An Oxford professor identifies an animal as a potential successor to humans on Earth: “A civilization-building species”

The idea that life on Earth could continue without humans invites reflection on our permanence as a species. Although we have transformed the planet in profound ways, Earth’s history shows that no species lasts forever.

Tim Coulson, a professor at the University of Oxford, explores this possibility in his book The universal history of us. According to Coulson, the disappearance of humans could open the door to new species stepping into the ecological roles we would leave behind. Evolution – which he describes as a process driven by genetic mutations – would continue unabated, steering organisms as they adapt to a changing environment.

“Extinction is the fate of all species, including our own, even if we hope that outcome is still a long way off,” Coulson says. Many might assume that primates, our closest relatives, would be the natural successors. Coulson argues, however, that their reliance on social networks and specific behaviors could limit their ability to adapt in a world without humans.

Octopuses as our successors

Octopuses, renowned for their intelligence and adaptability, could emerge as the new “civilization builders.” Their problem-solving abilities, communication through color changes and skill at manipulating objects suggest they could evolve into even more complex forms if conditions allow. Over time, Coulson theorizes, they might develop ways to breathe outside water and explore new habitats, even hunting land-based prey.

Although their current limitations – such as the absence of a skeleton – make life outside the ocean difficult, evolution could overcome these obstacles over millions of years. In a post-human world, the oceans might become even more central as hubs of biodiversity. Octopuses could build underwater cities, interact with their environment in novel ways and perhaps even develop their own technology.

Coulson acknowledges that predicting the future of evolution is nearly impossible given the countless variables involved. Still, his analysis highlights how unexpected events – genetic mutations or mass extinctions – have shaped life’s history on Earth. “Is it likely that octopuses will replace humans as the dominant species? It’s an intriguing possibility, but also unlikely in the short term. Imagining it, though, helps us appreciate life’s extraordinary capacity to adapt.”

A human-free Earth would be a place of ecological reorganization, where new species could arise to fill the gaps left by our disappearance. The planet’s past has already shown that life always finds a way to reinvent itself.

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