| 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! |
| Water catchers; terrestrial podplants | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Sep 9 2010, 08:47 AM (1,013 Views) | |
| StinglessBee | Sep 9 2010, 08:47 AM Post #1 |
|
Adolescent
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Water catcher Time- Carboniferous Size- up to 1.5m in diameter and up to 60cm high Diet- photosynthetic Habitat- the ground floor of rope tree "forests/scrubland" (perhaps "vineland" would be a better habitat name? We've established that it wouldn't be very forest-like), originating in Euramerica but spreading once Pangeia is formed After the Devonian, pod plants managed to break out of their niche within the marshes. However, outside of the marshes they suffered a problem: they struggled to gain light and nutrients within the increasingly dense clusters of rope trees. As a result, the water catchers evolved. In appearance, the average water catcher looks similar to a basin, with a green inside and an almost woody outside similar to a sponge's spicules, often with spore filled pods branching from the outside "wall" of the basin. The water catcher spreads from the point where it took route, pushing rope trees out of the way as it spreads. This means that it creates a small clearing for itself, allowing it to get light in a naturally dark environment. The basin itself acts to help the water catcher gain light, increasing the surface area of the chlorophyll filled membrane and allowing light from the sun to shine on at least part of it for the entire day. The basin also has another function: the collection of water. Whilst the plant does use some of the water in respiration, it is in fact a defence mechanism, protecting the plant from the deadly fires of the oxygen saturated Carboniferous by keeping the plant itself saturated with water, making it more difficult to burn. Meanwhile, the spores are fire resistant, meaning that they get a head start on the quicker growing rope trees after a fire. As a side effect of having a basin full of water, the basin forms a temporary pond, in which land dwelling cephalostia sometimes lay their eggs. |
![]() |
|
| Vultur-10 | Sep 28 2010, 10:56 PM Post #2 |
![]()
|
I like the term 'vine-land' for the neocharophyta-dominated ecosystems. |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Rewriting Earth · Next Topic » |







2:19 PM Jul 11