The Polycene

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The Polycene; Age of new diversity
Topic Started: Sep 14 2016, 08:46 PM (2,081 Views)
Blakedog	Sep 14 2016, 08:46 PM Post #1
Newborn Posts: 41 Group: Members Member #1,983 Joined: Sep 9, 2016 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution	Before I start, I would like to introduce myself. I am Blakedog. I've always had an interest in Speculative biology, future evolution especially, and I always create new creatures that I think do or will exist. I hope to please you all with my ideas. Without further adieu, I present the Polycene. The Polycene Introduction Species come and go. It's an age old rule and process that has been around for the 3.8 billion years of the existence of life. Animals and plants either adapt or become extinct due to the environmental pressures around. It is survival of the fittest. Six mass extinctions have managed to wipe out 99% of all life on planet Earth, whether it be gamma rays, meteors, volcanic activity, etc. But the sixth mass extinction in particular was an interesting one. It was the first mass extinction to be cause by a complex species called Homo sapiens, also known as Humans. Humans originated in Africa and then spread out to colonize other continents, leaving their mark everywhere they went. Humans have had impacts on the environments around them. They destroyed habitats, threw ecosystems into peril, introduced non-native species into new continents, used fossil fuels which poisoned the atmosphere, bred beyond their carrying capacity, overhunted and overfished. Things were so bad that more than 75% of species went extinct in a few hundred years, which is no time in a geologic time scale. Due to the loss of biodiversity, humans themselves went extinct earlier on in the 6th mass extinction. The earth was inherited by the survivors. No terrestrial animal (with the exception of feral donkeys, camels, goats, pythons, deer, and pigs due to their extreme flexibility) above 100 pounds survived. This was the test of adaptability. For 10 million years the earth was plunged in an on and off cycle of ice age with the longest lasting 2 million years. After that, habitats and life begin to bounce back and diversify, marking the start of the Polycene (Many age), 49 million years after today. Chapters 1.) Geology/Shifting continents 2.) Survivors and Casualties 3.) Biomes/Habitats 4.) New species Edited by Blakedog, Sep 16 2016, 05:28 PM.
	My deviantart: http://futureofnature.deviantart.com/


Blakedog	Sep 14 2016, 09:40 PM Post #2
Newborn Posts: 41 Group: Members Member #1,983 Joined: Sep 9, 2016 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution	Geology/Shifting Continents In the Polycene, (49 million years from now) the Earth looks almost unfamiliar. .The Atlantic ocean broadens . Africa collides with Europe, beginning to shrink the Mediterranean . Australia collides with Southeast Asia . North American is further up north . The Panama isthmus becomes much thinner . South America moves up north . Antarctic slides towards the equator Edited by Blakedog, Sep 15 2016, 05:09 PM.
	My deviantart: http://futureofnature.deviantart.com/


CaledonianWarrior96	Sep 15 2016, 01:31 AM Post #3
An Awesome Reptile Posts: 2,383 Group: Members Member #1,642 Joined: Feb 22, 2015 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution Nationality: Scottish (Not british) Favorite Quote: "Life's too short to take it seriously" - Me Also known as: SlothWarrior	Looks cool, can't wait to see what you make from this. I will nip at something though, but I actually don't know this myself so it's also a question that others who are more informed can answer; why does one cycle last over 4 million years? Usually glacial cycles last on average 100,000 years. I mean longer ones can happen but 4 million seems extensive
	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


Nyarlathotep	Sep 15 2016, 05:25 AM Post #4
The Creeping Chaos Posts: 1,301 Group: Members Member #1,358 Joined: Mar 2, 2014 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution Nationality: English Gender: Redundant much redundant?	I have heard it theorised that the ice ages would have stabilised into a cold phase lasting tens of millions of years if unchanged by human activity. One article in Newscientist I saw claimed that if humans had never existed, then this would occur 100,000 years from now and that we'd be locked in glacial conditions for tens of millions of years.



Dr Nitwhite	Sep 15 2016, 05:42 AM Post #5
Luddite Posts: 1,606 Group: Members Member #1,919 Joined: May 9, 2016 Gender: Male Nationality: American Favorite Quote: "Hey, no ticks, no warblers." -me Also known as: The unburnt, unlucky in love, "oi you", and etcetera.	Forbidden3 Sep 15 2016, 05:25 AM I have heard it theorised that the ice ages would have stabilised into a cold phase lasting tens of millions of years if unchanged by human activity. One article in Newscientist I saw claimed that if humans had never existed, then this would occur 100,000 years from now and that we'd be locked in glacial conditions for tens of millions of years. Really? Do you have a link? On this project, I'll wait till it goes a bit more in depth on the creatures and environments and such. Not much to critique yet. Looks to be a decent start though.
	Speculative Evolution Projects- The Great Song (5 myh, North America is filled with giant coots, life in the clouds, and the songs of human descendants. One curious society has devoted itself to the study of this world) The Curious World of Laniakea (An endless world of islands, shallow seas, mangrove swamps, and reefs) Hidden Spring (A partner project between myself and Beetleboy- exploring a future where a twist of cosmic fate changes the planet forever) Other Relevant Work- Monthly Big Day (Share your bird sightings for the month! Final SE Lifelist standings 1. Sayornis (82) 2. Dr Nitwhite (79) ↑ 3. Steampunk FireFinch (44) ↓ 4. The Dodo (26) 5. W.C.K.D (23) 6. Sphenodon (21) 7. Sheather (19) 8. Beetleboy (19) 9. Thylacine (16) 10. Monster (15) 11. HangingTheif (15) 12. Aptornis (13) 13. Stealth Rock (10) 14. KomradeWatcher (9) 15. lamna (7) 16. Flisch (5) 17. Olympianmaster (4) ↑ 18. Archipithecus (2) ↓ 19. Datura (1) ↓ 20. Giant Blue Anteater (1) ↓ 21. Kachimushi (1) 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.


Blakedog	Sep 15 2016, 07:47 AM Post #6
Newborn Posts: 41 Group: Members Member #1,983 Joined: Sep 9, 2016 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution	CaledonianWarrior96 Sep 15 2016, 01:31 AM Looks cool, can't wait to see what you make from this. I will nip at something though, but I actually don't know this myself so it's also a question that others who are more informed can answer; why does one cycle last over 4 million years? Usually glacial cycles last on average 100,000 years. I mean longer ones can happen but 4 million seems extensive My reason being is with the combination of rising natural greenhouse gases (i.e. Carbon, Methane) and man-made greenhouse gases (i.e. chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride,etc.) caused a really long period of glacial interchanges, but I guess 4 million years is too long. Maybe 2 million years at most?
	My deviantart: http://futureofnature.deviantart.com/


Dragonthunders	Sep 15 2016, 11:21 AM Post #7
The ethereal archosaur in blue Posts: 3,039 Group: Global Mods Member #690 Joined: Jan 22, 2012 Gender: Male Nationality: Salvadoran Favorite Quote: "There is only one war that can afford the human being: the war against their extinction" Isaac Asimov Also known as: DT, thunders Gender: still male	It seems that most of the predictions confirm that might last less than a million years, becoming the most optimistic vision in less than 50,000 years. Quote: East Africa splits from the rest of the continent, colliding with Madagascar That last part's probably not going to happen, madagascar is in the same continental shelf with Africa so that if the east split away, madagascar will move in conjunction with this, without colliding with East Africa. For other thing, nice work so far
	Projects "Active" projects The Future is Far Welcome to the next chapters of the evolution of life on earth, travel the across the earth on a journey that goes beyond the limits, a billion years of future history in the making. The SE giants project Wonder what is the big of the big on speculative evolution? no problem, here is the answer Coming one day Age of Mankind Humanity fate and its possible finals. The Long Cosmic Journey The history outside our world. The alternative paths The multiverse, the final frontier... Holocene park: Welcome to the biggest adventure of the last 215 million years, where the age of mammals comes to life again! Cambrian mars: An interesting experiment on an unprecedented scale, the life of a particular and important period in the history of our planet, the cambric life, has been transported to a terraformed and habitable mars in an alternative past. Two different paths, two different worlds, but same life and same weirdness. My deviantart


Blakedog	Sep 15 2016, 05:08 PM Post #8
Newborn Posts: 41 Group: Members Member #1,983 Joined: Sep 9, 2016 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution	Dragonthunders Sep 15 2016, 11:21 AM It seems that most of the predictions confirm that might last less than a million years, becoming the most optimistic vision in less than 50,000 years. Quote: East Africa splits from the rest of the continent, colliding with Madagascar That last part's probably not going to happen, madagascar is in the same continental shelf with Africa so that if the east split away, madagascar will move in conjunction with this, without colliding with East Africa. For other thing, nice work so far Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to remove that part. Edited by Blakedog, Sep 15 2016, 05:09 PM.
	My deviantart: http://futureofnature.deviantart.com/


Blakedog	Sep 15 2016, 06:03 PM Post #9
Newborn Posts: 41 Group: Members Member #1,983 Joined: Sep 9, 2016 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution	Survivors and Casualties In mass extinctions, more than 75% of earth's species perish. Survival of the Fittest refers to those who can adapt to change in their environment. There are many more winners and losers than what is on this list (I don't want to name them all). Survivors .Feral donkeys . Many monitor lizards (Mangrove, Savannah, etc.) . Passeriformes . Feral dogs (Only in Australia) . Feral cats . Feral goats .Columbiformes (Pigeons and so forth) . Falconiformes . Common snapping turtle . Agoutis . Black rat . Brown rat . Raccoon . Coatis . Rhesus Macaques . Capuchins and Squirrel Monkeys . Jaguarundi . Jungle Cat . Most mustelids . Foxes . Mongooses . Sea Anemones . Ocelot . Most sphenisciformes . Golden jackal . Rock hyrax . Many lizards . Many Snakes . Many turtles . Many insects and arachnids . Chevrotains . Muntjacs . Wild and feral boars . Water opossum ( and other opossums) . Mudskippers . Warthogs . Peccaries . Baboons . Bush dogs . Squids . Civets . Lagomorphs . Armadillos . Anseriformes . Galliformes . Gruiformes . Piciformes . Strigiformes . Coraciiformes . Accipitriformes . Psittaciformes . Most bats . some Apodiformes . Some marsupials (wallabies, wombats, etc.) . Bluegill . Sea robins . Many fish . Cane toad . Some amphibians . Hedgehogs . Dwarf caimans . Some pinnipeds Casualties . Big cats . Elephants . Large bovids . Horses . Humans . All specialized animals . Bears . Lemurs . Quolls . Some jungle cats . Wolves . Body and head lice (due to the extinctions of their hosts) . Great apes . Whales . Most amphibians . Tapirs . Sloths . Pangolins . Anteaters . Some lizards, snakes, crocodiles, and turtles . Okapis . Giraffes . A large number of fish . Rhinos . Hippos . Hyenas
	My deviantart: http://futureofnature.deviantart.com/


peashyjah	Sep 16 2016, 03:22 PM Post #10
Bydo Posts: 983 Group: Members Member #1,744 Joined: Aug 14, 2015 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution Nationality: American Favorite Quote: "Let's get stupid loud!" from SMFA. "You can't brush your damn teeth without a damn hook!!! " from Squidbillies.............. Gender: Male	The Polycene sounds great so far
	Discontinued projects: The New Ostracoderms (i might continue with this project again someday) The Americas (where in 58 million years from now in the future North and South America has both become isolated island continents) All Expansions (my attempt at expanding the universe of All Tomorrows by Nemo Ramjet aka C.M. Kosemen, started June 6, 2018) Anthropozoic (my attempt at expanding the universe of Man After Man and also a re-imagining of it, coming 2019 or 2020) New Cenozoica (my attempt at expanding the universe of The New Dinosaurs and also a re-imagining of it, also coming 2019 or 2020) All Alternatives or All Changes (a re-telling of All Tomorrows but with some minor and major "changes", coming June 10, 2018)


Blakedog	Sep 16 2016, 04:26 PM Post #11
Newborn Posts: 41 Group: Members Member #1,983 Joined: Sep 9, 2016 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution	peashyjah Sep 16 2016, 03:22 PM The Polycene sounds great so far Thank you, good sir. Edited by Blakedog, Sep 16 2016, 04:26 PM.
	My deviantart: http://futureofnature.deviantart.com/


Blakedog	Sep 16 2016, 05:27 PM Post #12
Newborn Posts: 41 Group: Members Member #1,983 Joined: Sep 9, 2016 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution	Biome/Habitats There are five biomes on Earth, that are Aquatic, Desert, Forest, Grassland, and Tundra. Aquatic Marine: The oceans and seas have changed in 49 million years. The Atlantic has extended further, the Mediterranean is closed/ing, The Pacific is still great, etc. The oceans and seas are fully of diverse life, whether they are in the intertidal, pelagic, benthic, or abyssal zone, among them are crabs, speedy fish, whale-like seals, marine reptiles, and so forth. In the Holocene, coral reefs became extinct due to human activity and were replaced by sea anemones in the Polycene and provide and receive protection from certain kinds of fish. Estuaries support microflora (algae) and macroflora (seaweed) and support animals such as worms, crabs, waterfowl, etc. Freshwater: Ponds, lakes, rivers, wetlands, swamps, and streams are everywhere in the Polycene. Animals that are adapted to low salt concentration depend on these for hydration. Freshwater supports a wide variety of plants and animals. Algae, Lily pads, Cattails, waterfowl, wading birds, snakes, crocodilians, turtles, etc. thrive in the freshwater areas of Earth. Desert Deserts are always hot during the day and cold during the night. Day time temperatures reach above 120 degrees fahrenheit. Night time temperatures can fall down to 50 degrees celsius. Rain also is unreliable .The average rainfall in general is 250 mm of water per year. The animals get moisture from the food they eat. Most animals that thrive in the desert are specialized for this biome. Many creatures of the desert have special adaptations to this harsh environment (i.e. Long ears to cool themselves, less fur, specific locomotion to conserve energy, etc.). It is the harsh reality of nature. Salt flats: What was once the Mediterranean sea, is now a grown salt flat. The water is undrinkable and few plants live there. Very few animals managed to survive and even thrive in these harsh conditions by becoming specialized. Plants are fortunate enough to grow thanks to the 2.3 inches of rain annually. Insects and small rodents feed on these plants and are preyed upon by specialized carnivores. This is an example of life being able to survive in the toughest places. Forests Boreal, deciduous, coniferous, and rain forests contain a variety of plants and animals and are crucial for their survival. Rainforests contain a third of Earth's species. Forest biomes make up the largest ecologically complex systems and a third of Earth's land. Forests are also the biggest producers of oxygen on this planet. Despite being cut down in the Holocene, forests have managed to bounce back to the levels they were at before the Industrial revolution in the Polycene. Grasslands Where there are no forests, there are either deserts or grasslands. Grass is the dominant and primary plant life as opposed to trees in forests. They are grazing areas for prey animals and long grass provides cover for the predators hunting these prey animals. Tropical savanna grasslands are the predominant grassland habitats in the Polycene, but prairie and steppe are still fairly common in some places. Tundra Tundra, known as the "frozen prairie", are the cool plains of the far north. Tundra is the coldest terrestrial ecosystem and yet, despite the chaos, plants and animals still manage to thrive here and represent proof of nature's adaptability and beautifully cruel ways. Animals like caribou and polar bears are long gone, but more adaptable animals have managed to take their place.
	My deviantart: http://futureofnature.deviantart.com/


CaledonianWarrior96	Sep 17 2016, 04:00 PM Post #13
An Awesome Reptile Posts: 2,383 Group: Members Member #1,642 Joined: Feb 22, 2015 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution Nationality: Scottish (Not british) Favorite Quote: "Life's too short to take it seriously" - Me Also known as: SlothWarrior	I know you posted a link to your deviantart but your pictures of your creatures aren't showing in the posts. Saw them using the link though and they look great!
	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


HangingThief	Sep 17 2016, 05:16 PM Post #14
ghoulish Posts: 1,238 Group: Members Member #1,870 Joined: Feb 10, 2016 Gender: Male Nationality: Yank Also known as: A noxious pest of livestock and stored grain products. Gender: Chitinous	The various aquatic habitats definitely don't constitute a single biome.
	Hey.


Blakedog	Sep 17 2016, 07:56 PM Post #15
Newborn Posts: 41 Group: Members Member #1,983 Joined: Sep 9, 2016 Gender: Male Area of expertise: Future Evolution	CaledonianWarrior96 Sep 17 2016, 04:00 PM I know you posted a link to your deviantart but your pictures of your creatures aren't showing in the posts. Saw them using the link though and they look great! Thank you. Do you know how they can show?
	My deviantart: http://futureofnature.deviantart.com/


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