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| To Kill An Ungulate; tumors and growths | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 29 2011, 12:38 PM (427 Views) | |
| macgobhain | Mar 29 2011, 12:38 PM Post #1 |
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So I'm almost done writing the description and drawing a replacement for goats, and I've realized that saber-toothed ungulates are just catchy. Chevrotains, musk deer, and palaeomerycines had elongated canines and so did many dinoceratans. So, the thing here is I want an explanation for why this particular ungulate has antler-like growths that it uses just like a deer would use theirs but tusk-like elongated canines. I came up with this idea that they need to eat tubers in order to prevent a condition I've named plochamopsia for now (Greek plokami: "tentacle" and opsis: "face"), and the tusks would be used to help dig for said tubers. The only trouble is I'm not quite sure what causes plochamopsia yet. I know that I want it to cause tumorous tentacle-like growths in the animals face that may impede its ability to eat and furthermore in winter time cause frost bite leading to fever and death. I think viruses are too original (papilloma is what inspired the idea anyways), so maybe a parasite or fungus? if it is a parasite i dont think worms are very interesting since trematodes already cause frogs to grow multiple legs, what do u guys think? |
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| Zorcuspine | Mar 29 2011, 02:39 PM Post #2 |
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Enjoying our azure blue world
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Or they could just eat tubers as the main part of their diet. That would be much simpler
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| macgobhain | Mar 29 2011, 10:13 PM Post #3 |
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that would be boring.... besides a lot of animals eat specific things not normally a part of their diet to prevent certain conditions. maned wolves eat a nasty tasting fruit to stop kidney worms. |
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| Jasonguppy | Mar 30 2011, 08:10 AM Post #4 |
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Maybe a certain kind of tumour protects them. You could have it a kind of cancer that grows in the face bones caused by a fungus or (better yet) have something infect certain plants other than tubers so it gets eaten. |
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I do art sometimes. "if you want green eat a salad" Projects: Amammalia: A strange place where mammals didn't make it and the land is, once again, dominated by archosaurs. Oceanus: An endless sea dotted with islands, reefs, and black holes. Literally endless, literal black holes. ❤️❤️~I'm not a boy~❤️❤️ | |
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2:28 PM Jul 11