Good adaptive skills These animals could one day replace humans
Professor Tim Coulson from the University of Oxford discusses the possibility that octopuses could dominate the earth if humanity becomes extinct. Their intelligence and adaptability make them an interesting candidate.
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- Oxford University zoologist Professor Tim Coulson sees octopuses as possible successors to humanity after a possible extinction due to their intelligence, problem-solving abilities and adaptability.
- Despite their impressive cognitive abilities, octopuses have weaknesses in the formation of social structures, but Coulson believes that long-term evolutionary developments such as land adaptation are conceivable.
- The thesis remains speculative, as evolution is unpredictable, with Coulson pointing to extraordinary characteristics such as the DNA adaptability of cephalopods, some of which are interpreted as "extraterrestrial".
Could octopuses one day rule the Earth? In an interview with "The European", renowned zoologist and biologist Professor Tim Coulson from the University of Oxford comments on his bold hypothesis: octopuses could dominate the Earth if humanity dies out one day.
His speculation is based on the impressive cognitive abilities and adaptability of these sea creatures.
Humanity is constantly faced with numerous potential threats. These include climate change, the threat of artificial intelligence, nuclear conflicts, asteroids and ultimately the sun, which could engulf the Earth in billions of years. But what happens if humans share the fate of the dinosaurs? According to Professor Coulson, octopuses could then become the next dominant species.
Octopuses are known for their intelligence and their ability to solve even complex problems. They can manipulate objects and camouflage themselves excellently. These characteristics could help them develop into a civilization-building species in a world without humans. Octopuses have multiple neural clusters that control their tentacles, giving them exceptional control over their movements.
"Octopuses an underestimated contender"
The intelligence of animals is not measured by human standards, but by their ability to solve problems and plan. Octopuses have been observed splitting coconut shells to hide and traversing complex mazes. Cephalopods, which include squid and cuttlefish, are generally adept at finding food and accomplishing complex tasks.
Despite their impressive abilities, octopuses have difficulty forming social structures. They usually live alone and do not care for their offspring. Nevertheless, Coulson sees potential in their tool use and can imagine that they could one day hunt on land, similar to humans at sea, reports "focus.de".
Over millions of years, octopuses could extend their time on land or develop diver-like breathing apparatus. "In a world dominated by mammals, octopuses are an underestimated contender. Their advanced cognition, tool use and adaptability to changing environments provide a blueprint for the next intelligent species on the planet after humans," explains Coulson.
However, evolution is unpredictable. "Of course, the rise of octopuses is pure speculation: evolution is unpredictable, and we can't say for sure which path it will take after the extinction of humans," adds Coulson.
One provocative theory put forward by some scientists is that the ability of squids and octopuses to spontaneously change their DNA suggests that they could be aliens that arrived on Earth millions of years ago as frozen eggs.
This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). All content created by AI is verified by the editorial team.
