So it did happen. Zombies rebelled, scientists created a deadly virus, Yellowstone volcano erupted, and monkeys rebelled against humans. No humanity. Only you. The last person on Earth to read this list.
Standing on the rubble of civilization, reminiscent of the depressing moments from "Twilight Zone”, You can ask yourself who will remain after us. What will they look like? From whom do they evolve? Will they spoil everything the way we did?
Our last service to humanity will be the answer to the first two questions. Deep underground, in a bunker protected from nuclear war, our radiation-irradiated mutant writers have made a final list. A list that will take our crown and rule the world. The world in whose ruin you are now. Here it is, a list in which each one is even worse than the previous one ... Also pay attention to the rating of 15 doomsday options that can be avoided.
10. Rats
Rats love disaster. It doesn't matter where and when. You can be sure that if there is a major disaster, the rats will be there. So it was in Dresden after the bombing, and so it will be during the apocalypse. At a time when humanity falls, rats will occupy cities, devouring everything in their path.
But that's not all. The most interesting thing will begin when the rats eat all the human remains and food. According to Richard Dawkins, it is at this point that rats will begin to evolve at an incredible rate.
The apocalypse will force this species to expand its numbers. When there is no food left, the rodents will have to stand up against their own. This will lead to an incredible coup. Add to that the mutations caused by radiation and the isolation of rat populations in a world without humans. In other words, ideal conditions for evolution.
Provided that rats already have complex social structures and are endowed with good brains, they have every chance to take the place of humans. Of course, it will take millions of years, or not at all, but Dawkins is confident that a future in which intelligent beings will come from rats is not as impossible as we would like.
9. Bears
Of course, people are the masters of the planet. Even predators flee at the sight of our weapons. But take people away and suddenly lions and bears will return to their pedestal. It is worth leaving them at the top for a while so that they begin to show human-like intelligence.
According to Ashley Bennison, bears, being the largest mammals, have the best chances of being on top in a world without humans. The implication is that without humans, fewer animals will be eaten, leading to an increase in herbivores. This, in turn, will cause the growth of carnivores that feed on "vegetarians».
With all this food surplus, intelligent mammals have a chance to grow societies. It was the surplus that helped humanity move from amazingly intelligent hunting apes to modern humans. If you give the bears enough time, they too can achieve this.
8. Dogs
If you have been to developed countries, you have noticed that dogs already occupy an important part in human society. In big cities like Mumbai, packs of wild dogs keep some areas at bay. Between 1994-2015, over 1.3 million people were attacked and 434 people lost their lives. And this happens in cities, where people usually lead everything. You may be interested in the article 10 most dangerous dog breeds in the world.
After some virus that wipes out humanity, all these packs will not need to fear anything. In the ruins of New York, London and Delhi, dogs will fight rats for leftover food. There would be an explosion in the canine population that would lead to some pretty interesting changes.
Dogs are already able to impress with their intelligence. They have a complex social life. They can also display human-like emotions. In other words, these brains are capable of developing a decent level of intelligence. At least the dogs would be able to control our cities one by one.
7. Ants
It's time to leave the mammals behind and venture into the terrifying insect world. Ants may not seem like the kind to oust us from our pedestal, but don't be fooled by their tiny size. After all, perhaps they already rule the world.
Think of the fact that there are trillions of ants in the world, that there are many more people. If we put them all on the scales, they would outweigh us. They are already ahead of many mammals in terms of intelligence. If alone they are incredibly stupid, then together they can have advantages over people.
An anthill is a complex mechanism. Ant colonies have already learned how to cultivate mold and raise aphids as livestock. They also excel at weapons. Ants use the weakest in the line of defense, keeping the strongest in the last rows. They have all the means to expand. At the moment, a super ant colony covers almost all of California, waging a war with another super colony in Mexico. We're not the only ones who see parallels with humans, are we?
6. Pigs
«Planet of the apes"May have been a bad title for a movie, but pigs have a better chance of ruling the world than monkeys. There are not as many monkeys on the planet as there are pigs. Pigs have complex social bonds and can show empathy. They can manipulate other pigs, have long-term memory, and are quick learners (they are also few animals that enjoy sex). By some accounts, pigs are even smarter than dogs.
All these characteristics have helped humanity climb to the top of evolution. It is possible that pigs will be able to achieve such results. But it is unlikely "pig internet"Will be just as crazy about bacon as they are now.
5. Octopuses
As we said, octopuses are cool. They are very strong, incredibly smart, they can learn by watching. They have mastered psychological tricks, and their brain structures are spread throughout the body in such a way that even a shot in the head will not kill them. But the reasons why they could have conquered our place even deeper. And they are really scary.
You see, octopuses have large brains relative to their bodies. Large eyes connected to the brain, allowing them to see almost as well as humans. We love to show off our contrasting thumbs. According to Dr. Russell Burke, octopuses have eight of these toes.
They can learn by observing the behavior of others. This could be the starting point for the emergence of octopus society on the ashes of the human race. In general, octopuses are such good candidates for the rulers of the world that Dr. Burke does not understand why they have not yet become one. We said it was scary.
4. Raccoons
Come to think of it, raccoons aren't all that different from humans. No, wait, come back. We will explain everything, we promise. Most of the animals on this list have complex social structures, are mammals, and have extraordinary intelligence. All those who have dealt with assholes opening trash cans will tell you that this is all about raccoon paws.
They are already under the same pressure as humans. Especially in an urban environment. When all this pressure increases during, say, a slowed-down apocalypse, evolution will push the raccoons to mutate. Such mutations that could achieve a good level of intelligence.
The possibility of raccoons getting close to humans is very small.But the possibility that they can evolve into more serious forms is serious. Like rats, it would take them several million years. But without people, they will fly by very quickly.
3. Cockroaches
Imagine this. Orange sky. The gloomy, ravaged land beneath him. While the last mushroom cloud evaporates after a thermonuclear explosion, who will replace humanity? Cockroaches and their brethren inherit the Earth.
Cockroaches are amazing in many things, it's hard for us to even count. They can survive atomic changes, because about 10% of cockroaches are immune to lethal doses of radiation. They are developing rapidly: It took cockroaches only 2 years to develop immunity to the toxins in the sugar cubes.
They also reproduce offspring at a terrifying rate. Therefore, they would not only be the main candidates for survival, but also return the number of their population in a very short time. Will they ever be as smart as humans? Probably not. But, if they are given several million years without competitors, and we will not have a chance.
2. Monkeys
Most monkey species have a small number. Therefore, the chance that they will replace us is very small. But, this is not the only reason. But, if the end of the world happened immediately after some kind of campaign to save monkeys, there is no doubt that they would have taken over the world before the last human body had time to cool down.
Monkeys - chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos are smart. Very smart. They can be taught to communicate using sign language. They have a social hierarchy that rivals human ones. They can use tools, show empathy, learn by observing. They have been seen hunting with weapons. Monkeys are good at making plans. They are almost like us, only more hairy and smelly. They are also less likely to tweet all day.
The monkeys would have every chance to take our place, if not for one "but"- the absence of people. During an atomic war, both humans and monkeys would die. But what if there was a special virus aimed only at humans? In this case, our monkey brothers will come forward.
1. Wolbachia
Wolbachia is a special kind of bacteria. And they are not just the best candidates to rule the world of the future. They are the best candidates to rule the Earth right now. Wolbachia is responsible for the fate of thousands of species. They live in the cages of 2/3 insects and arthropods. They infect the body through the female. They can also do things that make you scream.
These parasitic beetles can cause the host to change sex, depending on the chances of spreading. They can kill unborn males while they are embryos or alter the sperm of the host male to mate only with females infected with Wolbachia. Moreover, they can change genes leading to evolutionary mutations. In other words, they have long controlled the fate of millions of beings.
Of course, Wolbachia is not in danger of becoming a super-mind. But, in a world without people, after an atomic war, where the remaining species live and reproduce at the whim of the Wolbachia, she will not need a super-intelligence to become the dominant form of life on Earth.
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