"If Humanity Perishes, This Animal Will Dominate the Earth"

Oxford University Research Team: "Octopuses Will Replace Humanity"
"The Most Intelligent and Adaptable on Earth"

A study has been published suggesting that octopuses, known as the "rulers of the sea," could potentially replace humans.

On the 15th (local time), the British Daily Mail cited a research team from the University of Oxford, reporting that if humanity were to perish, octopuses could take over and dominate the Earth. This is because octopuses possess high intelligence and communication abilities.

[Photo by Pixabay]

Professor Colson of Oxford University focused on the fact that octopuses can breathe outside of water for up to 30 minutes, stating, "They are intelligent animals capable of extending their breathing time outside of water." However, he added, "Octopuses will not be able to evolve into perfect terrestrial animals." Nevertheless, he said, "Just as humans acquired sea hunting skills over millions of years, octopuses could develop their own methods of hunting on land," and "some individuals might even build cities in the sea."

Octopuses are among the most intelligent and adaptable aquatic animals on Earth. They have large brains relative to their body size. Among invertebrates, they have the largest brains. An octopus's brain consists of about 500 million brain cells, which is seven times more than a rat. Humans have 860 billion brain cells.

Professor Colson argued, "If octopuses discover a way to breathe outside of water, they might even hunt mammals like deer or sheep."

However, the fact that octopuses do not live long is a critical drawback for ruling the Earth. The giant Pacific octopus can live up to 5 years, but most octopuses only live about 1 year or 6 months. Also, compared to other species, they evolve relatively slowly. There are about 300 species of octopuses that have existed for at least 300 million years, and they have not changed much during that long period.