I've been playing Mass Effect and the designs of the different species got me thinking up my own aliens species. (might do a write up in the AMAW), but it also got me thinking of what an intelligent (equivalent to our own at least) extraterrestrial lifeform would really look like.
In sci-fi many aliens appear to take on a very humanoid form, with just extra bumps on the forehead or pointy ears. But is this an accurate assumption of what ET would look like? Most scientists say no. But some claim based on a phenomena in evolution known as convergent evolution that some forms are inevitable to arise. For one interesting example bats and dolphins independently developed near identical genetic paths for sonar.
"It seems to me that if something like a bipedal primate (or the equivalent thereof) has a certain inevitability to it because of how evolution unfolds, then it would have happened more than once here. In his book Nonzero, Robert Wright argues that our existence precludes other terrestrial intelligences of our level from arising, but Neanderthals were as close as one can get to a counterfactual experiment, and they had half a million years to themselves in Europe without our interference, and showed no signs of cultural progress whatsoever in that time (tool kits stayed the same, no symbolic art, etc.). So that seems to me a bit of data against that argument."
This part sounds less like an argument against intelligent extraterrestrial life taking humanoid form and more an argument against intelligent life developing at all. But this isn't the arguement, based on the math alone there are likely thousands possibly millions of intelligent lifeforms in this galaxy alone.
Now one argument was that based on what we have seen in convergent evolution it's much more likely to see a starfish or millipede like alien then a humanoid one.
The chances of ET looking like a sea star, a millipede, or a spineless clam are far greater than ET looking like us. The fact that weâre our favorite species and thus depict aliens looking like us tells us more about our egos than evolution.
But this point doesn't take into account the physical requirements of our form of intelligence to form.
So what would such a lifeform require?
Of course they would need a well developed complex brain structure. This would likely have to take a similar form as ours. This brain would have to allow for creativity to invent, make and use tools. It would also have to allow for this creativity to be used in a similar communal fashion as our ability to work together in such an intellectual way has been shown based on studies of other prime mates to be a major factor in our ability to grow and develop our knowledge. Out of these abilities we should see consciousness emerge.
Another requirement would be fine motor skills. They would require the physical capability to manipulate objects, to fashion and use tools. In us we adapted hands, tentacles like those of an octopus could also preform this function.
The species would also require a means of moving around. Depending on the environment this could vary greatly but if we are talking about a terrestrial Earth like environment then legs of some sort would be likely. It would need this so as to explore the world around it.
So ET would have a well developed brain, likely hands or tentacles to manipulate objects, and some means to move itself around.
My thoughts on the matter is that the humanoid form would be at least one of several very likely forms an intelligent extraterrestrial lifeform would take. It wouldn't likely just be bumpy headed people, but the basic form would likely be there. There would likely still be great diversity with number of limbs, fingers, etc., and the proportions and shape of those limbs. But the basic humanoid structure would still be able to be made out. Overall the closer to an Earth like environment we got the more likely an intelligent lifeform would appear humanoid.
Your thoughts?
P.S. This is not a topic to argue Creation, or try to argue against evolution. This topic works under the assumption that such life does exist as the mathematics probabilities show thousands even millions of other intelligent lifeforms to likely exist just in this galaxy alone.
Interesting theory, but most of the things you stated are not required for intelligence. The only thing that really is required is the brain, a human like brain. You are correct in stating that the fit appendages are likely, they are not however, necessary.
For example, lets say there is a completely submerged planet. By your theory, it would be more likely for a bottom dweller to obtain intelligence as it would need tools to crack open shelled food and such, correct? I believe that, instead, it would be more likely to be warm blooded, probably a mammal, to allow for the larger brain. Mammals need to breath oxygen or whatever else there life runs on, so they probably live near the surface and have a more dolphin like figure. There intelligence may be wasted on tool crafting, but it would be useful for social life and hunting strategies.
I do believe that most land bound animals with have the appendages you described, however I am pointing out that they are not necessarily needed widening the net of possible intelligent life.
My only assumption is that the life will probably be mammal and have a large skull. The rest depends entirely on the geographic layout of the planet.
imagine what they would need for their environment For example, our skin could not survive without oxygen. It needs to breathe. So, if an organism did not have the proper amount of oxygen in their atmosphere, they would not have our type of skin
exactly, it all depends on the environment. different species evolve differently depending on where they are forced to adapt. like those little crabs who are completely blind, because they live in deep caves, where there is no light, thus no need for eyes. or the fish that have adapted to have lights on them, as part of their physical appearance, either to attract prey, or see, because they live in depths of the ocean where light cannot make it. or humans have thumbs, so we can tell eachother things are ok with a simple hand gesture (sarcasm).
based on the math alone there are likely thousands possibly millions of intelligent lifeforms in this galaxy alone.
Before we do calculations to find the odds of [intelligent] life, wouldn't we need to know, well, the odds first? As far as we know, we are the only intelligent life in the universe(speaking of our entire planet, not just humans) which would put any estimates of the chances of life at 1 : the number of planets.
Another requirement would be fine motor skills. They would require the physical capability to manipulate objects, to fashion and use tools. In us we adapted hands, tentacles like those of an octopus could also preform this function.
A millipede seems like it could manipulate objects(with some differences) and alien could possibly curl up into a ball or so with some device in the middle where it uses all its legs that are spread out all over the device to manipulate it.
The species would also require a means of moving around. Depending on the environment this could vary greatly but if we are talking about a terrestrial Earth like environment then legs of some sort would be likely. It would need this so as to explore the world around it.
Depending on many variables, it is more "energy efficient" to walk on two legs instead of four, if it used legs.
I think that an alien, whose native home was similar to ours, would look similar to use, except with bigger sensory parts of the body, like bigger lips, eyes and anything else that absorbs information, because a bigger brain would allow for more 'rocessing power'.
@314d1 The development of our intelligence is heavily rooted in our ability to create, so I don't see how our level of intelligence could evolve in a species that doesn't utilize tools. You make an interesting point on the requirement of the ET being warmblooded, but mammalian life isn't the only form to developed warm blood so I don't see ET requiring to be a mammal of some sort.
I suppose a coldblooded animal might be able to achieve our level of intelligence if it developed in a warmer environment where being warmblooded wouldn't be needed.
Since you mention the requirement of breathing oxygen what do you think of the possibility of intelligent life developing in a more alien environment that would be based on breathing another gas?
Depends on the planet they're from. They might have evolved differently from us if the magnetic field was a tad weaker or a tad stronger than ours.
Yes we might diverge away from the humanoid form the further from a terrestrial Earth like environment we got.
I do suspect most to be somewhat similar to oversized arthropods in appearance
The arthropodal form might be likely on a planet with less gravity and higher oxygen content but in an Earth like environment or on a planet with greater gravity such an animal would likely fall apart or be crushed under it's own weight.
It would either be similar to ours, or extremely different. If there was some 'enjoyment' to their method of procreation(like ours) they would probably have sex often for reasons not including procreation(seeking enjoyment and playing is a sign of intelligence in animals, if I remember right), If it was completely different, something like a salmon releasing sperm over eggs that a female already released, then there would be no need for a female except for when you want to procreate(yes, that means she can stay in the kitchen all night).
Not necessarily, while it's likely most intelligent lifeforms would develop sexual reproduction as it allows for greater expedience of the evolutionary process there are animals that reproduce asexually and not requiring a mate. On Earth this process can be found in species as developed as sharks and reptiles.
Before we do calculations to find the odds of [intelligent] life, wouldn't we need to know, well, the odds first? As far as we know, we are the only intelligent life in the universe(speaking of our entire planet, not just humans) which would put any estimates of the chances of life at 1 : the number of planets.
Mathematical models indicate the odds to be between 10-.01 percent. But that's not really the point of the topic.
A millipede seems like it could manipulate objects(with some differences) and alien could possibly curl up into a ball or so with some device in the middle where it uses all its legs that are spread out all over the device to manipulate it.
The application of a tool that would require curling up into a ball to use might be to limited. This is why I think limbs used for manipulating tools would have to have to develop finer motor skills then requiring the entire body to manipulate even basic tools. A starfish like form might make for a good decedent but such an animal to develop intelligence would likely end up looking more like an octopus.
Depending on many variables, it is more "energy efficient" to walk on two legs instead of four, if it used legs.
Energy efficiency might play a roll in a number of physical characteristics thinking about it.
I think that an alien, whose native home was similar to ours, would look similar to use, except with bigger sensory parts of the body, like bigger lips, eyes and anything else that absorbs information, because a bigger brain would allow for more 'rocessing power'.
They could just as easily be smaller, the size of a sensory organ doesn't always determine it's efficiency. The environment could still effect the size though. For example if the planet received less light the eyes would likely develop to be larger but it could also simply develop to just be more light sensitive while remaining about the same size as ours.
Something else I just thought of. If as I said the species would require a means of using this intelligence collectively then it would also require a means of communication. This could be verbally, visually, or chemically done.
Another thought what do you think of the function of a decentralized nervous system. Our brain is part of a centralized nervous system but do you think that a decentralized but more complex nervous system could function in producing intelligent life?
