[neilep (OP)]

Do ewe think it would have been possible for another species with the same rationale, intellect and thought processes as humans to have evolved along side humans ? (besides myself that is!)


Or, do you think that our existence is prerequisite upon only ONE species being able to think like humans ? One per planet ?




whajafink ?

[Halc]

Humans became technological in less time that it took for isolated groups to become sexually incompatible, so say when the Europeans discovered a whole different race in South America, they could still mutually reproduce.

There's no reason that this is always the case. We had humans isolated enough that there were hobbits. OK, they died out, but had they not, they might have been a different species and they might have developed similar intellect. On other planets, there may be far more formidable barriers than our oceans, allowing one intelligent species to diverge, or allowing two such species to evolve separately without one killing the other. The latter seems kind of unlikely since the odds of both species coming into its intellect at the same time is incredibly small unless they figure out how to live a sustainable existence.

[neilep (OP)]

Thank ewe halcy.


It is a curious thing. If the dinosaurs had not been wiped out then we may still be swinging through the trees. I wonder if we would have evolved still ? hmmmm.  All other species have comparable intellects. I was wondering, should circumstances had prevailed, of the possibility that a dinosaur (or other species) would have evolved along the same speed and scale as humans. It would have made for an incredible dynamic.

Humans became technological in less time that it took for isolated groups to become sexually incompatible, so say when the Europeans discovered a whole different race in South America, they could still mutually reproduce.

There's no reason that this is always the case. We had humans isolated enough that there were hobbits. OK, they died out, but had they not, they might have been a different species and they might have developed similar intellect. On other planets, there may be far more formidable barriers than our oceans, allowing one intelligent species to diverge, or allowing two such species to evolve separately without one killing the other. The latter seems kind of unlikely since the odds of both species coming into its intellect at the same time is incredibly small unless they figure out how to live a sustainable existence.

[alancalverd]

Many years ago I watched a gorilla in Chessington Zoo perform Galileo's demonstration of universal gravitation.

He had two apples, one larger than the other. He dropped them both and noted that they hit the ground at the same time. He then repeated the experiment twice: once exactly as before, then with changed hands.That is the whole process of experimental science: observe, hypothesise, repeat, alter one parameter at a time to test the hypothesis.

Humans being singularly (probably uniquely) superstitious and gullible, the Church persecuted Galileo, but the other gorillas, being of superior intellect, accepted the result and the experimenter ate the apples in peace.

[alancalverd]

I was wondering, should circumstances had prevailed, of the possibility that a dinosaur (or other species) would have evolved along the same speed and scale as humans.

They did far better. On the one hand they produced such a successful variant that the crocodile probably hasn't changed its design or its habits in 200,000,000 years, whilst  in a completely original direction they evolved feathers, hollow bones and a high temperature metabolism so they could fly.

After some 100,000 years, humans have merely invented more methods and more stupid reasons for killing other humans who present no actual threat.

[neilep (OP)]

Absolutely right !!...

Being a supercilious ovine I was thinking from the premise that humans were far in advance. I did not consider alternative forms of advancement. (goes to berate himself) !!!

I was wondering, should circumstances had prevailed, of the possibility that a dinosaur (or other species) would have evolved along the same speed and scale as humans.

They did far better. On the one hand they produced such a successful variant that the crocodile probably hasn't changed its design or its habits in 200,000,000 years, whilst  in a completely original direction they evolved feathers, hollow bones and a high temperature metabolism so they could fly.

After some 100,000 years, humans have merely invented more methods and more stupid reasons for killing other humans who present no actual threat.

[neilep (OP)]

Many years ago I watched a gorilla in Chessington Zoo perform Galileo's demonstration of universal gravitation.

He had two apples, one larger than the other. He dropped them both and noted that they hit the ground at the same time. He then repeated the experiment twice: once exactly as before, then with changed hands.That is the whole process of experimental science: observe, hypothesise, repeat, alter one parameter at a time to test the hypothesis.

Humans being singularly (probably uniquely) superstitious and gullible, the Church persecuted Galileo, but the other gorillas, being of superior intellect, accepted the result and the experimenter ate the apples in peace.

Wish I'd seen that. Gorillakins could not have been able to intellectualise what he was doing though ? was he just 'ape'ing ? !!

[Colin2B]

Wish I'd seen that. Gorillakins could not have been able to intellectualise what he was doing though ? was he just 'ape'ing ? !!

No, but he was a chimp off the old block.

[evan_au]

Early humans in Africa lived at the same time as homo naledi.
Homo floresiensis (the hobbit) disappeared around the time that modern humans appeared.

Humans in Europe overlapped with Neanderthals, and in Asia with Denisovans.
- I get the impression that archaeologists are having increasing difficulty ascribing artifacts as "definitely human" or "definitely Neanderthal". Perhaps environmental DNA might help them resolve these questions?

It seems that humans don't like ourselves, but we don't like our neighbors either - but we're not above sex...

But for really different intelligence, whales and dolphins are different enough that we can't communicate with them, or interbreed with them.
- We have trouble defining intelligence is in humans; it's really hard to measure intelligence of creatures with such a different umwelt.