How did intelligent life got so advanced on land (humans) than in the oceans considering how the ocean is the greater part of the world and has much more diversity in it?
In: Biology
Dolphins and whales don’t answer the question, as they are mammals like us who returned to water after evolving on land. The real answer comes from before we were tetrapods with the development of the vertebral column.
A backbone allowed for strong organizational changes to the central nervous system and gave bodies the structural strength to climb on land, meaning vertebrates physically capable of getting out of the water were already at a neurological advantage compared to most of the animal kingdom. After that, air allowed for better mobility, easier gas exchange and increased visibility which improved access to information, so nervous systems increased in complexity to accommodate these factors. Arthropods also climbed out of the water but their lack of skeleton limits the mass they can carry and makes active gas exchange impossible (no lungs for more oxygen).
Dry land is also a less violent environment for organic competition with stricter selection pressures compared to the ocean, as the chemical reactions necessary for life only happen in water. Animal life on land requires stronger bodies that can retain their own moisture, so to even exist on that level means you’ve filtered out opportunities for less complex forms to stay competitive.
Lastly, as hominids our advanced mobility + advanced neurology allowed for tool use, creating technology that sped our development up exponentially. Fire, language, spears etc created physical changes that improved our intelligence and ability to devote calories to brain power.
TLDR; surviving on land has a higher barrier to entry, but more potential for expansion
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