What animal would gain sentience?

[Canadamus Prime]

I would still say that it's arrogant, not to mention ignorant, to assume that because other life-forms don't build houses and have technology and shit that they aren't sapient, just in a manner we don't understand. And I would NEVER refer to human society as a "civilization". Also you misspelled 'civilization'.

Long answer: The brain isn't anywhere near "done" at five years of age, I think it's about fully functional around 18-20 years. Kids have smaller heads, you know.

Actually studies have shown that the human brain isn't fully finished development until around age 25-26 on average.

 

[Thaius]

Would I be horribly flamed if I were to say that it would never happen because evolution between species is impossible? I would get fried, wouldn't I?

it's a theory, besides GOD could still exist, which he does.

Wow. Umm... I don't even know what to say. I just got a positive response to an anti-evolution comment. On The Escapist. With no "religious people should die" comments or anything. Kind of nice, actually...

 

[dancinginfernal]

The Lobster, of course.

 

[AngryFrenchCanadian]

In a million years, for example?

Apes, probably. They already have good motors skill, some reasoning skills, can use tools (use a branch to reach for something). It's not too difficult to imagine them becoming a dominant species on the planet in a million years, but by then, they won't be apes anymore.

 

[NIHILHATE]

Cats. My Cats are more intelligent than my Sister and my Mum put together.

 

[Guitar Gamer]

hopefully a lizard.
Now hear me out I realize that it's biologically impossible but think about this...................... lizard people would be really cool

 

[randomize4]

Cuttlefish and Octopi. They have shown aspects of selective breeding, spatial reasoning, pattern memorization and other aspects which would be called "intelligent".

 

[GrandAm]

African grey parrots.

Some youtube links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_Fpad20Zbk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6KvPN_Wt8I

 

[Sulu]

Orangutans! Cos they look mean and would be terrifying in clothes!

I'd hope they'd develop something comparable to our myelin sheaths because an axon's diameter can only grow so large before becoming impractical. They truly are very intelligent (and even the most intelligent invertebrates), but this flaw would be quite difficult to overcome.

I'm pretty sure neurones have myelin sheaths and the impulse jumps from a node of Ranvier to another. It's how reactions can be so quick. A neurone doesn't grow in diametre it grows in length and as they are only one cell then large animals have much slower reactions than small ones, e.g. a mouse moves lightning fast compared to a giraffe.

 

[masher]

The Lobster, of course.

"Pick a mouth, open it, and say *gurgle*gurgle*gurlge*!"
Yep, them or mice because of Douglas Adams.

 

[Zildjin81]

Elephants. Damn that would be cool.

 

[leighjet]

i watched a show once that went through what might be going on x amount of years after we left the planet or died out etc..
and they believed that squid and others in that category would be next

 

[Sulu]

Would I be horribly flamed if I were to say that it would never happen because evolution between species is impossible? I would get fried, wouldn't I?

it's a theory, besides GOD could still exist, which he does.

Wow. Umm... I don't even know what to say. I just got a positive response to an anti-evolution comment. On The Escapist. With no "religious people should die" comments or anything. Kind of nice, actually...

Your welcome

Probably because evolution doesn't happen between species it happens to an individual species.
I found evolution much easier to understand when looking at birds.
If a bird species lives in a habitat with an even number of large seeds and small seeded plants then the birds will eat both forms of seed, because some birds will grow up with larger beaks to crack open the larger seeds. If the small seed plant suddenly goes extinct then there will be a lot of birds with beaks too small to eat the large seeds (only form of food). These birds will die. The only birds left will have large beaks and they will breed to form the same species of bird but all having larger beaks. The gene for small beaks is recessive. Tadar that is a species adapting to an environment by having larger beaks = evolution.

 

[oppp7]

Well, like someone earlier said, sea creatures couldn't progress too much because of their lack of fire.
So I'll go with... pigs.
Can't find the articles, but they've already started the takeover.

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

The Sea Otters!.

 

[Nemorov]

squids. no seriously, thay allready have the intelligence of a 5 year old (some species at least).

Surely a five year old is just as intelligent as an adult, only the adult has learned how to apply it's intelligence

Short answer: No.

Long answer: The brain isn't anywhere near "done" at five years of age, I think it's about fully functional around 18-20 years. Kids have smaller heads, you know.

Here, here. I don't think I actually developed a functioning frontal lobe until a few years ago. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and smack myself in the mouth.