Evolution . . . ?

Question

This is not a question of evolution vs. creation. Suppose all humans were to leave Earth, leaving behind the current animal kingdom.... Would humans re-evolve on Earth, millions of years later ????

Answer 1

There is not a definite yes or no answer to this, but the chances of another animal evolving that develops technology is not out of the question. Most of the prerequisites have already occurred since there are plenty of pretty smart, language using animals on the planet today. It's the usable, opposable thumb that is probably the biggest sticking point. You need the thumb to manipulate objects and create technologies. And to get to the thumb, you need to be a biped, and the development of that is more problematic since it doesn't offer that many advantages in the short run. If you look at mammals, you just don't see many true bipeds, in fact, I have a problem thinking of any other than us.

Answer 2

No. Great question, but no.

First, humans are not some sort of stage that evolution moves towards. No other species, including other primates, are something stuck in some "pre-human" state of evolution, that would eventually evolve into humans in enough time. A chimp is not an unevolved human ... it is a *fully* evolved chimp. Not an ancestor or "intermediate form" ... it is every bit as evolved for its environment as we are for ours.

Second, even if some other primate species were to evolve (after our departure) to be upright, naked, intelligent, with an articulate voice-box, the ability to create technology, etc. etc. .... it still would not be *human*. The definition of a species, like "humans" is that it can mate with other members of that species. All other species of apes are, and always will be, unable to become members of our species ... unable to become "human." They might be something else ... but not human.

Answer 3

There is a current book that examines your question, "The World Without Us." Two conclusions: New York subways would flood to the rooves. Cockroaches in cities in temperate climates would perish. Any thing else is possible. "Captain, I'm picking up signs of carbon-based life forms!"

Answer 4

it is possible but you are assuming that we are leaving the earth in the same environmental condition that we evolved in....this is not the case...we have done many alterations, degraded and destroyed to a new environment that has never been seen...we evolved at a very different time so my answer would have to be no....we have changed it too much to ever go back

Answer 5

There are some far out stories about finding artifacts deep in some coal mines suggesting that advanced human type of people lived on the Earth long before we ever figured it was possible. So maybe it has already happened.

Answer 6

This is an excellent question. The answer to which has to be, "no"., because we didn't 'evolve' on this planet to start with (i.e. there's no fossil evidence to support the evolutionary theory), so how could it 're-happen'?

For example, 'secretsauce' (above) says that the Chimp "is every bit as evolved for it's environment as we are for ours". Since the Chimps 'natural' environment is trees etc, why isn't ours. What 'is' OUR environment? Why is it so totally different, and 'UN-natural'?

We didn't evolve from an ape. We are far too sophisticated. The only feasible answer to our origin and presence here is that we were placed on this planet by very advanced, very sophisticated beings from a very old and very advanced planet elsewhere in the universe.

Additional note :

I see I've upset the 'church of evolution' again, as their rush of "thumbs-down" shows

Answer 7

Nope. Without intelligence, evolution is undirected. Another species might eventually come into existence that had an integrated consciousness and developed an agricultural civilization, but it wouldn't be Homo sapiens sapiens.

Answer 8

Not until the next Chicxulub Meteor. Sorry.

Answer 9

No humans would not re-evoluve give the fact that we did not evoulve in the first place