| Speculative biology is simultaneously a science and form of art in which one speculates on the possibilities of life and evolution. What could the world look like if dinosaurs had never gone extinct? What could alien lifeforms look like? What kinds of plants and animals might exist in the far future? These questions and more are tackled by speculative biologists, and the Speculative Evolution welcomes all relevant ideas, inquiries, and world-building projects alike. With a member base comprising users from across the world, our community is the largest and longest-running place of gathering for speculative biologists on the web. While unregistered users are able to browse the forum on a basic level, registering an account provides additional forum access not visible to guests as well as the ability to join in discussions and contribute yourself! Registration is free and instantaneous. Join our community today! |
| Rewriting Earth; a new wave of spec evo projects | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Nov 21 2009, 11:38 PM (7,617 Views) | |
| Canis Lupis | Nov 21 2009, 11:38 PM Post #1 |
![]()
Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the Earth.
![]()
|
Recently, I've thought more about speculative evolution. Basically, speculative evolution is meant to speculate on different paths evolution could take. Whether these paths are in the future, on other planets, or at some point in Earth's history. Just today, I started taking a whole new approach. I thought, "You know, life didn't have to take the exact path it took in our timeline. Chordates didn't have to evolve, or take over the world. Heck, Earth didn't even have to evolve life." So here's what I came up with: a completely alternate Earth. In other words, reshaping the Earth how I see it. Starting at the Cambrian explosion, I'm going to attempt to suggest and speculate a completely new evoltuionary path. Now, even though my world is wildly divergent, I still want to give it a veil of realism. So, instead of making this a project with one leader, I'm going to make this an open project. It's not going to replace the current SE project that the entire forum participates in. It can if Parasky wishes, but I'm not going to make it that way. I'm just going to make this an alternate Earth where everyone can contribute. I'd still like this to be quite plausible. All climatological, geological, and extinction events are the same. The only thing that is not the same is that the biology is not the same. Biology begins to differ at the Cambrian explosion. So, I'm going to make installments of this project. Right now, we've got the Cambrian installment. In this installment, we will attempt to work out what life will arise as a result of this "explosion". Pictures would be nice and being a part of THIS project, not your own version of this project, is a must. That said, I'm not against the idea of you starting another topic for your own version of a completely alternate Earth. I'd just like to keep this topic about THIS version of an alternate Earth. That said, have fun! And speculate your hearts out. |
![]() |
|
| Ddraig Goch | Nov 22 2009, 08:51 AM Post #2 |
|
Ar hyd y nos
![]()
|
When you ask "how life may differ at the cambrian explosian", are you suggesting that we create completely new clades? Or do we simply evolve different invertebrates? And if evolution only begins to diverge after the explosian, then is all Vendian Life the same? |
| Save the Blibbering Humdinger from extinction! | |
![]() |
|
| Canis Lupis | Nov 22 2009, 10:06 AM Post #3 |
![]()
Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the Earth.
![]()
|
Yes, all Vendian life is the same. And, to make this easier, let's work with what the Cambrian explosion from HE gives us. We may alter some of the clades, but let's keep the basic framework for the clades the same. Just for simplicity's sake. |
![]() |
|
| sam999 | Nov 22 2009, 10:20 AM Post #4 |
|
Adult
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Different life takeing control of the Cambrian? Earth will practicly be an alien planet! |
I am not suffering from insanaty. I truely enjoy being mad.![]() ![]() ![]() Comeon, thy dragons need YOU! Visit them here please... | |
![]() |
|
| Holben | Nov 22 2009, 11:14 AM Post #5 |
![]()
Rumbo a la Victoria
![]()
|
Most of the cambrian explosion forms died out straight away anyway. |
|
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." | |
![]() |
|
| Ddraig Goch | Nov 22 2009, 02:44 PM Post #6 |
|
Ar hyd y nos
![]()
|
Does this mean that trilobites don't evolve?! I love those guys! |
| Save the Blibbering Humdinger from extinction! | |
![]() |
|
| Holben | Nov 22 2009, 03:00 PM Post #7 |
![]()
Rumbo a la Victoria
![]()
|
Well, they could if CL says so. |
|
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." | |
![]() |
|
| Canis Lupis | Nov 22 2009, 03:12 PM Post #8 |
![]()
Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the Earth.
![]()
|
sam: That was actually my inspiration behind this. Making Earth an alien world to a creature that evolved on Earth (humans). Ddraig: Trilobites were extremely successful after the Cambrian explosion. While they may not evolve, I find it highly likely that they would evolve. Holben: That is true. In our universe that is. What are some of those Cambrian explosion lifeforms that went extinct right away? They may have a chance of radiating. Everyone: I was thinking last night. Chordate evolution was just a random mutation. A neotonous mutation in the tunicates. It is highly likely that this would not have occured. So I predict that, in this universe (NE for "New Earth"), chordates die off almost immediately. I was also thinking about a mollusk and anomalocarid radiation in which one or both groups would rule the seas of the Cambrian and possibly onward. Thoughts? |
![]() |
|
| Holben | Nov 22 2009, 03:18 PM Post #9 |
![]()
Rumbo a la Victoria
![]()
|
Well, yeah./ Anomalocaris preyed on early chordates as well though, so you're gonna have to have another fleshy clade. |
|
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." | |
![]() |
|
| Ànraich | Nov 22 2009, 03:45 PM Post #10 |
![]()
L'évolution Spéculative est moi
![]()
|
I like this idea, a whole new project we can work on. The old one is, well, old and has become relatively uninteresting. It shall be done! |
|
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 Tree That Owns Itself
| |
![]() |
|
| Holben | Nov 22 2009, 03:46 PM Post #11 |
![]()
Rumbo a la Victoria
![]()
|
Well, that's support from 'his majesty'. Guess we'd better get going. We could have a cuttlefish like species, yeah? |
|
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." | |
![]() |
|
| Ànraich | Nov 22 2009, 03:50 PM Post #12 |
![]()
L'évolution Spéculative est moi
![]()
|
So then, let's get this thing organized. How are we going to do it? In a style similar to Evolutionary Continuum? I think what we should do is have three sections; Accepted Species, Rejected Species, and Deliberation. Somebody posts an idea and it automatically gets put into Deliberation status. It is reviewed by everyone and adjusted as needed, and then a poll is added when everyone agrees that it's ready to be voted on. From there everyone decided whether or not it is accepted or rejected. We should also probably have a moderator group to help move topics to their correct place. You know so that lamna and I don't have to do it. |
|
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 Tree That Owns Itself
| |
![]() |
|
| Canis Lupis | Nov 22 2009, 03:51 PM Post #13 |
![]()
Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the Earth.
![]()
|
Well, maybe not anomolocarids persay. Maybe just a greater trilobite diversification. Heck, maybe echinoderms could diversify in a non-chordate environment. Maybe they could evolve something like blood in their water vascular system. |
![]() |
|
| Holben | Nov 22 2009, 03:51 PM Post #14 |
![]()
Rumbo a la Victoria
![]()
|
Well, i have experience with invisionfree administration. Not meaning to brag or anything. |
|
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." | |
![]() |
|
| Canis Lupis | Nov 22 2009, 03:54 PM Post #15 |
![]()
Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the Earth.
![]()
|
My personal opinion, I think we ought to have deadlines for period submissions. Like, for example, submissions for the Cambrian should be submitted within two or three weeks. When that deadline is reached, we shall vote on which creatures are accepted. Then someone will write up an essay about what has happened in this version of the Cambrian, mentioning a few species.
Edited by Canis Lupis, Nov 22 2009, 03:54 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Rewriting Earth · Next Topic » |















2:19 PM Jul 11