Yeah, but as Baylor points out, thIs is Childhood's End, and Clarke wrote the story that way. I found the book to be very good, and I loved the end, personally. Citizen Kane would have been less bleak if Kane had found redemption rather than crying out for his Rosebud at his death, but it wouldn't have been Welles' vision (or doubtless as good).But to me it would be logical to allow as many potential species to evolve then ascend to enrich the overmind.