This ‘Intelligent’ Marine Creature Is Most Likely to Dominate the Earth if Humans Go Extinct, Scientist Predicts

Oceans carry within them a type of mythical creatures that possess the charm of a sea god and the body of magic itself. Octopuses - these mysterious, otherworldly creatures creep up into the waters, swirling and unfurling their squishy, slimy tentacles. Whatever they do, from eating to mating, their style is unmatchable. Inside the donut-shaped brains of these blue-blooded cephalopodic unfolds a treasure of intelligence that has fascinated scientists for decades. In an interview with London-based business publication, The European, University of Oxford professor, Tim Coulson, predicts that long after human civilization has vanished from the Earth, octopuses will dominate the world.

“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,” Professor Coulson wondered. While primates like chimpanzees and bonobos are often seen as logical successors of humans, their similarities to humans make them as vulnerable to extinction as humans themselves. When it comes to birds or insects, they too are unlikely successors because they lack skills essential to construct a civilization. The only possibility that remains is, octopuses.

Octopuses, Coulson said, “are a potentially better candidate for filling an ecological niche in a post-human world.” When asked why, the professor replied, “Octopuses are among the most intelligent, adaptable, and resourceful creatures on Earth.” With brilliant skills of precise camouflage, complex problem solving, manipulating objects, and communicating with each other with flashes of colors, these marine flunkeys possess all the essential qualities required for a post-human civilization. When the environmental conditions are right, they will emerge onto the surface, folding-unfolding their arms, and carve a new Earth devoid 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,” noted Coulson. “These qualities could allow them to exploit new niches and adapt to a changing planet, especially in the absence of human influence.” These creatures aren’t just known for their high intellect. They are just embodiments of diamond perfection, like zillions of diamond-like neurons studded onto their tentacles.

Octopuses have unusual styles when it comes to both eating and mating, as per the Smithsonian Magazine. When eating, they will crack open the body of a shellfish or a crab, digest them, and then eject the shells out of their bodies. And after mating, male octopuses pass away whereas female octopuses stop eating and die sometime after the males. So, unlike humans, they don’t pose an overpopulation threat. Be it an incredulous memory or a sharp wit, octopuses personify the poetry of nature. It isn’t surprising to imagine that one day, these poetic creatures will be sitting on the throne of Earthly civilization. “They could become the brains of the sea,” the professor described.

This, however, could take hundreds and thousands of years to materialize. Besides, it is highly unlikely that octopuses would set up civilization on land. At most, they will build underwater communities due to their lack of a skeleton. “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,” Coulston added. Intriguing as it may sound, in the end, this is just a possibility only as good as science fiction.