Man has truly changed the Earth in a way that was unprecedented in ancient times thanks to his intelligence. From metropolitan cities to ancient relics such as pyramids. So what if humans never existed on this Earth?
Scientists say in that scenario, Earth would be full of wilderness and so many animal species, including giants. "I think there will be a lot more vegetation areas with abundant animals, including large ones on all continents except Antarctica," said Trevor Worthy, professor at Flinders University, Australia.
It is also possible that other human species such as the extinct Neanderthals will thrive. But it is possible that they will also change the Earth a lot.
Humans have indeed changed the world while at the same time, making many species extinct due to hunting or habitat destruction. Earth's extinction rate is currently estimated to be a hundred times higher than if humans did not exist.
"My ancestors could see thousands of flocks of parakeets in nature, my grandfather could see hundreds, my father saw only a few and now I'm lucky if I get to see one or two in the woods," Worthy illustrates.
Without humans, the Earth would be much wilder in nature and the big beasts would still exist. Call it a giant bird that lived in New Zealand millions of years ago as high as 3.6 meters. maybe still exist.
By the time humans arrived in New Zealand, all moa species were extinct as well as 25 other vertebrate species. So it is extraordinary the impact that humans have on Earth.
Even the extinct animals would still be alive if humans were not in power. Call it the cave lion or Panthere spelea in Europe, which last lived 12 thousand years ago, will still survive to this day.
"In a world without humans, there would be a lot more diversity of large mammals and there would likely be a lot of open habitat," said Soren Faraby, an expert from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.