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| Alterniverse: new topic; Another alternate K-T project... | |
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| Topic Started: Sep 23 2010, 09:32 PM (803 Views) | |
| Cephylus | Sep 23 2010, 09:32 PM Post #1 |
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Torando of Terror
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Okay, I replaced the old topic for Alterniverse with a new one. More species will come up soon, though I'll be changing the format and go by groups. Also a few changes have been made. |
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| The Dodo | Sep 24 2010, 01:26 AM Post #2 |
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Prime Specimen
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What are the changes? |
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| Cephylus | Nov 4 2010, 08:17 AM Post #3 |
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Torando of Terror
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God, it's been a long time since I last posted on my alternate evolution project!! I am keeping the basic form of the project; something occured at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary which didn't cause such a massive extinction event, a world in which some dinosaurs and other Mesozoic critters (notosuchids, pterosaurs, mosasaurs and some relict weirdoes like diccynodonts) managed to get through the end of the Mesozoic period and made it into the Cenezoic and perhaps the present (the Holocene, or at least the Pleistocene) But the biggest change is that I will still be keeping the Cretaceous-Teritary extinction event, although it will be weaker than the real one, for some of the Mesozoic critters to slip through. I'm settling with the concept of the Chicxulub asteroid missing the Earth and not striking Mexico to cause disaster on Earth as it did in the real timeline, but I'm speculating that if I were to keep the other factors of the K-T extinction event, such as the massive volcanic activity of the Deccan Traps and the fast changing climates, there would still be a massive wipeout of fauna and flora in the K-T boundary and the tremendous killoff would still wreak havoc on the more familiar Mesozoic ecosystems. For carnivores of this world, I'm mostly thining of various dromaeosaurs of all sizes dominating most of the predator roles and some scavenger roles, mostly the cat-tish niches. Some troodonts and oviraptrosaurs (given that they are flexible in what the eat and thus more adaptable), noasaurids, with some relict tyrannosaurs as well. There will also be notosuchid carnivores as well, some evolving into massive 5, 6 meter long predators but most will be pint-sized insectivorous carnivores with strangely mammalian characteristics. Pterosaurs will be carnivores as well, some albatross-like fish eaters, tiny insectivores with some azhdarchids evolving into terror bird or teratorn-like MASSIVE predators using their size to intimidate other carnivores. There will be mammalian carnivores..... but I haven't decided on them exactly (wolverine or tasmanian devil-like small but ferocious fluffballs, possibly descended from metatherians or some kind of other marsupial or some small shrew-like critters, but I'm placing larger, hyena-like or Thylacosmilus-like predators in South America, since the continent is a mostly mammal-dominated place with only a few unenlagiines ruling as apex predators and a few troodonts...) For carnivores, I'm pretty sure that the dinosaurs will mostly dominate these roles, already having the upper hand since the Trassic period. Dinosaurs were always the predators. Modern dinosaurs will never reach the Mesozoic size level, in fact, they won't even come close to it in the Holocene period, but some WILL be big, and some a lot bigger than modern mammalian carnivores. For herbivores, ornithischians will mainly dominate the herbivore roles as they did in the Mesozoic, such as ceratopsians, hypsilophodonts, some hardrosaurs. But there will be herbivorous therapods as well, some therizinosaurs, troodonts, oviraptorosaurs and maybe even titanosaurs? But the main problem with dinosaurian herbivores is the method of digestion of the plant matter they eat, especially the grazers; dinosaurs have rather primitive methods of digestion, and the new mammalian herbivores such as rodents (multiuberculates, gondwanatheres, maybe real rodents) and larger herbivores similar to ruminants (notoungulates), having newly gotten space to expand, won't they have a better chance against herbivorous dinosaurs given there advanced digestive tracks? After all, they have multi-chambered stomachs. And won't the receding Mesozoic forests and expanding grasslands cause the extinction of a lot of previously dominant browsing dinosaurs and give advantage to smaller, adaptable mammalian counterparts? But still, I think since there are a lot of smaller, adaptable dinosaurs who survived the K-T, and as they still have the upper hand in plant predation than mammals, I think that dinosaurs would also be able to develop more advanced digestive systems, competing with herbivorous mammals, although a lot of dinosaurs WOULD die out in the process. Maybe dinosaurs can use big, voluminous guts full of gastroliths for digestion like sauropods, or even develop multi-chambered stomachs, using bacterial fermentation and ruminating for digestion like modern mammalian grazers. Since mammals developed this kind of digestive system, why shouldn't dinosaurs? And since dinosaurs are put on a run to comepete and keep their dominance against other herbs, some will surely adapt to the different environments of the Cenezoic. In the air, I think most of the lesser omnivore/ insectivore/ carnivore/ frugivore niches will be dominated by birds, mostly familiar and similar to our HE counterparts. But there will be a lot of almost-birds, probably descended from enantiornithes or some flying non-avian dinosaurs such as unenlagiines. Most of these toothed birds will be smallish nocturnal predators/insectiovores, but some can grow larger on isolated islands. There will be a lot of pterosaurs occupying aerial niches as well. Pterosaurs will be intimidating presences in aerial ecosystems, the apex predators in the air and possibly on the ground, especially for azhdarchids. I'm counting on azhdarchids to be one of the most successful pterosaur group which made it past the K-T, mostly carnivores predating on small animals and scavenging, along with a few dsungapterids and ornithocheirids. There will be nyctosaurs as well, filling albatross/gull niches and spending most of their time out in the ocean hunting fish. Non-pterodactyloids such as anurognathids will also make it through, mostly frugivores or nightjar-like insectivores. Maybe some will evolve into raptor-like large aerial predators with powerful claws? There'll be some flying mammals as well, cimolestans, volaticotheres, shrew-like guys... |
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| Ook | Nov 4 2010, 08:44 AM Post #4 |
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not a Transhuman
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first Condylarth(a group,which gave rise to peryssodactyls,artilodactyls,mesonychids,cetaceand and propably a meridingulates(litopterna,notoungulata and few others) lived in late cretaceous-protungulatum![]() many of the mammal lineages were already present in late cretaceous(primates for example) |
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| Cephylus | Nov 4 2010, 09:11 AM Post #5 |
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Torando of Terror
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of course. mammals have a high chance in this world, I say. And I'm probably going to include primates, although i don't have any ideas for htem outside of lemur like or spec style animals but I didn't know condylarths were already present in late Cretaceous... but I know they gave rise to the laurasiatherians. Laurasiatheirans are still big in this world.... but not even nearly as they are in HE. I'm thinking of animals similar to artilodactyls and meridiungulates, possibly some aquatic mammals (but very different from cetaceans) most will be descended from shrew-like, mole-like, hedgehog-like small critters, ranging from tapir analogues, bear analogues, pig analogues (ristricted to South America, since ceratopsians dominate the pig niches elsewhere), small carnivore analogues, goat analogues..... Plus I think it'll be okay to include some weird repenomamus-like dicynodont-things, some almost-mammals? Edited by Cephylus, Nov 4 2010, 09:16 AM.
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| Ook | Nov 4 2010, 09:30 AM Post #6 |
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not a Transhuman
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i somewhere read that they even on real earth propably survived into early tertriary BTW.are u going to include gondwanatheres?We know them only from teeth and remains of jaws Edited by Ook, Nov 4 2010, 09:31 AM.
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| Cephylus | Nov 5 2010, 02:30 AM Post #7 |
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Torando of Terror
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I am going to include allotheres such as gondwanatheres and multiubercultes. Although they mostly have their butts kicked by para-rodents (group of relatively small mammals very similar to real Earth rodents, but more diverse in Alterniverse), still they survive into the modern world. Gondwantheres mostly fill beaver/ squirrel niches, some growing larger in South America, diversifying into some carnivores and herbivores. |
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| Cephylus | Nov 6 2010, 04:07 AM Post #8 |
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Torando of Terror
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Alright, now I've decided not only to do the Holocene but the previous Cenezoic periods and future periods (15, 50 MYF) |
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| Cephylus | Nov 15 2010, 09:57 AM Post #9 |
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Torando of Terror
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So I decided to do hardrosaurs. Korovasauria These generally large (the average weight is 1000~1600 killograms) herbivores specialised for eating vegetation, one of the last hardrosaur lineages. Korovasaurs (from the Russian word for 'cow') are dinosaurian ruminants; cud chewers, with voluminous four-chambered stomachs. Due to their lack of incisors, Korovasaurs use their flat, duck-like bills instead. Much of an average Korovasaur's diet consists mostly of non-grass vegetation, such as fresh shoots from trees, fruits, various aquatic plants and occasionally some weeds as well. Korovasaurs inhabit mixed deciduous and boreal forests in the Northern Hemisphere, in temperate to subarctic climates. They are largely solitary animals, wandering around on their own (their size and strength largely protects them from large dromaeosaurs and oviraptorosaurs), except for a short courtship period in autumn. The male Korovasaurs, in mating seasons, often engage in frequent fights with each other, using their forked keratinous crests they sport, also useful in intimidating predators. The males are polygamous, and produce heavy bellowing sound to let the females know of their presence. Like many modern hardrosaurs, Korovasuars are 'hooved', the middle finger modified into a sturdy keratinous digit and the first and third fingers reduced into tiny claws. Orku (Orku Orku) The Northern hemisphere of Asia and North America retains most of its megafauna, unlike most continents which lost their megafauna species during or after the Pleistocene glaciations. One of the impressive Northern megafauna species which managed to survive into the Holocene is the Orku, a gigantic hardrosaurian herbivore. Orkus are the largest extant species in the hardrosaur family, almost like a large therizinosaur on stilts, the average weight for males being 2000 killograms and females 1700 killograms. They are even slower and stockier than their relatives. The largest individual ever caught weighed 2200 killograms, which was a giant bull of the Siberian subspecies (Orku Orku Gigas). Orkus are generally colored in a pale blonde shade, although variations exist in different subspecies. Orkus are mostly browsers, feeding on many types of non-grasses, especially low-energy plants such as young shoots from trees or forbs and fruits (because these plants are not very nutritious, Orkus have to consume a lot of aquatic plants), although they do sometimes graze on grasses. An average weight moose can guzzle up to 70 killograms of plant matter a day. Like all hardrosaurs, Orkus have broad, flat-ended bills similar to that of ducks, which acts as their incisors. Orkus are not very fast runners, mostly because of their size and because they usually don't feel any need to run. However, when in a gallop, they can run at a considerably fast pace, and a charging Orku is an impressive sight to all beholders. Orkus are also excellent swimmers, and are often seen wading in the water to get at aquatic plants or to escape from pesky insects buzzing around them in hot weather. Size differences between sexes due to sexual dimorphism in Orkus is not very dramatic compared to other hardrosaurs (in their half-sized close relatives the Doodroo, males sometimes weigh double the weight of females). Both males and females possess a strange, forked shape similar in shape to that of a rooster, and in case of bulls, the crest is larger and is colored in a vivid violet at the tips. Cow crests are smaller and colored in a dull greyish shade. These crests are used in territorial combats or driving off potential predators. Orkus are strictly solitary creatures, with only females and offsprings forming long-lasting bonds. This is the biggest reason that Orkus are occasionally eaten by large predators such as Kritwees, Kaerars, Arbachads and Queens-of-Winter. Orku mating season is Autumn, and females lay one large egg at a time. Arka (Orku Americanus) Arkas are close relatives of Orkus found only in North America. Arkas are a bit smaller than Orkus, with average size for bulls 1600 killograms and cows 1000 killograms. They are less stockier compared to their large cousins as well. In overall appearance, Arkas appear very similar to Orkus, only a tiny bit miniaturized, except for two large white stripes on their shorter tails, and Arkas are generally darker in coloring than Orkus. Arkas are generally found in forests, but they also wander out into the edges of grasslands, browsing solitary next to some giant therizinosaurs. Like Orkus, Arkas are browsers and generally feed on low-energy non-grasses. Doodru (Troodactylus Sinensis) A smallish Korovasaur half the size of Orkus, Doodrus are a species found mainly throughout Northeastern China (hence the name 'Sinensis'), although they do occur in Russia. Like their cousins, Doodrus prefer forests, especially boreal ones in colder climates or temperate ones. Doodrus are the smallest Korovasaur, only weighing 550~1100 killograms (the smaller size makes them more vulnerable to small, social troodonts). Doodrus are more social than their relatives, often a large number found concentrated in one area as long as food supply is plentiful. Doodru males are polygamous, fighting each other fiercely in pairs to claim several cows. Doodrus fight with their elongated thumb claws, instead of antler-crests (the crests are almost non-existant in both bulls and cows). These thumb claws are not shriveled like that of their larger cousins but instead developed into long, formidable weapons. The bulls body-wrestle and slash at each other, leaving several slashmarks on their skin after the combat; the more scars the higher is the male's appeal to females. A female Doodru lays one basketball-sized eggs at a time. |
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| Cephylus | Nov 16 2010, 10:05 AM Post #10 |
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Torando of Terror
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Anyone paying attention to this project? I've got a few ideas: 1. broad-snouted ankylosaurs which feed on aquatic plants and fill hippo-type niches, with a rather crocodilian look. 2. omnivorous alligatorids the apex predators in Eastern China, Korea and Japan, eating everything from fruit to large therizinosaurs. 3. sauropod-like therizinosaurs. bipedal, but massive with long, flexible necks and rather long tails compared to the average therizinosaur. 4. large ant, termite eating alvarezsaurs with longer snouts and hooked claws to break down termite hills. 5. giant, filter-feeding pliosaurs filling baleen whale niches along with many large fish in the oceans. 6. large Australian descendent of coelurosaurs which are small insectivores when they are juveniles but when adults become apex predators. 7. knuckle walking giant sloth-like ornithomimids. Island Itreek (Caribbinychus Insularis) The Caribbean Islands are a group of islands which have been isolated from mainland for a fairly long time; the oldest islands are known to have existed from Cretaceous. Due to its isolated nature, these islands have seen radiations of some very weird species of fauna in our own timeline, such as giant, flightless and predatory owl-terror birds, pygmy ground sloths and cat-sized carnivorous shrews. In Alterniverse these islands also bear rather strange fauna even compared to the fauna in other parts of this world, such as large semi-aquatic ornithomimids, large omnivorous laurasiatherians, bipedal carnivorous marginocephalians and the Island Itreeks. Island Itreeks are a descendent of smallish, herbivorous basal coelurosaurs which somehow managed to reach the Caribbean islands by island hopping, but were stranded in some of the more isolated islands. These basal coelurosaurs evolved into bear-sized, fluffy and knuckle-walking omnivorous critters. All of the weight from their upper body is supported by the middle metacaperal, which became tough and hardened for walking, when they are on a quadrupedal stance. Itreeks also occasionally rear up to reach fresh shoots from trees, branches or fruits. Itreeks are extremely slow animals, their pace usually going no faster than a clumsy waddle. Itreeks possess long, flexible necks and rather narrow beaks. They are generally covered in white fluff, but they also have erectile display feathers, colored in a metallic gold shade, attatched to their shortened tails. Itreeks also have large, hooked claws on their fingers used for intimidating predators and other individuals of the same species. Itreeks are not completely herbivorous; they are omnivores, willing to feed on not only plants but insects or carcasses as well, sometimes intimidating smaller predators to steal their kills. When eating plants, they are generally browsers, feeding on branches, furits, nuts and fresh tree shoots. Itreeks are solitary animals, preferring to stay away from each other unless when they are mating: they mate any time of the year, and after a brief courtship period they break up again. During the mating period two males may battle each other by body wrestling or intimidating each other with their large claws, which they choose not to use in combat sequences because Itreeks lack tough skin and such a dangerous battle will surely result in serious wounds for both individuals. Itreeks are oviparous, laying beach-ball-sized eggs. They are rather slow in reproduction, giving birth to usually only one calf at a time, although sometimes females give birth to two or three individuals when food is plentiful. |
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| Rick Raptor | Nov 16 2010, 11:38 AM Post #11 |
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Adolescent
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I like all the ideas, but 1. I read in a book that because of its heavy armor an Ankylosaur would sink into the mud and get stuck (I admit it was a rather old and outdated book). So I think it would need really broad webbed feet and lighter armor (as an Ornithschian it doesn´t have the hollow bones of a Saurischian, so even without an armor it would still be very heavy). 2. What about competition with Oviratorids? They are omnivorous, too, and if you have something the size of Gigantoraptor it could fill also fill the apex predator niche. 7. Why would they shift from their fast two-legged running into slow four-legged knuckle-walking? Even Therizinosaurs are still bipedal. |
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| Cephylus | Nov 17 2010, 12:30 AM Post #12 |
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Torando of Terror
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1. Not necessarily. Ankylosaurs may already have sometimes swum in Cretaceous, and although they would be heavy hippos are also heavy and they don't have any troubles supporting their weight in underwater. 2. Well, the alligatorids would still be semi-aquatic, I didn't mean a terrestrial predator, so I think it would work out. 7. I was thinking that ornithomimids were already omnivorous, so with larger competitors gone small ornithomimids would grow larger, and then end up being giant sloth analogues. They aren't really full quadrupeds, they go around lots of times on a bipedal stance, but I thought a quadruped stance would be easier in supporting heavy weight. |
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