Speculative Evolution: Alternate Sapient Beings

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Hi all.

I know that this isn't the official speculative evolution forum, but I'm hoping that this thread will take off anyway.

Let's imagine some alternate universes. In our universe, a group of primates evolved sapience, creating us. What would the world be like if a completely different animal group had evolved sapience?

Birds: Sapient birds would be odd. They would likely have fewer issues regarding gender inequality, since the egg-laying reproductive system makes equal treatment easier. That being said, birds are even more visual than human beings. As a result, racial conflicts between sapient birds with different plumage would be common. They likely wouldn't need to bathe, because they would preen their feathers. They would likely use their feet to make tools and build things. Meanwhile, their wings would be used for locomotion. They would have to skillfully hover in the air in order to built spearheads with their feet. Their languages would consist of whistles. All of their languages would be tonal.

Cephalopods: They would possibly change color in order to communicate, rather than using sound. They would need to use their tentacles to build tools. Perhaps they would use special vehicles to move across continents, just as we use boats to move across the sea. Ironically, these creatures may spend more time travelling through space than humans. This is because water provides a feeling of weightlessness which is comparable to zero gravity.

Insects: Eusocial insects would have a better chance of evolving sapience than other insects, though this would come with some complications. Drones would struggle against female supremacy, which would be common among these sapient bugs. Sterile workers would also struggle against their bloated queens. Perhaps there would also be conflicts between the soldier and worker castes. In other words, the concept of sex equality would be a dizzying, tangled web for these creatures. Perhaps sapient insects would create cultivated flower fields in order to harvest nectar, though this would lead to environmental consequences, as well as an even more oppressive class structure.

Ungulates: Sapient ungulates would be odd. Perhaps they would use modified trunks or tongues to make tools and manipulate objects.

Can anyone think of any more?

It's not some much sapience or even tooluse that is needed. I gather you are speculating about possible new/different technology wielding species.

What you need, is some way of delicate control over any tools and fire.
Anything aquatic is out, unless they adapt to being terrestrial.

Birds could be interesting, but likely you would need a species that has adapted their wings into more or less arms. they would likely also grow larger, needing a bigger brain.

Personally, I was thinking rats. But that's just Skaven...

I like running "simulations" in my head and going over dozens of animals that might work(from dolphins, to bears and cats), I came up with a cephalopod that had scales and armoured tentacles. Looked pretty cool. I might do a drawing tomorrow during lunch...

I was also thinking of fungus. A single, gigantic creature, covering most of the world, using fungal growths and infected animals to do labour.

What if a venomous species became sapient? Would there be some sort of unwritten code of conduct on when you can and cannot use your venom?

Perhaps members this species would say something like "He's getting his venom ready." to mean "He's angry."

I do know that skunks generally don't spray when they fight other skunks. It's an unspoken rule among skunkkind.

I also think that it would be cool if elephant-like creatures evolved to be sapient, and began using their trunks to make tools.

What would it be like if an intelligent being was going though musth?

would it be anything like a Vulcan going through pon-farr?

if the most intelligent Conures and Ravens got human-level intelligence, I wonder how much of a difference it would make for them?

Raccoons.

Sapient cephalopods are a common part of evolutionary speculation because of the ending of The Future is Wild. However, I don't think that terrestrial sapient cephalopods are very likely. If sapient cephalopods every evolve, they will likely evolve underwater.

This would come with advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, it would be much easier for an undersea civilisation to develop agriculture, as they would not have to worry about gravity all that much. On the other hand, it would be considerably harder for them to develop writing and electronics.

it is not impossible that they might have developed super-intelligence and ESP/telekinesis. that combo can do an end run around technology which is just a crude approximation of those things.

This is one of the things I always really liked about the Super Mario Bros. movie.

For those who haven't seen it, a comet crashes into Earth, but instead of wiping out the dinosaurs, it sent them into an alternate dimension, where they evolved into intelligent humanoids.

Well, most of them, anyway...

kinkajous are adorable