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| SE Glossary...; ... any suggestions? | |
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| Topic Started: May 8 2010, 12:28 PM (1,826 Views) | |
| Ddraig Goch | May 8 2010, 12:28 PM Post #1 |
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Ar hyd y nos
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For my updated Vabmojan website, I am planning on including a glossary, filled with speculative evolution-related words. I thought I'd make it novice-friendly, and include words such as "carnivore", "habitat", and so on. Below is a list. If anyone could add to it, I'd be very grateful. Evolution - the theory that the various existing lifeforms are derived from preexisting types through natural selection DNA - abbr deoxyribonucleic acid, which occurs in the nucleus of cells, and is the material that makes up genes Carnivore - an animal that eats other animals in order to survive Herbivore - an animal that eats plants in order to survive Omnivore - an animal that eats both plants and animals in order to survive Piscivore - a carnivore that eats specifically fish in order to survive Detrivore - an animal that eats dead plant or animal matter in order to survive Insectivore - a carnivore that feeds specifically on insects in order to survive Frugivore - a herbivore that feeds mainly on fruit in order to survive Xylophagous - an animal that eats wood and plant matter in order to survive Primary Consumer - see herbivore Tertiary Consumer - see carnivore Primary/ Tertiary Consumer - see omnivore Browser - a herbivore that feeds on the leaves of trees or shrubs Grazer - a herbivore that feeds on grasses Carrion - the remains of a dead animal Biota - the lifeforms within a specific time or place, eg. the biota of the Jurassic Period Environment - the local surroundings Habitat - the place, or type of place, where a lifeform naturally grows or lives Population - a group of individuals of the same species, that live in one area and interbreed Predator - a lifeform that lives by hunting, killing, and eating other lifeforms Prey - a lifeform that is hunted by a predator Apex Predator - the top predator in an environment, that is not preyed upon by any other creature Biome - a region of distinct lifeforms, such as the rainforests or oceans Ecosystem - a collection of different species living in the same habitat Migration - when a species travels to a new location or habitat Circular Migration - when a species migrates to a new location for part of the year, before returning to its original habitat Partial Migration - within a species, when one population migrates, but another doesn't Epiphyte - a plant that grows on another plant as structural support, such as a bromeliad. They are not parasetic. Zooplantae - lifeforms that exibit characteristics of both plants and animals - colloquially known as planimals Xenobiology - the study of alien lifeforms. Also known as exobiology Xenobotany - the study of alien plants Bauplan - the bodily design of a lifeforms, eg number of legs Endothermic - able to maitain a constant body temperature regardless of external conditions Exothermic - having a body temperature that depends on the environment Gene - a section of a DNA molecule, which determines the physical characteristics of a lifeform Genotype - the gene types specific to a lifeform Phenotype - the physical atributes the genotype produces Aerial - a lifeform that spends most of its life in the air Arboreal - a lifeform that spends most of its' life in the trees Terrestrial - a lifeform that spends its life on the ground Aquatic - a lifeform that spends its life in a liquid environment Asexual Reproduction - a form of reproduction that involves just one parent Sexual Reproduction - a form of reproduction that involves two or more parents Parthenogenesis - a form of reproduction in which an egg develops into a fetus without having to be fertilized Convergent Evolution - when two unrelated species evolve similar adaptations, due to similar environmental pressures Bilateral Symmetry - a form of symmetry in which the body consists of two equal halves, on either side of a midline Radial Symmetry - a form of symmetry in which the body is shaped like a wheel, often with the mouth at the centre Bipedal - moving on two legs, or having just two limbs Quadropedal - moving on four legs, or having just four limbs Hexopedal - moving on six legs, or having just six limbs Plantigrade - a creature that moves about on the soles of its feet Digitigrade - a creature that moves about on its toes Unguligrade - a creature that moves around on hooves Parasite - a lifeform that lives on or inside another, and feeds either on the host, or on the food that the host has swallowed Hyperparasite - a parasite that attacks another parasite Parasitoid - a lifeform that is parasetic for its infancy, but becomes free-living during adulthood Camouflage - clours or patterns that allow a lifeform to merge with its surroundings Batesian Mimicry - when an animal looks like a more dangerous animal in order to escape predation Diurnal - active during the day Nocturnal - active at night Crepuscular - active during twilight hours Vertebrate - an animal with a backbone, or spinal chord Invertebrate - an animal without a backbone or spinal chord Colony - a group of animals , belonging to the same species, that live together and divide up their tasks in order to survive Eusocial - animals, such as termites, that form colonies Zooid - an individual in a colony Gestalt - a species whose individuals cannot function on their own, but require other members of their species in order to survive Symbiosis - a partnership between two members of different species, in which both gain Neotony - species that, in adulthood, retain the characteristics of their young, such as the axolotl Atavism - when characteristics from ancestral species appear in modern species, often as a freak mutation Vestigial - an organ or limb that has atrophied and is now non-functional, eg. the "arms" of Tyrannosaurus Rex Sapience - often defined as wisdom - a term given to "intelligent" species, eg. Homo Sapiens Sentience - the ability to sense or percieve ones' surroundings Respiration - the transport of oxygen around the body Gaiocentrism - the belief that alien organisms must looks like Terran lifeforms, because "if it hasn't evolved on Earth, it won't evolve elsewhere". Xenocentrism - the belief that alien organisms must be completely to Terran lifeforms That's all for now, but again, any suggestions as to what I could add to it would be helpful. |
| Save the Blibbering Humdinger from extinction! | |
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| Pando | May 8 2010, 01:02 PM Post #2 |
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Obey or I'll send you to the moon
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Why not add Primary Consumer (herbivores), Primary/Tertiary Consumers (omnivores), and Tertiary/Quarternary Consumers (carnivores)? That's what I do for the Postozoic. And it doesn't specify what they eat, so you don't have to learn terms like piscivore, insectivore, frugivore, and so on. Mind if I use it for the Postozoic? |
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| Ddraig Goch | May 8 2010, 01:24 PM Post #3 |
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Ar hyd y nos
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Well, I thought that perhaps everyone could benefit, if the glossary was put on the Wiki, or even on this site itself. But you can use it if you want. Of course, first the definitions have to be added...
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| Holben | May 8 2010, 01:33 PM Post #4 |
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Rumbo a la Victoria
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Yes! On SECW! Great idea. How about sapience, sentience and sophontism? Gestalts, ganglia, spiracles, respiration, etc. |
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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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| Pando | May 8 2010, 01:39 PM Post #5 |
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Obey or I'll send you to the moon
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What exactly is sophontism? You can put Neoteny and Atavism. |
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| Holben | May 8 2010, 01:45 PM Post #6 |
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Rumbo a la Victoria
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Sophontism is basically sapience. But T. Neo will probably be angry at my saying that. |
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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 | May 8 2010, 01:59 PM Post #7 |
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Ar hyd y nos
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Added a few words. Keep 'em coming! I should probably start adding definitions... |
| Save the Blibbering Humdinger from extinction! | |
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| Holben | May 8 2010, 02:08 PM Post #8 |
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Rumbo a la Victoria
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Meh... no gestalts? |
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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 | May 8 2010, 03:08 PM Post #9 |
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Ar hyd y nos
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Well, I can't really find much on them... wikipedia descibes them as a field of psycology... |
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| Holben | May 8 2010, 03:13 PM Post #10 |
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Rumbo a la Victoria
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Does it? Well, it's basically a superorganism or conglomerate of minds, like a hive collective. |
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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 | May 8 2010, 04:06 PM Post #11 |
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Ar hyd y nos
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Fair enough, I'll add that later. I've now added the definitions to the words already up there. |
| Save the Blibbering Humdinger from extinction! | |
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| Ddraig Goch | May 9 2010, 06:11 AM Post #12 |
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Ar hyd y nos
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I've added some more words. I've still yet to find a clear definition of "gestalts". Again, if anyone has any suggestions for more words, I'd be very grateful. |
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| Holben | May 9 2010, 06:50 AM Post #13 |
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Rumbo a la Victoria
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Yay! Found a good definition. In science, it means
From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gestalt |
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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 | May 9 2010, 06:54 AM Post #14 |
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Ar hyd y nos
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So essentially, the Borg are gestalt? |
| Save the Blibbering Humdinger from extinction! | |
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| Holben | May 9 2010, 06:55 AM Post #15 |
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Rumbo a la Victoria
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Yup. |
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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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Of course, first the definitions have to be added...


Yay! Found a good definition. In science, it means
11:29 AM Jul 13