CLASS: ARCHOZOA
Archozoans are the dominant lifeforms on Pangaea, essentially its equivalent of mammals.

PHYSIOLOGY: Archozoans are, as a rule, warm-blooded, egg-laying, land-dwelling creatures. They all share the same basic body plan, which can be broken down into sections:
HEAD- The archozoan head is divided into two parts: the first, which holds the eyes, is long and limb-like, forming the second section of the "neck", and the second is more skull-like, possessing three jaws and an insect-like shell. Predatory archozoans tend cut up their food using these jaws, and then pull it into their gullet with a pair of long, dexterous tongues; herbivorous ones usually chew and swallow their food like terrestrial animals.
NECK- The archozoan "neck" resembles a human arm, with a "shoulder", "elbow", and "wrist". However, the actual neck consists only of the first section, the "upper arm". The rest is actually part of the head.
BODY- Archozoans usually possess fairly short bodies, mainly due to the fact that their double-spine system, although sturdy, does not allow for much flexibility. All of the internal organs are located within the body, with the brain, lungs, and heart in a large hump on the back.
LEGS- Archozoan legs resemble those of digitigrade Earth animals, but are jointed in reverse. Instead of claws, the ends of the toes are encased in protective sheathes of keratin, similar to a shell.
TAILS- All archozoans possess two "tails", which are not actually extensions of the spinal columns. Instead, they are a pair of long, cartilaginous rods, which hold bulbous fat deposits at the end. These help balance the animal, and are often used to signal other individuals. In species that live in colder climes, blood is pumped through the tail, where the insulating fat warms it.

REPRODUCTION: Archozoans possess two sexes, but the way they breed is very different from Earth animals. The male and female maneuver so that they are alongside each other, and then use their tongues to taste the other's saliva in order to determine if their partner is healthy. If so, the male will begin to release clouds of spores, which stick to the slimy glands that swell on a female's sides when she is ready to breed. The spores are then absorbed into her body and fertilize her eggs. Eventually, the glands burst open, and the female's eggs fall to the ground. The eggs are small, and covered in hairlike roots that absorb nutrients from the soil, aiding the developing young.

EXAMPLES:

-flagtail

-galli

-hivehead

-masthead

-mimic

-pampas raptor

-sea ghoul

-sharkfin

-siren

swinger




CLASS: GNATHOPODA
Gnathopods are a diverse group of highly specialized archozoan descendants, filling the role of rodents and insectivores.

PHYSIOLOGY: Gnathopods ("jaw-legs") get their name from their unique bodyplan, which, although derived from that of the archozoans, is very different from the original design. In gnathopods, the "neck" and first part of the head have fused to the body, so that it appears longer and more flexible than that of an archozoan. The eyes are mounted on long flexible stalks, enabling gnathopods to lookin in multiple directions at once. The head, meanwhile, is quite large, and the lower jaws have hypertrophied into a pair of fully functional forelimbs, hence the group's name. These forelimbs resemble those of praying mantises on Earth, and, in many species, are used in much the same way to attack prey. Other species use them as pitons when climbing trees, and some others have turned them into clubs. As their lower jaws are now limbs, gnathopods use their tongues to manipulate and cut up food.

REPRODUCTION: Although most gnathopods reproduce in much the same way as archozoans, there is an exception. The family Virusovidae is a group of small, carnivorous gnathopods found in tropical regions. The virusovids have developed a unique symbiotic relationship with a Pangaean "virus". When a female virusovid becomes pregnant, the virus activates and attaches itself to the eggs. The female will then find a large animal and implant her eggs beneath its skin. The virus will then begin to reproduce at a phenomenal rate, reprogramming the host's cells to accept the eggs as part of the body. When the eggs hatch, the young eat their way out, taking the virus with them and leaving the host with a cluster of open, festering wounds.

EXAMPLES:

-minireaper




CLASS: PTEROMORPHA
Pteromorphs make up the majority of Pangaea's large flyers.

PHYSIOLOGY: Pteromorphs branched off from the archozoans about 50 mya, and so share much of the same anatomy. However, they are highly specialized for flight. Their legs have developed into wings, moving forward on the body and becoming far longer and well-muscled. They use wing membranes for flight, similar to earth bats and pterosaurs. The two tails have also developed such membranes, and act as support mechanisms in the air. The body behind the legs has lengthened, and a pair of bony spurs jut out to stabilize the creatures on the ground. Larger species pull themselves along the ground using rough pads on the third joint of their wings, whereas smaller ones use the vestigial claws on their wings to cling to trees. Despite all of these new adaptations, the pteromorph head has changed relatively little, showing almost all of the same features as that of an archozoan.

REPRODUCTION: Because they are closely related to archozoans, pteromorphs reproduce in much the same way. However, many pteromorphs display extreme sexual dimorphism, with small, extravagantly adorned males and larger but drabber females.

EXAMPLES:

-aurora

-cave demon

-escort

-king drake

-windwraith

CLASS: EOBASILIA
Eobasilians are an ancient group that once dominated the entire planet before they were out-competed by archozoans.

PHYSIOLOGY:
Eobasilians share many physiological similarities with both archozoans and xenopiscines. In appearance, they can roughly be described as enormous slugs, although they possess trilateral symmetry as opposed to bilateral symmetry. Their front half is split into three "arms", each one roughly similar to the "neck" of an archozoan, complete with eyes. However, eobasilians also possess the armored bodies of xenopiscines, although much of this armor is internal, forming a partial skeleton.

REPRODUCTION:
Like all trilaterates, eobasilians are hermaphrodites. They "mate" in an extremely violent manner; both individuals will fight until one is too tired to continue. Once this occurs, the other will implant a cluster of eggs in the center of its partner's arms, where they will be fertilized. However, if the two individuals aren't evenly matched, one will usually end up killing the other instead of mating.




CLASS: TRIOPTERA
Triopterans are trilaterally-symmetrical creatures that are analogous to insects.

PHYSIOLOGY: Triopterans are very similar to arthropods, and possess a hard exoskeleton and jointed legs. However, they are trilatterally symmetrical, and so have three legs, three eyes, and three wings. Their bodies display the same basic configuration regardless of species: eyes around the top, legs around the bottom, and wings in between. The mouth and beathing vents are located underneath the body. Triopterans, due to their body plan, have no "front" to speak of, and this has enabled them to do something unusual: during flight, one wing acts as a tail and steers while the other two are used for propulsion; however, this arrangement can be changed at will, enabling triopterans to execute instantaneous turns in midair.

REPRODUCTION: Triopterans are hermaphroditic, and both individuals lay eggs after breeding. Eggs are typically laid inside a plant so that the young have a readily-available food source once they hatch. Unlike Earth insects, triopterans have no larval stage; the young resemble miniature, wingless adults, developing the power of flight as they reach sexual maturity.

EXAMPLES:

-butcherbug

-trifly




CLASS: XENOPISCES
Xenopiscines, more commonly known as xenofish, fill the niches that are held by fish on Earth.

PHYSIOLOGY: Xenopiscines, although they resemble fish, are actually closer to shellfish in their body plan. They body consists or a series of hollow, conical shells, with flesh linking them together. A nerve cord runs through the whole body and serves a similar purposed to a spine, although it provides no support to the animal. Fins extend from the exposed areas between the shells, and enable xenopiscines to swim with a strange, "corkscrewing" motion. Xenopiscines, like most of thye simpler animals on Pangaea, possess trilateral symmetry.

REPRODUCTION: Xenopiscines produce in a method very similar to fish, however, they are hermaphroditic, and take turns releasing eggs and sperm.

CLASS: DISCOZOA
Discozoans have no Earthly equivalent. They are flat, circular creatures that both feed on algae and photosynthesize.

PHYSIOLOGY: Discozoans ("disks") are simple creatures, essentially a heart, gills, digestive track, and tiny brain flattened out and wrapped in muscle, with a tiny mouth on the bottom. They are invertebrates, possessing no skeletal structure of any sort. Most are tiny, smaller than a pea, but others can be mistaken for large, flat rocks. Freshwater species divide their time between skimming the sand for algae and floating on the surface, using the sunlight to photosynthesize, whereas oceanic species are primarily filter-feeders. Disks propel themselves using the rippling motion of their sides, much like a ray or skate, although some species use limited jet-propulsion.

REPRODUCTION: Disks are hermaphroditic, and do not breed with one partner. During the late spring and early summer, they gather in huge numbers to spawn. They do so by releasing clouds of spores, which other individuals swim through. The spores are then absorbed through specialized patches the skin. Once they have been fertilized, the young disks begin to bud off from their parent, eventually becoming miniature adults and swimming away to begin their lives.

EXAMPLES:

-great big frisbee

-lilyskimmer

-mudsucker

Omniphytes make up the majority of Pangaea's smaller plants. For the most part, they are rather fungus-like in appearance, but some varieties vary greatly.

EXAMPLES:

-coverweed

-raft-moss

-wartbag

Radiophytes are Pangaea's trees. Unlike omniphytes, they have predetermined growth patterns (like animals), and can actually move using pressure from fluid in their tissues. On a quiet day, one can hear Pangaea's trees slowly breathing in and out.

EXAMPLES:

-elephant's leg

-spire-tree