Could Octopuses Be the Next Rulers of Earth
get along with: to have a friendly or good relationship with someone
If humans one day disappear, who will rule the Earth? It sounds like a ridiculous question, but everything, including us, has a beginning and an end. Just as the dinosaurs died out, making room for our human ancestors, we, too, will one day be gone.
According to Tim Coulson, a biologist at the University of Oxford, octopuses could be our successors. Octopuses have large eyes and a complex network of nerves. Some scientists compare their thinking to a computer’s way of processing information. They already show surprising intelligence. Some octopuses use coconut shells as shelter and can even escape from tanks in aquariums.
Yet, before octopuses can advance further, they must learn to get along with each other. At the moment, they mostly live alone, and young octopuses learn little from adults. Peter Godfrey-Smith from the University of Sydney says that this would make it difficult for them to develop a human-like society. However, some octopuses do form groups of ten or more, so they may become more social over time.
As the human footprint fades, octopuses could become key players in Earth’s future. Their fate depends on their ability to become more social and find steady energy sources, such as tidal power or perhaps thermal vents.
Sample sentences
Even though they are very different, the two children always got along with each other.
My neighbor and I didn’t get along at first, but now we talk every day.
Mark always finds a way to get along with everyone, even when they disagree.
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