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Trilobitic; A world where only trilobites thrive
Topic Started: Apr 1 2011, 10:24 AM (753 Views)
Fungi-Aren't-Plants
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As we *should* all know, trilobites were a highly diverse group of animals most prevalent in the Cambrian. However, mass extinctions caused most of them to die off, leaving only one family left, who soon died off also. Trilobites filled all necessary niches with their diversity, exempting parasites. However, this did not save them from extinction.

But what if it did?

On an artificial Cambrian-Earth, ten species of trilobites have been sent there. The species fill out the following niches:
--Large herbivore
--Small herbivore
--Gregarious herbivore
--Detrivore
--Scavenger
--Large carnivore
--Small carnivore
--Gregarious herbivore
--Large omnivore
--Small omnivore

All of these species did not exactly live in the Cambrian per se; scientists found the first trilobite, revived it, and simulated evolution in it until it had ten descendants who covered a variety of niches. These ten trilobites, currently known only under the code name Neobites, populate the artificial Cambrian Earth.

(Images later.)
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bloom_boi
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Fungi-Aren't-Plants
Apr 1 2011, 10:24 AM
As we *should* all know
Your not gonna be very popular if you talk like that :/

This looks very promising though! I haven't seen it done before.
"You shall perish, whatever you do! If you are taken with arms in your hands, death! If you beg for mercy, death! Whichever way you turn, right, left, back, forward, up, down, death! You are not merely outside the law, you are outside humanity. Neither age nor sex shall save you and yours. You shall die, but first you shall taste the agony of your wife, your sister, your sons and daughters, even those in the cradle! Before your eyes the wounded man shall be taken out of the ambulance and hacked with bayonets or knocked down with the butt end of a rifle. He shall be dragged living by his broken leg or bleeding arm and flung like a suffering, groaning bundle of refuse into the gutter. Death! Death! Death!"



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Fungi-Aren't-Plants
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Meh. I'm not very popular in real life anyways. :P
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dialforthedevil
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No need to be so down on yourself mate :)

Ah this sounds interesting :) so are we going to get really massive trilobites then ?
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Fungi-Aren't-Plants
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The only reason I'm not popular is because I spend time babbling about random things such as what would happen if a pig was put in a dress and fed only celery for three days straight. :P

Yes, somewhat massive. The large herbivore is three feet tall and five feet long, and the carnivore is two and a half feet tall, six feet long.
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dialforthedevil
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Hahaha ah sounds like me a bit a while ago although once you find a group itll be fine :) my knowledge is appreciated by much of my year... plus it can be a good chat up thing ;)

Nice so are they coming onto land and if so how?
Please come visit A Scientfic Fantasy http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/3433014/1/

ALSO!!! JOIN THE NEW RPG SITE!!! FOR ALL MEMBERS!!! IM GOING TO RUN MA GLOBAL SIMULATORS THERE!!! http://s4.zetaboards.com/jasonguppy/index/

Join the Campaign to save minotaurs from extinction!!! (include this in your signature to show your support!)
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Fungi-Aren't-Plants
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Yeah, I do have a few equally-random friends who are eighteen and a half shades of awesome.

Yes, they'll come onto land eventually.
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bloom_boi
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Would carnivores be Anomolocarus types?
"You shall perish, whatever you do! If you are taken with arms in your hands, death! If you beg for mercy, death! Whichever way you turn, right, left, back, forward, up, down, death! You are not merely outside the law, you are outside humanity. Neither age nor sex shall save you and yours. You shall die, but first you shall taste the agony of your wife, your sister, your sons and daughters, even those in the cradle! Before your eyes the wounded man shall be taken out of the ambulance and hacked with bayonets or knocked down with the butt end of a rifle. He shall be dragged living by his broken leg or bleeding arm and flung like a suffering, groaning bundle of refuse into the gutter. Death! Death! Death!"



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Fungi-Aren't-Plants
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They will be somewhat similar to them, yes.
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Kamidio
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Right now I'm picturing a giant whale-like species. Is this bad?
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Fungi-Aren't-Plants
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No; in fact, I was planning on eventually evolving a sonar-using scavenger that looks somewhat similar to whales.
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