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Topic Started: Dec 9 2009, 05:22 PM (1,204 Views)
Carlos
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While Terra Alternativa is still nonfunctional for now, me and Venatosaurus planned a new alternative evolution project, which basically focuses on a world where the Permian extinction wasn't present. Don't, as long as Venatosaurus's still motivated I will not withdraw.

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Triassic

In the late Permian, the vast landmasses of the Earth formed a single supercontinent known as Pangaea. In this process, tthe global warming that went on during the Permian increased significantly, as energy was released into the atmosphere during the creation of the giant landmass. Pangaea extends from pole to pole, and the climate went progressively dry. Aside from the coastoal margins as well as wetter regions in the poles the typical landscape is various shades of aridity, from dry tropical plains of seed ferns to deserts with little to no vegetation. In HE, the changes from the more temperate, wetter Permian into the arid period that lasted from the late Permian to the early Jurassic had the company of a tremendous mass extinction, resulting in the extinction of over 90% of all living organisms, thanks to various bursts of volcanism. However, in this world, this chain volcanism never happened; instead, live went on, adapting as the continents united and as the planet turned into a hot hell. The Triassic in this world is not a new period that formed at the dusk of the Permian, but rather a continuation of the Permian. The Mesozoic is, so far, nonexistent as the Palaeozoic goes on.

While large scale extinctions don't happen, smaller scale extinctions still occur. On the course of the period that would be the late Permian to that which would be the middle Triassic in our world various clades perish, mostly on the sea; numerous clades of sea dweeling invertebrates die out, predictably many of the groups that died out in HE. Trilobites and ceratitid ammonoids, clades that were gone in HE, notably survived for quite some time into the "Triassic", the last members of these clades lasting as recently as the early Jurassic; sea lillies hardly suffered at all. Things were much better for fish, though even they had several losses; interestingly, the middle "Triassic" had a radiation of petromyzontids, smething unusual as lamprey like fish had long since lost the past diversity; conodonts had their diversity untouched, and were very common as well.

On land, changes weren't so fast, and occured over a long period of time. Whatever remaining early amniotes were gone as synapsids and sauropsids - specially they newly fledged diapsids - continued to diversify. Pelycosaurs, solely represented by Varanopsidae, produced a small array of forms that echoed the days they were the dominant animals, but they soon vanished by the middle of this era. Therapsids were at their best though; while early forms like biarmosuchians were gone, eutherapsids continue to flourish like they did before. Within Dinocephala, Anteosauridae and Estemmenosuchidae are gone, but Tapinocephalia diversified over the globe, present as both the generally omivorous titanosuchids and the entirely herbivorous tapinocephalidae. Anomodonts are present as various clades of dicynodonts (one even taking the sea) as well as the smaller otsherids, not very common as of yet, being specialised tree climbers. Gorgonopsids are the dominant predators, and while the "traditional" forms persist, evolution provided new opportunities, the most notorious examples being marine gorgonopsids and cursorial ones (which would be the first cursorial synapsids). Therocephalians become also widespread as small predators, from shrew to wolverine size, from otter like to gliding forms. Cynodonts don't stay behind either; the seas and waterways are the stage for the diversity of procynosuchids, while on land omnivorous, herbivorous and carnivorous forms are present everywhere.

Sauropsids, whose diversity began back in the Permian, never had the imense radiation of the Triassic since therapsids are stiull around, but evolution was benign to them. Captorhinids and bolosaurids occupied many small herbivore niches, the first diversifying as iguana like forms and the later as species akin to HE's small ornithopods; in both cases, the success lasted until the early late "Triassic", the last bolosaurid living to see the onset of the Jurassic. Pareiasaurs on the other hand had a stable radiation of species all through the period, and while not as common as tapinocephalians nor as large dicynodonts during most of the period they became a very common presence by the late "Triassic". Chelonians never evolved, but several armoured pareiasaurs and captorhinids evolved. Diapsida saw the evolution of many lizard like forms, which then produced various unusual forms. Thallatosaurs dominated the seas alongside the procynosuchids, while the weird hupehsuchians, while now fairly uncommon, were having way more luck then their HE counterparts, on both fresh and salt water. Lepidosaurs produced sphenodontians and champsosaurs (if they are lepidosaurs), but squamates seemingly never evolved or died out very early; instead, several clades of lizard like reptiles were having success. Archosauromorpha radiated, and while Archosauria itself didn't took off many groups like procelartiformes (including pterosaurs, since here I decided to take the suggestion that they are drepanosaur relatives), euparkerids, proterochampsids, proterosuchids, erythrosuchids, rhynchosaurs and trilophosaurids did take important roles as fairly large animals, specially towards the end of the period. As mentioned before, pterosaurs evolve as the first true flying vertebrates.

Temnospondyls, while not doing as well as before, still hold on and are everywhere. Notably are terrestrial and marine forms, as well as conservative freshwater ones.

Taxa will come soon.
Lemuria:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/

Terra Alternativa:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/

My Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/Carliro

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ATEK Azul
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That was a good and informative post thank you.

My favorite was the Pelycosaur.
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Carlos
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More Triassic taxa:

Antiquoxenophoca spp.

Procynosuchids are a quite primitive linage of cynodonts; on land, they were basically outcompeted by more derived groups, but early on their evolution they specialised on life in the water. Procynosuchus itself was an aquatic animal akin to a seal, and over the Triassic its descendents adapted to marine environments, and spread across the coasts of Pangaea.

Among the most genera is Antiquoxenophoca. This particular genus is widespread across the sea of Thetis, gradually turning into an ocean. The most distinct adaptation is that the four legs became paddles, and uses a plesiosaur-style swimming (other procynosuchid genera have different swimming styles, don't worry); like other procynosuchids it gives birth live young on the sea. They lost their fur coat like other procynosuchids, but have sensitive whiskers on their snouts much like seals and otters.

A. aenigmatica is the largest of the four species. Reaching a length of 4 meters it is a grey coloured animal that lives offshore in deep waters; it feeds primarily on small chondrichthyes like chimaeras according to stomach contents. Its range of distribution seems to be quite wide, but they breed primarily on the coasts of Thetis, coming ashore like almost all procynosuchids of this era. Targetting offshore isles or enclosed bays, they form small groups for protection, which are not harems as mating takes place in the sea. Like in most procynosuchids, the pups are born with a fine layer of fur, which is lost as they head to the sea; this should take place in a matter of weeks, thanks to the high nutrious milk of the mothers (the milk glands in procynosuchids are located at the sides rather than in the belly, thus the milk doesn't mix with sand so easily), as predators like grogonopsids are a threat. Little else is known since they are open sea animals.

A. aquilus and A. albatus are two common coastoal species. The first is a 3 meter long animal coloured black with a white underside (lower jaw, undertail and underflippers included), and the later is 2.9 meter long and coloured light grey with a beige belly and throat. Both occur primarily on coastoal waters, the first more common in the northern shore of Thetis and the second more in the southern shore, which are quite similar in habits, but do have differences that avoid competition between both species. A. aquilus' hunting behaviours are fairly generalised, preying on any animal that fits on its jaws, while A. albatus' preys exclusively on benthic creatures that it finds on the sand or in the rocks. Unlike their larger relative, which is usually solitary, they occur in small groups, showing quite some complex social behaviour. Aside from breeding they do come ashore to rest, targetting relatively safe places to avoid predators.

A. amnis is the smallest of this genus, with a length of 2.3 meters. It is brown coloured, and it lives on the large rivers of the northern shore of Thetis, occuring occasionally on coastoal waters to search for territory. An apex predator on its ecosystem, its only predator are particularly large proterochampsids. It can easily be seen resting on the river banks, and it seems to live a solitary lifestyle. The female gives birth on a borrow in the river shore, the pup entering the water a week after birth.


Nefastoarctos litus

The diversity of marine tetrapods of the Triassic drived some gorgonopsids to adopt a coastoal lifestyle. Among the most notable is this one; while most species became beach dwellers, scavenging on marine animal carcasses and preying on creatures on the beach and/or in coastoal waters, this one actually adapted to life in coastoal waters, developing a sea lion/walrus like body design. Reaching a leangth of up to 7.9 meters, this giant lives along the coasts of northern Panthalassa. Using its pectoral paddles for propulsion and the backlimbs/tail for steering, it travels along the coasts to search for prey; it preys mostly on marine tetrapods and large fish like sharks, using its typical gorgonopsid jaws to kill its prey. It hunts by ambush, ambushing its prey from below; this technique is also used by HE's great white shark, and it has a similar colouration pattern. Its main prey items are marine dicynodonts, trematosaurids and hupehsuchians, generally slow swimming groups that occur in coastoal waters; coastoal procynoshids are also a quite large part of the menu as are sharks, and pelagic forms are targetted when they come ashore to breed. They also have a tendency to go ashore, and while clumsy they are large and powerfull enough to scare off other gorgonopsids and other predators; any beach scavenger pretty much abandons a carcasse when these creatures find it. With its strong jaws it feeds on even the teeth of the prey, leaving pratically nothing behind, making it an efficient cleaner. Females are bigger than males, and giving birth on the shore it takes care of her pup for several years.


Thanatoptera giganteus

The largest of Triassic's pterosaurs flies all over the northern half of the supercontinent. With a wingspan of 3 meters, it is a scavenger, soaring over the lands in search of carcasses. It has a set of sharp and curved teeth just like those of HE's theropods, located on a deep snout like that of Dimorphodon (it is, in fact, related to it, though its wings are longer in proportion to the body size, as it is a long distance soarer and not an arboreal predator, and its teeth are different as noted before); the tail is short by non-pterodactyloid/anurognathid standards as it isn't very usefull, and it has a long crest on its upperside (as opposed, for example, to species that have a crest at the very tip of the tail on both the upper and underside, creating an arrow like shape). The animal is coloured brown with white wing membranes (to reflect the heat), and has a naked head like that of a vulture, purple in colour. Resting on trees, during the breeding season they fly to mountains; here, the males change colour, adquiring green wing membranes with red patterns, and their snout gets a puffin like colouration. Gathering harems, the male is left in charge of the eggs the females lay on a communal "nest", a pile of rooting vegetation. The male adds or removes vegetable matter to controm the temperature, and after a month and a half the flapplings are born. Like in all pterosaurs they fly from birth, first adquiring an insectivorous diet before beggining to prey on vertebrates and finally becoming scavengers as they grow in size. They reach sexual maturity at 12.
Lemuria:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/

Terra Alternativa:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/

My Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/Carliro

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Venatosaurus
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Sweet update ! Can't wait till we both come up with more ;)



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The Dodo
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Yes, good work. Is anything going to happen to temnospondyl amphibians or are they going to stay similar to HE's?
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Venatosaurus
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Evolution will certainly do very interesting things to Temnospondyls, and other ancient amphibians ;)



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ATEK Azul
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This just keeps getting better can't wait for more.

I also like the idea of Marine Gorganopsids.
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Venatosaurus
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Oh trust me, with the possible changes about to insue, this project will get better, and a little more dangerous looking ;)



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ATEK Azul
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Better than now? Awsome!

Also I don't like dangerous in real life but it seems intrigueing in a project I look forward to it.

Also Is this being caused by an extinction?
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Venatosaurus
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What the changes, no, just a new way of thinking :P



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ATEK Azul
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Sounds interesting...

A new way of thinking can spawn the unthinkably awsome.
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Venatosaurus
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Oh yes it can, and with what I'm thinking of, you will be blown away by the oddities in my mind ! But it'll be all the weirder by the fact that it could have existed :)



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ATEK Azul
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sounds awsome.

But since your partnered with JohnFaa(No offense meant) make sure it's realistic.

I look forward to these new oddities of cool.
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Venatosaurus
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Of course, that's why we continue to consult, and of course we'll go over my new concepts :)



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ATEK Azul
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Sounds awsome. And I am glad you 2 are doing this it will make a great project.

Also have you thought about going into the future as well?
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Venatosaurus
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Hm, no, were just going up to the present, and then when done with this, we'll move onto something else ;) Trust me, we're only on the early Triassic, so we would like to have as little work as possible on our hands :D



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