Nature & Environment

'Supremely intelligent' creature could take over if humans went extinct

By T.K. Randall
November 18, 2024

Image: Octopus at Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium
Credit: Pseudopanax / (PD) What if there was a catastrophe (a deadly virus perhaps) that happened to wipe humans off the face of the Earth but left the rest of the natural world intact to thrive in our absence ?

Would another species develop into a sentient intelligent civilization and take our place ?

According to Professor Tim Coulson - a biologist and zoologist at the University of Oxford - the most likely candidate to take our place is an animal you probably wouldn't have expected - the octopus.

It is certainly true that these tentacled cephalopods are highly intelligent.

"Octopuses are among the most intelligent, adaptable, and resourceful creatures on Earth," Prof Coulson told The European."[They can] solve complex problems, manipulate objects, and even camouflage themselves with stunning precision, [meaning that in] the right environmental conditions, they could evolve into a civilization-building species following the extinction of humans."

Octopuses have been observed engaging in a range of complex behaviors including tool-making, navigating mazes, solving problems and even unscrewing the lids of jars to obtain food.

But could an intelligent civilization of cephalopods really take over the planet ?

"In a world where mammals dominate, octopuses remain an under-appreciated contender," said Coulson.

"Their advanced cognition, tool-use, and ability to adapt to changing environments provide a blueprint for what might emerge as the planet's next intelligent species after humans."

Source: Metro.co.uk

Tags: Octopus