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Dystopia by Gorgonbreath; Alternate Earth with dying Sun
Topic Started: Nov 7 2009, 12:11 PM (3,955 Views)
Jurassic-Gothic
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Premiss: all the things I'm going to write here belong to the deviantArtist Gorgonbreath. She is writing a science fiction taking place on a post-apocalyptic Earth and drawing swanky, coloured and eerie original characters.

We are currently working together on a speculative biological project involving the fiction of her.

She writes stories and situations and draws characters too.

I build up a scientific fictional background and sometimes do fan service :P

Pratically I offer scientific consultation *lol*

Anyway her gallery is viewable here:

http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/


Dystopia is the name of the fiction.


It takes place on an alternate Earth, and alternate Solar System. Apparently nothing differs from our Universe, even life has developed in specular way as in our Universe and so have Mankind and its History.
Everything alike our World

...but here difference is...

In Dystopia Universe star's life lasts half than expected time calculated in our Universe. If a Sun-like star, with 1 solar mass, takes 10 billion years before dying in Our Universe, in Dystopia's one takes only 5. And Sun is just 5 billion years old.

So in Dystopia's Universe the Sun is close to death.

And so are other evolved stars in Solar Neighborhood
Especially the brightest ones alike Sirius and Procyon


How does Dystopia Universe appears?


The Sun has nearly exhausted hydrogen and is slowly beginning burning helium in its core. Mankind's technology has allowed to terraform and settle Mars and to emigrate towards younger Solar System analogues too. Indeed Earth's inhabitant have gone elsewhere, alike Epsilon Eridani, Epsilon Indi, Sigma Draconis et cetera, where other "blue dots" are present and can host newborn colonies.

On the other hand here how other nearby stars appear:

- Alpha Centauri A-B: star A is slightly older than Sun, thus it's evolving off the Main Sequence alike Sun. Star B is less massive and will live more. But it won't be so lively due to evolving primary and increasing luminosity of its.

- Tau Ceti: much older than Sun (7 billion years) it does appear as a K2III giant, with radius 15 times larger than Sun and nearly 80 times more luminous.

- Sirius: the Dog's Star is already experiencing the second phase of red giant phase, appearing as a bright giant of spectal class K0II (luminosity=700 times that of Sun, 28 times brighter than before). White dwarf companion B is appear much dimmer than before and really hard to resolve.

- Procyon: much more evolved than nearby Sirius, Procyon is passing through first stage of red giant star. Effective temperature significantly lowered (T=3,460 Kelvin from former 6,650) and radius enormously bloated (180 Solar radii) let the star being classified as Mira-type pulsating giant, with S6III spectral type. Luminosity nearly 4,200 higher than Sun. Moreover the star that now interacts with white dwarf companion as symbiotic binary (alike much further away stars R Aquarii, CH Cygni).

- Arcturus: the star lies in advanced phase of stellar death, appearing as briefly luminous post-AGB star, a hot but shrunken subdwarf star (sdB-type star) surrounded by hot gas forming a planetary nebula.

- Altair: the prince star of Aquila constellation (the Eagle) appears as a cold but bright K5/7III giant star. Radius 55 times larger than Sun, 700 times more luminous.

There would be much more to talk about, but since the forum is about biology, I would quit here the astrophysical discussion.


How does Dystopia Earth appears?

The Sun is dying but hasn't reached the red giant phase yet, but passing through lively subgiant stage. So our star appears twice more luminous than before and radius twice larger. With these conditions the habitable zone has shifted from 1 Astronomical Unit to 1.4 (nearly the Mars' orbital zone). Mars indeed has been terraformed and forms a world apart with its human population.
Earth is slowly turning into a Venus' analogue.

Posted Image

Oceans have almost gone evaporated, filling the upper stratosphere, increasing greenhouse effect. Essiccation reaches ocean floor and few abyssal trenches still host liquid water forming few sparse seas. Everything appear harsh and barren above and below ancient ocean levels. A concept map is viewable here (it is also available at deviantArt account of mine, with much better full-view resolution):

Posted Image


Solar evolution and a wicked management of natural resources, wars and biotechnologically-driven epidemies have caused mass extinction has erased 90% of lifeforms but new ones are developing. Notwithstanding evolution has taken million years to "create" and "select" lifeforms, infections by bizarre microrganisms are causing occurrence of new species, humans included. These microrganisms act as Wolbachia bacterium does (or better did) with certain mosquitos, but in much intrusive and mutagenic way.


What's happened to Mankind?

As previously hinted, "Earthlings" have at first terraformed and settled Mars, where currently live in thoughtless way, whereas other people has built arks to reach other, younger and more comfortable extrasolar systems. These arks obviously carry genomes of all Earth previous lifeform, in the order to re-establish a "Terra Nova" one day, elsewhere.
On the Earth few have remained and live in "Blade-Runner-like" fortress towns, with pressurized modified atmospheres but ruled by decadent oligarchies. Ocean level has dramatically lowered, dropping down to -5,000 meters below ancient level.
For example this is Ancient United Kingdom's ocean floor map. What once was submarine features (seamounts, gyots, trenches, continental shelf ...), now appear mountains, ridges, plateaux, volcanoes etc....

Posted Image

In order to survive out from the towns, humans need a peculiar compound to bear heat and pressure of dried out oceanic trenches. Nevertheless new human species (and even genera!) are able to bear such harsh conditions.


Some example: "Paleskins" (Cyanobion caeruleus caeruleus)*

(*)=named I propose here are tentative

http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Pretend-Like-You-re-Immortal-136741115
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Resist-Your-Humanity-137107454
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Bismuth-137684901
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Hot-for-creature-137391627
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Desert-Rose-139830898

Their skin is pale blue due to the symbiosis with abyssal bacteria. These bacteria secrete compounds that allow bearing heat and pressure and even tolerate presence of heavy metals in their metabolism (as occurred in tubeworms).

- "Eerieeyes" (Cyanobion xenommatis): rapid reproductive isolation has brought to a new species of Paleskins, quite differing from the formers for the presence of double pupils in the eyes. They can be rolled alike microscope oculars. No clear reason for such an evolutive character. Further aberrant apomorphy can generate a rare subspecies with four separated eyes alike spiders (Widoweyes, Cyanobion xenommatis tetraopsis)

http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Rebel-Girl-140386766
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Dr-Mouflette-Jones-142316754
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Sheema-September-142585301


- ScalyJerries (Homo (?Viridhomo) squamiger): green skin humans with modified epidermid where scales cover standard mammalian skin. This constrains water loss, since the symbiont they live with does allow to bear pressure and breath but requires great amount of water. Symbionts give peculiar greenish skin color of course, whereas other microrganisms are hosted in the eyes allowing infra-red vision in the night (iris looks usually reddish).
Ear shape enhances better perception of sound alike bats.

http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Lolita-Royale-140878806
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Gunslinger-Lolita-142574281
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Smile-of-insanity-138010458
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Lothario-Serpentine-141511838
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Deadlands-Devil-139385500

- "Desert Vampires" (Homo (?Viridhomo) squamiger haemophilus ): likely a geographical race, their blood contains reduced iron (Fe++) rather oxydated one (Fe3+) as in other human populations. Thus fluid appears dark green alike the chlorocruorin of certain abyss worms and need more efficient hemoglobin to be assumed with diet.

http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Count-of-the-Deadlands-138851974
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/The-Deadland-Vamps-138786940

- Bahrbt'aels Abe'rhants (Homo sapiens urodelus): subspecies of humans with elongated coccyx and tiny barbed tail and longer ears alike bats, employed in the same way ScalyJerries do. Weird hair colours due to symbiont phytoflagellates.

http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Sanguine-Rose-141570864
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Out-of-the-dust-138070893
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/The-Innocent-One-140445437
http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Kumo-137105853



WHOA! What a huge thread to read carefully!! :o

Further updates for humans, flora and fauna.

Suggestions, critiques, feedback is welcome ;)
Edited by Jurassic-Gothic, Nov 7 2009, 12:28 PM.
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Jurassic-Gothic
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Ddraig Goch
Nov 21 2009, 03:44 PM
Finally, animals! I notice that all the amphibians are dead (although that's understandable). Although I agree with Holby. Surely the reptiles are better placed to become overall more successful than mammals?
Well, I like to imagine this alternate Earth this way. I think here Reptiles are competing with Mammals in right proportion.
Yes, amphibians extinct, but fishes show Periophthalmus-like behavior and adaptations. :)
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Holben
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They'll be outcompeted. No question.
Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea.

"It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."
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Jurassic-Gothic
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It's time to revamp this thread. At least before Christmas :P

With a huge one!!

Finally I can show some sketches of Dystopia-Earth menagerie.
I'm sorry to display pencil made sketches, but I promise I will update with finished versions after holidays.
Engagements permitting, of course :D

First stock: Agnathans (Myxina e Petromyzontiforms)

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x139/spikevalance/DystopiaMenagerie1.jpg

1 - Vampyrophis muciparus - terrestrial creeping myxine. Convergent evolution with snakes? Blood-sucker, of course.

2 - Camptocetops (pale unfinished sketch) - pig-sized scavenger "worm-thing". Acid oral mucus dissolves tissues *eeww*

3 - Dolobdella tricentetes - soft tissue stinger.

4 - Hirudinanthus yogsothothi - Swamp-dwelling blood-sucker.

5 - Priapophis aberrans - "Priapus' Flower", scavenger.

6 - Lagenomyzon diabolicum - "Satan's Bottle". Parasite that employs alkaloid to dizzy victims.

7 - Sebecomyzon thaumas - "Sebeck Sucker", crocodile-eye lamprey. Paralyses preys and devours them slowly. Very slowly. *re-eeeew*


Second stock: Vertebrates - Reptile - Hydrophylaxia (ex Lepidosauria)

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x139/spikevalance/DystopiaMenagerie2.jpg

8 - Hydrophylax xeros - Lizard with water-bearing warts in the skin.

9 - Odontyrannus ferus - Rhino-sized and rhino-looking (herbivorous) lizard

10 - Kobalos corybas - Bizarre bipedal lizard.

Third stock: Vertebrates - Mammals- Tubulidentata - Phobotubulia

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x139/spikevalance/DystopiaMenagerie3.jpg

11 - Deinotubulops barghesti - "Aarghvark", carnivorous.

12 - Chrysaorophus marramala - Spade-jaw and hippo-sized aardvark. Eats swamp plants.

13 - Curetherium crotalos - "Rattlevark", feet have venomous spurs too.

14 - Zul pachytherium - stout scavenger. It's fond of bones...

Fourth stock: Vertebrates - Mammals- Xenarthra, Dasypoda - Sthenothrotheria & Sthenocytheria

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x139/spikevalance/DystopiaMenagerie4.jpg

15 - Feldspelta zeolithoides - "Stone-face Glyptodillo". Bone plates make him look like basalt rocks.

16 - Lithostrotherium bathygaeum - "Sneakydillo", silent land-crustacean eater.

17 - Sthenocytherium gytrashi - Swift houndhog-like xenarthran. Quick hunter.

18 - Isopodaspis sphaeromys - "Isopodillo", land crustacean-mimicking armadillo.

19 - Riftherium palaeatlanticum - "Atlantic Rift Tiger". Spiky flesh-eater with Creodont affinities. Tail spikes show sexual dimorphism.
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sam999
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Is it typical for members of the evolved human races to ware cloths you could use as dentel floss? All the ones in your drawings are.
Edited by sam999, Dec 23 2009, 06:55 PM.
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Jurassic-Gothic
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sam999
Dec 23 2009, 06:54 PM
Is it typical for members of the evolved human races to ware cloths you could use as dentel floss? All the ones in your drawings are.
Well, if they were archaic hominids, yes. But this is post-apocalyptic science fiction, so scavenger dudes and cyberpunk people are supposed to roam in doomed lands. Post-apocalyptic fictions work this way *shrugs* :rolleyes:

Certainly "ArmyDillos" remains fit well for freaky wear. :D

LONG TIME NO SEE. :ermm:

I was revisiting the HUMAN RACE concept in Dystopia, since I am working on a palaeoanthropology website for my athenaeum.

I was thinking: human evolution in Dystopia has taken Non-Darwinian timespans, but suddenly differentiated into separate species due to viral infection and radical mutation in somatic genomes. It is an as inferred as extreme evolutive mechanism, but feasible (since observed in bacteria).

Assume this: Sun is dying, UV rays increase, Mankind needs to protect. Some get away elsewhere, to much milder stars, other remain and need to survive.
They develope an early vaccine to repel UV rays and bear increased thermic and pressure conditions, but it turns out infective and provokes mutations.
Mutations that fix at once in a population stock.
Some heads have rolled for this... *lol*

Humans say "doh!" and make a brand-new vaccine that works and survive, though they're forced to build up metropolis in dessiccated oceanfloor down to -4 kilometers depth. Former continents are way much too irradiated to be lively. Sometimes they explore them for archaeological purposes.


Now diverged human line developes following features:

- Pale bluish skin (not alike Smurf, white but with bluish shades). It efficiently repels UV-rays and receives necessary ratio for ossification and vitamin D production.
- Copper-based blood (hemocyanin-like) or manganese-based that aids to keep stocking oxygen when lacking.
- Hair limited to head, as plesiomorphy with human. No hair needed for body left that has efficient osmotic system

All these characters could either be indicative of a new tribe of Homininae (Cyanobiontinae) or even a BRAND NEW CLASS (Cyanobionta)?

Because they have quite new evolutive features differing from Mammals and are likely to experience radiative adaptation.

Suggestions?
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Holben
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Smurfs, you say. :rolleyes:

Why is the sun dying? I thought this was (astronomically) in the near future?
Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea.

"It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."
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Jurassic-Gothic
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Holbenilord
Jan 24 2010, 12:33 PM
Smurfs, you say. :rolleyes:

Why is the sun dying? I thought this was (astronomically) in the near future?
Go back first post of this thread and you'll see... :rolleyes:
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Holben
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:")

I forgot...
Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea.

"It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."
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ATEK Azul
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While these new Humans sound interesting I beleave Hemoglobin is supposed to be more effective than Hemocyanin so unless I missed something your humans are less effective at breathing than us.

Oh and glad to see you back.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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Jurassic-Gothic
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ATEK Azul
Jan 24 2010, 03:55 PM
While these new Humans sound interesting I beleave Hemoglobin is supposed to be more effective than Hemocyanin so unless I missed something your humans are less effective at breathing than us.

Oh and glad to see you back.
Glad to hear you too, Atek. I mention copper just to make more "extreme" divergence from human line.
Though I believe a manganese-based metalloprotein could fit even better in oxygen capture than hemoglobin.

However I'd like to underline the even more bizarre fact that this divergent humanoid line may form a "brand-new" class in Vertebrate phylum. Because likely to experience further differentiation in other species (Eerieyes, Dampyrs, "Distaurix", to explain later) as well as genera. Hox gene variability seems to be accounted in this phyletic line, since such a genetic sequence is assumed to be constant in Vertebrates.

Even a Vanadium-blood group could be accounted (i.e Golden Vamps of Indochine), but close to extinction, because Vanadium is rare element and limited to sea squirts (extinct in this fiction). Click links to see renderings.

http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Queen-of-the-GoldenVampires-150195299

The artist Gorgonbreath is now creating amphibian humanoids for Mariana Trench environments, though I'd suggest they would fit better for "wet Mars" of Dystopia Universe.

http://gorgonbreath.deviantart.com/art/Sun-Wei-150432070

Edited by Jurassic-Gothic, Jan 26 2010, 04:06 PM.
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Medusa
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This all sounds very cool and interesting and personally i like characaters who wear nothing but dental floss! ::)
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Holben
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BTW, how about an adapted haemoglobin which is only rooted and not stuck to the cell surface, and has more iron atoms in its core?
Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea.

"It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."
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Ddraig Goch
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How will that affect the life of Dystopia?
Save the Blibbering Humdinger from extinction!
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Kamidio
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Fun Fact: Medusa is GorgonBreath.
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Toad of Spades
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So why are birds extinct? They didn't leave behind any kind of descendant?
Sorry Link, I don't give credit. Come back when you're a little...MMMMMM...Richer.

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