A scientist has named an unexpected creature that is ready to take over the world if humans go extinct. And it's not cockroaches

The question of who can take over the world if humans become extinct has been raised in the scientific community many times. A scientist has named a creature that is theoretically ready to lead the life chain on Earth.

Oxford University professor Tim Coulson did not confirm the widespread belief that only cockroaches are capable of surviving and ruling the world if humanity dies. Instead, the scientist said that octopuses have "agility and intelligence" that "makes them a strong candidate for evolution and civilization," TheSun reports.

Prof. Coulson said that octopuses are able to solve complex problems and also communicate with each other using only flashes of color. And this, he said, makes them the perfect next ruler and the "brain of the sea."

Although octopuses are unlikely to adapt to life on land like humans, they can "build underwater communities similar to the cities we see on land," says Tim Coulson.

Still, the professor suggests that over time, octopuses may evolve to hunt outside the water. After all, this marine animal can already stay out of the water for up to 30 minutes.

"They may take hundreds of thousands or even millions of years to evolve. However, with evolutionary progress, they may be able to develop ways to breathe outside of water and eventually hunt land animals," the scientist suggested.

But Coulson emphasized that evolution is unpredictable. "We cannot say with certainty which way it will go in the event of human extinction," he said.

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