Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
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!

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
The Species Factory; Empty your mind
Topic Started: Nov 6 2014, 06:54 PM (33,419 Views)
Hybrid
Member Avatar
May Specula Grant you Bountiful Spec!

Quote:
 
Things that react with haemoglobin, like carbon monoxide and cyanides, would have an even more rapid effect on birds than the already quick effect they have on mammals.

Yes but if they're that potent in the atmospheres whatever benefits mammals might have wouldn't really matter, they would still die really quickly. Not even just mammals either, but really everything around would just be dying. Although monitor lizards have air sacs too that flow unidirectional. If birds would die from this, monitor lizards would too.

That being said, birds survived the K-Pg. Sure, they lost most of their diversity, but they survived and look at them now.

Quote:
 
If the respiratory system of birds was so infinitely better than ours, birds would have beat us to world domination.

It doesn't work like that, and birds outnumber mammals 3 to 1.

Quote:
 
people have been mining Sulfur from volcanoc craters for hundreds of years before respirators were invented, and most of them didn't just drop down dead the moment they walked in or they would have stopped doing it.

Yes but they weren't inhaling concentrated amounts of it, and they probably weren't from active volcanoes either.

Quote:
 
Finally, I'm not really sure why any of you think that CO2 levels in the atmosphere have nothing to do with global temperatures, that's the one thing I have struggled to understand.

I never said that. I said that C02 in the atmosphere isn't the only factor in an ice age. C02 is a greenhouse gas, no one is arguing against it warming Earth's global temperature.

Quote:
 
All the talk that either the ice age is coming or that we have already delayed it is based on old inaccurate observations of previous interglacials

I thought climate scientists actually have evidence of the interglacial period being extended. Then again, you're also the person that wrote about how "global warming is wrong", not sure if you're of that opinion anymore: considering that would require nearly all climate scientists to be wrong.

Quote:
 
For the Cretaceous map to be more accurate than the modern one in 200 years, you would need to melt Greenland, Antarctica, and then some.

Not even that. During the Eocene there was no Western Interior Seaway, and there was no frozen poles in that epoch.
If I sound rude while critiquing, I apologize in hindsight!
"To those like the misguided; look at the story of Man, and come to your senses! It is not the destination, but the trip that matters. What you do today influences tomorrow, not the other way around. Love Today, and seize All Tomorrows!" - Nemo Ramjet
ノ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ヽ

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
revin
Member Avatar
Leonardo da Vinci at his finest
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Hybrid
Dec 18 2015, 07:21 PM
Quote:
 
All the talk that either the ice age is coming or that we have already delayed it is based on old inaccurate observations of previous interglacials

I thought climate scientists actually have evidence of the interglacial period being extended. Then again, you're also the person that wrote about how "global warming is wrong", not sure if you're of that opinion anymore: considering that would require nearly all climate scientists to be wrong.
I no longer believe that. It was really just an overreaction to a project where someone had sea levels rising by like 200 meters and two-thirds of all species going extinct. My main point that I stick with is that Milankovitch cycles have more of an impact on global warming that anyone gives credit for.

Anyways, what evidence is there for an extended interglacial? Here are some examples of interglacial periods, many of which lasted for quite a long time, even considering that they were interspersed by colder periods. The Holocene should last at least 20,000 years without global warming, so it's not like we can definitively say yet whether we are extending it.
Edited by revin, Dec 18 2015, 07:51 PM.
I tend to get dis– Hey, look, an elephant!
Potentially an elephant


Fire into Ice, a project about life on a rogue planet ejected from our own Solar System. Check it out!

My spec evo YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/speculativeevolution

With personal experience as a raven, I am a major proponent of conserving all corvid species at all costs. Save the endangered Mariana crow here.

Please don't click.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Hybrid
Member Avatar
May Specula Grant you Bountiful Spec!

Quote:
 
My main point that I stick with is that Milankovitch cycles have more of an impact on global warming that anyone gives credit for.

However evidence strongly suggests the recent warming that we've suddenly faced is correlated with the industrial revolution and beyond.

Quote:
 
The Holocene should last at least 20,000 years without global warming, so it's not like we can definitively say yet whether we are extending it.

However we can use projections that look at how long greenhouse gases like CO2 or methane stay in the atmosphere, plus potential future effects from global warming that might cause it to have a positive feedback (like methane escaping from the melting permafrost). Given the current trend though, we are likely extending it. By how much, I'm not sure, but we most likely are.

Also this predicts that without anthropogenic influences the next glacial period would happen in 50,000 or so years at the very least.
If I sound rude while critiquing, I apologize in hindsight!
"To those like the misguided; look at the story of Man, and come to your senses! It is not the destination, but the trip that matters. What you do today influences tomorrow, not the other way around. Love Today, and seize All Tomorrows!" - Nemo Ramjet
ノ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ヽ

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
El Dorito
Member Avatar
chlorinated opthalmic trigonometric shape of conspiracy and dank memes
 *  *  *  *  *
Quote:
 
Not even that. During the Eocene there was no Western Interior Seaway, and there was no frozen poles in that epoch.


I think the main reason for that is because of mountain building from the late Cretaceous onwards. The western interior seaway was already almost completely gone even before the Cretaceous ended. The other reason is because of an effect of plate tectonics. When supercontinents break up, the new crust is hotter and floats higher in the mantle. This displaces water from the oceans onto low lying areas. Because this mostly happened in the Jurassic, the high heat flow lingered into the Cretaceous, but was mostly gone by the time the Cenozoic began. This is why the land won't be as flooded as it was in the Cretaceous.
I REGRET NOTHING

What if denizens of the United States call themselves 'Americans' so as to avoid being called USAliens?

DeviantArt: EL-D0rito

My Projects:
Atlantis: The Next Union On hold until I regain interest.
Argus: The Cyber-Planet Will be rewritten and redone almost completely
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
El Dorito
Member Avatar
chlorinated opthalmic trigonometric shape of conspiracy and dank memes
 *  *  *  *  *
Moving completely on:

The Snoop Dogfish, Squalus acanthius snoopis
The Snoop Dogfish is a large morph of the existing spiny dogfish. Also known as the snooper shark, they are often found among large patches of seaweed.

Not to be taken too seriously...
I REGRET NOTHING

What if denizens of the United States call themselves 'Americans' so as to avoid being called USAliens?

DeviantArt: EL-D0rito

My Projects:
Atlantis: The Next Union On hold until I regain interest.
Argus: The Cyber-Planet Will be rewritten and redone almost completely
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
GlarnBoudin
Member Avatar
Disgusting Skin Fetishist
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
-A falcon descendant that fills the niche of the osprey.
-A wolverine-like meerkat descendant.
-A fish-eating hornbill descendant.
Quotes
Spoiler: click to toggle


Co-creator/corporate minion for the Pop Culture Monster Apocalypse!

My Projects
Spoiler: click to toggle

Coming Soon
Spoiler: click to toggle


My dA page.
My Fanfiction.net page.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
El Dorito
Member Avatar
chlorinated opthalmic trigonometric shape of conspiracy and dank memes
 *  *  *  *  *
Meerkats aren't likely to evolve into anything really, they are too specialised.
I REGRET NOTHING

What if denizens of the United States call themselves 'Americans' so as to avoid being called USAliens?

DeviantArt: EL-D0rito

My Projects:
Atlantis: The Next Union On hold until I regain interest.
Argus: The Cyber-Planet Will be rewritten and redone almost completely
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
snow wolf
Member Avatar
The Tyto Alba owl
 *  *
- terror bird-like descendant of chickens
- giant ravens that hunt in groups
- saber-tooth rats
- giant porcupine descendants
- aquatic dolphin-like cormorant descendant



Save the wildlife
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
El Dorito
Member Avatar
chlorinated opthalmic trigonometric shape of conspiracy and dank memes
 *  *  *  *  *
snow wolf
Dec 27 2015, 05:17 PM
- terror bird-like descendant of chickens
- giant ravens that hunt in groups
- saber-tooth rats
- giant porcupine descendants
- aquatic dolphin-like cormorant descendant



- possible
- probable in some form
- sort of of cliche but possible
- maybe
- not likely
I REGRET NOTHING

What if denizens of the United States call themselves 'Americans' so as to avoid being called USAliens?

DeviantArt: EL-D0rito

My Projects:
Atlantis: The Next Union On hold until I regain interest.
Argus: The Cyber-Planet Will be rewritten and redone almost completely
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
revin
Member Avatar
Leonardo da Vinci at his finest
 *  *  *  *  *  *
I must admit that I have created giant ravens before. Like, really giant ravens approaching the wingspans of teratorns. While this is almost definitely not going to happen, would ravens actually need to get larger if they were to become raptors? Isn't their intelligence and agility enough to allow them to become entirely predatory?
I tend to get dis– Hey, look, an elephant!
Potentially an elephant


Fire into Ice, a project about life on a rogue planet ejected from our own Solar System. Check it out!

My spec evo YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/speculativeevolution

With personal experience as a raven, I am a major proponent of conserving all corvid species at all costs. Save the endangered Mariana crow here.

Please don't click.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Steampunk FireFinch
Member Avatar
Shitposter
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
-Common Sea Drake (Marine Duck)

-Cuddlefish (Social Cuttlefish, most species of cuttlefish tolerate and sometimes enjoy company. Sometimes... Cannibalism.)

-Pacific Striped Octopuses that are near ancient human inteligence if. They're pretty smart as all of us know and the Pacific Striped is REALLY social.

-Leoarachno ferox A large aggresive jumping spider descendant that is nearly the size of a tarantula if given a competitionless enviroment, it's a popular pet in the future with invertebrate enthusiasts

-SpiderCow You know that herbivorous jumping spider species? Yeah... This guy is its descendant. It looks like a medium sized spider, with a bigger abdomen to hold its gut and has sturdier legs to suport it, it doesn't have venom, but has its "claws" and modified fangs to grab small fruits and sprouts. It also serves as a defense as predators. The males are more colorful, but smaller than the drab and bigger females.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Even
Roman Catholic theistic evolutionist
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Leoarachne I think would be a more proper name linguistically

And why pass the pun and not make the SpiderPig of The Simpsons' fame? Some sort of brusque omnivorous relative of the SpiderCow
Currently a part of Specworld's revival and The Dark Phoenix's Dinosaur Spec... Still open for idea exchanges and commentaries

GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the
generation. Social experiment.

My Pets
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Troy Troodon
Member Avatar
Prime Specimen
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
An alternate earth were Bats evolved hollow bones and an air sack system.
I was benevolent and good, but misery made me a fiend!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Beetleboy
Member Avatar
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Now, that bat idea, there's definitely some great potential there . . .
I have an idea for a gorilla-like loris. Not likely that they will survive into the future, but they could work for Sylvaria . . .
~ The Age of Forests ~
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
LittleLazyLass
Member Avatar
Proud quilt in a bag

I've had this concept for a long time now about macaques replacing apes. I call them macapes.

By the way, all my concepts here are up for grabs, I don't do projects, and if there's potential for something not to go to waste, I'm donw.
totally not British, b-baka!
Posted Image You like me (Unlike)
I don't even really like this song that much but the title is pretty relatable sometimes, I guess.
Me
What, you want me to tell you what these mean?
Read First
Words Maybe
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Create a free forum in seconds.
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · General Spec · Next Topic »
Add Reply