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| Life Much Later; The world, 25 million years from now | |
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| Topic Started: May 15 2010, 03:41 PM (579 Views) | |
| Practically Uninformed | May 15 2010, 03:41 PM Post #1 |
Informed enough to care
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After much planning, I've decided to bring to fruition my own future scenario, Life Much Later. This'll detail the various strange happenings that come about as a result of man's dying out a million years from now. NOTE: Animals in this project may have quite boring origins. To kick it all off, we go to New Jersey, my home state (go Devils). Here, the factories and towns have once again given way to cold deciduous forests, and the roads have given way to enormous stretches of field, descended from lawngrasses. These grasses are fed upon by a strange species of bird, the Jersey Goose (Brontobranta ponderus). The Jersey Goose is, in fact, a descendant of non-migrating populations of the modern-day Canada Goose, which is currently considered a pest in most parts. Like its ancestor, the Jersey Goose is an ornery and ubiquitous graminivore, but this creature is both enormous (rising to the shoulder of an adult human) and flightless. In fact, there is indication that this creature grew much larger in the past: Gigabranta horridus grew to be over 12 feet tall! The explanation for such a crunch on Brontobranta's size is the result of a phenomenon dubbed "re-institution", where normal predator-prey interaction gradually returns to areas once ruled by humans. In this case, the arrival of 2 groups of predator is to blame for this decrease in the size of the Jersey Goose. One such creature of note developed as a result of the sudden "spread" of lawngrass in the Americas: the dhogs (Erymanthiae), specifically the Paterson Hog (Scrofatherium erymanthia). The dhogs developed from a carnivorous offshoot of the razorback ( Sus scrofa), which began to take advantage of the various populations of small animals cropping up in the open spaces. As the lawns continued to spread, the boars became sleek and streamlines, their bodies growing thinner and their legs growing longer. Eventually, the dhog began to radiate into a number of forms, such as Scrofatherium erymanthia. The Paterson Hog is a near-textbook model for the dhog: its disk-shaped nose has "folded" in on itself, its body is sinuous and almost cat-like, and its tusks have shortened into canine fangs. The Paterson Hog is also, like so many dhogs, still prone to feeding upon vegetation, but it will generally feed upon Jersey Geese and several species of Velvethorns (Beloudobovinae), derived grazing forms of American deer. The second is less common, but just as dangerous. The Ottercat (Yagouar triton), a recent intruder from the American Southwest, is a derived descendant of the Jaguarundi (Puma yagouarundi), who took an apex niche left vacant by crocodiles in the temperate areas of the world. Generally, they live alone, constructing huge burrows by riverbanks. Their territories are not wide, but quite long, often encompassing a mile's stretch of river. Ottercats are well-known for the odd behavior known as "slapping", where a tom or ovulating queen will beat a rock with their large, scute-covered tail. The exact reason for this behavior is unknown, but it is believed that "slapping" acts as a territorial call, possibly doubling as a sexual message. |
| You may be a king or a lil' street sweeper, but sooner or later, you'll dance with the reaper! | |
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| Carlos | May 15 2010, 03:42 PM Post #2 |
Adveho in me Lucifero
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Sounds quite interesting |
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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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| Ook | May 15 2010, 03:54 PM Post #3 |
not a Transhuman
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very interesting concepts,i like this |
   
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| Pando | May 15 2010, 07:03 PM Post #4 |
Obey or I'll send you to the moon
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Interesting. How come I spent a week deciding on 25 MYF for the Postozoic and was the first to do so (that I know of), and now this is the 2nd project I've seen since then that used the 25 MYF date? At least no-one used 90 and 120 MYF yet... |
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| Practically Uninformed | May 15 2010, 07:56 PM Post #5 |
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Informed enough to care
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I'm going to go for 50 million and 100 million later. |
| You may be a king or a lil' street sweeper, but sooner or later, you'll dance with the reaper! | |
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| Practically Uninformed | May 16 2010, 12:07 PM Post #6 |
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Informed enough to care
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Now, we move on to the wilds of Europe, specifically Berlin. Here, the lawns have also expanded, but there is significantly more wild brush and forest in Europe than in the Americas. Thus, there are fewer open spaces here than there are in the Americas for running forms to develop in. However, this does not mean that graminivores aren't widespread; the lawns appear to be expanding into the forests themselves, outcompeting some of the mosses that blanket the ground. Several species of animals have adapted to feed on this carpet-grass, including a new order of herbivores. The bigbunnies (Megalagae), ranging from the size of a dog to the size of a sheep, now dominate the landscape, outcompeting some of the grass-eating deer due to their high reproduction rate. From the outside, bigbunnies seem mostly similar to their ancestors; the only differences are their size, slightly smaller ears, and large, almost hoof-like nails on the back toes. Most in the forests remain relatively small, but out in the fields of what were once Berlin and Munich, they congregate in great warrens of sheep-sized grazers. Unfortunately, due to the development of humans, and their later extinction, the major carnivores (wolves and bears) have died out, leaving their potential-filled niches open. As a result, several creatures have evolved in an attempt to take their place. In the Northeast, the Bear-Skunk (Macrogalo ursus) stalks the conifer forests in enormous territories, marking them all with the pungeunt scent it carries. Descended from the wolverine (Gulo gulo), the Bear-Skunk is unique in its bizaare piebald coloration, bringing its relative, the skunks(Mephitidae), immediately to mind. Meanwhile, further down in the south, a rabbit-hunting subspecies of the Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) has diversified long ago into a new family of large, semi-terrestrial birds of prey, dubbed robber hawks (Phorusfalconidae). These creatures are unique amongst most, if not all, bird species in its ability to hunt in loose "packs". Usually, a robber hawk will hunt alone, and only attack small mammals. However, when the herds of bigbunny move in, robber hawks congregate in impressive "dive-bombs" of herds, slashing the selected prey with their hyper-extendable claws. After the herds have moved on, though, the hunters disband until the coming spring. Most of these creatures can fly, but the Greater Robbers (Geraki sp.) are completely flightless, and regularly follow their herds of bigbunnies around Northern Greece. Of note is a small creature native to the United Kingdom, formerly descended from an invasive population of Northern Short-Tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda). They are collectively known as braves (Forterae), and have earned this name thanks to their impressive ability to subdue prey 3 times their normal size. Braves themselves are quite small for large-game predators; the largest, the Clint's Brave (Sigourus eastwoodi), only grows to be the size of a housecat. However, braves contain an incredibly potent venom in their saliva, and prolonged exposure to about a teaspoon-worth of the substance can kill a adult human in minutes, let alone a good-sized bigbunny. Edited by Practically Uninformed, May 17 2010, 03:12 PM.
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| You may be a king or a lil' street sweeper, but sooner or later, you'll dance with the reaper! | |
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| Ook | Jun 1 2010, 12:38 PM Post #7 |
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not a Transhuman
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nice 
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7:38 PM Jul 13