Also, why would evolution necessarily push towards a truly intelligent species? Humans were pushed to something like 30 breeding pairs (people theorize) If they had died the earth would have a vastly biodiverse set of life, but no civilization.

We're one of the first in the Milky Way. Other potential competing planets were wiped out by all sorts of cosmic crap. Right place; away from more crowded star environs that are more likely to have nearby novas and such. Right time; relatively fast evolutionary scale on earth that allows us to be one of the first. That's my theory.