humans are nearly the dumbest possible creature capable of developing a technological civilization
Dumbest possible? That sounds too strong. Humans are the first, which gives us good reason to think we are nowhere near the most intelligent, but we might not be at the very bottom. I think the very bottom would not be easy to evolve because it doesn’t offer much of an advantage.
Chimpanzees have some level of intelligence insufficient for technological civilization. Our common ancestor with chimpanzees presumably had some level of intelligence insufficient for technological civilization. As our ancestors evolved gradually from that common ancestor, their intelligence increased gradually. As soon as it reached the level sufficient for technological civilization, they formed one, which has existed for the blink of an eye in evolutionary time. Current humans are just above that threshold, because we can only have been above it for a short time.
Dumbest possible? That sounds too strong. Humans are the first, which gives us good reason to think we are nowhere near the most intelligent, but we might not be at the very bottom. I think the very bottom would not be easy to evolve because it doesn’t offer much of an advantage.
Chimpanzees have some level of intelligence insufficient for technological civilization. Our common ancestor with chimpanzees presumably had some level of intelligence insufficient for technological civilization. As our ancestors evolved gradually from that common ancestor, their intelligence increased gradually. As soon as it reached the level sufficient for technological civilization, they formed one, which has existed for the blink of an eye in evolutionary time. Current humans are just above that threshold, because we can only have been above it for a short time.