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Kali; My new exobiology project
Topic Started: May 20 2009, 05:23 PM (1,386 Views)
Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

As you might have seen on Deviantart I recently had an idea for a new exobiology project. My zoology class has introduced me to many new and interesting concepts and creatures and has inspired many new organisms for an exobiology extravaganza, so I figured I might as well start a new project, seeing as my last one kind of dried up and died.

This particular project focuses on the myriad of life found on a planet called Kali, named after a character from Hindu mythology (as all the characters from Greek mythology have already been used in naming celestial bodies). It is a lush world, slightly smaller than Earth, with a single vast ocean on one side of the planet and several lakes and rivers on the other. It is the sixth planet orbiting a red giant and is slightly warmer than Earth, thus it lacks polar ice caps. This is because it has a build-up of greenhouse gases due to overactive vulcanism. It has two small moons, Rama-1 and Rama-2, each of which are simply small asteroids captured by the planet's gravitational pull as they passed by.

I plan on creating creatures starting from the most primitive and working my way up to the most advanced (in other words going from aquatic lifeforms to terrestrial lifeforms) and then building onto each creature; slowly creating a genus and then a phylum from each. They have a genetic structure of their own, based on proteins similar to those that are found in DNA. Instead of forming two strands that twist into a double helix their genetic structure (which we shall call Kalinic Nucleic Acid, or KNA) forms three separate strands that combine into a prism shape. Because of this all sexually reproducing organisms have three different sperm-like gametes which for the sake of simplicity we shall call gamete A, gamete B, and gamete C (or just A, B, and C). Through processes unknown to science at this time the gametes from one organism will not recombine into exactly the same organism in some kind of strange self-cloning phenomenon. Instead the gametes from two organisms (as the lifeforms of Kali do not have different sexes, they are all unisex) will seek out each other. During reproduction gamete A will seek gamete B and form gamete AB, which in turn attracts gamete C. Gamete C combines with an AB gamete to form a complete prism of KNA. Because this form of reproduction guarantees three different combination of KNA all acts of reproduction end in triplets being formed. In order to prevent overpopulation this requires natural processes to be in place to ensure that species will not overpopulate and become extinct due to lack of resources. Creatures lower on the food chain will reproduce more often (perhaps even three times in their life!) but have a significantly shorter lifespan than other organisms. More evolved creatures higher on the food chain will reproduce less often (some as few as once in a lifetime) but live far longer than other organisms.

Three types of reproduction are known on Kali, each one more advanced than the last. The first is found only in aquatic organisms or amphibians. This type of reproduction involves the organisms simply releasing their gametes into the water in proximity of other members of their species. The gametes will gather and form KNA, slowly beginning cell division and the growth of a new organism. In terrestrial animals it is common to find Kali's answer to Earth's egg; the sac. Organisms will produce a sac filled with a fluid containing their gametes and nutrients and then fertilize another sac by releasing a semen-like fluid onto the surface of another sac. The sac absorbs the fluid through pores and from there the process of cell division and grown begins. In some species they will have three separate sacs, each containing one particular gamete, though this is less common as there is less of a chance for successful fertilization of all sacs. And finally, in the most advanced organisms. there is a kind of internal sac that is fertilized by insemination via penis-like structures and oviducts. In order to prevent too much strain from being put on one organisms body from the stress and demands of growing triplets within a womb this type of reproduction involves giving birth to live, larval young that then mature into an adult through metamorphosis.

Those are all the notes I have at the moment, but I can guarantee that once I start putting creatures up there will be more. At the moment I do not have my printer/scanner connected to my computer so I can't scan the one creature I already have completed onto the computer but I can tell you right now that it is not like the creatures in my old projects.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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Very creative, using Hindu names. I used names from Norse mythology for my worldbuilding project. It's called Valhalla. Take a look at it!
My Projects:
The Neozoic Redux
Valhalla--Take Three!
The Big One



Deviantart Account: http://elsqiubbonator.deviantart.com

In the end, the best advice I could give you would be to do your project in a way that feels natural to you, rather than trying to imitate some geek with a laptop in Colorado.
--Heteromorph
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Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

I've seen it, interesting stuff. I used Hindu mythology because it rivals Greek mythology in the amount of names, whereas Norse does not (don't get me wrong though, Norse mythology does have quite a few characters).
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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ATEK Azul
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This sounds quite interesting in my opinion i like how you designed the new reproductive methods and the genetic structures together the creatures developing from those systems will be fascinating i'm sure.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

They'll certainly be interesting. I'm attempting to take evolutionary structures we consider "primitive" such as ram ventilation, open circulatory systems, undulating blood vessels (rather than hearts), cutaneous respiration, and the like and make more advanced versions of them. Just to mix things up a bit and make the organisms a little more alien on the inside as well as the outside.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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Wow that sounds amazing and it will definantly effect the lifeforms, so I hope too see descriptions and pics if possible.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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Ànraich
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Posted Image

This is the first of the organisms I will present to you. I have not yet thought of a name for it, but I was thinking that it's genus would be composed of organisms with a tough outer shell secreted from a mantle like a mollusk and its species by a semi-skeletal structure so I was considering calling it Kalimollusca Pseudoosteos (the false boned Kali mollusk), nicknamed the Crestback.

It is characterized by its large shell that is secreted from mantle openings on either side of its body, so the two separate shells meet and push against each other, forming a crest along its back (like how tectonic plates smash together and form mountains). The shell only covers the top half of its body because it roams Kali's ocean floors and therefore needs only to protect its back rather than have a shield to pull its whole body into. The internal structure of the Crestback is also eerily mollusk-like, with an open circulatory systems that is also used to support the body via a system of blood-filled sinuses. Unlike a mollusk the Crestback also has a pseudo-skeleton composed of a cartilage-like structure that supports the tail and head (so it has a bony tail and a skull, the rest is just sinuses). This not only allows for better swimming ability and protection for the brain, but frees ups space in the head for more complex sensory organs.

It has a tubular digestive tract that is ciliated all the way from the oral cavity to the anus. The oral cavity contains four modified cilia that have become oral radula that drag prey into the oral cavity where it is carried by the cilia back into the pharynx and a pair of mastax (internal jaws) that aid in digesting the food. The intestinal tract contains a mass of cilia modified to extract nutrients from food as it passes through the body, like a primitive stomach of sorts. The respiratory system is just as simple, having a set of gills connected by a tubular tract that allow for water to enter, undergo gas exchanged, and exit without ever having to enter the oral cavity. In this way the Crestback has mastered ram ventilation.

The Crestback has many sensory organs because it is equally adept at being predator and prey and therefore must be twice as aware of its surroundings as most creatures. It contains a set of three eyes; one large pair and two smaller ones. The difference in the eyes becomes apparent when it is realized that the larger eyes detect light and shapes, like human eyes, while the two smaller pairs detect sudden movement or change, like peripheral vision. Having peripheral vision separate from regular vision allows the Crestback to focus on prey while also being alert for sudden changes around it. Between the eyes is a pair of modified gills that take in water and process it through a chemoreceptive organ, allowing it to determine the composition of the water around it in a way more advantageous to something both delicate and fierce. On top of its head are three openings which allow water into the mantle cavity where it is both pulled into the body for use in the expulsion of waste and processed through an olfactory organ.

And an explanation on the gills is in order. Most aquatic creatures on Kali have either two gill slits, four gill slits, or six gill slits depending on how advanced they are. The Crestback is an example of radical change over the course of several thousand years of natural selection. It originally had six gill slits, but they became specialized to serve specific functions that proved useful over generations until this finally resulted.

I hope this is sufficient for the Crestback, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Also, I chose to start with the Crestback rather than the most primitive of creatures because the Crestback contains organs and structures that will be found in both aquatic and terrestrial creatures on Kali.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

More is on the way, guys. I've just been working on a few changes to them is all. Sorry about the long wait.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

Here you go, a terrestrial herbivore.

http://parasky.deviantart.com/art/Spotted-Kalilope-128108141
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

And a predator: http://parasky.deviantart.com/art/Rorschach-s-Tongue-Fisher-128921556
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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Are you plausible?

Reminds me of a giant flea. Cool!
Take a look at my exobiology subforum of the planet Nereus!

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food for thought
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Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

Thanks. I'm trying to figure out a system of flight for hexapods, so it might be a while -.-
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

So I've decided to take this to the next level. I'm redesigning these organisms from the cells up (haha, bad biology nerd jokes). In an old project I had cells that carried proteins around via a system of organelles that excrete and attract specific enzymes. They attach the enzymes to proteins, which are then attracted to the organelle which needs it. So rather than having an endoplasmic reticulum or similar structures they use enzymes (like shipping mail by plane rather than by truck, thereby not being restricted to the highway). I'll work that out later though, because the first part is more important.

I'm giving them an analog to cellular respiration in Earthly organisms; they will not use ATP for energy. Instead I've heard that other substances can replace the phosphates in it. Is this true? I've looked at that Alternative Biochemistries chart on DA, but no luck; there's no analogs of ATP on it (though the chart is in itself very interesting).

Also I'll be uploading a couple of new organisms soon.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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Arcenic is a good replacement for phospherus.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

I've heard that before (from you actually, if I am remembering right). So rather than Adenosine Triphosphate they could use Adenosine Sexarsenic (ASA)? Wait, what's the charge of phosphate? I've heard -2, -3, and in chemistry class I learned -4 (though it might have been something else)? And arsenic has a charge of -2, right?
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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