What species will become the next rulers of Earth when humans are no longer dominant? Scientists and futurists have long speculated about which creatures might inherit the throne.
As climate change, technological evolution and ecological shifts redefine the planet, the question becomes more relevant than ever: who—or what—might rise to power in a post-human world?
Tim Coulson, a Professor of Zoology and joint Head of Biology at the University of Oxford, may have the answer. He is well-qualified to speculate on the future. He has worked as an academic researcher and taught biology for over three decades and has published over 200 papers in scientific journals.
In a recent interview in The European he said that the future of life on Earth would likely see ecosystems rebalancing and new forms of intelligence and complexity emerging in unexpected ways.
In his book The Universal History of Us, he writes that without humans as the dominant species, other species could gradually take on new ecological roles, though they might not resemble anything akin to human civilization.
“Life will likely persist on Earth for another billion years, so I pondered which species might take our place, building the first non-human civilization,” he told The European.
Will primates be the next rulers on Earth?
Despite the similarities with humans, primates such as chimpanzees and bonobos would likely face extinction alongside humans, as they are equally exposed to threats in our shared environment, the Professor says.
“Even if some primates did endure, they would encounter significant challenges: their population sizes are small, they are restricted to a few forest habitats, and have slow growth and reproduction rates,” he adds.
Perhaps a bird or insect species?
Certain birds, like crows, ravens and parrots, are remarkably intelligent, being able to solve quite complex puzzles, Coulson notes.
Some insect species construct intricate, towering habitats that echo the complexity and organisation found in human societies, although this behavior is driven by instinct (genetics) more than intelligence, he adds.
“However, it’s unlikely that birds or insects could take over the ecological role once occupied by humans, as they lack the fine motor skills needed to construct a civilization.”
The next rulers of Earth
The British Professor speculates that the better candidate for filling an ecological niche in a post-human world is octopuses. He explained that octopuses are among the most intelligent, adaptable, and resourceful creatures on Earth.
“Their ability to solve complex problems, communicate with one another in flashes of color, manipulate objects, and even camouflage themselves with stunning precision suggests that, given the right environmental conditions, they could evolve into a civilization-building species following the extinction of humans.
“Their advanced neural structure, decentralized nervous system, and remarkable problem-solving skills make several species of octopus well suited for an unpredictable world,” Coulson claims.
He admits that octopuses are unlikely to adapt to life on land due to their lack of a skeleton, which makes swift and agile movement out of water challenging.
However, he adds, these creatures—some reaching up to 20 feet in length and weighing around 110 pounds—could potentially construct underwater communities resembling cities we see on land. But it may take them hundreds of thousands or even millions of years to evolve to do this.
Could octopuses develop ways to breathe outside of water?
“With evolutionary advances, it is possible, if not probable, that they might develop ways to breathe outside of water and eventually hunt terrestrial animals like deer, sheep and other mammals—assuming they have survived the catastrophic event that drove humans extinct.”
He admits he is speculating but stresses that octopus dexterity and intelligence make them a strong candidate to evolve to build civilization.
“Would octopuses build vast underwater cities and come onto land wearing breathing apparatus to shoot a deer? We’ve no way of knowing. But we certainly can’t rule it out.
“Would we have predicted our ancestors living a few million years ago would evolve into humans and dominate the planet? Probably not. Yet humans learned to catch fish and to navigate over and under water, so it is also possible, if not probable, that octopuses might do the same on land,” the British Professor told The European.
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