Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
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.

While unregistered users are able to browse the forum on a basic level, registering an account provides additional forum access not visible to guests as well as the ability to join in discussions and contribute yourself! Registration is free and instantaneous.

Join our community today!

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Man-eating Plants; an evolutionary possibility?
Topic Started: Aug 10 2010, 08:06 PM (2,174 Views)
Dark-Matter
Adult
 *  *  *  *  *  *
What about an animal that act as a plant,like the one in the novel fragment.



Edited by Dark-Matter, Dec 19 2010, 12:10 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Nimor
Member Avatar
Pteranodon
 *  *  *  *  *
That's a good idea, though the animal should be able to blend enough into the ground.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dark-Matter
Adult
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Her is some images about the plants: http://www.warrenfahy.com/page_gallery_antplants.html
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Holben
Member Avatar
Rumbo a la Victoria

Planimals might not be under the umbrella of 'man-eating plants' though. ;)

And, it's better to be able to move for reproductive, hunting and resource reasons so planimals really have to be in special circumstances.
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."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Nimor
Member Avatar
Pteranodon
 *  *  *  *  *
How many times is that Mega Mantis bigger than a human being?!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dark-Matter
Adult
 *  *  *  *  *  *
What about planimals evolving something like this:
http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&global=1&q=primeval+future+plant#/d1cygii
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
soulpelt
Member Avatar
Adolescent
 *  *  *  *  *
I think of one thing. Those plants from The ruins, both the movie and book. Those could be classified as 'man-eaters'I suppose. They could eat just 'bout anything I suppose.
don't Blink. Blink and you're Dead. Don't turn your Back. don't Look Away, and Don't blink. Good luck
He never raised his voice. That was the worst thing - the fury of a Time Lord - and then we discovered why. Why this Doctor, who had fought with Gods and Demons, why he had run away from us and hidden. He was being kind.

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kamidio
Member Avatar
The Game Master of the SSU:NC
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
MitchBeard
Aug 13 2010, 12:27 AM
No there is actually stuff like this. One of the honours projects being done at the moment at my uni that I heard about was looking at how much this plant benefits from the nutrients it gains from the insect herbivores it kills by producing a mild toxin in its leaves.
coughEcucalyptuscough
SSU:NC - Finding a new home.
Posted Image
Quotes
WAA
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Adman
Member Avatar
Totally not lamna
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Fakey
Dec 20 2010, 07:23 PM
MitchBeard
Aug 13 2010, 12:27 AM
No there is actually stuff like this. One of the honours projects being done at the moment at my uni that I heard about was looking at how much this plant benefits from the nutrients it gains from the insect herbivores it kills by producing a mild toxin in its leaves.
coughEcucalyptuscough
Dude, what's your problem?
Projects and concepts that I have stewing around
Extended Pleistocene- An alternate future where man died out, and the megafauna would continue to thrive (may or may not include a bit about certain future sapients)
Inverted World- An alternate timeline where an asteroid hit during the Barremian, causing an extinction event before the Maastrichtian. Dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and notosuchians make it to the present, along with a host of other animals.
Badania- Alien planet that has life at a devonian stage of development, except it exists in the present day.
Ido- Alien world where hoppers (derived flightless ballonts) and mouthpart-legged beasts are prevalent.
Leto- Life on a moon orbiting a gas giant with an erratic orbit; experiences extremes of hot and cold.
The Park- ???
Deeper Impact- a world where the K-Pg extinction wipes out crocodilians, mammals, and birds; squamates, choristoderes, and turtles inherit the earth.
World of Equal Opportunity- alternate history where denisovans come across Beringia and interact with native fauna. Much of the Pleistocene fauna survives, and the modern humans that end up crossing into North America do not overhunt the existing animals. 10,000 years later, civilizations exist that are on par with European and Asian societies.
The Ditch- Nothing is what if seems..
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kamidio
Member Avatar
The Game Master of the SSU:NC
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Eucalyptus procdues a poison in its leaves that only the Koala can eat.
SSU:NC - Finding a new home.
Posted Image
Quotes
WAA
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Zoroaster
Member Avatar
Fecund Fundiment
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Fakey
Jan 1 2011, 02:32 AM
Eucalyptus procdues a poison in its leaves that only the Koala can eat.
there are plenty of insects that eat eucalyptus leaves...

I used to grow "gum" trees, and had problems with caterpillars...

Australian parrots sometimes chew on the leaves too, probably new shoots only..
The Speccer Formerly Known As Magoo...
My exobio project(s) :
Hormizd / Zarathustra

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Dodo
Member Avatar
Prime Specimen
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Some species of possum will also eat Eucalyptus leaves, I know that Brush-Tailed possum eat a lot of them.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kamidio
Member Avatar
The Game Master of the SSU:NC
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
It probably depends on the species of Eucalyptus.
SSU:NC - Finding a new home.
Posted Image
Quotes
WAA
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
MitchBeard
Member Avatar
proud gondwanan
 *  *  *  *  *
Sorry fakey, but no. Not eucalypts.
Koalas do only feed on a dozen or less species out of the 900 something species of eucalypt, but that's more a lack of nutrition than a toxin thing. Koalas can stomach the tannins and toxins, but the leaves are essentially aromatic cardboard.
The project was definately on a ruderal herb, not a tree. Eucalypt surface root hair densities are way too low to make any use of dead bugs sitting on the surface before something drags them off. They also drop a ridiculous amount of their own litter, which would further impede taking up any nutrition from dead herbivores, even if their chemical bouquet could manage to knock them off.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kamidio
Member Avatar
The Game Master of the SSU:NC
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
So Animal Planet lied? Damnit.
SSU:NC - Finding a new home.
Posted Image
Quotes
WAA
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · General Spec · Next Topic »
Add Reply