If the human race disappeared, who would inherit the earth?

[Geoff]

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

No! I am quite happy for this to be a serious discussion. Just because I framed the opening post in a humorous light doesn't mean I didnt mean the content seriously.

I've been thinking further about this. I suppose a key attribute will be some sort of tool making or using abilities will be decisive in which if any species will be able to rise from our ashes. That's probably a little human-bias, but I think I'm beginning to go more along the lines of something with hands and a tendency to be inquisitive about stuff. So that means another branch of the primate tree somewhere... probably not vegetarian as they don't seem to have enough incentive (sit up a tree eating bananas that don't easily escape...)

I wonder if hive-insects could ever form an intelligence like a distributed neural network.. if in some way the individual members could do something with the information they each process...

 

[zarc]

I've been thinking further about this. I suppose a key attribute will be some sort of tool making or using abilities will be decisive in which if any species will be able to rise from our ashes. That's probably a little human-bias, but I think I'm beginning to go more along the lines of something with hands and a tendency to be inquisitive about stuff. So that means another branch of the primate tree somewhere... probably not vegetarian as they don't seem to have enough incentive (sit up a tree eating bananas that don't easily escape...)

It'd have to be geared towards an aim for perceiving consciousness or tools are just tools. Tools can be understand as being a tool if consciousness can perceive it. I pointed it out, in my post above, of the 'creature' having the capability of perceiving consciousness being the intial factor. The part:

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.

That being said, lookie! Monkey Morality and Tools for Prey

kekeke It may happen sooner than we think.

 

[Geoff]

It'd have to be geared towards an aim for perceiving consciousness or tools are just tools. Tools can be understand as being a tool if consciousness can perceive it. I pointed it out, in my post above, of the 'creature' having the capability of perceiving consciousness being the intial factor. The part:



That being said, lookie! Monkey Morality and Tools for Prey

kekeke It may happen sooner than we think.

Great links.. thanks. I'm not sure I agree with the conclusion in the first article, that one can not apply morality to chimps because they are just chimps being chimps... unless the point here is that this is just like saying morality is a pointless objective for humans, because they too are just animals being animals. Hmm?

I remember being intrigued to learn that chimps lie.. they will pretend while other chimps are looking that they havent found a delicious banana - and then when noone is looking they will scoff it secretly. They are clearly on the verge of some sort of sentience - as lying (a conditional future benefit for a disbelief in the present) is much more than just living "now". A lie is much akin to story telling, and a key factor in our sentience is our ability to tell stories, and in particular to educate our children by telling them. Which is why some have tried to rechristen our race not homo sapiens (a bit arrogant, isnt it, calling us wise) as pans narrans (the story telling ape).

Hmm. My money is probably on the bonobo, on further reflection.

 

[GZA]

I don't think there would be a single "dominant species" and I don't think the earth is ours to inherit or have inherited from us in the first place. We are just another kind of bacteria.

 

[PuddleRiver]

Great links.. thanks. I'm not sure I agree with the conclusion in the first article, that one can not apply morality to chimps because they are just chimps being chimps... unless the point here is that this is just like saying morality is a pointless objective for humans, because they too are just animals being animals. Hmm?

I remember being intrigued to learn that chimps lie.. they will pretend while other chimps are looking that they havent found a delicious banana - and then when noone is looking they will scoff it secretly. They are clearly on the verge of some sort of sentience - as lying (a conditional future benefit for a disbelief in the present) is much more than just living "now". A lie is much akin to story telling, and a key factor in our sentience is our ability to tell stories, and in particular to educate our children by telling them. Which is why some have tried to rechristen our race not homo sapiens (a bit arrogant, isnt it, calling us wise) as pans narrans (the story telling ape).

Hmm. My money is probably on the bonobo, on further reflection.

Bonobo, aha, you've read Chromosome Six? jk

 

[Geoff]

I don't think there would be a single "dominant species" and I don't think the earth is ours to inherit or have inherited from us in the first place. We are just another kind of bacteria.

Well, yes. I suppose I'm not talking about ownership.. I'm talking about what "era" will be next. We've had the sea creatures, we've had bacteria, we've had dinosaurs, we've had mega mammals, and we've had (are having)man...

 

[Oberon]

Believe me Whatever that it's rats (and mice )!

Especially mice. =]

 

[JivinJeffJones]

I think there would be a ripple effect of dominance (if by dominance we mean populations) in the immediate aftermath of a situation in which humans simply vanished. It would spread up through the food chain. For instance, the crops going untended would cause vast numbers of pests to spawn. Locusts, mites etc would flourish. This would probably cause the numbers of creatures which feed off them to flourish, and subsequently the numbers of creature which feed off those creatures. Of course, the higher up the food chain you move the slower the reproductive rate (generally speaking). So the boost in the numbers of lower-foodchain populations would not be passed directly on to species higher up in the food-chain. But I think the existing food chains would remain pretty much intact.

After the food supplies left by humans had been consumed there would be an equilibrium reached and a drop in the population of lower-food-chain species. Predators would remain predators and prey would remain prey. Humans are pretty much the only species which has turned from prey to predator. Ultimately, I think an ancestor of a modern primate surpass their existing position in the foodchain to inherit the earth. I can't see a marine creature developing much technologically without access to fire. Plus, I've heard of gorillas who, taught sign language, have lied to get themselves out of trouble. I felt a great swell of hope for non-human species when I heard that.

 

[Geoff]

I think there would be a ripple effect of dominance (if by dominance we mean populations) in the immediate aftermath of a situation in which humans simply vanished. It would spread up through the food chain. For instance, the crops going untended would cause vast numbers of pests to spawn. Locusts, mites etc would flourish. This would probably cause the numbers of creatures which feed off them to flourish, and subsequently the numbers of creature which feed off those creatures. Of course, the higher up the food chain you move the slower the reproductive rate (generally speaking). So the boost in the numbers of lower-foodchain populations would not be passed directly on to species higher up in the food-chain. But I think the existing food chains would remain pretty much intact.

After the food supplies left by humans had been consumed there would be an equilibrium reached and a drop in the population of lower-food-chain species. Predators would remain predators and prey would remain prey. Humans are pretty much the only species which has turned from prey to predator. Ultimately, I think an ancestor of a modern primate surpass their existing position in the foodchain to inherit the earth. I can't see a marine creature developing much technologically without access to fire. Plus, I've heard of gorillas who, taught sign language, have lied to get themselves out of trouble. I felt a great swell of hope for non-human species when I heard that.

Vegetarian species never seem to have enough need for intelligence.. just speed or bulk or armour.. or just a dozy herd. Hmm... so chimpanzees are a good option out of chimps and gorillas...

I like the "story" you tell though, fits the likely train quite well.

 

[Geoff]

Further ponderings...

If we get a snowball earth due to north atlantic conveyor current failing when the greenland ice starts melting... we'll get a long period of cold, cold winters and ice. Beyond all imagining.

Hmm. What would survive that and start again? Something that currently lives in the tropics and would survive in a narrow band of relative warmth but is very adaptable. Maybe even just bacteria/algae.

 

[Nocapszy]

I was unaware humans were in control of the earth to begin with....

When did this happen? I guess I missed the species inauguration.

 

[Mort Belfry]

You're all wrong, it's the meterosexuals/crab people.

 

[zarc]

You're all wrong, it's the meterosexuals/crab people.

I bet you just responded with your idea but didn't think it necessary to read the other ideas as you'd assume they would be wrong anyway.

 

[Mort Belfry]

I bet you just responded with your idea but didn't think it necessary to read the other ideas as you'd assume they would be wrong anyway.

How well you know me often scares me. :horor: You have the intuition of a rottweiler.

 

[Falcarius]

I will as I am a dinosaur. I did not know if one were allowed to vote for oneself, so I voted plants as well, as they taste the nicest.

 

[Valiant]

If things keep progressing the way they have, technologically, I say machines will inherit the earth. Not necessarily wiping out humanity in the process. Maybe co-exist for a while, then some virus will kill off the humans, leaving the machines to rule

 

[zarc]

How well you know me often scares me. :horor: You have the intuition of a rottweiler.

Considering I used to fear your subtlety for joking before discovering you mean what you say at times, my Ni has come to the conclusion this time that you actually do fear me---or it.

you and your frazzled Ti! You shouldn't fear that I know you so well but that I came to know you within such a short time... Fear not, my friend, many fear my Ni nevermind myself for listening to it!

That being said, I shall probably be the one to inherit the earth!

 

[Geoff]

I was unaware humans were in control of the earth to begin with....

When did this happen? I guess I missed the species inauguration.

Geologists are now (early 2008) seriously proposing adopting the idea of calling this the anthropecene era. That was what led me to start the thread.

Anthropocene - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

-Geoff

 

[Mort Belfry]

That being said, I shall probably be the one to inherit the earth!

That's if there's an earth left for you to inherit.

 

[zarc]

That's if there's an earth left for you to inherit.

Hmm. True. My consciousness can then inherit all of the relative universe that remains and the objective universe beyond the no longer existing physical Earth. I would be omniscient and omnipotent then!

Just don't ask me to re-create the Earth with humans allowed awareness of consciousness (cursed Free Will!) b/c I find the mistake well worth not repeating