How do we know that the brutally hard process of evolution could create such an intellectual masterpiece as Homo Sapiens Sapiens?

I understand that humans are not yet perfect, and they are constantly evolving. But we humans are currently the pinnacle of development on our planet. And we are also among the most highly developed of the intellectual animals known to us.<br><br>One of the best examples of a highly developed animal is the orca of the Pacific Northwest. Orcas are incredibly intelligent, and they have a very complex social system and hunting strategy. They also have highly developed abilities to communicate with each other about their intentions and strategies. But they are still far from humans in terms of intellectual abilities.<br><br>The question is why, with the brutal process of evolution, we humans were able to develop in the way we did. And what an incredible stroke of luck it was to have developed the way we did.<br><br>Evolution is a process of adaptation to the environment, where the best-adapted individuals are able to reproduce and pass on their characteristics to their offspring. But from this description alone, it is not clear why humans had to develop such advanced intellectual abilities in order to reproduce. <br><br>Why was it necessary for humans to become such intellectual giants, and what stopped other species, especially the orcas, from developing the same level of intelligence as humans? <br><br>Opinions?