If all humans disappeared from the earth, what would be the next dominant species?

Answer 1

Insects already outnumber us. Who says they aren't dominant already?

Answer 2

Who's to say humans are the dominant species. If you're talking population, then well, we already aren't dominant. If you're talking most educated and smartest, then we're still not the most dominant. And just because humans live in a certain environment, doesn't mean that species will take over our cities and live in our beds. They have their own environments which could possibly be way better to them than to us.

So I say, their is no dominant species, we as humans need to learn to live on Earth among other species and environments, rather than treating it like it is ours and ours only.

Answer 3

I'm not sure about species but the most dominant organisms on earth is actually grass. The reason for this is that grasses have used humans to spread and conquer most of the world.

Answer 4

I have a large style of an similar perspectives that you do. people really do throw off the steadiness of nature. so a techniques as nature is going, it isn't a question of "proper" and "not proper". that is only a count of letting issues run their route. issues evolve, issues die. Such is the way of the planet. each sometimes a lot of issues die right now even as mass extinctions take position. the point is that each thing that comes into life will quit to exist interior the destiny. that is only a count of time. people are screwing with issues in the present day, yet nature will ultimately hammer us lower back down. keep in mind that each thing we take out of the floor takes thousands of thousands of years to fill up, and inspite of if we majorly reduce lower back our utilization of fossil fuels, minerals, etc. they are going to all nevertheless run out ultimately. At that aspect our civilization will fall down. with out our technologies to artificially strengthen the earth's carrying ability, billions will die off and our inhabitants will decrease right down to a more suitable balanced decision. people are too sensible to ever be outsmarted by skill of yet another species, and we are very adaptable. Even beforehand we had more advantageous technologies, people were able to effectively thrive in quite a lot each and each habitat interior the international, from the plains of Africa, to the jungles of Asia, to the Arctic tundra. So there is somewhat no way we can ever bypass extinct slowly. that is going to take an excellent experience like the Yellowstone supervolcano to truly threaten the species, or maybe then i imagine there is a few survivors. people have an finished monopoly on brainpower, yet not each thing is lower than our administration. Our technologies won't be able to be sustained always, and ultimately lets be the reason for our own undoing...till a meteor hits the planet lower back a even as beforehand then.

Answer 5

None
There would be NO dominant species, other animals don't try to shape the world so it's only good for them.

Answer 6

Republicans

Answer 7

I take it you don’t just mean who would be the “top predator? If you mean sentient life – those with true self-awareness, a culture, and the ability to pass that culture down, the ability to reason understand the universe through science – that sort of thing:

Some of the things that have helped us along:

Not just communication – but very complex language with the ability to discuss things in abstract terms, and later writing.

This requires a complex and subtle means of physical communication – that can easily be received by others of your species. Voice/sound is obvious. Complex sign language is obvious (all though it may interfere with tool use!) Color and light is a possibility. Vibrations are a possible

Culture – a (non genetic) means of passing along learned information about the environment. How to survive and thrive. We used both “oral” histories/stories, and pictograms/drawings before we discovered writing.

Not just manipulation of the environment – not just tool use, but tool making

This and writing requires the creature must have a means to hold and manipulate objects (like tools) that means having both a “power grip” and the ability to make fine adjustments in how you hold it and use tools.

Adaptability – in general, to a wide number of global environments, being omnivores, that sort of thing.

Fairly good reproductive capacity

A pack animal or at least gregarious animal (we are)

Ability to move about (probably long distances) in your environment.

Brainpower to operate all that. These things have to Co-Evolve. For that you need:

Some severe ongoing (but not too extreme or rapid to kill them all!) evolutionary pressure that forces your creatures to change and adapt or die. Preferable a climatic one, or several. (It’s pretty clear we came through that). This forces your creature to evolve – the more adaptable they become – the more chance they have of living, the more adept at using tools, the more adept at communicating, at passing along learned information, and you are on you way to true intelligence,

So among which creature is it likely? (Given zero humans and no interference?) Hmmm.
Dogs a very smart, communicate well, do seem to pass on learned information, are highly adaptable – look at coyotes! But have very little means to manipulate the environment, and no pressure to do so. Any changes to their mouth or feet interfere with their survivability. No on dogs.

Bears might be an interesting choice – they could develop vocal language, and could develop “hands” without interfering with their survival much – but they aren’t gregarious. They have no reason to hang around in packs, developing culture and passing information along.


Birds are an evolutionary niche. Birds can and do use tools, and communicate, and seem to pass on culture – but flying and brain size are opposed to each other.

All the great apes and monkeys are obvious choices. They all fit the requirements nicely. We just need climatic change to force them out of their environment (Global warming!)

Given enough time, and the right evolutionary pressures, raccoons, ferrets, and similar might produce something very interesting. They communicate, learn and pass on knowledge, are gregarious, extraordinary adaptable. The use tools and already have some pretty amazing hands. They operate our devices easily enough!

Lizards – no go. Now that mammals are here, even if the environment changed to suit lizards, mammals would adapt faster.

Dolphins and whales – They do have complex communication, do have complex societies, do pass-along information/culture, and are pretty adaptable. But – very little means to develop and use tools. It would take millions of years and some pretty strange evolution pressures to change their fins into hands.

Squids are a good choice! They could communicate by sound, vibration, color and body language – or some combination. The can and do use tools – both in a powerful and fine sense. They are adaptable and some of them are gregarious. It is possible.

Insects – are an evolutionary niche. To be intelligent you need a fairly large brain. What evolutionary pressures would force insect to develop large brains?

Answer 8

After a few billion years "Squid" ! Believe it or not they are the smartest animal with out a back bone, and is the only other animal in the world blushes. Primates had there shot and we were it. Dolphins could be a contender, but mu money's on squid.

Answer 9

La Cucaracha

Answer 10

Tiggggerssss

Answer 11

Either a cat or a dog, I suspect there would be a huge war over that ending in the total destruction of the planet....