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If humans suddenly became extinct*, which species would eventually evolve to become the “dominate” species?

Possibilities…

- One of the other hominids
- A large land animal (elephant, bear, rhino…)
- One of the corvids (raven, crow, blue jay, magpie…)
- One of the parrots
- A cetacean
- Another sea animal (octopus, crab...)
- Small mammal with fingers (mouse, squirrel, raccoon, koala…)
- Eusocial insect
- Someone else…

(* assuming a species-specific extinction for humans like a disease or infertility, not a mass extinction event like an asteroid or gamma ray burst)

@Pat I've always felt Raccoons will fill our niche in America at least.
I dream of Raccoon astronauts finding the Apollo site a million years from now and blowing their minds.

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@Lazarou

Raccoon archaeologists. Yeah, I could see that.

@Lazarou

It would be cool if some smaller animal gained higher intelligence and language, like a small bird or a mouse. But because they lack manual dexterity they would train other animals to do the work. Kind of like the way we used animals to do farm work before the industrial revolution.

It would be cool to see a parrot perched on the shoulder of a bonobo or an elephant directing it to build machines and electronics and stuff. That would be something to see.

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