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The Species Factory; Empty your mind
Topic Started: Nov 6 2014, 06:54 PM (33,399 Views)
IIGSY
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A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
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HangingThief
Nov 8 2016, 12:26 PM
Insect Illuminati Get Shrekt
Nov 5 2016, 12:29 PM
HangingThief
Sep 17 2016, 02:32 PM
I doodled this the other day. It's an eight-legged arthropod thing with one pair of legs used as mouthparts, another developed into wings and antennae that have become climbing and manipulating appendages.
Posted Image
Sort of my take of what might've happened if terrestrial arthropods developed flight instead of aquatic insects.
Can I use that?
Knock yourself out.
But before I do, how plausible is it really, and what arthropod can it be derived from? Anyway, here is my own idea.

Feather beetle-

This beetle lives in an area with extremely dense areoplankton. Bacteria, pollen, viruses, protists, tiny arthropods, wind blown seeds and fungal spores, as well as other things, all float around in great numbers. These beetles have very feathery antennae, similar to saturniid moths. When it feeds, it spreads it's "feathers" out as much as possible. It then takes off. It flies around as much as it can, flying towards areas with denser plankton. After it has collected enough, it lands. It then proceeds to eat all the organic particles caught on it's antennae. It then "closes" them, folding the feathers against the antennae, which it does whenever it's not eating. It's larval stage is a lot more active than most other beetle larvae, crawling along the ground eating various things, including fallen areoplankton. It is an omnivore-detrivore, and it somewhat resembles a megalopteran larvae. They exhibit almost no sexual dimorphism, with females being scarcely larger than males.
Posted Image
What do you think? Is it plausible? Is it even possible for such an environment to exist in one part of the world like an island without having to make the whole world like this?
Projects
Punga: A terraformed world with no vertebrates
Last one crawling: The last arthropod

ARTH-6810: A world without vertebrates (It's ded, but you can still read I guess)

Potential ideas-
Swamp world: A world covered in lakes, with the largest being caspian sized.
Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal.
Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents.

Quotes


Phylogeny of the arthropods and some related groups


In honor of the greatest clade of all time


More pictures


Other cool things


All African countries can fit into Brazil
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HangingThief
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ghoulish
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I don't know. A while ago I asked about the plausibility of a flying filter feeder that eats airborne conifer pollen in QTDNTOT, but didn't get any responses (I had a dragonfly descendant in mind).
Hey.


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IIGSY
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A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
HangingThief
Nov 10 2016, 11:40 AM
I don't know. A while ago I asked about the plausibility of a flying filter feeder that eats airborne conifer pollen in QTDNTOT, but didn't get any responses (I had a dragonfly descendant in mind).
Maybe some birth defect happened in some arachnid that caused it's middle legs to fuse into wing-like structures, but it found it useful for gliding and it could escape predation and pass on this gene. Then more individuals get it, and it goes from there.

As for the feather beetle, is it plausible for it to retract it's feathers?
Projects
Punga: A terraformed world with no vertebrates
Last one crawling: The last arthropod

ARTH-6810: A world without vertebrates (It's ded, but you can still read I guess)

Potential ideas-
Swamp world: A world covered in lakes, with the largest being caspian sized.
Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal.
Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents.

Quotes


Phylogeny of the arthropods and some related groups


In honor of the greatest clade of all time


More pictures


Other cool things


All African countries can fit into Brazil
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
HangingThief
Member Avatar
ghoulish
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Insect Illuminati Get Shrekt
Nov 10 2016, 04:02 PM
HangingThief
Nov 10 2016, 11:40 AM
I don't know. A while ago I asked about the plausibility of a flying filter feeder that eats airborne conifer pollen in QTDNTOT, but didn't get any responses (I had a dragonfly descendant in mind).
Maybe some birth defect happened in some arachnid that caused it's middle legs to fuse into wing-like structures, but it found it useful for gliding and it could escape predation and pass on this gene. Then more individuals get it, and it goes from there.

As for the feather beetle, is it plausible for it to retract it's feathers?
Whuh? What does that have to do with aerial filter feeders?


If the feather beetle's lifestyle is plausible, it would probably tuck its antennae underneath itself when not in use. I dunno about retractable antennae.
Hey.


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IIGSY
Member Avatar
A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
HangingThief
Nov 10 2016, 05:11 PM
Insect Illuminati Get Shrekt
Nov 10 2016, 04:02 PM
HangingThief
Nov 10 2016, 11:40 AM
I don't know. A while ago I asked about the plausibility of a flying filter feeder that eats airborne conifer pollen in QTDNTOT, but didn't get any responses (I had a dragonfly descendant in mind).
Maybe some birth defect happened in some arachnid that caused it's middle legs to fuse into wing-like structures, but it found it useful for gliding and it could escape predation and pass on this gene. Then more individuals get it, and it goes from there.

As for the feather beetle, is it plausible for it to retract it's feathers?
Whuh? What does that have to do with aerial filter feeders?


If the feather beetle's lifestyle is plausible, it would probably tuck its antennae underneath itself when not in use. I dunno about retractable antennae.
Could an environment with year round dense areoplankton even exist?
Projects
Punga: A terraformed world with no vertebrates
Last one crawling: The last arthropod

ARTH-6810: A world without vertebrates (It's ded, but you can still read I guess)

Potential ideas-
Swamp world: A world covered in lakes, with the largest being caspian sized.
Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal.
Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents.

Quotes


Phylogeny of the arthropods and some related groups


In honor of the greatest clade of all time


More pictures


Other cool things


All African countries can fit into Brazil
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
HangingThief
Member Avatar
ghoulish
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
On another planet with different gravity or atmosphere? Probably. On earth? Probably not.
Hey.


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IIGSY
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A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
HangingThief
Nov 11 2016, 11:12 AM
On another planet with different gravity or atmosphere? Probably. On earth? Probably not.
This is for my project. The planet has slightly lower gravity than on earth and has different continents, but is otherwise identical. Can a place have a 24/7 breeze?
Edited by IIGSY, Nov 11 2016, 11:56 AM.
Projects
Punga: A terraformed world with no vertebrates
Last one crawling: The last arthropod

ARTH-6810: A world without vertebrates (It's ded, but you can still read I guess)

Potential ideas-
Swamp world: A world covered in lakes, with the largest being caspian sized.
Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal.
Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents.

Quotes


Phylogeny of the arthropods and some related groups


In honor of the greatest clade of all time


More pictures


Other cool things


All African countries can fit into Brazil
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
HangingThief
Member Avatar
ghoulish
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
I suggest working on whatever plant or other organism would cause there to be dense aeroplankton all the time, and why.

My aerial filter feeder idea was migratory, flying to wherever conifers were currently blooming.
Hey.


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IIGSY
Member Avatar
A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
HangingThief
Nov 11 2016, 01:05 PM
I suggest working on whatever plant or other organism would cause there to be dense aeroplankton all the time, and why.

My aerial filter feeder idea was migratory, flying to wherever conifers were currently blooming.
Dandelions?
Projects
Punga: A terraformed world with no vertebrates
Last one crawling: The last arthropod

ARTH-6810: A world without vertebrates (It's ded, but you can still read I guess)

Potential ideas-
Swamp world: A world covered in lakes, with the largest being caspian sized.
Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal.
Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents.

Quotes


Phylogeny of the arthropods and some related groups


In honor of the greatest clade of all time


More pictures


Other cool things


All African countries can fit into Brazil
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Rodlox
Superhuman
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Insect Illuminati Get Shrekt
Nov 5 2016, 12:29 PM
HangingThief
Sep 17 2016, 02:32 PM
I doodled this the other day. It's an eight-legged arthropod thing with one pair of legs used as mouthparts, another developed into wings and antennae that have become climbing and manipulating appendages.
Posted Image
Sort of my take of what might've happened if terrestrial arthropods developed flight instead of aquatic insects.
Can I use that?
I'd be wondering why the middle pair of legs are suddenly up on the animals's back.
.---------------------------------------------.
Parts of the Cluster Worlds:
"Marsupialless Australia" (what-if) & "Out on a Branch" (future evolution) & "The Earth under a still sun" (WIP)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Rodlox
Superhuman
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Insect Illuminati Get Shrekt
Nov 9 2016, 05:35 PM
HangingThief
Nov 8 2016, 12:26 PM
Insect Illuminati Get Shrekt
Nov 5 2016, 12:29 PM
HangingThief
Sep 17 2016, 02:32 PM
I doodled this the other day. It's an eight-legged arthropod thing with one pair of legs used as mouthparts, another developed into wings and antennae that have become climbing and manipulating appendages.

Sort of my take of what might've happened if terrestrial arthropods developed flight instead of aquatic insects.
Can I use that?
Knock yourself out.
But before I do, how plausible is it really, and what arthropod can it be derived from? Anyway, here is my own idea.

Feather beetle-

This beetle lives in an area with extremely dense areoplankton. Bacteria, pollen, viruses, protists, tiny arthropods, wind blown seeds and fungal spores, as well as other things, all float around in great numbers. These beetles have very feathery antennae, similar to saturniid moths. When it feeds, it spreads it's "feathers" out as much as possible. It then takes off. It flies around as much as it can, flying towards areas with denser plankton. After it has collected enough, it lands. It then proceeds to eat all the organic particles caught on it's antennae. It then "closes" them, folding the feathers against the antennae, which it does whenever it's not eating. It's larval stage is a lot more active than most other beetle larvae, crawling along the ground eating various things, including fallen areoplankton. It is an omnivore-detrivore, and it somewhat resembles a megalopteran larvae. They exhibit almost no sexual dimorphism, with females being scarcely larger than males.
What do you think? Is it plausible? Is it even possible for such an environment to exist in one part of the world like an island without having to make the whole world like this?
so......it no longer uses its antennae for sensory functions, but rather as a net?

I would assume it would need an intermediate form wherein the insect's sensory functions are covered by something else (or it relies on non-antennae senses almost exclusively)
.---------------------------------------------.
Parts of the Cluster Worlds:
"Marsupialless Australia" (what-if) & "Out on a Branch" (future evolution) & "The Earth under a still sun" (WIP)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
IIGSY
Member Avatar
A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Rodlox
Nov 12 2016, 01:41 AM
Insect Illuminati Get Shrekt
Nov 9 2016, 05:35 PM
HangingThief
Nov 8 2016, 12:26 PM
Insect Illuminati Get Shrekt
Nov 5 2016, 12:29 PM
HangingThief
Sep 17 2016, 02:32 PM
I doodled this the other day. It's an eight-legged arthropod thing with one pair of legs used as mouthparts, another developed into wings and antennae that have become climbing and manipulating appendages.

Sort of my take of what might've happened if terrestrial arthropods developed flight instead of aquatic insects.
Can I use that?
Knock yourself out.
But before I do, how plausible is it really, and what arthropod can it be derived from? Anyway, here is my own idea.

Feather beetle-

This beetle lives in an area with extremely dense areoplankton. Bacteria, pollen, viruses, protists, tiny arthropods, wind blown seeds and fungal spores, as well as other things, all float around in great numbers. These beetles have very feathery antennae, similar to saturniid moths. When it feeds, it spreads it's "feathers" out as much as possible. It then takes off. It flies around as much as it can, flying towards areas with denser plankton. After it has collected enough, it lands. It then proceeds to eat all the organic particles caught on it's antennae. It then "closes" them, folding the feathers against the antennae, which it does whenever it's not eating. It's larval stage is a lot more active than most other beetle larvae, crawling along the ground eating various things, including fallen areoplankton. It is an omnivore-detrivore, and it somewhat resembles a megalopteran larvae. They exhibit almost no sexual dimorphism, with females being scarcely larger than males.
What do you think? Is it plausible? Is it even possible for such an environment to exist in one part of the world like an island without having to make the whole world like this?
so......it no longer uses its antennae for sensory functions, but rather as a net?

I would assume it would need an intermediate form wherein the insect's sensory functions are covered by something else (or it relies on non-antennae senses almost exclusively)
Maybe it could use it as a net and sensory organ simultaneously?

Also, I have an idea for an environment of aeroplankton. On an island, the first plants to make it where grasses and dandelions. They had an explosion in diversity. They filled up almost all plant niches pretty quickly. The island was naturally very breezy, almost 24/7, meaning that dispersing seeds and pollen through the wind was still an effective way to reproduce. This means that almost all the plants on the island use wind dispersal. Many fungi also use the wind to disperse spores. The plants and fungi reproduce year round, but the various terrestrial filter feeders, as well as some herbivores, keep their population in check. Joining the seeds and spores are various airborne bacteria, protists, viruses and other microbes, as well as some tiny arthropods. Collectively, they make up the aeroplankton on this island. The year-round plant reproduction, almost constant breeze, and low gravity all come together to make constant, dense aeroplankton. It forms the basis of many ecosystems.

Is this realistic?
Projects
Punga: A terraformed world with no vertebrates
Last one crawling: The last arthropod

ARTH-6810: A world without vertebrates (It's ded, but you can still read I guess)

Potential ideas-
Swamp world: A world covered in lakes, with the largest being caspian sized.
Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal.
Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents.

Quotes


Phylogeny of the arthropods and some related groups


In honor of the greatest clade of all time


More pictures


Other cool things


All African countries can fit into Brazil
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
HangingThief
Member Avatar
ghoulish
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Rodlox
Nov 12 2016, 01:37 AM
Insect Illuminati Get Shrekt
Nov 5 2016, 12:29 PM
HangingThief
Sep 17 2016, 02:32 PM
I doodled this the other day. It's an eight-legged arthropod thing with one pair of legs used as mouthparts, another developed into wings and antennae that have become climbing and manipulating appendages.
Posted Image
Sort of my take of what might've happened if terrestrial arthropods developed flight instead of aquatic insects.
Can I use that?
I'd be wondering why the middle pair of legs are suddenly up on the animals's back.
Because they've gradually become wings....?
How did both of a flounder's eyes end up on one side?
Hey.


Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
IIGSY
Member Avatar
A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
HangingThief
Nov 13 2016, 02:39 PM
Rodlox
Nov 12 2016, 01:37 AM
Insect Illuminati Get Shrekt
Nov 5 2016, 12:29 PM
HangingThief
Sep 17 2016, 02:32 PM
I doodled this the other day. It's an eight-legged arthropod thing with one pair of legs used as mouthparts, another developed into wings and antennae that have become climbing and manipulating appendages.
Posted Image
Sort of my take of what might've happened if terrestrial arthropods developed flight instead of aquatic insects.
Can I use that?
I'd be wondering why the middle pair of legs are suddenly up on the animals's back.
Because they've gradually become wings....?
How did both of a flounder's eyes end up on one side?
Is my ecosystem description realistic?
Projects
Punga: A terraformed world with no vertebrates
Last one crawling: The last arthropod

ARTH-6810: A world without vertebrates (It's ded, but you can still read I guess)

Potential ideas-
Swamp world: A world covered in lakes, with the largest being caspian sized.
Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal.
Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents.

Quotes


Phylogeny of the arthropods and some related groups


In honor of the greatest clade of all time


More pictures


Other cool things


All African countries can fit into Brazil
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Fazaner
Member Avatar
Шашава птичурина
 *  *  *  *  *
Ok let's wake up this thred.
I had an idea of flightles crow species that inhabits a Eurasian tundra in future, that use hopping instead of runing, like bird kangaroo.
Projects (they are not dead, just updated realy slowly, feel free to comment):
-World after plague After a horrible plague unleashed by man nature slowly recovers. Now 36 million years later we take a look at this weird and wonderful world.
-Galaxy on fire. They have left their home to get out of war. They had no idea what awaits them.

My Deviant art profile, if you're curious.
Before you get offended or butthurt read this

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