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| The Biocene 2.0; Ten million years from now | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 17 2016, 06:43 PM (6,293 Views) | |
| number8192 | Mar 17 2016, 06:43 PM Post #1 |
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The biocene Global warming did us in, the sixth mass extinction(Really eight if we consider the End Botomian and Dresbachian ones.), desertified the planet's surface, and the oceans were deoxygenated, polluted, and filled with hydrogen sulfide. The rise in temperature, predicted to melt the east antarctic ice sheet by 10 000 years in the future, made the equatorial zone and northern hemisphere basically unlivable, due to the heat moving to, and largely coming from,the north. In the absence of humans, nuclear powerplants went into meltdown. Ocean currents caused radiations to move mostly upwards, making the northern hemisphere a heavily radioactive wasteland. The Yellowstone Supervolcano made North America almost entirely devoid of life. The last days of mankind were spent battling over the last resources, taking out most of all megafauna and freshwater. Scientists and some selected survivors ended up migrating to the subantarctican islands and antarctica, trying to come up with new inventions that could potentially save them,but lack of resources and infrastructure, ultimately, did them in. With a mostly desertified planet where the coast is toxic with hydrogen sulfide, Most of survivors were small xerocoles and generalists. The list of surviving tetrapods(Invertebrates, fungi, fishes, plants and so on are for the majority basically unkillable, evolve faster than tetrapods, and our knowledge on them is lagging behind, so they will not be the focus here, we don't know 90% of the oceans, after all.)had to migrate to Argentina/Chile, South Africa, Australia, Subantarctican islands and Antarctica to survive, with the latter two being only accessible to birds and bats. The list is as follows: Amphibia: Anura(Frogs from the Peruvian desert, African deserts and the Australian desert show frogs can be good xerocoles.) Reptilia: Testudines(Snake necked turtles and crocodile turtle only.) Squamata(Basically unkillable, even the varanoids.) Crocodylia(Dwarf caiman only due to living in semi arid climates, being more terrestrial and nocturnal than other crocodiles, and being small.) Aves: Passeriformes(Basically unkillable, especially crows.) Coliiformes(Adapted to at least the Kalahari desert.) Apodiformes(Swifts and some hummingbirds(Adapted to the Peruvian desert.)will survive.) Musophagiformes(Mostly go away birds and plantain eaters, especially Criniferoides leucogaster.) Caprimulgiformes(A few in south america, africa and australia.) Cuculiformes(Quite a few, genus chalcites especially.) Piciformes(Basically unkillable) Falconiformes(Basically unkillable,both falcons and a few caracaras.) Pelecaniformes(Basically unkillable, ardeidae especially, threskiornitidae as well and the hamerkop.) Otidiformes(A few in africa only.) Charadriiformes(Basically unkillable.) Trogoniformes(Narina trogon only.) Coraciiformes(Bee eaters especially.) Accipitriformes(Basically unkillable.) Gruiformes(Rails only.) Galliformes(Quails especially.) Tinamiformes(Nothuras only.) Podicipediformes(A few in south america, africa and australia.) Cathartiformes(Turkey vulture and black vulture only.) Psittaciformes(Only Australian ones.) Columbiformes(Basically unkillable.) Anseriformes(Basically unkillable.) Phoenicopteriformes(Greater flamingo only.) Strigiformes(Basically unkillable.) Bucerotiformes(A few, african grey hornbill and red billed hornbill most notably.) Pteroclidiformes(Basically unkillable(Nearly all of them.).) Suliformes(Anhinga novaehollandiae and a few cormorants.) Ciconiiformes(African woollyneck and Black stork only.) Aegotheliformes(Australian owlet nightjar only.) Podargiformes(Tawny frogmouth only.) Cariamiformes(All.) Mammalia: Chiroptera(Basically unkillable, though not the fruit eating ones.) Cingulata(Hairy armadillos only.) Macroscelidea(Quite a few.) Dasyuromorphia(Planigales especially.) Carnivora(Basically unkillable, families herpestidae and mustelidae especially, but also some smaller cats, foxes, gennets and some south american skunks.) Monotremata(Short beaked echidna only.) Notoryctemorphia(All.) Primata(Lesser galagos only.) Rodentia(Basically unkillable.) Eulipotyphla(Hedgehogs and shrews(Crocidura only.) in Africa only.) Hyracoidea(Rock hyrax and Bush hyrax only.) Artiodactyla(Dik diks only.) Diprotodontia(Sugar glider only(Sugar gliders can tolerate temperatures up to 40 °C, are omnivorous, and can live in heavily degraded forests.).) Didelphimorphia(A few, Didelphis marsupialis and Didelphis pernigra especially.) Lagomorpha(African hares, plus the european rabbit(in Australia only.).) As the Ice age in 50 000 years emerged, the temperature cooled down to a more acceptable level. Birds and bats flew back to the main continents, mixing up the bird and bat distribution of every continents. 10 millions years in the future, the dominant orders ended up being Squamata(Mostly in the oceans.), Passeriformes(Outcompeting nearly everyone with their intelligence. A bit like we used to.), Rodentia(Filling most grazing roles, but also some aquatic ones with the rakali.)and Carnivora(Taking over most of their former niches.). The future geological shape of the continents has the Americas separated from each other, Europe and Africa colliding, creating a huge desert where the mediterranean sea used to be, the eastern part of Africa separating into its own island, and a huge desert stretching across the sahara, middle east, ex urss, india and mongolia.By that time, rust, erosion, rot and storms, among others, will have reduced our constructions to little more than sediment layers filled with rust, styrofoam, and plutonium among other materials, leaving no trace of our civilisation. The Megafauna is as follows: Sapient octopus:A social octopus that solved the reproductive problem of octopi(For the females, at least.)by having young octopi bring food to materning females, avoiding hunger. This social ability greatly increases their lifespans, but also their intellectual progression with age(Evolving human like intelligence by the time of the biocene.)and the appearance of culture as well. In very little time, they conquer the oceans as humans did the surface before.These are matriarchal animals as their lifestyle only helps the female's lifespan, leaving males to live the same way octopi do today, without culture, and interacting with females only for breeding. They look no different than the giant octopi today. Greater madoqua:Descendant of salt's dik dik, this animal looks like an indricotherium, but no taller than asian elephants, and has the caracteristic even toes of artiodactyla(As well as the fur of it's ancestor.). It is weaker and lighter than an asian elephant, but stronger and heavier than a giraffe. It lost it's horns to time and has a nose resembling indricotherium's own, due to salt's dik dik already having a similar nose. It has thin fur over it's body, much like it's ancestor, and fills the role sauropods, elephants and giraffes used to play before. Pantherinoid:Descendants of domestic cats, These heavily built cats replace the niche of smilodons, and completely dominate the arctic as apex predators. Their shape is similar to a smilodon's, but with tiger like canines and much bigger and stronger molars for bone crushing. They fear no one in the arctic and rivalise with other apex predators elsewhere. Great rakali:Descendants of the rakali, these beaver like rodents replace the role of seals and otters before them. These animals, though entirely carnivorous, are little more than prey for the megalodonoids and pteronuroids, but dominate arctic and antarctic oceans nonetheless with pteronuroids. Their sizes are similar to the seals before them, and they look like giant beavers with more webbings on their hands and feets. Hydrochoeroid:These hippo sized rodents resemble josephoartigasia monesi, but with bigger molars more adapted for grazing. They descend from various groundhog like rodents all around the world and overtook grazing niches like artiodactyla before them, with greater madoqua being the only other notable megafaunal grazer. They use their incisors for defense the same way a hippo would with it's tusks, and can deliver a powerful bite. Greater notomys:Descendants of hopping mices(Tarkawara, more precisely.), these fill the niche macropodidae leaves behind, and largely look like them. Just like hydrochoeroid, they fill the grazer niches were they live. They use their hands to use simple tools. Purussauroid:Descendants of the dwarf caiman, these purussaurus like caimans are 10 m long and are the biggest tetrapodal animals of their time. Sharing the armored underbelly of their ancestors, these crocodylians dominate the Americas and surrounding seas. Megalanoid:The lack of crocodiles left varanoids to fill their old niche outside the new world. Reaching no longer than 7 m, these semi aquatic megalania look alikes lack the powerful bites of crocodylians, but have a venom that makes up for it. They are considerably more social than their ancestors, as well as more intelligent(Especially descendants of rock monitors.).Some megalanoids develop more webbings on their hands and feets than others, and are slowly developping ovoviviparity over time, foreshadowing their eventual evolution into the mosasauroid(A mosasaur like lizard.).But for now, sharks dominate the oceans unopposed. Phorusrhacidoid:Descendants of many birds around the world(Like seriemas, caracaras, ibises, bustards, hornbills, flamingos and storks.)adopted large, flightless forms not unlike phorusrhacidae, due to the lack of predators compared to before(A phenomenon seen on many island birds today.). These are descended from ravens, and the top endurace hunters of their time. Unlike terror birds, phorusrhacidoids have smaller, thicker beaks, shorter necks, opposable thumbs on their feets, bigger brains and are no taller than 1.80 m. Their superior intellect allowed them to outcompete similar birds who could have otherwise filled the niche where they are. With working opposable thumbs on their feets, complex language, tool use, tribal organisation, incredible intelligence, endurance hunting, bipedality and sight and hearing as their primary senses, the future looks incredibly promising for these birds. Dark raven:These 5 m long in wingspan ravens are completely black in color except for their red eyes.These nocturnal, intelligent birds are both predator and scavenger, and use their feathers as camouflage in the night sky. Giant hyrax:Just like artiodactyla, perissodactyla, diprotodontia and proboscidea share the megafaunal grazing niches today,so will the candidates for top grazers in the future. The giant hyrax is a sheep sized hyrax and occupies mountaintops hydrochoeroid rarely frequent. Creodontoid:Pale fox, fennec fox and ruppel's fox are the last remaining canidaes in the world after the holocene's extinction. Their descendant is shaped like a dire wolf with a pitbull's stout physique as well as a bigger snout. Creodontoids fill most of the former carnivoran niches. Giant spiny mouse:With porcupines dead, mices of the genus acomys(Or spiny mices.)were free to fill the niche unopposed. They are sheep sized porcupine like rodents with scaly tails and shorter quills. They are nocturnal to avoid phorusrhacidoids, and are virtually unopposed by any other predatorial animals thanks to their protection, not unlike today's giant porcupine in Africa. Titanophis:An almost entirely aquatic snake, titanophis is 10 m long(2.8 m less than titanoboa.)and goes only on land to lay eggs and occasionally snatch prey.It is slowly becoming ovoviviparous in response to it's environment, not unlike sea snakes, but 10 million years isn't long enough for the change. Giant jerboa:Kangaroo like descendants of lesser egyptian jerboas, these jerboas fill the role of gazels in savannahs, and small camels in the desert, being lighter of foot than the hydrochoeroid, and not as energivore. They are smaller than greater notomys, as well as having bigger ears and eyes. Chelodinoid:These 3m long turtles with snake like necks hide in the earth underwater, snatching any prey over them by unearthing their head and attacking with a snake like motion to bite their prey, which they bring under the ground afterward. They are descended from chelodina, a genus of snake necked turtles from australia who are fully xerocole(In at least 3 cases.)and look like bigger versions of them. Pteronuroid:Descendants of the long tailed weasel, the least weasel and the egyptian weasel proved adapted to the water and took to it a bit like otters before them. These dominate the polar areas as leopard seals and polar bears did before them. Despite convergent evolution with otters, these are solitary animals except for the females with they're kids. Equatorial zones are inhabited too, causing fierce rivalries with megalanoids and titanophises. Thanks to lack of competition in either poles, and unlike otters, pteronuroids are able to measure 3.m long and look like relatively elongated sarkastodons with slightly bigger tails. Of the two, great rakalis evolved first, as rakalis are more aquatic than weasels, resulting in the descendants of rakalis reaching bigger sizes before pteronuroids could compete with them. Sapient crows:Even more intelligent than phorusrhacidoids and dark ravens, these crows have reached human intelligence. As big as eagles, these crows make elaborate nests as complex as Paleolithic huts for their eggs, and make fires during the winter. Megalodonoid:14 m long shark. In the absence of any competition(At least from tetrapods outside titanophis.),this shark rules the oceans as dunkleosteus terrelli(Among many others.)did before, with even sapient octopi avoiding them. Giant galago:With no monkeys, galagos were left to take over the arboreal monkey niche unopposed, growing in size in the process. Unlike monkeys, galagos could venture on the ground like kangaroos, making them less vulnerable to deforestation. Their hands could be used for more complex tool use than greater notomys and giant jerboas. Neoparrot:Descended from Australian parrots, These eagle sized birds developped human intelligence by changing situations demanding them to come up with solutions(A bit like what happened with humans.). Similar to sapient crows, but more terrestrial and live in smaller numbers in comparison. As for the microfauna of the future, it will largely look like the survivors of the extinction themselves. The extinction will have largely affected their evolution as such: More terrestrial habits for climbing animals(Gennets, sugar gliders, galagos, etc...) and swimming animals(Frogs, turtles, crocodiles, etc...). Smaller sizes than was available during the holocene(Flamingos, crocodiles, storks, etc...). More omnivorous habits for fruit eating animals(Turacos, galagos, parrots, etc...). Less dependence on aquatic animals(Pelecaniformes, podicipediformes, suliformes, etc...). As for land invertebrates, more or less the same rules as for the rest of the fauna follows. If it's either a jungle specialist or a freshwater specialist it won't survive the extinction unless it adapts. Mollusks and arthropods have the advantage of small size, at least some resistance to radiations, the fact that overhunting is nothing to them, the fact that some of those directly benefit from pollution, the fact that(At least arthropods.) they tend to evolve faster than tetrapods(Which means even jungle and freshwater specialists have a chance to survive.), the fact that some can survive even within the salt deserts(Brine flies.) or even antarctica as pure terrestrial residents(Belgica antarctica.), domination of the surface(Insects.) as well as the fact that the northern hemisphere would still be inhabitable for them on top of the whole equatorial zone. Ocean life would have to endure anoxic events, like previous mass extinctions(Though it is almost impossible that the extinction will be as bad as the permian.), so anything that can survive that would survive the extinction, like fishes, cnidarians(who are even benefitting of this extinction.), crustaceans and mollusks, amongst many others, did before(Bottom dwellers would have a slightly easier time, but pelagic and coastal animals will be deeply affected, and megafaunas tend not to survive such events, even as bottom dwellers.). Edited by number8192, Jul 8 2017, 07:56 PM.
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| Fazaner | Jul 9 2017, 04:47 AM Post #91 |
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For the sapience specie need a limb for manipulation of tools and brain to use it, and deferent species will develop it deferent from us. For crows they dont have hands, but can use legs and beaks for tool usage, that might slowed them down a little but that dont mean it is impossible. Human way of reaching sapience is not the only way. |
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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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| number8192 | Jul 9 2017, 05:05 AM Post #92 |
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Could octopuses do it? |
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| Archeoraptor | Jul 9 2017, 05:20 AM Post #93 |
"A living paradox"
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I have to add that you said freshwater enviroments are harder affected by extinctions but is the opposite,quoting wikipedia on the K-pg boundary "In stream communities, few animal groups became extinct because such communities rely less directly on food from living plants and more on detritus that washes in from the land, buffering them from extinction" some animalsthat would have died otherwise survived the end of the cretaceus living in freshwater,the most well known example crocodiles but this also applies to invertebrates,fsih and maybe even birds |
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Astarte an alt eocene world,now on long hiatus but you never know Fanauraa; The rebirth of Aotearoa future evo set in new zealand after a mass extinction coming soon......a world that was seeded with earth´s weridest and who knows what is coming next........... " I have to know what the world will be looking throw a future beyond us I have to know what could have been if fate acted in another way I have to know what lies on the unknown universe I have to know that the laws of thee universe can be broken throw The Spec I gain strength to the inner peace the is not good of evil only nature and change,the evolution of all livings beings" " Spoiler: click to toggle | |
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| number8192 | Jul 9 2017, 06:53 AM Post #94 |
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I said freshwater animals tend to be affected by mass extinctions. That means it's not always the case. Our extinction will see massive amounts of desertification, pollution, and overuse of freshwater by humans, which is not the same as what happened in the cretaceous. I also mentioned that freshwater specialists would die, not every freshwater animals. |
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| Fazaner | Jul 9 2017, 04:17 PM Post #95 |
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Шашава птичурина
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There is a possibility, but there is a problem, the water makes fire-making impossible, their society would very hard develop above hunter-gatherers, if you have any ideas please share i am curious for any solutions you come up with. |
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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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| number8192 | Jul 9 2017, 07:53 PM Post #96 |
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My main idea was that if at the very least the females would feed each other while taking care of their youngs, they could live longer and therefore develop their brains further through experience and culture. Having a long lifespan due to social living would make them more numerous and more organised, which in the end would force them to come up with solutions to accomodate everyone and keep everyone fed. This in turn would most probably lead to them raising animals for food such as krill, fish and crabs and scaring off any animals that would eat the livestock. All of this would snowball toward superior intelligence and eventually sapience, though not necessarily technology, which would require fire or some mean of controlling electricity. Intelligence and technology are not necessarily inseparable. For the crows it would be even simpler, they make huts for their eggs and create fire to warm the eggs. In general, crows already have tool use, opposable thumbs on their feets, complex language, societies, incredible intelligence, bipedality and sight and hearing as their primary senses. With all the species of crows that will survive, the odds that one will become sapient are high. Edited by number8192, Jul 9 2017, 08:55 PM.
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