconception. Out of all the major (and minor) extinctions that have happened in Earth's geological history, how many of them ended the Earth itself? There are numerous ways that humans can die out without the Earth having to explode.

I agree on the dolphins/whales theory, but I'm rather confused. Does the dominant species after humans necessarily have to create a civilization, like we did? The world managed just fine for millions of years without the dominant species building skyscrapers or roads, or making factories and such.

No. You're absolutely right, the apex species to evolve once humans are gone would never have to necessarily develop intelligence.