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Novopangea; My version of the next Supercontinent.
Topic Started: Jul 23 2016, 08:38 PM (2,180 Views)
Dapper Man Jul 23 2016, 08:38 PM Post #1
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* I am fed up with dis wuurld *
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Novopangea
Posted Image(Update 2: TerrificTyler made a fantastic map. Thanks mate!)

200 million years from now, things have changed. The whole world is seemingly void of modern megafauna- and is seems as though this world is a mixture between the Cretaceous and the Oligocene periods of past times. Many strange and weird critters dominate the megafauna- but it seems as if they’re all descended from Squamates- this might as well be Squamate World.

However, they aren’t the only critters around- giant birds haunt the northern forest, a reminder of what was once dominant- and this bird seems to have come from the most unexpected ancestor. Small mammals, like they did in the cretaceous, cower in fear from these giant Squamates, although a few are capable of devouring Squamlings (Tentative name for Squamate Hatchlings, Squamates + Hatchling.) A surprising amount of Squamates have converged with certain Ornithischian and Ungulate groups, and hence are called Squamulates (Tentative name, Squamates + Ungulates.) This is a common name, however, for several lineages, sometimes related and sometimes not, Squamates converging with Ungulates.

The climate of Novopangea is not to dissimilar from the Oligocene, with forests just beginning to fade away and being replaced by open woodlands, grasslands and deserts. However, these forests are the most biodiverse environments, and share many of their fauna with the other environments. A lot of Novopangeas fauna seems to have come from Zealandia, a small, isolated microcontinent located to the far south east that is about a quarter the size of Australia. It too is filled with its own bizarre fauna, not unlike Novopangea.

A mixture of both familiar and unfamiliar groups live on this new earth- many groups seem to prefer mimicking ancient Ungulate groups, whilst others head into the unknown and produce utterly bizarre groups.

Welcome then, to Novopangea.

Table of Contents
Edited by Dapper Man, Aug 22 2016, 05:15 PM.
Speculative Evolution:

Manitou; The Needle in the Haystack.
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Dapper Man Aug 16 2016, 01:16 AM Post #31
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So... at a writers block. What should I do next? Fauna of Novopangea, Zealandia or the Gitoukanenos Ocean?
Speculative Evolution:

Manitou; The Needle in the Haystack.
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CaledonianWarrior96 Aug 16 2016, 02:09 AM Post #32
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An Awesome Reptile
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Maybe the ocean, then the stretch of sea that's in between Novopangea in the south
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And now, for something completely different
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Dapper Man Aug 16 2016, 02:16 AM Post #33
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Thanks. Might try either some sharks, savrungulates or cephalopods, or something different.
Speculative Evolution:

Manitou; The Needle in the Haystack.
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Dapper Man Aug 19 2016, 03:28 AM Post #34
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I wasn't able to get a update for a while, because school, so here's one for you guys that were waiting.

Geminishark (Osteolamnis Enedra)

One of the last sharks of Novopangea, the Geminishark is a descendant of the Bull Shark (Carcharhinus Leucas), one of the more common types of Sharks in the Holocene. Indeed, most of the Novopangean Chondrichthyes (Sharks and Rays) are descended from either this, the Mako Shark, or the Dogfish. The Geminishark, with options limited for niches, had only one niche left: that of Crocodilians, which were pushed out of their traditional niches long ago.

Reaching lengths of 4-5 meters, Geminisharks are solitary animals, only coming together in "gangs" as their called when the rivers are filled and fish and major Savrungulates migrate across from one feeding ground to another. These cunning sharks are denizens of the rivers and shallow waters of Novopangea, patrolling the shorelines, waiting for any unfortunate animal to fall into their traps. Their bodies are long and fat, not really designed for high speed chases like their relatives are. Their mouths are brimmed with hundreds upon hundreds of sharp, serrated teeth, a gaping maw ready to snatch every living thing. Indeed, these sharks are aggressive ambush hunters, making sure that other members of their species know that it's their section of the river, even as going as far as cannibalism to keep their land in check. The only time this rule is abandoned is when the Savrungulate herds and fish swarms migrate throughout the river, only then do they allow other Geminis to enter their patch of river.

Mating for these sharks occurs between Spring- Summer, in which impressive fights occur between males to gain the impressions of the females, even as going as far as decapitating the rivals heads of to impress the opposite sex. Females can remain pregnant for as long as 9 months at a time, for the sources of food are always unstable. Parental care is waned after 6 months of caring for the offspring, as their cannibalistic and aggressive behaviors start to kick in at around that time for mothers. After spending 3 months together in closely nit gangs, the young sharks will split off to find their own section of river or pond.
Edited by Dapper Man, Aug 21 2016, 06:13 PM.
Speculative Evolution:

Manitou; The Needle in the Haystack.
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Dapper Man Aug 22 2016, 05:13 PM Post #35
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Egpig (Molochochoerus Mymmercophagii)

This Rodent is a specialized, insect eating animal. At the size of a pig, the Egpig is descended from Marmots (Marmotta spp.) from the Holocene. Indeed, its ancestor did thrive over the course of 200 million years. Rodent diversity throughout Novopangeas history has always been low, with rodents being descended from either the Marmot, the Rat, the Springhare or the Squirrel, which were the most common types of Rodent in the Holocene.

A denizen of the open woodlands, the Egpig is commonly found around Savrungulate nests, happily chewing on the eggs. This behavior, combined with its size and shape akin to a small pig, earn it its name. Mainly anti-social, these small critters are also named for their devilish ears, which flare up if threatened by predators or rivals. They are also named due to their hard heads, which they use to bash rivals into dominance for a territory. Extremely agressive, Egpigs are some of the more common "large" sized mammals of Novopangea, reaching lengths of a meter, and weighing some 30kgs.

Mating occurs in spring, the only time Egpigs come together in groups. Their frightening appearance can make for some extremes- even some juvenile Boariguanas won't come near males when in musk- the hard heads can leave some life threatening wounds. Pregnancies occur for around 20-40 days, and females can give birth to as many as 10 fawns. Mothers have little to no parental care, leaving their offspring to fend for themselves.
Speculative Evolution:

Manitou; The Needle in the Haystack.
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