When the human race is gone which animal do you think will evolve into the next intelligent species?

originally posted by: Observationalist
a reply to: boymonkey74

It depends on what causes the human race to not exist. If it is a cataclysmic event that destroys all life on earth then you gotta wait for another Big Bang.

What? Big Bang again? We're not talking about the entire universe being wiped out - which is what the Big Bang pertains to - just life on earth. Assuming this is what you meant (all life on earth being wiped out), well that's already more or less happened - see the dinosaurs - and that didn't require a Big Bang for life to recreate itself.

Also the answer to this question is blatantly obvious - if not unexciting - to anyone with a scientific background. Assuming human life only was wiped out (and not our entire evolutionary lineage) then it would be our relatives the Great Apes that most likely grow into the new dominant species.

Why? Because they are already the most advanced terrestrial species (Dolphins possibly outclass them, but I'm presuming this question ascertains only to land animals. Although the idea that the dominant form of life existed in the ocean's and not on land is very interesting! For this dolphins would definitely need to evolve appendages capable of fine manipulation and therefore building. However, that is very far off evolutionarily speaking. Most likely a Great Ape - already blessed with intelligence and dextrous appendages - would beat them too the punch as the new dominant species). I've gotten off topic though.

Why would a member of the Great Apes family tree be the next dominant species? Well as I've alluded to already: They have the advantage (intelligence, well adapted physiology, tool construction and use) as well as a proven track record (they've evolved into us). So although unexciting for anyone envisioning a vastly different future earth, the Great Apes are definitely the best suited and most likely candidate for dominant species should humans be wiped out.

Astral light beings return to earth and repopulate it with thier new creations since the old ones are gone.

a reply to: crazyewok

It was a trait picked up at some point by domestic cats to communicate with humans.

Not even an evolved trait, apparently, but learned behaviour. I was thoroughly impressed to learn that.

a reply to: Kandinsky

Could [birds] start fires? No.

I'm not so sure.

Early humans didn't start fires. They found them and preserved them. One member of the tribe, I understand, would be deputized as fire-carrier, bearing burning coals in a pot.

I think we all agree that intelligence is useless without technological capability, which means manipulative ability. So any species would have to evolve bipedalism, and hands or some equivalent appendages. It'll take a while. But again, birds have the advantage; they already have bipedalism. What probably will happen is that their wings will evolve into hands. Obviously, they will lose the power of flight in the process, but hey, there are no free lunches.

a reply to: boymonkey74

It would probably happen millions of years in the future, to give time... but maybe intelligence won't be the dominating factor. Maybe the Earth will be dominated by swarms. Just like the dominant factor in the time of the dinosaurs was size, swarms of insects will be the thing of the future...

originally posted by: Astyanax
a reply to: crazyewok

It was a trait picked up at some point by domestic cats to communicate with humans.

Not even an evolved trait, apparently, but learned behaviour. I was thoroughly impressed to learn that.

I think wild cats probably do the "chirping" though... most cats I've been around have this other series of noises they make that aren't meows, but more like "murr?" "mmm" or something like that.

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: Chrisfishenstein

No we were not monkeys but we sure are Great Apes...but we share a common ancestor with monkeys and other great apes.
This isn't a debate on that so just leave it and continue your ignorance in another thread please there are plenty to choose from.

Oh and Obs we all just died...no big war and we didn't blow it all up.

It is a debate on it, because you assume that something would magically evolve to take our place.

No evidence exists, for us having evolutionary ancestors, but looks a hell of a lot more like genetic engineering is why we have some similar coding, but it is clear that this cannot evolve in this manner.

I think groundhogs will be the next "leaders".

Those things are multiplying like crazy.

They live underground.

And they are pretty smart, at least the ones we have been watching for years are.

Hard to say really but I think they will reign in millions of years.

originally posted by: Chrisfishenstein
a reply to: boymonkey74

None....Animals don't evolve into intelligent beings...

We aren't or shall I say weren't monkeys or apes or whatever form of monkey you want in the past....

Willfully ignorant of solid and well known science, you are beyond stupid.
People like you (and the fools that starred your post) are the reason ATS and society itself are becoming a cesspool of drudgery for us rational people. Claiming there is no evidence we evolved from Great Apes should be enough to have you banned from his website. School/ University/ Online research databases, I suggest you interact with one of them.

ETA: As it stands most primates and mammals currently display clear signs of intelligence anyway. God I hope you're just trolling. No one can be this stupid.

a reply to: Astyanax

Hiya Asty, yeah I realise that early ancestors probably didn't know how to create fire. It was likely to be along the lines of the Andaman Islanders who apparently kept embers burnings for centuries. However, there came a point, elsewhere, when some smart thinker/s made the association between sparks struck off certain rocks and tinder.

As you mentioned in an earlier post, the rodents might take it again. In that spirit, perhaps an evolutionary race between corvids developing manipulative arms and the rodents becoming bipedal. They both have the brain structures in place for vocal communication.

In my ignorance, I still favour the success of other primates overall.

a reply to: RedEyes619

You have not read the evolution is a farce thread lol.

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I wonder what an evolved ant society would be like? Chances are it'd be regimented and well-behaved.

a reply to: Kandinsky

Ants are such a well oiled machine,each and every ant in the colony works for the greater good of the colony,(a good recipe for growth)if this machine can grow to the point that it can evolve surely individualism would spawn from there and expand....

makes me wonder if they would end up looking like some picture a reptilian

or this

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I posted a thread on ants as an excuse to post this image >>

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ca6ba47249b6.jpg[/atsimg]

If you haven't seen this video before, it's awesome.

a reply to: boymonkey74

Going back to your original question the very first thing that came into my mind was ' Ta Dah! The Chicken.

We don't have to expect our physiology to be the only means of intelligent, just the means of using it for our bodies.
As the chicken is only a few runds down the dna line - so my son often tells me, then why wouldnd't it be another line from the reptiles using dreaming up technology for the world that the chicken now inhabits. Without humans, we don't need human only technology. Another aspirant for this interesting hypothesis would be the dolphin - again something else needless of our type of technology yet incredibly intelligent. In fact any animal probably given the right stimulation and ability to think could rise to dominance. Just think of how hard it would have been for a few cro magnums to come into the world of dinosaurs and stay alive? They would have to advance their technology go survive - why should it not be the same were the necessary conscienceness filter downward through the evolving dna chain?

originally posted by: MarioOnTheFly
a reply to: Chrisfishenstein

If we die off, most likely 90% of all species will die too.

Next intelligent species would probably be none that lives today.

My thoughts exactly but you said it already and better.

Animals aren't smart enough to to know when not to kill another animal into non existence.

I guess first of all you have to define “intelligence”. There are many ways to look at it, and many aspects to it. For instance, recent studies ( HERE'S ONE ) have shown that chimpanzees may be at least as good, if not better, than humans in games requiring stragedy for a payoff. Be that as it may, you still wouldn’t want to put one in charge of a batallion of soldiers heading into combat. To assess overall intelligence we look at a number of abilities/qualities, such as the ability to count, spatial and temporal abilities, associative learning, tool usage, conceptual abilities, social behavior, self awareness, blah, blah, blah...

Overall, on this planet it seems humans have the edge. Even though many other animals outperform us on individual tasks, on the whole we’re still top dog. Maybe it was due to the development of language and ability to communicate abstract thought, opposing thumbs, artistic expression, our ability to work in teams, our self-awareness and goal-seeking nature that seperated us from the pack. Who knows? In any case, here we are: ambulating bags of ions wearing lipstick and contemplating ourselves. It’s a strange-ass world...

Once we’ve done ourselves in, and we will, I’m not sure there will be a successor waiting in the wings. I don’t think it’s mandatory that Planet Earth harbor an intelligent, technology-driven species. We may have been a fluke. And frankly, Earth would probably be a lot better off without our kind meddling in it’s affairs. Chimps, dolphins, dogs, parrots/crows, or maybe some creature that doesn’t even exist yet, are all possible candidates. But, it’s impossible for us to project their evolutionary path under the uncertain conditions that lie ahead.

None the less, it’s fun to think about now and then. If the day ever comes that we do have a benefactor, I hope it’s a wiser, more benevolent and compassionate steward than we’ve been.

PS: I’m an ant man. Ant Power!! If they ever achieve sentience, we’re in for a bad day...

I am going to say crows...Unless dolphins come back to live on land

a reply to: boymonkey74

I would put my money on the octopus. Truth is, intelligence is not that important to species survival. Look at the cockroach, very successful species survival wise, but you cant play chess with them. Our "intelligence" might just be an abberation. There are probably millions of worlds with life on them that never evolve into an intelligent technological civilization. I have a feeling we are a one in a billion accident.

I'm going with orca. Highly social, cooperative, creative and seem to effectively communicate complex ideas to each other.

My next guess is squid.

Of course, it all depends upon what kills us off and what survives so...

Nothing but cockroaches and fundamentalists left, I don't know if intelligent life can develop from that.

Yeah... I said it.