This will be a public poll with no set ending date. You may choose multiple responses. There is a “None of the above” option, as well as a “You left out an obvious possibility, dimwit!” option. I would define sapient if I weren’t [del]so freaking lazy [/del] desirous of discussing that in the thread.
What about “All of the above”? That’s the answer I would give.
You don’t seem to have voted as I write this, so I recommend that you simply select each option (except for the last two) in that case. Or even all the options except for the last one, if you wish to add an animal I left out, like the domestic pig.
Most likely to be sapient now, or most likely to evolve sapience at some point?
I was going to say something cruel about verb tenses, but then I re-read my OP and decided it was ambiguous on that point.
Anyway, I mean sapient now–in no small part because I seriously doubt the first two options are going to evolve into anything but a fond memory.
I said none of the above, but of that list, I’d say that the bottlenose dolphin probably comes closest, and after it, the Orca. Humpback whales are morons.
First, I had to look up sapient. Thank goodness I did or the answers may have been quite different.
Then I discovered I am an ageist; all my choices are species that live ‘long enough’* to garner some experience and wisdom and thus have some kind of ‘cultural knowledge’* that could be passed along. I just don’t think dogs, cats and wolves have enough time on earth to develop that.
But this is really the first time I’ve thought about this topic at all. Good thread; I’m interested in hearing others opinions.
*arbitrarily defined by me
I have seen dogs and cats behave. Sure there are a few bright ones but tons and tons of both of them that are dumb as rocks. I had a dog that was dumb as a rock. best dog ever, but…
I took dolphins.
I think I’ll go with Zhaozhou and answer “mu” (as in none of the above, tho that’s not my actual position). Heck, I’m not convinced that all of my fellow humans are sapient. But in my personal dealings with some of the animals listed (mainly pets of course), I seriously have to wonder.
Whatever happend to the Great Apes?
I KNEW I forgot something! How I forgot them I don’t know. I must have been distracted by work.
Which ones do you mean, though? Gorillas ≠ orangutans ≠ chimpanzees ≠ bonobos.
Concur. They are certainly most likely. What’s the case for the elephants? Haven’t heard that one.
Oh, and I mean any of them. Notably chimps, but also gorillas. Haven’t seen as many studies involving bonobos or orangutans, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Hell, any of them. There are no primates in your list, and I think they’d be excellent candidates.
I have to go with cats. Every time my cat stares at me, I’m pretty sure that it’s thinking “the only reason I tolerate you is because you feed me and you’re comfortable to lay on, also if us cats had opposable thumbs we would be kicking your ass”.
Octopus and chimp
I meant to include the apes. You have my word as a Lawful Evil type. I was handicapped by lack of caffeine and will be taking my vengeance on Starbucks.
Here are a few cites:
Elephant Intelligence: Why Elephants Might Be as Smart as Humans
The Nature Institute: Elephantine Intelligence
Surely you don’t mean all primates. I mean, you’ve got your lemurs, lorisids, galagos, tarsiers, marmorsets, and eleventy-nine others. Primate includes more than apes, humans, and Curious George.
I’d go for at least all of the great apes, since they success in the Mirror Test, as - apparently - do some dolphins, elephants, orcas and magpies(!)
Thanks for jogging my memory ------ I vote for domestic pigs based upon the Carson Principle demonstrating the superior intellect of pigs over other creatures such as horses.
(Johnny Carson would argue that you never saw a pig letting some 300 pound fat guy ride it)