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| Tardigrade world remake.; An extentsion to that terrarised world post ages ago, but with more imagination. | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 2 2010, 02:02 PM (2,715 Views) | |
| Forbiddenparadise64 | Jun 2 2010, 02:02 PM Post #1 |
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I decided to remake my old project, and focus on the tardigrade world. I have updated it a bit now, and have new ideas buzzing through my head now. If you remember reading it, It was about humans terraforming an alien planet the size of mars (with 38% of Earths mass and 1/3 of its gravity) in the far future and introducing some Earth life to it. Among them, were various bacteria, archea, protozoa, small fungi, algae and lichen, as well as the planets only animal: the highly adaptable tardigrade. There are many species of tardigrade, so the species bought here is a modified creature which has had all the best genes and genetic variability of all species fused into one. The population is a few thousand, to increase the starting genepool. With lots of algae (teh world was terraformed over a few millenia, but had naturally high levels of oxygen and CO2 as well. The planets conditions at the point of introduction are: AVerage temperature: 20 degrees C Oxygen levels: 25% carbon dioxide levels: 5% The time periods given be 6periods, starting with 110 million, alhtough im not sure about the rest, or the event in between each ones in terms of extinctions. Expect new strange tardigrade descendants, , enourmous colonies of bacteria and protozoa and even bizzare terrestrial flora from lichens. Give suggestions for the new project if possible. The old project (terrarised alien worlds) is now long dead, so this one will hopefully be its more specific successor. Can't wait for the next post 
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Prepare for the Future Walking with the future: Allozoic (pts 4-6)http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3252142/14/#new 
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| Forbiddenparadise64 | Jun 6 2010, 12:13 PM Post #16 |
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Ok here is one, i hope this works: Sorry about the small writing, you will have to magnify to read better sorry.
Edited by Forbiddenparadise64, Jun 6 2010, 12:14 PM.
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Prepare for the Future Walking with the future: Allozoic (pts 4-6)http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3252142/14/#new
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| Holben | Jun 6 2010, 12:46 PM Post #17 |
Rumbo a la Victoria
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It works fine, i didn't need to magnify! 
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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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| Forbiddenparadise64 | Jun 7 2010, 12:39 PM Post #18 |
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Ok, noone has replied to suggest on a new date, so I'll suggest the second myself: how about 250 million? For this later chapter, I plan that over the years: * abnormalids have died out, but shortly before, they gave rise to a completely new group of tardigrades: brachiognathids, descended from a 70cm species named psuedodon. In brachiognathids, the front two pairs of limbs have moved onto the head and act as extensions for the jaws. They also have more efficient propulsion systems and a more streamlined shape. Brachiognathids become dominant, developing into huge predators and filter feeders, as well as lots of diversification and even a few river dwelling forms. * A greater diversification for collectors, on par with the brachiognathids. With oxygen levels of over 30%, new gigantic eurypterid like species up to 5 metres long cruise the oceans. *more chordacids * a great reduction in the tardibites. Can't wait for the next post! |
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Prepare for the Future Walking with the future: Allozoic (pts 4-6)http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3252142/14/#new
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| Forbiddenparadise64 | Jun 8 2010, 02:39 PM Post #19 |
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Brachiognathids are the mainly dominant lifeforms for 250 million years. The 4 limbs attached to the head have evolved seperately, one pair evolving into grabbing structures, with sharp jagged edges, and the other act like an extra pair of jaws for chewing. They range from the 2cm ( all lenghts include the arms) silvibrachius, to the predatory 13 metre priscaposeidon to the 22 metre filter feeder ceteoteuthida (which weighs over 3 tardigradan tonnes or 9 Earth tonnes). Collectors come in a very diverse array of forms too, including the 5-6 metre eurypterid-like titanopterus (the largest eurypterids lived when oxygen levels were lower than todays), because in these animals, moulting is no longer a problem, and as gravity is much lower and oxygen levels are 30%, they can grow big. The spider crab like Megacrustaceas has a legspan of up to 7m too. Some smaller species even now live permenantly on land, feeding on the new lichen forests, and increasing the diversity on land. part 2 will be done next post. Feel free to comment on anmals so far. |
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Prepare for the Future Walking with the future: Allozoic (pts 4-6)http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3252142/14/#new
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| Forbiddenparadise64 | Jun 10 2010, 12:29 PM Post #20 |
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part 2: Tardilids: This group is of similar diversity as before within the aquatic species, but has also evolved some free swimming eel like forms, including a couple of predators like moray eels. However, some have gone beyond this lifestyle. One such group of animals are false-earthworms, a terrestrial group of false worms living in soil and increasing fertility for the plants. Some of the sea-centipedes and sea-millipedes, have even developed fully terrestrial lifestyles, and with oxygen levels this high, and little competition, already have species up to a metre long. Tardibites: Greatly reduced in diversity since an extinction event in 125 million AP, they have been driven to extremes, only the smallest and largest exist now. The largest species of tardibites that roams the swamp like habitats around coastlines. These habitats are made out of more evolved descendants of lichen, which have now grown many times larger than their ancestors, some species are more than 25m tall already. The largest of all tardibites, Megabitus, is about 1.4m long and weighs more than 50 kg (150+ on Earth), making it the new largest land animal in this breef rain of glory. Slow-pokes: Are more diverse and strange than before. They have starfish like, sea cucumber like, sea urchin like and even photosynthesising forms (through a symbiotic relationship with a species of algae). Are otherwise similar in number of species to before. Many have even lost their brains to adapt to their new less demanding lifestyle. Cnidaromimids: An offshoot of the slow-pokes that have evolved a jelly-fish like lifestyle, floating in the currents, catching plankton, algae or animals. There are many species, measuring from 3mm to 18m, with the tentacles consuming as much area as possible in search of food. They have lost their eyes, and rely on light sensitive remnants instead, being dependant on oceanic currents to carry them to their destination. Ceratokaids: These now cover the ocean floors in their shelled forms. Some species are a staggering 4 metre wide shells like a clam, which capture algae and plankton to sustain the main body, which is in fact not much bigger than a salmon's. Other forms have gone away from this lifestyle and resemble gastropods. A few have even moved into the terrestrial coasts to feed on the plants and fungi that live there. Plesicthia: A "paravertabrate" group descended from chordacus. They are commonly found in showls throughout the oceans and rivers of the Earth. Many are heavily armoured to defend from their collector and brachiognathid predators, and some of these are borrowers, persuing false worms under the sand. Others lack this armour, and have developed more external jaws, which are stronger, more manouverable and more biologically flexible than those of others, allowing them to turn the tables on their enemies. Species range from 4mm parts of the plankton cycle, to the armoured Euokais, measuring 1.5 metres long, and lives in rivers and swamps where brachiognathids cannot live over 10cm, and competition from collectors is greatly reduced. 266 million AP sees a devastating extinction caused by a gamma ray burst, similar to one that may have caused the Ordovician-silurian extinction. More than 80% of species are wiped out, including many larger brachiognathids and the larger forms of collector. The Plesicthyds, having a more efficient thermal regulation system survive better as temperatures start to fall, perhaps it is they who will be dominant in the next time period. The next time period BTW will be 340 million years. See you next post! |
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Prepare for the Future Walking with the future: Allozoic (pts 4-6)http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3252142/14/#new
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| Holben | Jun 10 2010, 02:03 PM Post #21 |
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Rumbo a la Victoria
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Well, gamma-ray burst.. where was it? |
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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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| Forbiddenparadise64 | Jun 12 2010, 10:44 AM Post #22 |
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Tardigradus's star system is somewhere in the Canis Major constellation, where the largest known star by diameter, VY canis majoris exists. Of course by 266 million AP (population occurs thousands of years from now), VY will be long gone. But a descendant giant star, formed out of huge amounts of gas and dust, forms. The amount of gas and dust it absorbs from some nebula forms a star about 35-50 times the mass of our sun. But eventually, after a few hundred thousand years, it goes hypernova. The gamma ray burst is coincidentally aimed directly at Tardigradus. Most of the initial radiation from the gamma ray burst is absorbed by its atmosphere (which is about 10% denser than Earth's), with some going through. But it removes over 2/5 of the ozone layer, which allows deadly UV radiation from Tardigradus's host sun, which is about 4% more luminous than the sun to penetrate, and causes devastating mutations, like a worse version of Chernobyl on a far larger scale. Most organisms that don't live at least 25m below the surface of the ocean are at great risk of mutation and acid rain caused by the nitrous oxides. Not only this, but it creates a brown fog, which blots out sunlight and lowers global temperatures by over 10 degrees for a decade or so. The extinction is over quickly, but life takes millions of years to recover. The brachiognathids and collectors lose their dominance of the oceans and it is handed over to the plesicthids, who due to a more efficient breathing system, better temperature regulation and a more advanced brain, survive with less losses and colonise many niches of old animals. Their age has begun. |
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Prepare for the Future Walking with the future: Allozoic (pts 4-6)http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3252142/14/#new
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| Holben | Jun 12 2010, 02:29 PM Post #23 |
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Rumbo a la Victoria
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Bursts don't really get aimed...  What's the size and metallicity of the new VY star? |
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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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| Forbiddenparadise64 | Jun 12 2010, 04:15 PM Post #24 |
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Oh buggar. Ok... it is a type star, with a diameter of 1.8 billion km, and is a population 2 star. By aimed i meant is directly facing towards tardigradus. Anyway, I'm planning for time era 3 (340 million) for the plesicthids to rule a world similar to the late devonian. It even has a similar destiny for some of these creatures. Tardigradus, i planned would evolve along a somewhat similar, but also quite different line to Earth, i'm planning. But i want it to be unusual and plausible at the same time, so if anyone can make some suggestions of that kind, it will be greatly appreciated. |
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Prepare for the Future Walking with the future: Allozoic (pts 4-6)http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3252142/14/#new
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| Forbiddenparadise64 | Jun 13 2010, 12:24 PM Post #25 |
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For now, I'm gonna do a brief description on the plesicthids, which are now dominant. Here are some differences between them and Earth's fish: * They have a horizontal external pair of jaws and vertical internal pair. * They have two pairs of eyes, as previously said, one binoculour and the other monoculor. * They have 8 fins, the back 3 pairs are for swimming along with the tail, and the smaller front pair, work for pushing obstacles out of the way, or in some parapiscids, even has a limited grabbing ability (wow the tetrapod equivalents im planning on later, are gonna look wierd!) The Placokaids: A heavily armoured dominant group. They were protected from predators by their powerful armour and great strength. The jaws are extentions of this armour, which are razor sharp in predators and crushing in the reef-eater forms, which include crocodile sized herbivores. The largest animal on tardigradus now, is the savage predator Phobocephalus, a 13 metre long, 5 tonne (15 terran tonne) nightmare of these seas. It is solitary and will kill any other animal coming in its way, even other phobocephalus. Fortunately, not all species of placokaid are so savage. Parapicis: A group of less diversity resembling bony fish. They are more restricted to freshwater, deeper sea and around certain types of reef niches. The largest is the 4 metre long river dweller Cetamorphus. But the most wierd of them, is the Supopteranus: A 1 metre long creature with a very remarkable ability. It has lungs as well as gills, which breath in oxygen and exchange it for C02, which helps sustain plants. Its walking fins have evolved into paddle, somewhat similar to a turtles, but with joint. The front pair have even started to evolve digits. |
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Prepare for the Future Walking with the future: Allozoic (pts 4-6)http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3252142/14/#new
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| Holben | Jun 14 2010, 11:52 AM Post #26 |
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Rumbo a la Victoria
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Do the parapicids have an internal skeleton as well then? |
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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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| Forbiddenparadise64 | Jun 14 2010, 02:05 PM Post #27 |
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Well, since their ancestor chordacus had an internal chord, and the plesicthid group in general has a complex skeleton of somesort (in the other group it is made out of cartilige), than yes, the parapiscids do have an endoskeleton. Supopteranus's is stronger and tougher than its relatives to assist it out of water. It lives in dry habitats, where it will move from place to place over distances of up to 1 km, and if this doesn't work, will wrap itself in a cucoon, just like a lungfish. But it flourishes is wetter habitats as well of course. It's future is bright. |
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Prepare for the Future Walking with the future: Allozoic (pts 4-6)http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3252142/14/#new
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| Forbiddenparadise64 | Jun 27 2010, 08:03 AM Post #28 |
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Ok, how is this for a new time period: 450 million AP? Now, the descendants of supopteranus have colonised the land, and developed into huge, amphibous beasts, some as big as 10-12m. There is also a more adaptable class (known as consisting of water tight skin and eggs, and has a four chambered heart as well. These species consist mainly of small, lizard or shrew like (not appearance wise) creatures, but includes some medium and even large sized animals on the plains, such as the hippo sized diplocephalus, named so because it's tail resembles its head in the juveniles, and if bitten off can grow back. The largest carnivore is the tiger sized smilognathus, which has sabre like tusks coming out of its jaws to stab downwards, whilte the mandibles themselves are merely for eating. Oxygen levels have soured with the evolution of the huge lichen superplants, some species up to 100m tall, with oxygen levels reaching in excess of 40%. This promotes the existance of huge collectors, like the bull sized Arachos resembling a giant coconut crab with a locust like head, with 4 jaws and two pairs of eyes, and the 7 metre long false millipede arthroserpens. They grow so titanic because of having no moulting problems like arthropods, such low gravity and such high oxygen levels. They are however near their limits and have to live around swamp environments to survive. New terraceratokaids have developed snail like forms and evolved into 60 cm long (excluding the 1m shell) giants which feed on primitive lichen and mushrooms that inhabit the bizzare forest floors. Don't know whether this project is as plausible anymore, but i warned its not as plausible as walking with the future, but still if anyone has suggestions, just say. BTW, the final two periods will go further in the future, exploring 520 million and even 670 million AP, where the distant descendants of those humble tardigrades have taken evolution to extremes. |
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Prepare for the Future Walking with the future: Allozoic (pts 4-6)http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3252142/14/#new
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| Holben | Jun 27 2010, 08:11 AM Post #29 |
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Whenever you delve into the future, things become less likely/plausible and people start agreeing with your paths less and less. It's better to approach these things looking at them as a world completely alien to the previous entries when confronted with a new timeperiod- there are exceptions, but try that first. |
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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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| Forbiddenparadise64 | Jul 11 2010, 06:13 AM Post #30 |
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What do you mean by that, are you saying i should make each individual period more different from the last? |
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Prepare for the Future Walking with the future: Allozoic (pts 4-6)http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3252142/14/#new
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