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
1 Million years AD; The strange unfamiliar world of the not so distant future
Topic Started: Dec 23 2015, 04:28 AM (6,498 Views)
El Dorito
Member Avatar
chlorinated opthalmic trigonometric shape of conspiracy and dank memes
 *  *  *  *  *
All pictures will be able to be found here:
el-d0rito.deviantart.com

Most future evolution projects take place in the more distant future, over 5 million years away. But life can evolve and change over much shorter timescales. This especially applies after extinction events. Only a few hundred thousand years after the K-Pg extinction, Palaeocene mammals had already become larger than any known Mesozoic mammal.

Today, a similar, though as yet less severe extinction event is taking place. Already most of the megafauna that existed for the past several million years have gone extinct, leaving niches open. The only things keeping them open are human activities and time. But history and common sense tell us that at some point in the next thousand years our planetary civilisation will probably collapse, largely eliminating the main factor stopping life carrying on.

Fast forward 1 million years, and the 'wild' is again the normal state of the earth. The oceans have risen some 80 metres due to human induced climate change, for the same reason most of the worlds ice is gone too. Several super volcanoes have erupted, and the last remnants of the modern 'concrete jungle' have crumbled. Humans are rare, and are considerably different to 21st century people. They are no longer a significant force effecting the earth.

Some groups of animals are identical to those we are familiar with, some are similar but obviously different, and a few are unlike anything found in the modern era. This is the world in 1 million years AD.
Edited by El Dorito, Jan 5 2016, 08:55 PM.
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
 
Replies:
CaledonianWarrior96
Member Avatar
An Awesome Reptile
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Hayaba
Jan 9 2016, 06:50 PM
Maybe the neo-terror birds are descended from seriemas? And could we have leopards replace other big cats?
The Hunter birds in my project are descended from Seriemas. However it'd make more sense for small cats to replace big cats, though replace isn't quite the word I'd use. Cats like cougars (which is actually closely related to small cats), caracals, wildcats and even domesticated cats could thrive and evolve into larger, specialised forms
Come check out and subscribe to my projects on the following subforums;

Future Planet (V.2): the Future Evolution of Life on Earth (Evolutionary Continuum)
The Meuse Legacy: An Alternative Outcome of the Mosasaur (Alternative Evolution)
Terra Cascus: The Last Refuge of the Dinosaurs (Alternative Evolution)
- Official Project
- Foundation
The Beryoni Galaxy: The Biologically Rich and Politically Complex State of our Galaxy (Habitational Zone)

- Beryoni Critique Thread (formerly: Aliens of Beryoni)
The Ecology of Skull Island: An Open Project for the Home of King Kong (Alternative Universe)
The Ecology of Wakanda: An Open Project for the Home of Marvel's Black Panther (Alternative Universe)

(Click bold titles to go to page. To subscribe click on a project, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "track topic" on the bottom right corner)


And now, for something completely different
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
El Dorito
Member Avatar
chlorinated opthalmic trigonometric shape of conspiracy and dank memes
 *  *  *  *  *
I'm not sure who you were talking to, but in 1 Million years AD there are a few different groups of macropredatory terrestrial birds. Some of them are like terror birds, but the largest group (in terms of both actual physical size and in number of species) are a group of mega storks with a beak that is essentially a combination of a serrated knife and a spear. And despite being taller than any actual terror bird (which is saying something), they can still fly... I've seen people compare azdharchid pterosaurs to storks, this is kind of the same idea but in reverse.
Edited by El Dorito, Jan 9 2016, 09:00 PM.
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
 
CaledonianWarrior96
Member Avatar
An Awesome Reptile
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
El Dorito
Jan 9 2016, 08:54 PM
I'm not sure who you were talking to
Hayaba
Come check out and subscribe to my projects on the following subforums;

Future Planet (V.2): the Future Evolution of Life on Earth (Evolutionary Continuum)
The Meuse Legacy: An Alternative Outcome of the Mosasaur (Alternative Evolution)
Terra Cascus: The Last Refuge of the Dinosaurs (Alternative Evolution)
- Official Project
- Foundation
The Beryoni Galaxy: The Biologically Rich and Politically Complex State of our Galaxy (Habitational Zone)

- Beryoni Critique Thread (formerly: Aliens of Beryoni)
The Ecology of Skull Island: An Open Project for the Home of King Kong (Alternative Universe)
The Ecology of Wakanda: An Open Project for the Home of Marvel's Black Panther (Alternative Universe)

(Click bold titles to go to page. To subscribe click on a project, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "track topic" on the bottom right corner)


And now, for something completely different
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
El Dorito
Member Avatar
chlorinated opthalmic trigonometric shape of conspiracy and dank memes
 *  *  *  *  *
It would probably be better if you started future planet now, because this is my project page and some of your ideas are different to mine.

I think I might just move on to the 10 million years future part, because pretty much all of my ideas would take at least that long to evolve anyway. Probably going to post something later today or tomorrow.
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
 *  *  *  *  *
10 Million years AD

In 10 million years time the world is a little more unfamiliar. The anthropogenic climate change that was still at its height 9 million years ago has since faded, and the layout of the continents lead to a new series of ice ages starting. However, by 7 million years AD the true ice age was gone for good, and the earth entered a period of comfortable temperatures. The northern hemisphere thawed out completely, and only scattered parts of the Antarctic ice sheet remain.

With the northward movement of Africa continuing, the Mediterranean basin has been completely isolated from the ocean, resulting in it becoming a huge toxic salt desert over 2 kilometres below sea level in places. Despite the total lack of fresh water in most of the basin, there are things that can live there. With the loss of one sea another has formed. Part of the East African Rift Valley has flooded to form a shallow sea that is similar to the now larger Red Sea to the north. In time this sea will completely fill the Rift Valley, and isolate part of East Africa to form a new small continent.

Further to the north, the Black Sea basin has in contrast grown to form a large salty lake that has partly connected with the Caspian sea to the west. This landlocked sea is patrolled by a lot of mysterious animals that are found nowhere else.

Moving away from Europe, Australia has partly collided with South East Asia, resulting is a sort of land bridge and a complicated area of tall mountains dropping to deep sea, with the odd volcano here and there. The shallow seas further north are one of the biological hotspots of the era, much as it is now. Many of the animals to appear later in the project had their ancestry here.

Another change to profoundly effect the climate is the re opening of the sea of Panama, firmed as a result of South America moving westward faster than North America. This means that some of the North Atlantic is surprisingly cold with respect to the average temperature.

Parts of Antarctica have become a sort of polar forest with a unique flora.
Edited by El Dorito, Jan 11 2016, 02:19 AM.
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
 
CaledonianWarrior96
Member Avatar
An Awesome Reptile
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Your 10 million AD layout of the continents is quite good. Plenty of detail to explain what's happened but not too much to bore anyone. I don't know about the parts of polar forest though. I'm not sure how long it would take for trees to colonise Antarctica once the ice has left, but I guess they can at the edges. Has Antarctica moved at this point in time?
Come check out and subscribe to my projects on the following subforums;

Future Planet (V.2): the Future Evolution of Life on Earth (Evolutionary Continuum)
The Meuse Legacy: An Alternative Outcome of the Mosasaur (Alternative Evolution)
Terra Cascus: The Last Refuge of the Dinosaurs (Alternative Evolution)
- Official Project
- Foundation
The Beryoni Galaxy: The Biologically Rich and Politically Complex State of our Galaxy (Habitational Zone)

- Beryoni Critique Thread (formerly: Aliens of Beryoni)
The Ecology of Skull Island: An Open Project for the Home of King Kong (Alternative Universe)
The Ecology of Wakanda: An Open Project for the Home of Marvel's Black Panther (Alternative Universe)

(Click bold titles to go to page. To subscribe click on a project, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "track topic" on the bottom right corner)


And now, for something completely different
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
El Dorito
Member Avatar
chlorinated opthalmic trigonometric shape of conspiracy and dank memes
 *  *  *  *  *
Well trees can grow any ware there's soil and light for at least a few months continuously, and it's kind of close to South America, which has tall mountains with cold temperatures, and I'm betting that some of those plants would get to Antarctica pretty quickly. If not there are actually quite a lot of native plants in Antarctica, they're not very big but something could happen. I suppose there might not be any tall plants at this particular time, Iceland and Greenland both have almost no native trees, but large animals can live there (well the ones in Iceland are introduced, but they are self sustaining).

I also think that Antarctica would be pretty much where it is now, and would probably stay there until a subduction zone drags it north somewhere. Most people have it re-collide with Australia some 40-100 Million years into the future, but of course we can't be sure what will happen.
Edited by El Dorito, Jan 11 2016, 07:43 AM.
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
 
CaledonianWarrior96
Member Avatar
An Awesome Reptile
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
I thought I read somewhere that it was moving north into the Atlantic
Come check out and subscribe to my projects on the following subforums;

Future Planet (V.2): the Future Evolution of Life on Earth (Evolutionary Continuum)
The Meuse Legacy: An Alternative Outcome of the Mosasaur (Alternative Evolution)
Terra Cascus: The Last Refuge of the Dinosaurs (Alternative Evolution)
- Official Project
- Foundation
The Beryoni Galaxy: The Biologically Rich and Politically Complex State of our Galaxy (Habitational Zone)

- Beryoni Critique Thread (formerly: Aliens of Beryoni)
The Ecology of Skull Island: An Open Project for the Home of King Kong (Alternative Universe)
The Ecology of Wakanda: An Open Project for the Home of Marvel's Black Panther (Alternative Universe)

(Click bold titles to go to page. To subscribe click on a project, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "track topic" on the bottom right corner)


And now, for something completely different
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
El Dorito
Member Avatar
chlorinated opthalmic trigonometric shape of conspiracy and dank memes
 *  *  *  *  *
Well I don't think it's really moving at all at the moment. It's pretty much stationary right now and probably will be for a long time. I suppose that technically any direction it moves is 'north' anyway
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
 
CaledonianWarrior96
Member Avatar
An Awesome Reptile
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
That's kinda annoying for people who want to get in depth with future plate tectonics (I.e me). Really though until Antarctica does move away from the South Pole or another landmass somehow collides with it there's always going to be ice on it due to the fact the dean current that circulates around it and keeps it cold and dry. Ice at the edge will melt sure but like the centre at least will be ice-bound
Come check out and subscribe to my projects on the following subforums;

Future Planet (V.2): the Future Evolution of Life on Earth (Evolutionary Continuum)
The Meuse Legacy: An Alternative Outcome of the Mosasaur (Alternative Evolution)
Terra Cascus: The Last Refuge of the Dinosaurs (Alternative Evolution)
- Official Project
- Foundation
The Beryoni Galaxy: The Biologically Rich and Politically Complex State of our Galaxy (Habitational Zone)

- Beryoni Critique Thread (formerly: Aliens of Beryoni)
The Ecology of Skull Island: An Open Project for the Home of King Kong (Alternative Universe)
The Ecology of Wakanda: An Open Project for the Home of Marvel's Black Panther (Alternative Universe)

(Click bold titles to go to page. To subscribe click on a project, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "track topic" on the bottom right corner)


And now, for something completely different
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Bruno01
Member Avatar
Infant
 *  *  *  *
I like that you moved some part of your project to 10 million years, but don't leave the 1 million part.
Hi! I'm friendly!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
El Dorito
Member Avatar
chlorinated opthalmic trigonometric shape of conspiracy and dank memes
 *  *  *  *  *
Well Antarctica had an ice cap as early as 20 million years ago, the 'true' ice ages started for a bunch of independant reasons. The circumpolar current would be cut off if a land bridge or even just a chain of Islands opened across the drake passage, and apparently there is a small area of subduction along part of the Antarctic peninsula that could eventually join it to the southern tip of South America. This is kind of speculative though.

As for the moving into the future, there are only limited things that can change over that time. That said, I'm kind of annoyed because I actually thought of a new idea only after finishing the last update. Oh well.
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
 
Bruno01
Member Avatar
Infant
 *  *  *  *
Actually, the Andes are in the Antarctica and are called "Artantandes". The islands in between are just the subaquatic Andes.
Hi! I'm friendly!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Beetleboy
Member Avatar
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
I'm liking the direction that this project is going.
~ The Age of Forests ~
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
El Dorito
Member Avatar
chlorinated opthalmic trigonometric shape of conspiracy and dank memes
 *  *  *  *  *
Bruno01
Jan 12 2016, 09:41 AM
Actually, the Andes are in the Antarctica and are called "Artantandes". The islands in between are just the subaquatic Andes.
U wot m8
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
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Evolutionary Continuum · Next Topic »
Add Reply