I came across a very interesting article by Matthew Wills in The Conversation entitled Crabs have evolved five separate times – why do the same forms keep appearing in nature? After dealing with the crab story he also highlights birds as another recurring organism and then moves on to bring up the interesting case of how mammals have evolved in two distinct groups - placental and marsupial - and yet similar species appear in both. The adaptations which evolution selects for success tens to recur. He uses his observations to suggest that any form of life would follow the same principles and thus could well exist in another part of the universe (or multiverse anyone?).
But it made we wonder as well, whether, if us humans drive ourselves to extinction by causing environmental change quicker than we can evolve to survive under new conditions, does it mean humans could reappear in the future if the earth’s environment returned to that which gave rise to us the first time round? Brings a new angle to the idea of long-termism.
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.