# Another question about evolution? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 7, 2022, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817 "2022-06-07T17:54:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/61 "2022-06-09T15:44:52Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > It’s not human nature that causes out of control unsustainable growth, it’s the nature of life itself, and any species that replaces us will tend to follow the same path. Ah, well that’s another reason cats _should_ inherit the Earth. Cats are highly territorial. Unlike humans, they like a lot of space between them. Their carbon footprint will be much less than that of humans. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/62 "2022-06-09T15:48:42Z")
An intelligent species that’s _more_ territorial than humans sounds like a nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/63 "2022-06-09T15:55:21Z")
Only a nightmare for nosy cats. The biosphere will thank them, though. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/64 "2022-06-09T16:00:11Z")
Probably not, given that increasing urban density is one of the best solutions to fighting climate change. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/65 "2022-06-09T16:07:40Z")
Smart cats will have solved global warming by then. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/66 "2022-06-09T16:07:47Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The point being that evolution doesn’t have a speed; it occurs at the rate the environment (both physical and biological) changes, multiplied by some random factors. Thank you. That’s more helpful than what I said. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/67 "2022-06-09T16:17:49Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > Smart cats will have solved global warming by then. Probably by killing all the humans. That’s really all it takes to put a stop to GW. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/68 "2022-06-09T16:19:25Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > Smart cats will have solved global warming by then. I have long observed that ailurophiles are some of the most fanciful, least anchored to even a tenuous string of scientific observation, of all the animal lovers. You can wave tomes of data in their faces but nothing has an observable effect on their beliefs. What you have in cats are small semi-feral asocial predators. They are easily tamed, similar to other such species like ringtail cats and ferrets (both mustelids). For a complex of reasons, humans took such a shine to them that their geographical penetration is as vast as that of humans. There is nothing ecologically remarkable about them, except that human link, which is what has made them so hideously destructive. Absent humans, they would disappear from most habitats quickly. With the ruination of the planetary ecosystem, of course, who the fuck knows. My bet is not going to be on cats, though. Coyotes maybe. Who are clever, work together to solve problems, and raise their families in a group. Not one of which applies to cats. As far as that tool-using bipedal social animal niche, here’s to hoping it never opens again. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/69 "2022-06-09T16:19:47Z")
I mean, the biosphere will be “happiest” if no one ever evolves again that is able to harness fire. But, assuming that your cats evolve the same level of intelligence that we have, they would still not be able to form a civilization if they have to have a lot of space between them. And whether they could form that intelligence would be debatable, as it is conjectured that it was our need to be social that lead to our advanced intelligence. Either they will drop that trait, or they will _not_ become a replacement for humans. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/70 "2022-06-09T17:25:54Z")
The only possible long-term benefit I can even conceive of from the existence of humans to life in general on Earth is that an intelligent species is probably the only possible chance of Earth life propagating (and thus evolving) beyond Earth. If we survive the next few hundred years, we might be able to colonize the rest of the solar system (with ourselves and Earth life we deem necessary or otherwise useful/beneficial) and even beyond over the following several thousand, thus greatly increasing the likelihood Earth life survives the death of Earth and our Sun. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/71 "2022-06-09T17:32:38Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > The only possible long-term benefit I can even conceive of from the existence of humans to life in general on Earth is that an intelligent species is probably the only possible chance of Earth life propagating (and thus evolving) beyond Earth. Sure, but they don’t need to be human. [![](https://i.etsystatic.com/20649982/r/il/97fb65/2270932519/il_794xN.2270932519_pxmn.jpg) ](https://i.etsystatic.com/20649982/r/il/97fb65/2270932519/il_794xN.2270932519_pxmn.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/72 "2022-06-09T17:45:07Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Is a big factor in evolution a simple mathematical issue? In other words the more cells and gene combinations we carry the more opportunity for mutations. I can easily imagine humans branching off into a few different breeds at least and eventually new species. Under the right circumstances the selection process in humans could become supercharged. With the amount of interbreeding humans do all the time, I find it hard to imagine that there would be new species. The selection process could become supercharged in humans if there were a global catastrophe that very drastically reduced our numbers and separated the remaining populations, with no way to get back together for a few thousand years (or more?). As soon as humans get together, they start interbreeding again. I really think you would benefit from reading a few books on evolution. The questions you ask seem to indicate some really basic misunderstandings. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/73 "2022-06-10T07:06:06Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > In other words the more cells and gene combinations we carry the more opportunity for mutations. This displays an incredible failure of understanding not just how evolution, but just sexual reproduction, works. The _only_ amount of cells that matter are in our testes and ovaries. In which case, why hasn’t the Northern Mouse Lemur evolved more rapidly? And chimps should be evolving and speciating 3 times as fast as us. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/74 "2022-06-10T08:51:25Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > which case, why hasn’t the Northern Mouse Lemur evolved more rapidly? And chimps I was actually referring to the complexity of our DNA thinking that a more complex DNA might be more likely to produce mutation it was a question not a statement even if it sounded like one ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/75 "2022-06-10T08:57:41Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I was actually referring to the complexity of our DNA Then what did the number of cells have to do with it? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/76 "2022-06-10T12:52:20Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > what did the number of cells have to do with it I’m just not that familiar with the vernacular ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/77 "2022-06-10T13:21:37Z")
But this isn’t just a matter of terminology: It’s a matter of fundamental concepts. “Number of cells” isn’t just the wrong wording for “complexity of genome”: It’s a completely unrelated thing. Which indicates some very profound deficiencies of biological knowledge, without which any sort of meaningful speculation about evolution is impossible. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/78 "2022-06-10T14:06:41Z")
I may be missing something here. Someone starts a conversation hoping for some input from people who know a little bit about it so that they can get a better grasp on what they are thinking about. But because they don’t know much about the topic they are not supposed to ask. Is this site really about fighting ignorance or is iit about singing to the choir? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/79 "2022-06-10T14:10:23Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > singing to the choir? That ain’t no choir. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817/80 "2022-06-10T14:15:32Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > But because they don’t know much about the topic they are not supposed to ask. Nah, it’s more that when such a person questions the answers that they are given, based on nothing but personal incredulity and prior beliefs, that the people who were trying to answer the question start to get frustrated. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-about-evolution/965817.md?page=5)