Human Replacements Waiting In The Sea?

As humanity deals with existential threats such as geopolitical turmoil and climate change, some researchers and scientists are pondering a critical question; what species may dominate earth should humans disappear? As noted by leading experts, the answer may be nearer than humans think- dwelling not in the skies or trees, but in the oceans’ depths. The octopus, with its great adaptability and intelligence, has came out as the unlikely candidate for earth’s next governing species. This comes as popular zoologist Professor Tim Coulson from the University of Oxford maintains that octopuses has the vital attributes required to stay and thrive in a post-human world (Elliott, 2024). With their thumb-like dexterous tentacles, ability to manipulate objects, and great problem-solving skills, octopuses can, over millennia, transform into a civilisation-building species. Their high neural structures and decentralized nervous systems position them as one of most intelligent creatures that can solve puzzles, use tools, and communicate with complexity. According to Professor Coulson who discussed in an interview with The European, “Octopuses are one of the most resourceful and intelligent animals on Earth. Their dexterity, curiosity, and adaptability can make them exploit niches that arose in the absence of humanity. More than millions of years, humans may even witness the emergence of underwater cities looking like a vast Atlantis” (Elliott, 2024).

Conventional Contenders For Dominance, Like Primates, May Struggle

Octopuses, unlike mammals, have a distinct edge in surviving extreme environmental situations. They exhibit various habitats, from coastal waters to deep-sea trenches, and can sustain on a diverse diet from clams to fish plus even small sharks. While their short lifespans may seem a limitation, they mature fastly and reproduce effectively enough to sustain robust populations. In a world devoid of humans, conventional contenders for dominance, like primates, may struggle. Vulnerable to the environmental pressures like humans like habitat destruction and climate change, primates witness slow reproductive rates and restricted ecological niches. Insects, with their complex societies and birds, despite their intelligence, lack the dexterity needed to establish and manipulate tools on the scale required to shape an advanced civilisation (Elliott, 2024). However, octopuses offer an alternative vision of evolution. While they might not evolve into fully land-dwelling creatures because of their absence of a skeleton, Professor Coulson says they can extend their time on land with SCUBA-like breathing techniques. Such adaptations can help them to create new techniques of interacting and hunting with terrestrial ecosystems. Despite the interesting possibilities, Coulson is careful to emphasize the speculative nature of these claims. He stated, “Evolution is unpredictable. Extinction events, random mutations, and population dynamics play a role in determining the life trajectory on earth. But the octopus, with its adaptability and intelligence, is better positioned to grow to prominence if humans were to vanish” (Elliott, 2024).

Reference

Elliott, F. (2024). Scientists reveal which creature will RULE Earth should all humans die. Mail Online News. Available at-https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14085209/Scientists-reveal-creature-rule-Earth.html

(Assessed: 18 Nov 2024)