| 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! |
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| alien anatomy help | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 9 2008, 10:39 PM (1,418 Views) | |
| ChumZar | Aug 9 2008, 10:39 PM Post #1 |
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Entheogenic Shaman
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When I make alien species, I want them to look as alien as possible, but I can only think of four different types of movement wich all exist already on earth: legs(humans, insects), pure muscle(snakes, octopuses, snails), flapping(fish, birds), and propulsion(squids). I also cant think of any other form of body frame other than endoskeleton, exoskeleton, and no skeleton. And also, even though I haven't gotten thinking as deeply about this one as the other two, brain structure, what kinds of brains could exist on other worlds, like ones that are distributed throughout the body, or even inside of another body, or mabe something way out of this world that I can't think of. I'd like some input. |
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"Hard-wired to conceive so much we had to stow it. Even needs have needs; tiny giants made of tinier giants. Don't wear eyelids so we don't miss the last laugh of this show." -Modest Mouse | |
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| lamna | Aug 10 2008, 07:55 AM Post #2 |
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Well legs have evolved separately several times, as have wings. Many things about aliens, if they live in environments similar to earth with be the same earth life. |
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Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
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| Ànraich | Aug 10 2008, 04:09 PM Post #3 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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Think unorthodox. Don't stick to what you see on Earth. Think of what is different about the alien's environment. In low gravity, why walk when you could have some kind of spring like leg and glide around? Ever see a cartoon in which an armadillo forms into a ball and rolls away? Why can't that be a real way of moving? As for the body structure, it can be similar to Earth's without being too similar. My aliens from Forge, for instance, have a hydraulic muscular system and their skeletons are made of tubes filled with fluid; a hydraulic muscular system. Try looking at not just living things for inspiration, look at machines humans have made. Inspiration is everywhere, just look around! |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| Livyatan | Aug 10 2008, 04:17 PM Post #4 |
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It already is, but only three-banded armadillos actually roll up. Plus rolling is a form of locomotion in other species, such as salamanders and newts.
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The grand Livyatan on deviantArt: link | |
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| Saxophlutist | Aug 10 2008, 04:18 PM Post #5 |
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Adult
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You can also take the Nemo Ramjet approach. Create a simple creature, the define its anatomy. Then evolve it until you have many lineages derived from it. |
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| Livyatan | Aug 10 2008, 06:33 PM Post #6 |
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Exactly. For instance with the rolling idea. The rolling could start as a defensive mechanism of small, terrestrial worm-like creatures but eventually develop into full locomotive rolling. Then as they speciate, some might stop rolling or some might take it even further.
Edited by Livyatan, Aug 10 2008, 06:34 PM.
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The grand Livyatan on deviantArt: link | |
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| Cynovolans | Aug 10 2008, 08:50 PM Post #7 |
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Servant to Empress Min
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Oh my! A planet with creatures that roll around all the time, think of some sort of way they can keep their food in their stomachs. |
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I wish I could give the public a true picture of the queen as she appeared at her best, but this would be impossible, even had she permitted a photograph to be taken, for her charming play of expression while in conversation, the character and intellect which were then revealed, were only half seen when the face was in repose. -Lilias Underwood when speaking of Empress Myeongseong "I was born in the dark. I went out into the light, and your Majesty, it is my displeasure to inform you that I have returned to the dark. I envision a Seoul of towering buildings filled with Western establishments that will place herself back above the Japanese barbarians. Great things lie ahead for the Kingdom, great things. We must take action, your Majesty, without hesitation, to further modernize this still ancient kingdom."-Min Young-ik to Empress Myeongseong | |
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| seadrinker | Aug 11 2008, 01:42 PM Post #8 |
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Newborn
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If you want to read about a rolling creature, there was a James White(?) novel that included a creature that had to keep rolling to work its circulatory system .. no heart! - Also, I'd encourage you to be really unconventional. Abandon the biological evolution approach ... that's pretty extreme, but do it! Think of crazy stuff and work backwards. Imagine, for example, a creature that has a static buoyancy property (by that I mean that it naturally floats at a certain height above the terrain or planetary core). This is not too far-fetched, only somewhat taken out of an underwater context. Not only do you have to figure out why this makes sense, but also how it would be able to move? Does it gulp air? Does it pull itself down toward the earth and use the buoyancy property like a slingshot effect to pull itself forward? Does it eat rocks and vomit them out to achieve a similar effect? Hurling rocks could also be used as a defense. Does it have a hard carapace with which it bludgeons other creatures? Etc. etc. Edited by seadrinker, Aug 11 2008, 01:43 PM.
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| mnidjm | Aug 13 2008, 04:31 PM Post #9 |
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King of Mars
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Or a creature that walks with it's mouth:
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| pygidium | Aug 13 2008, 09:49 PM Post #10 |
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Zygote
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Like the emperor sea strider. |
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| Canis Lupis | Nov 3 2008, 08:46 PM Post #11 |
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Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the Earth.
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Actually, they don't walk with their mouths. Rather, their mouths are on the feet. |
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| dacmat22 | Nov 4 2008, 12:54 AM Post #12 |
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Fetus
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Go to Furaha and look at some of his locomotion animations. especially the tube and membrain ones. these under water locomotions could both very easily be used as a way of locomotion on land or in air. |
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| Flisch | Nov 4 2008, 10:17 AM Post #13 |
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Superhuman
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Uhh... Which is...actually...the same. o0 |
| We have a discord. If you want to join, simply message me, Icthyander or Sphenodon. | |
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| Sliver Slave | Nov 8 2008, 07:45 PM Post #14 |
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I'm going back to basics.
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We'll leave that question to the philosophers. |
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Something is upsetting the ostriches. Spoiler: click to toggle | |
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| Rodlox | Nov 21 2008, 04:34 PM Post #15 |
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Superhuman
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like those centaurs in Animorphs, yes? |
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.---------------------------------------------. Parts of the Cluster Worlds: "Marsupialless Australia" (what-if) & "Out on a Branch" (future evolution) & "The Earth under a still sun" (WIP) | |
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9:42 AM Jul 11