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Living Puddles; moving liquid life
Topic Started: Apr 20 2009, 11:14 AM (798 Views)
Toad of Spades
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Clorothod
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What if life developed on a planet that had most of its moisture and microscopic life in the atmosphere and extremely high gravity. Complex life isn't similar to Earth life. The super-high gravity could crush almost any complex Earth life. Instead complex life resembles a large variety of stationary and moving puddle-like lifeforms. The "puddles" consist of various symbiotic cell-like lifeforms dependent on each other suspended in a water/organic filiment matrix descended from "cells" that suspended themselves in moisture molecules. There are puddles that photosynthesize and move from one place to another, as well as predators. They capture moisture from the atmosphere, then special fillaments can hold as well as move liquid and nutrients around their bodies. Cillia like structures connected to various neuron like "cells" are able to create currents in the liquid that can be changed to move the puddle. There are also chemical, light, and shape detecting areas in the advanced moving types. The "predator" and "prey" puddles are the most advanced, with greatly enhanced senses.
The stationary puddles slide from one place to another to feed their photosynthesizing "cells" with the best sunlight. "Herbivores" feed on them by engulfing into them and using enzymes to loosen the connective fillements to steal the food produced by photosynthesis. "Predators" feed by rolling into or chasing down the "prey" and using special "cells" that enter and attack the insides of the "prey" puddle. Once the prey puddle is dead, the "predator" engulfs it and uses enhanced enzymes to consume the whole thing. There are some that wait in porous ground and emerge to take the victim by suprise. There are some that even pack hunt by surrounding the victim by both sides and engulf equal portions. Most "predators" specialize in weapons like hardening the fillements towards the outides to make spines or blades that rip off pieces and consume the "prey" one piece a time. The "prey" also make defenses like hardening the fillements towards the outside to make a shell, or sharp defensive spines. Some harden the fillements into many small short spikes to use for traction as they roll away giving them more speed. A few "predators" use this as well to chase "prey" like a puddle version of a cheetah. There are also those that eat only the microorganisms in the atmosphere by making a living similar to the photosynthesizers.
They reproduce in a variety of ways. Some reproduce by doubling or tripling the number of "cells" in the body then split and grow individually. Some lay one or more hard egg like structures that contain many dormant "cells" that become active when conditions are plentiful. There are also some that produce offspring in a similar way to Earth's placental mammals.
"Predator" and "prey" puddles have a greater number of "neurons" and those toward the center function like a brain. Intelligence varies but some are capable of memorizing landmarks. Some are capable of child care. If a threat is near the parent or parents engulf the offspring but keep them intact. Once the threat is gone they are spit out again.

Any thoughts?
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ATEK Azul
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very unique and cool but i am sure somebodys going too say its a boring concept. but i think its very imaginative.
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Genesis
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Love the idea!
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Giant Blue Anteater
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Why would it be boring? I think it's an interesting concept as well!

The organisms you described remind me of slime molds. But if they move via cillia on mucus, then it is unfortunately likely going to be slow. Also, I don't think animals with a coherent body plan are entirely impossible to evolve on a high-gravity planet, at least in the oceans, and tiny on land. But it is still a good concept.
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cdk007
 
Intelligence is awareness of ignorance. Stupidity is ignorance of ignorance. Think about it.
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Rodge the Linkbot
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You mentioned hunting and landmark memorization, what kind of senses do these creatures use? Is it simply able to 'smell' chemicals and use touch to feel along, or do these creatures have other senses?

Also, would there be a division between herbivore and carnivores, because based on digestion it sounds like the only split would be photosynthesizers and omnivores. Could an organism be capable of both?
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ATEK Azul
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nevermind i apear too be wrong thankfuly.

i am also wondering what devides the niches as it seems like a very simple ecosystem.
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ashwinder
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Any parasitic puddles?
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Xenophile
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Formerly known as alienboy.
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This is a very interesting idea, but if intelligence ever developed on the "puddle" planet, it would be unable to form technology. Wait I take that back. What if some puddles used special cells to modify metal and other electrical producing organs to create simple circuits? The speices would never be able to develope space travel though because of the high gravity :( .
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ATEK Azul
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that would be interesting intellegent puddles that have armor and spikes and roll around eating materials so they can build things on the inside. lol what a picture.
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Toad of Spades
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The ecosystem I gave was a basic outline of the predator prey relationship. There would be omnivores, parasites, specialists, and so forth. The division between carnivore and herbivore is that the herbivore only consumes the food produced by photosynthesis and nothing else. Carnivores consume mostly herbivores, filter feeders, or smaller carnivores, not photosynthesizers, and they consume the entire puddle.
They have a sense of touch that helps them feel what they are going over and into. They have a sense of pain to alert them if they are under attack or moving over somthing harmful. Some special neurons gather near the surface and detect light and shapes. These are very simple in photosynthesizers and can only detect changes in light. Those in advanced types can organize into complex patches that can function like an eye. They can also de-organize and re-organize them when needed. The "brain" consists of many neuron-like "cells" that exchange information and can move around in the "body" to avoid being harmed.
Sorry Link, I don't give credit. Come back when you're a little...MMMMMM...Richer.

Bread is an animal and humans are %90 aluminum.
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ATEK Azul
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interesting sounds adaptable and hard too kill lol.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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Giant Blue Anteater
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Theoretically, these blobs would likely inhabit a planet like Gliese 436 d, where the gravity would be too strong for large land animals to live on.
Ichthyostega

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cdk007
 
Intelligence is awareness of ignorance. Stupidity is ignorance of ignorance. Think about it.
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ATEK Azul
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quite possibly and that would be awsome!!!
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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