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| Rainforest Earth; Warm, wet, and weird | |
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| Topic Started: Nov 25 2016, 08:47 AM (2,685 Views) | |
| Beetleboy | Nov 25 2016, 08:47 AM Post #1 |
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Rainforest Earth Warm, wet, and weird  Author's Note: I've always loved the idea of a hothouse Earth, and well before I joined the forum I would imagine the organisms inhabiting a world covered in rainforests and swamps. Finally, I've decided to incorporate this into a future evo project, which I hope will allow me to excercise myself in some non-mammalian spec, with focus on amphibians, birds, and invertebrates. I also hope to cover plant life and some fungi, too. It has been 150 million years since the end of the Holocene, and the horror of the great war that was to be the end of humanity. In the end, humans became too clever – too clever for their own good, and the bombs and the fighting and the diseases snuffed them out slowly, individual by individual. Humanity's final stand was not glorious, but a lone old man fighting for each breath, hidden amongst the rubble of an abandoned city, as the disease that humans had engineered to win the war, slowly took his life, and thus ended the last human on Earth. Homo sapiens dragged with them into the evolutionary graveyard countless other species, the victims of hunting, habitat loss, fragmentation, climate change, pollution . . . elephants, rhinos, great apes, countless deaths. Those that did make it through the Holocene were outcompeted or wiped out in the upcoming extinction events, like the cetaceans. But life goes on: extinction events are a violent reality of living on Earth, although the Holocene Extinction Event was the first one to be created by another species. Earth recovered, and life continued as if nothing had ever happened. But before we visit Rainforest Earth, we must first go back several million years before it occurs to fully understand it. At this point, around 110 million years from now, mammals aren't doing so well. Ripples of extinction events quickly drive down their numbers, but notably, rodent, shrew, and pig descendants are still going strong. Birds, meanwhile, have been refining their reproduction, and some gull descendants have developed a pouch on their underside, in which they can keep their egg warm, while not being bound to a nest. The next major event is an ice age that grips Earth in a freezing grip, but while the mammals and other animals struggle to adapt, the marsupial birds take off. Having a warm pouch in which to rear your egg and afterwards, your chick, is very useful in the cold conditions. Parents no longer have to sit on the nest to stop their young from freezing to death, they can now wander about freely, feeding as they normally would, while their baby is safe in the pouch. As the ice age continues, the mammals lumbering through the tundra are joined by large, flightless birds, 3 metres tall and like a very well insulated emu. Their chick is safe in a pouch, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the birds are diversifying. As we near the time period that we will look at in depth, the continental movement and the high amounts of geological activity have caused large amounts of volcanic eruptions across the world. This causes a minor extinction event that knocks back the mammals yet further, but also releases immense amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The result is a natural global warming, and bit by bit the Earth warms up . . . By 150 million years hence, the world is in the height of a greenhouse effect, sometimes known as the hothouse Earth. There are no polar ice caps, and the only place snow and ice can be found are at the very poles and on mountains. Rainforests cover much of the world except where it is too arid, and sea levels rise, flooding the land. This is a hot, damp world of extremes: jungle and desert living side-by-side, and covering the globe. If we were to visit this Rainforest Earth, it would seem primordial to us, like we'd travelled backwards in time, not forwards. This garden of Eden, a gem of natural beauty, would actually be pretty inhospitable to humans. The rainforests are dense and swelteringly hot and humid, biting insects plague the swamps, and invertebrates can be unusually large thanks to the large amounts of oxygen in the atmosphere. Life here is usually venomous, poisonous, or pretending to be something else. Rainforest Earth is a world of mimicry and deception, and it belongs to the invertebrates, the amphibians, the reptiles, and the birds. There are mammals here, but they are reduced to mostly small forms, most of which are either aquatic or arboreal. It is the other animals which rule this forest world. This seemingly beautiful paradise may be inhospitable to us, but it is also one of the most notable time periods that Earth has experienced for a long time. Earth is rarely as diverse as it is now – just imagine the Amazon Rainforest, the amount of creatures living there, then imagine that covering much of the globe. It is easy to see why there is around double the amount of species living on Rainforest Earth than there was during the Holocene. The oceans are tropical and filled with vibrant reefs, scattered with sandy, pristine islands inhabited by unique fauna and flora. The forests are huge and home to countless species, and the arid deserts are home to strange, spiny forests and hardy organisms surviving against the odds. The swamps are biodiverse and some of them are home to entirely new habitats unlike anything seen during the Holocene, and at the poles, temperate forests grow and spread towards the equator where they are overtaken by tropical forest. This is Rainforest Earth, tropical, wet, strange, and biodiverse. *geography and overviews of organisms will be in seperate updates rather than being with the project introduction here* Contents Geography Organism Overviews - Animals Weeping Bog-Forests Golden Lakes Whirlybirds Edited by Beetleboy, Nov 28 2016, 12:17 PM.
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| DroidSyber | Nov 25 2016, 08:51 AM Post #2 |
I'll cut ya swear on me mum
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I'm listening… |
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Non Enim Cadunt! No idea how to actually hold down a project. | |
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| Dr Nitwhite | Nov 25 2016, 08:52 AM Post #3 |
Luddite
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I'm really liking this marsupial bird concept. Great start Beetleboy! |
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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. | |
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| Beetleboy | Nov 25 2016, 08:53 AM Post #4 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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. . . and you're gonna hear a lot of bird calls, frogs croaking, and insects chirping. Loudly.  Glad you're interested. This project has been on my mind for a long time, and I've been interested in doing something like this for years. Edit: goddamit I just wasn't fast enough, now the Dr has commented too . . .
Thanks. I really needed a way for birds to get a bit of an edge so that they could begin to take over the world. Ultimate avian domination! In all seriousness, I think you'll like some of the weird birds I have planned, knowing your love for avians. In Rainforest Earth, birds have taken over pretty much everywhere - the sea, the air, the forests.
Edited by Beetleboy, Nov 25 2016, 08:55 AM.
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| DroidSyber | Nov 25 2016, 08:58 AM Post #5 |
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I'll cut ya swear on me mum
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I'm guessing possibly puesdo-vivarporous birds? |
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Non Enim Cadunt! No idea how to actually hold down a project. | |
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| Beetleboy | Nov 25 2016, 09:05 AM Post #6 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Yeah, it is basically that. I'll go into it in more depth at some point, since it's a pretty essential part of the project (the majority of birds on Rainforest Earth are marsupial avians), but basically the egg is layed, then quickly transferred to the pouch, either by the female or with help from the male (or sometimes multiple males assisting in the move, as is the case with some eusocial birds). After that, the egg is kept in the pouch where it can be kept warm and safe, until it hatches out. This can be different from species to species, because some marsupial birds have developed unusually long periods of time until the egg hatches, at which point the chick hatches out well developed, able to see and walk about for itself. On the other hand, some species hatch out but remain helpless and small, so stay in the pouch where the mother can feed them and keep them safe and warm until they are old enough to fledge. Birds that still lay eggs and care for them in a nest would be considered primitive at this point, but there are still some around. |
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| CaledonianWarrior96 | Nov 25 2016, 10:01 AM Post #7 |
An Awesome Reptile
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I'll probably get my head bit off for this but what is the 'dominant' vertebrate group in terms of size and/or diversity? I know you said birds, reptiles and amphibians but which out of those are the more successful or more abundant megafauna? |
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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
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| Beetleboy | Nov 25 2016, 10:06 AM Post #8 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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It's ok, I ask questions like this too and I know what you mean by it. In the sea there are whale-sized creatures, but on land the largest animals are birds and reptiles. I would say the most 'dominant' vertebrate group would be a draw between birds and reptiles, but mammals aren't doing too bad either. |
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| Beetleboy | Nov 25 2016, 11:45 AM Post #9 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Geography Denaska By around 75 million years hence, the western tip of Alaska had connected with the western edge of Russia, and they remained connected until around 125 million years hence, at which point North America had started moving east, pulling away from Asia, but also taking a little chunk of Russia, connected to Alaska, with it. By the time of Rainforest Earth, North America has split off from South America, and has become the continent known as Denaska. The northern tip of it, made up of what was once Canada and Greenland, is the most northerly large landmass at this point in time. Denaska's northern portion is a fragmented area, filled with lakes and temperate forests. It is one of the few places on Rainforest Earth where it snows every winter, but only in small amounts, and it never lasts long. Below the northern temperate forests, there are arid regions, and below that, the rainforest-covered south of Denaska. Amoguay At around 50 million years hence, the whole of the Americas was moving north-west. At this point, South America rose, and for a time, Columbia and Peru were solidly attached to Mexico. However, this wasn't to last, and by 125 million years hence, it had split off completely from North America, and become a seperate continent entirely. During Rainforest Earth, the world flooded, and so where the Amazon Basin once was is now underwater, forming the Amazon Sea, a shallow, tropical marine paradise. Below this is a jutting out chunk of land, the Brazilian Horse Head, named after its appearance, with the sea creeping inland underneath it, forming the head. Eastern Patagonia has been flooded, leaving the Andes out of the water, and the arid regions to the west of it. Other than the western coast of Amoguay, much of the continent is covered entirely by rainforest. Vleiland While the other continents have been messing around and making a right mess, Africa has been minding its own business, and hasn't been doing much. It has moved northwards, colliding with Europe, forming one of the largest mountain ranges on Rainforest Earth, the Valhalla Mountains. The whole of Eurasia, now with Africa clinging on, turned so that the southern tip of Africa is now facing more south-west. The combination of what was once Africa and Europe is called Vleiland, meaning 'wetland' in Afrikaans. Much of it is covered in tropical rainforests and marshes, but on the western side of the Valhalla Mountains, barely any rain falls, with the clouds being blocked by the mountains, forming the Valhallan Desert, a strip of arid land. The northern areas of Vleiland are covered in temperate forests. Rindia Although connected to Vleiland, for the sake of ease, Rindia is thought of as a seperate continent. It is what is left of Asia, flooded and covered in rainforests. It has turned so that Russia is now on the east, and takes up much of the continent. Many areas are completely underwater, and the coastline is fragmented and surrounded by islands. Most of Rindia is completely covered in tropical forest, but parts of the eastern side (where Russia once was) is somewhat arid, but it is mostly not out-and-out desert. Some arid areas of East Rindia are covered in dry forests, filled with plants descended from bamboo, now adapted to live in drier areas, many species of this dry-bamboo covered in spines Austraysia Australia has been busy in the time building up to Rainforest Earth. After the Holocene, there was a time of relatively small geological activity, but Australia was the first continent to perform some major movement. By just 25 million years hence, it had already collided with Indonesia, forming the beginnings of Austraysia. Just another 25 million years later, and more major changes had occurred, as Australia swung around to collide with the coast of China, squashing Papua New Guinea inbetween. By the time Rainforest Earth occurs, Austraysia has already been formed for quite some time, allowing an interchange of marsupial and placental mammal species, amongst other things. The scattered islands of what was once northern Australia and Indonesia now faces out towards the west, the tropical islands mingling with Irctica's as it drifts closer. Austraysia is almost entirely covered by rainforests, save for a somewhat arid region just south-west of the Potalaka Mountains (formed by the collision of Australia and China). Irctica Antarctica split into 2 pieces inbetween 50 and 75 million years hence. One remained more or less where it was, just south of Amoguay, forming Atlantica, but the other piece drifts north-east, until it sits next to Austraysia, forming a new continent surrounded by tropical islands, known as Irctica. It is one of the more arid continents on Rainforest Earth, but only in the south, and the rest is covered in tropical forests and flooded grasslands. The small islands surrounding the continent are tropical paradises where life can experiment, and if they were around today, they would be considered prime holiday destinations for the sandy, pristine beaches and crystal clear, shallow waters. In fact, the stretch of sea (known as the Irctican Sea) between Irctica and Austraysia is very shallow, and is now home to an immense, beautiful reef, one of the most biodiverse marine habitats on Rainforest Earth: the Great Irctican Reef. Atlantica While most of Antarctica was drifting north-east to form Irctica, a thin chunk of it stayed behind, and is now positioned just south-east of the southern tip of Amoguay. It is thin and long, and surrounded by a shallow, life-filled sea, making for rich feeding grounds where many animals coming to feed. At the time of Rainforest Earth, Atlantica is moving north-east, following Irctica. Atlantica is unusual in being the only continent to not have any tropical rainforests, instead being mostly temperate, experiencing seasonal snowfall in the south. It is, however, still home to a variety of interesting animals, as well as being one of the few places on Rainforest Earth to have grasslands. |
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| GlarnBoudin | Nov 25 2016, 12:33 PM Post #10 |
Disgusting Skin Fetishist
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How have crocodilians done in this world? |
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Quotes Spoiler: click to toggle Co-creator/corporate minion for the Pop Culture Monster Apocalypse! My Projects Spoiler: click to toggle Coming Soon Spoiler: click to toggle My dA page. My Fanfiction.net page. | |
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| Beetleboy | Nov 25 2016, 12:39 PM Post #11 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Pretty good. They have diversified quite a bit, and the warm seas are suiting them well. |
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| Vorsa | Nov 25 2016, 01:19 PM Post #12 |
Mysterious tundra-dwelling humanoid
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Damn Beetleboy, how many projects do you need!  In all seriousness, I'm loving this so far.
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My Deviantart: http://desorages.deviantart.com/ Birbs "you are about to try that on a species that clawed its way to the top of a 4 billion year deep corpse pile of evolution. one that has committed the genocide you are contemplating several times already. they are the pinnacle of intelligence-based survival techniques and outnumber you 7 billion to 1" - humans vs machine | |
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| Beetleboy | Nov 25 2016, 01:39 PM Post #13 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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I lose interest in projects usually. However, I feel that I'm now finding ways of retaining my interest. The Multiverese and Rainforest Earth are my active projects. |
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| CaledonianWarrior96 | Nov 25 2016, 02:29 PM Post #14 |
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An Awesome Reptile
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Just a little nitpick; Colombia and Peru aren't attached to Mexico, it's mostly based in North America. I think you meant Central America? |
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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
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| Beetleboy | Nov 25 2016, 02:52 PM Post #15 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Well, by this time South America had moved upwards and drifted westwards slightly, so the part of South America near Columbia and Peru temporarily attaches to Mexico and nearby areas. I didn't mean that this has already happened. 
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