Extinction Part II

[Lightkeeper]

If the human race as we know it became extinct and if there were still certain atmospheric conditions, what do you think would replace us?

 

[Sunstone]

I mostly think our kind of intelligence is a one-time event in the history of this planet. In that respect, nothing would replace us. No other species would arise that had our kind of intelligence. (On the other hand, maybe there's some small chance that other primate species might someday evolve again into something like us.) But the point is that our kind of intelligence is not a necessary outcome of evolution -- there is no law that states it is inevitable.

 

[Lightkeeper]

What about dormant cells and new atmospheric conditions. Could not a different species evolve and not start from square one?

 

[Sunstone]

There is no natural law that states evolution will progress in any inevitable path. There is no certainty that evolution will take a particular course. For millions of years, bacteria were the only life-forms on this planet. It was more or less an accident that higher life arose, and there is no guarantee that higher life will arise again if we blast this world back to the bacteria.

 

[Lightkeeper]

I think there is a possibility that we could have atmospheric changes and life as we know it would evolve into new forms.

 

[Sunstone]

Certainly, as long as there is life, evolution will go on -- new forms will arise.

 

[Doc]

I think there is a chance possibly caused by an Ice Age, where we could go extinct. Dinosaurs once went extinct. Possibly the Ice Age. So there is a possibility a new race could come much longer after we have left!

 

[Pah]

If the human race as we know it became extinct and if there were still certain atmospheric conditions, what do you think would replace us?

Maybe wolves. Without humans, cattle and sheep would tremendously increase the food supply for wolves and they would be free of their greatest predator.

 

[Lightkeeper]

Or maybe a wolfman. GRRRRRRRRR! I see hair on my wrist.

 

[Runt]

Dolphins? Cats? Pigs? Weezels? I've heard that all of these are fairly intelligent creatures. Perhaps one of them would evolve human-level intelligence if we disappeared. Perhaps one of them will evolve to our intellectual level while we still continue to exist! Our presence doesn't halt the evolution of other species, after all...