What if we were not the only sapient species on earth?

[Rali]

In a recent posting at Science In My Fiction, Kay Holt contemplates what would happen if dolphins were "recognized as non-human persons".

The idea of Earth as home to more than one sapient species is rich with potential adversity and opportunity for dolphins and humans alike. While it's unlikely that dolphins' personhood will be universally recognized any time soon. If it ever happens, it'll be a politically, morally and ethically charged occasion, to say the least. Religious humans will protest recognition on the grounds that dolphins weren't made in the image of God. Then there are the challenges surrounding the ways humans use the oceans – for dumping, fishing, shipping, oil production, etc. – and our long history of mishandling property rights and the concept of ownership.

Granted, in AtB, any sapient mutant animals created with the EGG would most likely be considered property and not afforded the luxury of "sapient rights". At least not until you reach a situation like that depicted in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes:

Where there is fire, there is smoke.
And in that smoke, from this day forward, my people will crouch, and conspire, and plot, and plan for the inevitable day of Man's downfall.
The day when he finally and self-destructively turns his weapons against his own kind.
The day of the writing in the sky, when your cities lie buried under radioactive rubble!
When the sea is a dead sea, and the land is a wasteland out of which I will lead my people from their captivity!
And we will build our own cities, in which there will be no place for humans except to serve our ends!
And we shall found our own armies, our own religion, our own dynasty!
And that day is upon you NOW!

But now... now we will put away our hatred.
Now we will put down our weapons.
We have passed through the night of the fires, and those who were our masters are now our servants.
And we, who are not human, can afford to be humane.
Destiny is the will of God, and if it is man’s destiny to be dominated, it is God’s will that he be dominated with compassion, and understanding.
So, cast out your vengeance. Tonight, we have seen the birth of the Planet of the Apes!

[taalismn]

Nothing new there....everybody knows cockroaches are really behind everything...

[DracoMagus]

Nothing new there....everybody knows cockroaches are really behind everything...

That gets me to thinking of a gang of mutant cockroaches riding around the post apocalyptic ruins of New York (or whatever other major city you like). They have lots of weapons and have a tendancy to be Very territorial, whether it be against other roach tribes or against the rival mutant rats.

Funny stuff there...

[Rali]

Another example I can think of is the movie, Phase IV in which a cosmic anomaly lifts several species of ants who create a colony in the desert south west of America.

[VR Dragon]

I personally am very attracted to the idea of uplifting a species to sapience. One of the problems humans have is the only child sydrome, everything is ours and to heck with sharing. Another is that given 6 billion people on this planet and each one is alone, having other types of sapient life to talk with and live with would be enriching for both parts. Heck if thinking outside the box is a good thing then imagin what something outside the species might give to the collective world.

[Rali]

Maybe it would look like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxsEObEZZ7k

[Beatmeclever]

Dolphins are probably more humane than any human.

Seriously?! Obviously, you haven't seen this, or read this, or this.

As the man in the second article says, "If the dolphins ever evolve thumbs, we're in trouble. It will be like a slasher-film remake of Douglas Adams' So Long And Thanks for All The Fish. If I wash up with pulped innards and dolphin tooth marks, you'll know why. After all, you never hear about the people the dolphins push out to sea."

[Beatmeclever]

Dolphins are probably more humane than any human.

Seriously?! Obviously, you haven't seen this, or read this, or this.

As the man in the second article says, "If the dolphins ever evolve thumbs, we're in trouble. It will be like a slasher-film remake of Douglas Adams' So Long And Thanks for All The Fish. If I wash up with pulped innards and dolphin tooth marks, you'll know why. After all, you never hear about the people the dolphins push out to sea."

That's jist anti-dolphin propaganda that porpoises put out.

Oh! Well, in that case, dolphins would be better people than us. We should all just kill ourselves now and let them have the world. But then again, if we do that, those damn porpoises would be mean to the dolphins and so we humans should stick around to keep them apart.

[BillionSix]

Actually, the RPG Blue Planet addresses the idea pretty well.
Really interesting setting. Worth a look.

Brian

[DracoMagus]

Nothing new there....everybody knows cockroaches are really behind everything...

That gets me to thinking of a gang of mutant cockroaches riding around the post apocalyptic ruins of New York (or whatever other major city you like). They have lots of weapons and have a tendancy to be Very territorial, whether it be against other roach tribes or against the rival mutant rats.

Funny stuff there...

i can see it now. gangs of mutant cocroaches running around getting drunk off of ferminated glue sticks.... and old sticker paper

Fermented Glue Sticks? Huh... At least it wouldn't be like Alien Nation where the aliens were gettin drunk on spoiled milk.

[gaby]

Well you can make a Alternate earth,where instead of Human Native Americans (both North and South) the Spanish meeted tribes of human-like Animals in 1492.

the Thing is What animals to use?

How do you think this will changed History?

[Rali]

Well you can make a Alternate earth,where instead of Human Native Americans (both North and South) the Spanish meeted tribes of human-like Animals in 1492.

the Thing is What animals to use?

How do you think this will changed History?

The church would have covered the whole thing up and set out on a campaign of genocide, since anthropomorphic animals would contradict the churches teachings. After all, God created humanity in his image and created the animals to serve us (as food and beasts of burden). That he would have created animals in His image would be seen as heresy, so these creatures must be the spawn of Satan and would have to be destroyed.

Wow, this really would make for an interesting alternate history campaign setting.

As for what animals to use. You would need to make sure that you only used animals that were native to the continent pre-1490's, and were not transplants from Europe. No anthro horses!

[Gazirra]

Well you can make a Alternate earth,where instead of Human Native Americans (both North and South) the Spanish meeted tribes of human-like Animals in 1492.

the Thing is What animals to use?

How do you think this will changed History?

The church would have covered the whole thing up and set out on a campaign of genocide, since anthropomorphic animals would contradict the churches teachings. After all, God created humanity in his image and created the animals to serve us (as food and beasts of burden). That he would have created animals in His image would be seen as heresy, so these creatures must be the spawn of Satan and would have to be destroyed.

Wow, this really would make for an interesting alternate history campaign setting.

As for what animals to use. You would need to make sure that you only used animals that were native to the continent pre-1490's, and were not transplants from Europe. No anthro horses!

Well, no Native Americans could imply no Homo Sapiens migration through Beringia. Thus, the tribes would likely be megafauna, like the Woolly Mammoth and the Sabre-Tooth Tiger