Non-mammals: these intelligent beings will take over the Earth after humanity's extinction (photos).

There is a possibility that due to global climate change or a nuclear war, humanity might vanish from the face of the Earth. Consequently, another species could become the dominant one on the planet. It might be assumed that this would likely be primates or some other mammal. However, a scientist from Oxford University believes that octopuses could potentially establish a new civilization on Earth, as reported by Earth.

Tim Coulson from Oxford University posits that octopuses, as marine invertebrates, could become the dominant species on Earth if humanity were to disappear. This could happen due to climate change or a nuclear conflict, leading to the collapse of human civilization. Thus, octopuses might emerge as the successors to humans as the most advanced beings on the planet.

According to Coulson, octopuses possess the physical and intellectual traits necessary to potentially create a new civilization on Earth. His main argument supporting this hypothesis is that octopuses are agile, curious, capable of communicating with one another, and exhibit a high level of intelligence. These characteristics, he suggests, could enable them to develop complex tools for the emergence of a new, underwater civilization on Earth.

Coulson believes that octopuses are the creatures best suited to adapt to changing conditions and can solve complex problems, manipulate objects, and even camouflage themselves almost perfectly.

The decentralized nervous system of octopuses and their advanced neural structure, combined with their exceptional problem-solving skills, could help these marine beings adapt remarkably well to a new, unpredictable world, according to the scientist.

According to the hypothesis, octopuses may alter their environment and colonize the planet using complex tools, similar to what humans did in the past. Additionally, octopuses can survive in extremely adverse conditions and have a diverse diet, which is another advantage.

The scientist believes that changes in the Earth's environment could lead to rapid evolutionary development of octopuses, potentially making them the next intelligent species on our planet. Although octopuses are unlikely to evolve into land-dwelling animals due to their lack of a skeleton and the associated challenges of living outside of water, they could potentially create underwater cities akin to human settlements on land.

At the same time, Coulson emphasizes that this is merely a hypothesis, and one cannot confidently predict how evolution will unfold over long periods.

It might be thought that the next dominant species on Earth should be primates, given that they are the closest relatives to humans. However, Coulson believes that primates will face the same threats that could potentially eradicate humanity, and therefore they could also become extinct.