ThatsWhatHeSaid
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If the human race disappeared, who would inherit the earth?
- Thread starter Geoff
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probably because the ESTJs CAUSED the nuclear war and had enough time to hide in their mineshafts with eligible women beforehand! 
Geoff
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cascadeco
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What would immediately take over? Depends on the state the Earth is left in once we die off.
If humanity dies off due to disease or us killing ourselves off, without impacting the rest of the world that much, it would be all of the same species as there are today [ahem, all the species we haven't destroyed] but they'd reach an equilibrium. Nothing would immediately take over, esp. if we're talking 'taking over' as meaning a highly intelligent, sentient lifeform. That would take millions upon millions of years.
The rats, roaches, and their ilk would flourish in the short term I suppose, and only around the cities. But only til the garbage was still around..then they'd succomb to normal population dynamics, disease, lack of food, predation, etc.
And depending on the state of the world, bacteria can thrive in the harshest, even rather toxic environments...but as for bacteria, it isn't really in the bacteria's best interest to evolve so as to destroy all other lifeforms (not that that's a conscious process anyway, hehe).
But yeah..bacteria would probably 'take over' if we destroy ourselves due to environmental conditions/global warming/solar radiation, if the planet becomes so hostile to all of the life currently present -- because large changes/adjustments/evolution in population take a lot of time. Huge external environmental changes happening in a relatively short period of time isn't gonna give enough time for anything to evolve to be able to survive it. Thus, bacteria, or other lifeforms with extremely short lifespans, would 'take over'. Maybe some of the oceanic life miles down.
[oh, I realize this is all in fun...but, well, I ended up writing more than I had planned!
]
If humanity dies off due to disease or us killing ourselves off, without impacting the rest of the world that much, it would be all of the same species as there are today [ahem, all the species we haven't destroyed] but they'd reach an equilibrium. Nothing would immediately take over, esp. if we're talking 'taking over' as meaning a highly intelligent, sentient lifeform. That would take millions upon millions of years.
The rats, roaches, and their ilk would flourish in the short term I suppose, and only around the cities. But only til the garbage was still around..then they'd succomb to normal population dynamics, disease, lack of food, predation, etc.
And depending on the state of the world, bacteria can thrive in the harshest, even rather toxic environments...but as for bacteria, it isn't really in the bacteria's best interest to evolve so as to destroy all other lifeforms (not that that's a conscious process anyway, hehe).
But yeah..bacteria would probably 'take over' if we destroy ourselves due to environmental conditions/global warming/solar radiation, if the planet becomes so hostile to all of the life currently present -- because large changes/adjustments/evolution in population take a lot of time. Huge external environmental changes happening in a relatively short period of time isn't gonna give enough time for anything to evolve to be able to survive it. Thus, bacteria, or other lifeforms with extremely short lifespans, would 'take over'. Maybe some of the oceanic life miles down.
[oh, I realize this is all in fun...but, well, I ended up writing more than I had planned!
]
Geoff
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What would immediately take over? Depends on the state the Earth is left in once we die off.
If humanity dies off due to disease or us killing ourselves off, without impacting the rest of the world that much, it would be all of the same species as there are today [ahem, all the species we haven't destroyed] but they'd reach an equilibrium. Nothing would immediately take over, esp. if we're talking 'taking over' as meaning a highly intelligent, sentient lifeform. That would take millions upon millions of years.
The rats, roaches, and their ilk would flourish in the short term I suppose, and only around the cities. But only til the garbage was still around..then they'd succomb to normal population dynamics, disease, lack of food, predation, etc.
And depending on the state of the world, bacteria can thrive in the harshest, even rather toxic environments...but as for bacteria, it isn't really in the bacteria's best interest to evolve so as to destroy all other lifeforms (not that that's a conscious process anyway, hehe).
But yeah..bacteria would probably 'take over' if we destroy ourselves due to environmental conditions/global warming/solar radiation, if the planet becomes so hostile to all of the life currently present -- because large changes/adjustments/evolution in population take a lot of time. Huge external environmental changes happening in a relatively short period of time isn't gonna give enough time for anything to evolve to be able to survive it. Thus, bacteria, or other lifeforms with extremely short lifespans, would 'take over'. Maybe some of the oceanic life miles down.
[oh, I realize this is all in fun...but, well, I ended up writing more than I had planned!
Yes yes, but I want to look beyond the short term...who will rule.. after millions of years... will the bacteria join together into intelligent slime (no, not George Bush, he's had his turn)? Will some other creature evolve into an intelligent species?
My money is on the bears!
My best guess would be another mammal for the time right after we disappeared. Intelligence wouldn't matter. Just the ability to dominate over the other species.
After that, most likely a species would evolve from mammals that was even better at controlling temperature within its body, and more efficient in fending off microorganisms.
EDIT: In all reality, the microorganisms (such as bacteria, etc) ALREADY rule the Earth, but we have the mentality that we are 'all powerful' because it takes a small amount of humans to make a big effect on the environment. But, collectively, bacteria have a much bigger effect on Earth. Also, we couldn't live without the bacteria... and they could live just fine without us. Think about that :rolli:
After that, most likely a species would evolve from mammals that was even better at controlling temperature within its body, and more efficient in fending off microorganisms.
EDIT: In all reality, the microorganisms (such as bacteria, etc) ALREADY rule the Earth, but we have the mentality that we are 'all powerful' because it takes a small amount of humans to make a big effect on the environment. But, collectively, bacteria have a much bigger effect on Earth. Also, we couldn't live without the bacteria... and they could live just fine without us. Think about that :rolli:
Haven't read the other responses yet aside cascademn's. I choose "other" because if Humans went away at this point in time, I see it as a interdependent combination result and wiping out of other all known species happening thusly:
- Weapons of Mass Destruction: WMD which destroys all or near all but will result in either all humans gone or struggling to survive and may ultimately not succeed or fail initially as genes fight to survive and adapt to the new environment. So, perhaps not an exact *new* species but the newest evolution due to the factors aforesaid. This has resulted in removal or initiated removal of centric species of the areas involved. The result of less of them in their environments have allowed less mating + food from others on the respective food chain thus high survial is lessened or gone.
- Disease: same as above, except with diseases already running amok with our genes and encroaching upon humanity's doom with or w/o WMDs. Intermixing of relatively healthy + diseased (recessive or not) human genes. Even 100% healthy + 100% healthy (I highly doubt that there is such a 100% but let's just go with it) will not matter considering the state of the environment + current nutrition (processed foods etc) + technology with EMW (electromagnetic waves but I'll get to that below). This relates to animals we rear and produce in order to eat and others who feed of of altered animals which we have abanonded. Certain animals (ex. cows/chickens/pigs) have become so distorted due to narcotic drugs intended to make them grow faster (etc etc) which has resulted in some diseases among them. Ex. Mad Cow Disease and certain other birds which have intermixed-mingled and carry new diseases. Same thing with Insects such as flies (like mosqitos and then go infect humans from diseased blood and diseased environments). All other animals are affected in a similiar manner too (whether by over hunting/loss of prey/etc/polluted "nutrition" from their enviornment's have alterted them. Not as apparent but still has)
- Technology: EMWs (aforesaid)/radio waves etc have not only affected humans, with creating cancers (such as brain cancers from cell phones etc) but have proven or are suspected largely of getting rid of birds (I recently heard on the news about this for Toronto's birds disappearing) and probably other creatures (as it's not too far of a jump to suspect they'd get affected too).
- Environmental-Ecosystems: Due to all of the above and others such as clear-cutting (resulting in even more species loss from habitation loss), toxcitiy/pollution (deliberate or incidental). We've tampered so much with the specific natural patterns of ecosystems of both our own and all species on Earth above and below and new ones forthcoming. New species are being found, intermixed from known ones and ones that are still being determined as to how they now exist (especially of deep sea life creatures, both mammalian + plant etc). Plus alllllll Enivornmental disasters which not only affect us but all species too.
So, I doubt that any of our current species will be exactly as they were, assuming they survive us, there will be new ones made out of the mix of pre-existing ones or some new one which developed over bacteria over time. Who will reign? The one who exceedingly multiplies the fastest and is capable of destroying the other species as humans did (are doing)
But this is ONLY if they become conscious or are capable of perception. As we've seen, ecosytems were put in place to ensure no species dominated any other. I wouldn't have even said that dinosaurs dominated. They were just the "biggest". They weren't conscious of taking over the enivornment. They didn't exterminate the other species, they fed and were interdependent on them.
If humans did not evolve into a creature able to interpret its own consciousness, we wouldn't even be rubbing sticks. There is evidence of female primates (chimps) breaking branches off trees and turning them into weapons to hunt with. Perhaps, they will be the ones as nature is inherently getting rid of us due to natural disasters. If they survive, perhaps they will, in time, become the next humans minus the larger time span to evolve b/c we'll have left behind things that they will first "play" with and then perhaps learn to perceive + understand (maybe 20 thousand years instead of our supposedly 70 thousand + a shorter *leap* than ours were these past 6 thousand years of civilisation). Assuming there is any type of structural evidence we were here to begin with. Anything less than Aliens (hummanoid/repitilian/Atlantians/w/ethe hell we cannot perceive at this time) or a gigantic comet or numerous comets/w/e from space to destroy this planet. Aliens may come before we're gone and gigantic comets may destroy Earth completely.
I've read that people want to send garbage to space. I suspect if that should happen that the garbage, assuming we survive and other existing Earth life survive including bacteria or the last single-cell at the moment, will then have morphed or become organically alive and shoot back to Earth to destroy or inhabit (inorganic or organic) or just lay dormant as bacteria alter it and...
The New Humans shall roam again, evolve and control, distort and destroy as it's all cyclical!
- Weapons of Mass Destruction: WMD which destroys all or near all but will result in either all humans gone or struggling to survive and may ultimately not succeed or fail initially as genes fight to survive and adapt to the new environment. So, perhaps not an exact *new* species but the newest evolution due to the factors aforesaid. This has resulted in removal or initiated removal of centric species of the areas involved. The result of less of them in their environments have allowed less mating + food from others on the respective food chain thus high survial is lessened or gone.
- Disease: same as above, except with diseases already running amok with our genes and encroaching upon humanity's doom with or w/o WMDs. Intermixing of relatively healthy + diseased (recessive or not) human genes. Even 100% healthy + 100% healthy (I highly doubt that there is such a 100% but let's just go with it) will not matter considering the state of the environment + current nutrition (processed foods etc) + technology with EMW (electromagnetic waves but I'll get to that below). This relates to animals we rear and produce in order to eat and others who feed of of altered animals which we have abanonded. Certain animals (ex. cows/chickens/pigs) have become so distorted due to narcotic drugs intended to make them grow faster (etc etc) which has resulted in some diseases among them. Ex. Mad Cow Disease and certain other birds which have intermixed-mingled and carry new diseases. Same thing with Insects such as flies (like mosqitos and then go infect humans from diseased blood and diseased environments). All other animals are affected in a similiar manner too (whether by over hunting/loss of prey/etc/polluted "nutrition" from their enviornment's have alterted them. Not as apparent but still has)
- Technology: EMWs (aforesaid)/radio waves etc have not only affected humans, with creating cancers (such as brain cancers from cell phones etc) but have proven or are suspected largely of getting rid of birds (I recently heard on the news about this for Toronto's birds disappearing) and probably other creatures (as it's not too far of a jump to suspect they'd get affected too).
- Environmental-Ecosystems: Due to all of the above and others such as clear-cutting (resulting in even more species loss from habitation loss), toxcitiy/pollution (deliberate or incidental). We've tampered so much with the specific natural patterns of ecosystems of both our own and all species on Earth above and below and new ones forthcoming. New species are being found, intermixed from known ones and ones that are still being determined as to how they now exist (especially of deep sea life creatures, both mammalian + plant etc). Plus alllllll Enivornmental disasters which not only affect us but all species too.
So, I doubt that any of our current species will be exactly as they were, assuming they survive us, there will be new ones made out of the mix of pre-existing ones or some new one which developed over bacteria over time. Who will reign? The one who exceedingly multiplies the fastest and is capable of destroying the other species as humans did (are doing)
But this is ONLY if they become conscious or are capable of perception. As we've seen, ecosytems were put in place to ensure no species dominated any other. I wouldn't have even said that dinosaurs dominated. They were just the "biggest". They weren't conscious of taking over the enivornment. They didn't exterminate the other species, they fed and were interdependent on them.If humans did not evolve into a creature able to interpret its own consciousness, we wouldn't even be rubbing sticks. There is evidence of female primates (chimps) breaking branches off trees and turning them into weapons to hunt with. Perhaps, they will be the ones as nature is inherently getting rid of us due to natural disasters. If they survive, perhaps they will, in time, become the next humans minus the larger time span to evolve b/c we'll have left behind things that they will first "play" with and then perhaps learn to perceive + understand (maybe 20 thousand years instead of our supposedly 70 thousand + a shorter *leap* than ours were these past 6 thousand years of civilisation). Assuming there is any type of structural evidence we were here to begin with. Anything less than Aliens (hummanoid/repitilian/Atlantians/w/ethe hell we cannot perceive at this time) or a gigantic comet or numerous comets/w/e from space to destroy this planet. Aliens may come before we're gone and gigantic comets may destroy Earth completely.
I've read that people want to send garbage to space. I suspect if that should happen that the garbage, assuming we survive and other existing Earth life survive including bacteria or the last single-cell at the moment, will then have morphed or become organically alive and shoot back to Earth to destroy or inhabit (inorganic or organic) or just lay dormant as bacteria alter it and...
The New Humans shall roam again, evolve and control, distort and destroy as it's all cyclical!
Dammit! I had this inkling as I wrote that I should re-read something and now I found this thread isn't supposed to be taken so seriously LOL.
K. Well...um...Air will rule. Air will compose itself into an organic lifeform that can at first reside in the sky as well as on the ground. As Water molecules will compose into larger bodies and then into an organic lifeform. Pieces of earth will evolve too and become the third largest! But the'll have interracism from Trees to Flowers to Mountains etc! Fire will follow suit from volcanos! They will all duke it out for dominance! First Air + Earth because they'd be in direct competition! Fire will do it b/c it's a volcanically emotional race and Water will do it because everyone's making a noise and moving their waters and they can't precipate due Air's control of the sky by not allowing them thus making them congested and angry and they'll realise they're the biggest with air and should rule these Elemental mofos!!
Water will win! Errr Fire!
No Air! EARTH!
I got it!!!! They'll intermix their genes through forbidden and taboo mating and create a whole slew of Half Breeds! Then...duke it out on who's better...err
Oh no...I scared myself
What if it happens?
K. Well...um...Air will rule. Air will compose itself into an organic lifeform that can at first reside in the sky as well as on the ground. As Water molecules will compose into larger bodies and then into an organic lifeform. Pieces of earth will evolve too and become the third largest! But the'll have interracism from Trees to Flowers to Mountains etc! Fire will follow suit from volcanos! They will all duke it out for dominance! First Air + Earth because they'd be in direct competition! Fire will do it b/c it's a volcanically emotional race and Water will do it because everyone's making a noise and moving their waters and they can't precipate due Air's control of the sky by not allowing them thus making them congested and angry and they'll realise they're the biggest with air and should rule these Elemental mofos!!
Water will win! Errr Fire!
No Air! EARTH!
I got it!!!! They'll intermix their genes through forbidden and taboo mating and create a whole slew of Half Breeds! Then...duke it out on who's better...err
Oh no...I scared myself
What if it happens?
B
ByMySword
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I haven't read the thread yet so please forgive me if someone has already put this. On the history channel special Life After People, they claimed it depends on how humans lose their dominance. Now, in the special, if humans just dissappeared, they claimed that nature would just take its course and the animals we have today would dominate. But they also said that they wouldn't dominate like we have for certain. So I voted for no one, but I don't really know. It just depends.
cascadeco
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DeliriousDisposition said:
haha...tis why you need to read more than my post!
I'm prone to going serious and killing threads. It's one of my skills. 
chippinchunk
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haha...tis why you need to read more than my post!
I normally do, damn me! I just didn't want to let go of the patterns my thoughts were going in....
Though, I like my little Elemental story. It'd be so cool to be an Element
Geoff
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I normally do, damn me! I just didn't want to let go of the patterns my thoughts were going in....
Though, I like my little Elemental story. It'd be so cool to be an Element
Actually you can take this thread perfectly seriously, if you like. I'm happy either way. I was actually serious in suggesting bears have a chance.. if we suddenly disappeared over night...
Elementals! And I side with Air as the wind is trying to break my window down, probably, in an attempt of foreshadowing!
The_Liquid_Laser
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PuddleRiver
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I think I can agree with this post. I figure that whatever would wipe us out would also wipe out most, if not all, of the larger species. So, I'd probably go with insects and bacteria.
Edit: Well dang, I took this thread seriously...
I think I can agree with this post. I figure that whatever would wipe us out would also wipe out most, if not all, of the larger species. So, I'd probably go with insects and bacteria.
Edit: Well dang, I took this thread seriously...
Ha Ha! You were fooled!
So was I
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