| 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! |
| The Novazoic Version II; It's back | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Aug 6 2016, 12:44 PM (2,310 Views) | |
| Beetleboy | Aug 6 2016, 12:44 PM Post #1 |
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
|
The Novazoic Version 2.0 Note: Original Novazoic Thread Some of you may remember my Novazoic project from last year, which was my very first project, and was gaining popularity before I lost interest. It's a shame, because I had worked really hard on the project, and quite a few people seemed to really like it. But I have quite short attention spans, but I have been working on making my attention span better since then. And, I'm glad to say, I've been working on the Novazoic again for a few months, and I think it's ready to be shown now. However, several things have been changed:
Timeline of Human Activities from 2040-3030 2040: the first human settlement on Mars. Most of their energy comes from solar power, as well as nuclear power transported from Earth. 2050: further colonisation of Mars – there are now 5 separate settlements on the planet, living in complex glass domes with small-scale farms for food such as cress, lettuce, etc. 2060: the very first asteroid miners are based on Mars, while separate small scale mines on the planet itself are taking off. Essential minerals can be used in everyday life and in building work, and mined ice from beneath the surface can be heated up to make water. 3000: Mars is becoming more and more habitable. The range of jobs is becoming greater there, with choices of miners, farmers, builders, etc. Larger farms are being built in large domes, and the community homes (known as lodges) of people are becoming more and more spacious. 3008: World War III. Earth is in uproar as a city is bombed, killing thousands, kicking off a cross-country war, which quickly built into something much greater as other countries took sides. 3010: Martians, who previously for the most part chose to take no sides, get caught up in the war. The Arsia Mons colony take sides and kill the President of America while he is at his personal home at the Valles Marineris colony, a place he considered safe. However, the bomb that killed him also took the lives of many Martians at the colony, thus starting a war between colonies on Mars. Soon, the Mars colony is caught up in the warfare on Earth. 3020: the war goes on, while scientists of all sides are got to work creating bigger and better weapons. Biological warfare is everywhere, with so-called 'virus bombs' being dropped in enemy countries and allowing artificial viruses and diseases to destroy the population. 3025: Mars is bombed, and colony by colony, humans go extinct there as genetically engineered viruses spread. 3030: as the war continues, people don't notice the asteroid which is about to smash into Earth. The combination of wars, dangerous viruses, and the asteroid wipes out humans for good, but the latter also affected life on Earth in general. Geography Australia has drifted southwards, so that the majority of its surface is rather cold. The northern areas of Australia are primarily temperate forest, with obvious seasonal changes, whereas the southern tip is much colder, covered in ice and snow for the most part of the year. Ice connects Antarctica to Australia, and several unusual life forms can be found dwelling beneath the ice. Australia and Antarctica are known collectively as Austrarctica. New Zealand is to the east of Australia, and is a remote Antarctic island connected by sea ice to Austrarctica during only part of the year. Africa and Asia are now fully connected and now form a new continent, known as Afrasia. It has moved north from the continents' original positions, so that areas of Asia are very cold and icy, with some temperate parts. The southern areas of Afrasia are mainly tropical, often covered in grassland or rainforest. Moving northwards up the continent, we see some desert and temperate areas. For this reason, Afrasia is known as the continent of extremes, with rainforests, tropical grassland, temperate forests and grassland, and even semi-polar areas in the north. Europe has moved north with the rest of Afrasia, so now Great Britain has a climate more combarable to the nothern areas of Norway. Just above Madagascar is the island of Kisiwa, made up of what was once Tanzania, Kenya, and Somalia. South America has split off from North America and drifted south slightly. The southerly tip of South America can often be very cold, sometimes covered in ice and snow. More northerly portions of the continent are desert, temperate forest, or rainforest, depending on which area. North America has not moved much, only very slightly to the north, and the climates and habitats there have not changed much. Note: sorry the geography's short, it isn't my strong point. Survivors (the list is not currently complete) Invertebrates Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals Contents General: Species by Location Timeline Mammals: Koomba Boxer Wallaby Birds Burrunjor Reptiles Waterglider Pipsqueak Amphibians Whiskered Qilin Fish Ningyo Invertebrates Kauhoe-Kirikiti Flora and Fungi Flora of Austrarctica Edited by Beetleboy, Aug 19 2016, 12:52 PM.
|
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
 |
 
|
| CaledonianWarrior96 | Aug 6 2016, 06:38 PM Post #2 |
An Awesome Reptile
|
I really like the scenario you put in for human extinction, it's very interesting and well thought out. I'm also really interested in seeing where this project leads to. One question though; why has Australia drifted southwards? If you're making up your own continental drift fair enough, I'm just curious, that's all |
|
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
| |
|
|
|
| Tartarus | Aug 6 2016, 06:41 PM Post #3 |
Prime Specimen
|
Glad to see this back. I understand the decision to have humans extinct in this new version. Considering how difficult it is to predict technological, cultural, political and social change over even relatively short timescales, let alone over millions of years, having humans be extinct is a good way of getting around this. Besides, seeing as the main focus here is the wildlife of the future, it shouldn't really be a big deal that there are no humans in it. On your timeline you say humans went extinct in 3030, but list the year of World War III as 4000. I'm guessing this is a typo. Interesting basic geographical outline, though there is no mention of Europe. What is that continent like in your future world? I look forward to seeing how this second version this project goes and seeing the various creatures you come up with for it. |
|
|
|
| Beetleboy | Aug 7 2016, 10:25 AM Post #4 |
|
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
|
Thanks. I always think that a combination of factors such as war, natural disaster, and viruses would be the thing to wipe out humans.
Yes, I must admit I took some creative license there. Though if anyone has any objections it's not a big deal to change it.
Thanks! It's good to be working on the Novazoic again.
Thanks, that was a typo. I'll correct it. Thanks for pointing that out, I forgot to add Europe. It has not changed much, though it has obviously moved northwards, as it is still connected to Asia, which as stated, has moved north slightly. Also, I forgot to add the area of Africa which has split off from Africa and become an island, called Kisiwa. |
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
|
|
|
| Beetleboy | Aug 7 2016, 12:03 PM Post #5 |
|
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
|
Koomba The Novazoic has brought several new continents into being, both Afrasia and Austrarctica. The latter landmass is of particular interest because of the immense change that has occurred there since the Holocene. The habitat change from warm Australia, filled with tropical forests and deserts, to frozen forests and icy wastelands, leads to fascinating evolutionary changes. This radical change has led to some of the most fascinating creatures and habitats in the whole of the Novazoic world. Indeed, some of the strangest animals can be found here. One of the most well-known – and the largest – is the koomba. This animal is the descendant of kangaroos such as Macropus rufus, which did surprisingly well in the aftermath of the asteroid strike. The red kangaroo was hardy, adaptable, and wide-spread, and so they clung on. While it and other large kangaroos would remain herbivores in the Novazoic, many of the smaller, more adaptable wallabies become omnivores and even carnivores. The red kangaroo's descendants can still be found in Austrarctica, in a rather impressive form: the immense koomba. Anatomy The koomba is an elephant-sized kangaroo – the largest species grows up to 7 metres long - that can be found throughout Austractica. It has lost the upright jumping stance of its descendants, which allowed them to make a quick getaway, in favour of a larger size. Although they are described as quadrupedal, technically they are pentapedal. Their tail acts as a fifth limb, which helps to support the large, heavy body. With the weight of the animal distributed across all 5 'limbs', they are surprisingly nimble on their feet, and are even capable of rearing up to stand on their hind limbs and tail (when feeding, fighting, or displaying). The animal moves by putting the front feet forward, puts its tail down, then moves its hind legs forward, then repeats. The hind legs and tail provide the propulsion. The koomba's feet are long and the underneath of it is covered in springy soft tissue to act as shock obsorbers. This animal's body is surprisingly flexible for its size, allowing for the unusual cycle of movement shown in this mammal. It also has large muscle attachment points at the base of its tail, because the animal has to move its large, heavy tail. The tail of the koomba differs from its descendants in having a flat pad on the underside at the tip, where it comes into contact with the ground. It also has a joint about halfway down, where the stem of the tail meets the pad of the tail – or the leg and the foot, respectively. Koomba's have thick fur for protecting them in the cold winter months, but they have to moult it during the summer, or they will overheat. Their ears are also rather small, to reduce heat loss from them. Their faces are rather rounded and short, with a good sense of smell. They also have a slight proboscis, rather like a short tapir-like trunk, which has 2 uses, depending on location. The species of koomba which experience the coldest temperatures use it to heat up the air in before breathing it into the body, thus preventing it from cooling them too much. However, the northerly species experience a period during the summer when the snow melts and dust is kicked up on the cold deserts. These species use their proboscis to filter out the dust from the air they breath in. Behaviour: Koombas are generally social animals which live in groups consisting of a dominant male (known as a boomer) and his harem of females. Young males are often challenging the current boomer, so the leader of the group may frequently change. Only the boomer gets to mate with the females. Fights between males are common, and impressive. They begin by sizing each other up, as they perch upright on their hind legs and tail, an incredible sight for such a large animal. They will make deep rumbling noises and nod their heads slowly. If one does not back down, then a full blown fight will ensue. They will stand closer, still in their upright pose, and hit out at each other with their front limbs. Often they push up against each other's limbs and try to push the other over, but they may just try and hit each other, targetting the face, rather than their chest, which has thick skin to protect them. Reproduction: Mating occurs during the spring, as the male will stand upright on a slight angle to the female so that his penis will not be blocked by her tail. Mating may last nearly half an hour, during which he bite and rub his head against her back. After around 60 days, the baby will be born at about the size of a rat. It will climb upside down on the female's belly, clinging to her fur using its hooked claws, until it manages to slide into her pouch, where there is a single teat for it to drink milk from. The joey is completely blind and hairless, but knows instinctively where to go. It takes around 200 days for the joey to leave the pouch, after which it will never return, but will remain by the mother. While it will not enter the pouch fully, the female can open it to allow the joey's head in so that it may suckle. Males may mate with females even when she has a joey, but she is capable of delaying birth until her current baby no longer needs milk. A Summary of Species: The goliath koomba is the largest species, growing up to 7 metres in length, and lives in the northern areas of Austrarctica. It is known for its loud, bellowing calls which echo through the open landscape – it is capable of producing these due to its inflatable nasal sack, which acts as a resonating chamber. The second largest species is the wide-nosed koomba, which is a highly social animal. It migrates to the south during the warmer summer months, and on these migrations a great deal of dust is kicked up. The animal's large proboscis helps to prevent them from breathing the dust in. The forest koomba is a species which is not very tall on all fours, but does have a rather long body. However, when it stands up on its hind legs it is very tall, allowing it to reach the branches of trees where it can pick succulent leaves. Its proboscis is, unusually for koombas, long and mobile, allowing them to pull down leaves which are just out of reach. The smallest species, the pygmy koomba, lives on a remote island off the northern coast of Austrarctica, where the processes of insular dwarfism have led to its small size. It grows to around 1.2 metres tall at the shoulder, and is more solitary than its relatives. |
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
|
|
|
| Beetleboy | Aug 7 2016, 12:33 PM Post #6 |
|
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
|
Flora of Austractica It was not just animals that have been forced to adapt as Australia became colder. Flora has also had to evolve to cope with the changing temperatures, creating entirely new habitats. Trees range from deciduous to evergreen. Hanging-pines are common trees in the colder areas. They are evergreen descendants of plants in the Casuarina genus, and have drooping branches covered in long, hanging needles, hence the name. It has spike-like flowers, and the fruit are hard, woody, and ovular. They are covered in small projections, each of which contains a seed. Several species of megabat descendants have specialized tongues for reaching the sides inside their projections. Bloodtrees are common throughout northern Austractica. Their somewhat ominous name comes from the large amounts of bright red gum (or 'kino') which is produced from a cut, looking like blood. This gum hardens into dark-red amber, often trapping small animals. Bloodtrees are descendants of eucalyptus, and share many similar characteristics. They have thin, long leaves (curiously, they are not unlike the needles of evergreens such as hanging-pines), and small, delicate-looking flowers decorated with a fine fuzz of stamens. Some species have particularly large flowers, such as the halo-flower (named after the halo-like ring of purple stamens on it), which is pollinated by bats. Perhaps one of the plants which has done best are the tussocks, which form what are known as hummock grasslands. They are hardy and have become well-adapted to the cold, and can be found both in northerly and southern areas of the continent. Edited by Beetleboy, Aug 19 2016, 06:44 AM.
|
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
|
|
|
| Tartarus | Aug 7 2016, 10:17 PM Post #7 |
|
Prime Specimen
|
Austrarctica sounds like a pretty interesting place. What evolutionary pressures resulted in the koombas attaining such a massive size? |
|
|
|
| Beetleboy | Aug 8 2016, 12:35 PM Post #8 |
|
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
|
To escape the large predatory birds which were beginning to evolve, most of them flightless but very fast runners. Hopping just wasn't enough to get away from predators that could match that speed. Marsupial prey species had to take on new defences. Some of them, like the boxer wallaby (which will be seen in a future update) relied on defences such as sharp claws on their front limbs. Others, such as the koombas, grew to huge sizes to deter predators. All but the largest of koombas are still troubled by predatory birds, but it has given them a distinct advantage over the running birds. |
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
|
|
|
| Beetleboy | Aug 8 2016, 01:35 PM Post #9 |
|
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
|
Waterglider Evolution has created many wonders, from the huge koomba of Austrarctica, to the tiny pastoral ants and their livestock. However, of the wildlife of the Novazoic world, some stand out as being particularly extraordinary. One creature that does so is the waterglider. It is a lizard, and for many it represents the diversity of this group. It is surely one of the most elegant and beautiful reptiles, but also strange – for this lizard can stand on water. Evolution: During the Holocene, the basilisk lizard (also known as the Jesus Christ lizard) could run across water when threatened – it does so by catching tiny air bubbles on flanges on its toes. In the Novazoic, there are several similar lizards which can do exactly the same thing. One creature, however, has taken this a step further. The waterglider's ancestors where a group of small geckos which lived in the reedbeds of lakes on the island of Kisiwa (just above Madagascar). Fossils show that these lizards where probably nimble and agile, able to climb up a reed stem with ease. They fed on insects such as damselflies, water spiders, and other invertebrates which could be found in the shallow water or on the reeds. It was the empty ecological niche out on the open water that eventually lured the small lizards out: the surface of the lake was brimming with life – waterskaters, mosquitos, damselflies, springtails, and more. The reed geckos probably already had the capability to float on water in case they fell in. They did this in much the same way that even some small geckos during the Holocene did: by being very light in weight, and having water-repelling scales. The combination of this allowed them to simply float, completely dry, on the surface. Over time, the reed geckos become better and better at floating, and even moving across the water, allowing them to catch insects out of reach from the safety of a reed stem. It was not long before many of these lizards left the reedbeds for good to live instead out on the open water, catching the insects floating there. Biology: The waterglider grows no more than 2 centimetres in full length, from the nose to the tip of the tail. It is this small size that allows them to be so light, and this along with their water-repelling scales that allows them to simply float. The waterglider has a short, blunt head with large eyes and an extendable tongue. Their toes have flanges on them, increasing the surface area, and these flanges are particularly noticeable on the long toes on their hind legs. By kicking out with their hind legs and undulating their body from side to side, the waterglider can move itself forward across the water. Its tail also has flaps of skin on either side of it, and when it needs to move particularly fast, it will also lash out with its tail, further propelling it along the water. The waterglider moves in sharp, jerking movements – kicking out, then letting itself slide forward from the propulsion (hence the name, waterglider). Ecology: This lizard is a predator of small invertebrates which can be found on the surface of the water. It is relatively safe from many underwater predators, as its hydrophobic scales make it difficult to pulled underwater to be eaten. However, it is vulnerable to wading birds which, if they are fast enough, will simply pluck it out of the water. Edited by Beetleboy, Aug 8 2016, 02:02 PM.
|
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
|
|
|
| Beetleboy | Aug 8 2016, 01:51 PM Post #10 |
|
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
|
Update: baboons added to the survivor list. |
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
|
|
|
| Dr Nitwhite | Aug 8 2016, 01:58 PM Post #11 |
Luddite
|
I beg to differ. Swallows, flycatchers, fish, and large insects would be exploiting this niche. However, that does not leave watergliders an impossibility. Waterstriders/skaters and springtails would have few predators other than fish, and having something exploiting those specific creatures is a distinct possibility, as there is nothing that currently hunts each of those prey species specifically. Nice project, by the by! |
|
Speculative Evolution Projects- Other Relevant Work- Final SE Lifelist standings BREAKING NEWS We interrupt your regular programming to bring you this cutting edge report. ATTENDANCE DROPS DRASTICALLY ON SE SERVER This past Monday on Discord, famous server Speculative Evolution took a hit in the attendance office when it's offline member list suddenly reappeared. Mods scrambled to rectify the situation, but unfortunately there was little anyone could do. Server member Ivan was asked what he thought of the situation. "So long as Flisch, lord of machines and scion of Urborg lives, all will be well". SE, (in)famous for it's eccentric userbase, has recently been spiraling downward, and now we have hard conformation of the decline. Moderator "High Lord" Icthyander states "There is nothing to be concerned about, Discord is merely changing its UI again", but members are beginning to suspect the honesty of their staff. Stay tuned, we'll be back with more at 11. | |
|
|
|
| Beetleboy | Aug 8 2016, 02:01 PM Post #12 |
|
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
|
I must admit, you are right here. My main idea was something that would hunt the waterstriders/waterskaters, but then I realised that there was plenty of other things for them to eat. I will correct the text in light of what you have said (edit: done it) - although do any birds actually take insects directly off of the water surface? Although you are right that fish do. And thank you! Edited by Beetleboy, Aug 8 2016, 02:03 PM.
|
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
|
|
|
| Dr Nitwhite | Aug 8 2016, 02:57 PM Post #13 |
|
Luddite
|
Not really, but I wouldn't put it past most swallows. I was referring to those birds because you mentioned mosquitoes, though I'm realizing now you where probably referring to their larvae. Though damselflies would make up a good portion of flycatcher/swallow diets. Also, frogs eat all of those things. |
|
Speculative Evolution Projects- Other Relevant Work- Final SE Lifelist standings BREAKING NEWS We interrupt your regular programming to bring you this cutting edge report. ATTENDANCE DROPS DRASTICALLY ON SE SERVER This past Monday on Discord, famous server Speculative Evolution took a hit in the attendance office when it's offline member list suddenly reappeared. Mods scrambled to rectify the situation, but unfortunately there was little anyone could do. Server member Ivan was asked what he thought of the situation. "So long as Flisch, lord of machines and scion of Urborg lives, all will be well". SE, (in)famous for it's eccentric userbase, has recently been spiraling downward, and now we have hard conformation of the decline. Moderator "High Lord" Icthyander states "There is nothing to be concerned about, Discord is merely changing its UI again", but members are beginning to suspect the honesty of their staff. Stay tuned, we'll be back with more at 11. | |
|
|
|
| Dapper Man | Aug 8 2016, 05:26 PM Post #14 |
* I am fed up with dis wuurld *
|
Neat stuff. Also, like the Koomba. |
|
Speculative Evolution: Manitou; The Needle in the Haystack. | |
|
|
|
| Tartarus | Aug 8 2016, 06:32 PM Post #15 |
|
Prime Specimen
|
The water glider sounds like quite an interesting creature. Good to see a project that places focus on tiny creatures as well as the bigger creatures. Also, looking forward to seeing what those pastoral ants you mentioned will be like. Ants looking after things like aphids and caterpillars have already been a thing since long before the present. I'm interested in seeing what sort of livestock your ants of the future will have. |
|
|
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Evolutionary Continuum · Next Topic » |
12:03 PM Jul 13