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So Intelligent seagoing mammals evolved their wit on land and kept it when they went aquatic, is how I read what you're saying. However whales have been around
by throwaway_pdp09 6y ago
So Intelligent seagoing mammals evolved their wit on land and kept it when they went aquatic, is how I read what you're saying. However whales have been around for a very long time, so I can't accept that argument. If intelligence was of little use in the sea, it would have died out quite quickly I'd expect. I can't see it being incidentally preserved for 45 million years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_cetaceans https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_cetaceans
- phonypc 6y agoHypothetically, some level of intelligence could still be useful in the ocean despite the ocean not providing sufficient pressure for that intelligence to develop.
- throwaway_pdp09 6y agoDoes that sound likely? Can you make a stronger case for or against that proposition?
- phonypc 6y agoIt's just speculation on my part, assuming the idea put forward by the study is true. Like if humans were to start living underwater, I don't think there would be evolutionary pressure on us to lose our intelligence. More speculation: maybe it's not ocean vs. land itself, but the process of moving from one to the other. The smartest ocean-goers have the best chance at thriving on land; the smartest land-goers have the best chance at thriving in the ocean.