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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.

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The Sans-Permian Extinction Earth; Them Siberan Traps has to be stopped!
Topic Started: Dec 19 2009, 09:03 PM (624 Views)
El Moppo
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The Sans-Permian Extinction Earth has to be done!
I can imagine it to be even weirder than a Sans-Cretaceous Extinction Earth. A world without Birds, where the Pterosaurs were given full rights to the air, where isolated groups, with little need for flight, had evolved Monkey, and eventually Ground Sloth styles of life.
A world where the Mammals had grown not from the tiny Dog and Rat like animals from the Triassic, but the large Rhino and Smilodon like animals from the Permian, where the Dinosaurs were mere Reptiles under their fleshy and furry bodies.

Giant, beaked cows.
Megatherium mimics with beaks for cracking Coconuts and Turtle shells.
Fully endothermic and fur coated Gorgonopsid descendants, living in the tundra wastes of the Ice Age.
Trilobites, why can't they survive too?
Lystrosaurs, you know they need to live in huge herds on the plains of modern day Earth, you surely do know that... Well, highly derived ones, at least.


I probably introduced myself ages ago, and then forgot about this place. I hate doing intoduction threads, I just can't be bothered, really. If I stick around long enough, then my nature and character will soon become apparent, I'm sure.
On to the spec. :D :)
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ATEK Azul
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These sound interesting and I like the idea.

Also maybe you could have Cynodonts evolving into small carnivores and insectivores. I see Gorganopsid based groups diversifying greatly as top predators.

Another idea I have for this is arboreal descendents of Archosaurs(like the ancestors of the Dinosaurs).

Sea reptiles would probably still diversify along with Pterosaurs. The later group might have greater fortunes in this world but you would need to ask JohnFaa on how they might survive and diversify with Synapsids in charge.

Crocodillian diversity might be higher in water niches.

Another possibillity I can see is Archosaurian Bird equivilents with gliding membranes.

Does any body know any of the size, weight and skeletal limates of non-Cynodont Synapsids?

Some interesting ideas I can think of are Dicynodont Bats with specialized beaks that can chew and slice with specialized serrations on their beaks.

Trillobites diversifying into many small swimming niches replacing small fish thanks to their abillity to grow spikes and roll into balls. The later abillity could become strong enough to withstand digestion by Sharks, allowing them to survive getting eaten and then being ignored when excreted back into the world.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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The Dodo
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Looks good, though it should belong in Alternative Evolution.
You should also check out a similar project in Alternative Evolution called Insert Project Name Here.
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ATEK Azul
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I agree it should be in alternate evolution.

Can a mod move this please?

As for on topic material what about aquatic Gorganopsids in a Orca niche?
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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sam999
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How about Gorganopsids takeing up a swimming nich?
I am not suffering from insanaty. I truely enjoy being mad.
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Comeon, thy dragons need YOU! Visit them here please...
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ATEK Azul
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That could work in many ways.

Also is El Moppo comming back to his topic or not?

Also is he on DevArt his name sounds familiar.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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TheCoon
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Happy merry Jesusmas inhabitants of the Spec Forums!
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Yes. He's the one that works on the prehistoric critter sprites.
Greetings young life form! Procyon Lotor at your service.

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ATEK Azul
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Okay I thought he was from there(I go through DevArt alot).

Any way Do you have any other ideas for this?

I stated mine on the first post so I'm out.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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Ànraich
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Moved, as requested. I really like this idea too, I will keep an eye on 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

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ATEK Azul
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Thanks for moving it.

Also if your interested please post some ideas it doesn't seem like El Moppo will be on for awhile so if we want the topic to get any where other people have to submit ideas.

I think Cynodonts might develope into flying insectivores or atleast insectivores for the most part.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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Ànraich
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In such a world, might there be something like the Fortress Bull? Perhaps not to that extent, but that world would certainly be more competitive, and if you're already big and armored...

Also, do you think that the canopy-dwelling pterosaurs descendants would become sapient? Human monkey ancestors developed a large, complex brain in order to remember complex networks of branches in the canopy, so a similar situation may breed similar results, albeit in a different form.
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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The Fortress Bull sounds like a good analoge to Synapsid herbivores.

Also Sapient Pterosaurs sound like an interesting idea. I can see them having an omnivorous diet in their ancestral form along with more advanced forms probably taking advantage of there being 3 groups of flyers along with Synapsid Primate analodges.

Also how would the evolution of Flowers and Grass be effected?
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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Venatosaurus
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Parasitic Trilobites ! Both parasitic to trees as well as animals, developing strange body shapes and defensive tactics, hell maybe one that lays its eggs underneath the skin of large animals, until the young hatch and burrow out of their beast-nest ;) And yes I too was planning a Sans-Permian Earth, but I'm taking a break from it...and yes I have plenty more weird and demented ideas if you like ...



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