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| Holocene and Beyond; it is here | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 10 2017, 02:41 PM (4,937 Views) | |
| Beetleboy | Jan 10 2017, 02:41 PM Post #1 |
neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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~ Holocene and Beyond ~ It has begun For 3.8 billion years, there's been life on our planet. A world floating in the cosmos, a blue and brown dot in the vast universe. Elsewhere in our galaxy, tiny organisms were evolving on planets. On some worlds, life had only just appeared, on others it had been busy evolving and populating their landscape for millions of years already. On countless worlds life was going extinct. Birth, death, life, on a cosmic scale, beyond our or any other being's perception – at least for now. And at this point in time, the miracle of life appeared on another world. Earth. This moment, which would lead to the incredible journey of evolution, although it would change this one world, was of no great consequence to the universe as a whole. Life came and went all the time, and on the grand scale of intergalactic life, Earth was a miniscule, insignificant speck of life. But for this rocky, blue planet, life would change everything. As the first vertebrates swam through the primordial seas, 525 million years ago, elsewhere in the universe alien organisms were crafting tools and developing sapience. For Earth, it would be a long time until it would see high levels of intelligence. The closest it would get until humans, elephants, corvids, and cetaceans came along would be certain dinosaurs, but the ones that showed most promise were wiped out in the K-Pg event. Theropods lived on, however, in birds, which would later show signs of semi-sapience. There was a long way to go until then, however. When we reach the Holocene, everything on Earth changed in ways that would affect the future profoundly. From apes using stones to crack nuts, to the usage of fire and refined tool making, eventually those primates using sticks to fish for termites would build civilizations and colonise the surface of the planet. Homo sapiens would become the unexpected conquerer of Earth, wiping out species as it goes, and destroying habitats for its own purposes. *** Cities, like a shining metal forest, grew and spread across the world, pushing back natural habitats like forests and grassland. Almost too late, humans realised the damage they were doing to the world, polluting it, destroying habitats, killing off species, and contributing towards global warming. It was too late to completely halt the climatic change they had caused, but Homo sapiens could change its ways. Reneweable fuels became the norm, slowly but surely. With the population so huge, there was never large amounts of wild spaces, and many animals went extinct in the wild, but lived on in zoos or in frozen genetic material. The world entered a state of space exploration and genetic modification. Pets, which had for a short period become uncommon due to the lack of space, were now 'trending' again, as populations dropped to a more sustainable level. Genetically modification became common worldwide, GM'd species being used for a variety of reasons – some were pets, some were adapted to take care of invasive species, a few were even made purely for the purpose of teaching students. Further into the future, genetic modification became so common-place that the rich could ask for specially-designed, unique animals, and GMing became a sort of art form. Many of our pets were too frail and dependant on us to survive in the wild . . . but with the overwhelming number of GM'd species, many would survive in the future. In the end, humanity killed itself, in a war to end all wars, wiping out their own species. Those who survived where killed off by the bio-engineered viruses, even the Martian people, the virus spreading to them from people fleeing from Earth on evacuee ships. The bombed mega-cities were empty. The once life-filled domes on Mars were empty. The houses and parks were empty . . . But Earth was not. *** Humanity would change the face of the Earth in a way that would be felt for millions of years. It was our pets and companions, the genetically modified organisms, and the urban animals, that would take over where the cities once stood. While some areas still had a large amount of wild animals living in natural places, much of the Earth's land was covered in cities and 'parks' (large wild areas in the city, used for keeping endangered species in, semi-wild). After the extinction of Homo sapiens, the parks and the cities disappeared, forests and plains reclaiming the land. Urban animals and park species were free to conquer the new wild space, before less adaptable pets and GM'd species got there first. But eventually, get there they did, and the world was changed radically, in sometimes surprisingly and bizarre ways. Many pets couldn't survive without humans, and died off, but there were some which survived. Amongst the genetically modified animals, some used their bizarre traits to help them survive, while less adaptable and frail species died off. *** In Chapter I we will look at life during human's reign, from their pets to urban animals. We will look at the surprising habitats humanity will create, from floating 'reef' cities to Martian domes. In Chapter II, we shall explore the legacy that humanity left behind in animal form, from pouched dogs to giant goldfish, bioluminescent mice to raptorfowl, and stranger organisms still . . . *** Welcome to the Holocene and Beyond . . . Contents |
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
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| Beetleboy | Jan 11 2017, 12:18 PM Post #16 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Ask the pelicans - they already do it today, it's not just my own speculation. The pelicans in the park are real and actually already eat pigeons and drown them. I've just speculated on them escaping and doing well as wild urban bird-eating pelicans. I've seen picture of the pelican with its beak wide open and the pigeon just sitting in its pouch with its head popping out, not bothering to get out. I guess pigeons are stupid, and that the pelicans manage it. |
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
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| Lycaon | Jan 11 2017, 12:20 PM Post #17 |
All hail Odin! All hail the Allfather!
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Oh wow, the more you know 
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The true meaning of hypocrisy
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| Beetleboy | Jan 11 2017, 12:21 PM Post #18 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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I was pretty amazed when I first found out about pelicans eating pigeons. Pelicans kinda terrify me. Something about their pouches which kinda freak me out. |
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| Beetleboy | Jan 11 2017, 12:24 PM Post #19 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Chapter I Come and visit the wild, primeval, beautiful . . . Pleistocene Park!  A wildlife reserve to rival the savannahs of Africa, the Park is a beautiful, pristine wilderness home to a variety of charismatic megafauna. Herbivores include reindeer, moose, wild Yakutian horses, muskox, European bison, snow sheep, saiga antelope, Bactrian camels, and Siberian roe deer, amongst others. Carnivores range from Siberian tigers, Arctic foxes, and wolverines, to wolves and lynxes. Of course, the stars of the show are our 2 de-extincted species, the cave lion and the woolly mammoth! Pleistocene Park is more than just a tourist attraction – it is making a real difference with global warming and climate change. It is a recreation of an ecosystem that existed here thousands of years ago, the mammoth steppe, before many species were driven to extinction by us humans. The recreation of this habitat has helped in the battle against global warming, as the re-introduced large animals grazing and trampling the tundra exposes the soil to the cold air, protecting it from thawing that would release large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. We take the protection of the Park's delicate ecosystem very seriously, and so for everybody's safety, we ask visitors to remain within the tundra-trucks. Megafaunal animals here at Pleistocene Park can be dangerous, but our specially-designed trucks are made with your safety and comfort in mind. Pleistocene Park . . . protecting an ecosystem, and the world! |
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
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| Vorsa | Jan 11 2017, 12:37 PM Post #20 |
Mysterious tundra-dwelling humanoid
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Pelicans are monsters! In all seriousness, I love this! The detail you've put in is amazing! |
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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 | Jan 11 2017, 12:44 PM Post #21 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Yes, pelicans are so scary! Look at that thing! The look of dejected horror on the pigeon's beaky little face!! Also, thanks for the compliment, it really means a lot to me. And the detail has just begun, I have so much planned for this project, and a lot of the updates are already written and ready to go, once I've done some drawings for them.  Anyway, just to clear things up a bit better: . the pelicans that live in London are real, but they are not wild, instead living in the park mentioned in the update. . the park pelicans do eat pigeons and even a duck on one occaison . the only speculative part was that they might escape and what might happen after that . Pleistocene Park already exists. It is home to a variety of introduced megafauna, but they hope to introduce other species in the future, such as tigers, and eventually mammoths. I thought if so it would become a popular safari attraction. Edited by Beetleboy, Jan 11 2017, 12:48 PM.
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| Beetleboy | Jan 11 2017, 01:17 PM Post #22 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Chapter I Fancy Fish Providing unusual, beautiful, and rare breeds of fish from around the world, for collectors and specialists. Some of the items we supply are genetically modified, others are breeds that have been honed through selective breeding. BEST SELLERS Starlight carp (Sutāraitosukēru) A large GM'd breed of koi, originating in Japan, with bioluminescent spots, hence the name. They can be kept outdoors in ponds, making for a beautiful display in gardens and parks. They can grow to up to 2 metres in length, but we also supply pygmies, for those with less space. Neko Also known as the whiskered koi, this unusual and very beautiful breed is rare outside of Japan, but we are breeding them here in England. Their scale colour can vary, but the defining feature of the neko koi are its huge barbels. It has a pair of them which can be longer than its body, trailing out behind it, and ending in a fin-like flange which can be either white, black, or red-orange. Rainbow goldfish These genetically-modified creatures are very similar to your average goldfish, and require no extra care, but depending on variety, they can either be all purple, all blue, or all pink. These fish aren't so rare, but they are very beautiful and more easy to care for than other breeds. Balloon-head An unusual breed originating in the US, they have large fluid-filled sacks on the top of their head. This previously led to problems, as the sack could be easily popped and injured by rocks and debris in the fishtank, but genetic modification has increased the strength of the skin on the bubble-like head sack, and also given the fluid within it sticky, antibacterial properties, preventing infection when the balloon is injured. The skin is also very quick to heal. Blue koi (Ōshanburū) These GM'd koi have genes from the blue tang which gives them a vivid blue colour, with a variable dark marking running from its eye to its tail. They are easier to care for than other GM'd koi you'll find – surprisingly, many koi breeders demand hard-to-care for species, even though the breed could easily be made hardy by the scientists who create them. For them, the excitement of keeping a rare and beautiful breed just isn't the same without the challenge. If you're a beginner, or are looking for a beautiful but easy-to-care-for fish, the blue koi is for you. You might also try our rainbow goldfish, which we supply in purple, blue, and pink. Pond plec These GM'd catfish are specially designed to clean cold, outdoor ponds. Where as there non-modified relatives need tropical waters to survive, and so are generally kept in fish tanks, pond plecs are far better suited to cold conditions. A small group of these catfish, and they'll clear up any uneaten food and keep algae at bay. If you want your cleaner to be ornamental as well as useful, we sell red, yellow, purple, and blue pond plecs. Our spotted breed, which is white but covered in red spots, is currently very popular. Ghost goldfish (Gōsutofisshu) These goldfish have completely translucent skin, showing their organs and bones. While some think they're creepy, others contend that they have an otherworldly, ghostly beauty – decide for yourself. Whatever the case, these small fish are easy to care for and are fascinating to watch. I don't really think many of these fancy fish are gonna go anywhere in the future. The main ones to bear in mind are the pond plecs and the balloon-head - those guys are gonna survive after humans die out. |
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
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| Corecin | Jan 11 2017, 01:46 PM Post #23 |
Prime Specimen
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I can only imagine what way the pelicans will be going in the future... Spoiler: click to toggle I really like the way this project is going so far, introducing animals which (I assume) will be prominent later. |
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| Beetleboy | Jan 11 2017, 02:02 PM Post #24 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Yeah, they're gonna be pretty terrifying . . . Yeah, most of the creatures mentioned will do something in the future. I'm kinda giving their backstories at the moment in Chapter I. |
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| CaledonianWarrior96 | Jan 11 2017, 03:00 PM Post #25 |
An Awesome Reptile
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And I'm suddenly reminded of Dragonthunder's Krampusbag in TFIF. I like your fish ideas by the way. Also how much area does Pleistocene Park cover in 2120? |
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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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| Corecin | Jan 11 2017, 03:33 PM Post #26 |
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Prime Specimen
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The image was made by him. |
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| DINOCARID | Jan 11 2017, 05:32 PM Post #27 |
Adolescent
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The potential for unique forms here excites me way more than it should. |
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Check out my deviantart here Projects The Fieldguide to Somnial Organisms The Tetrarch (coming soon) | |
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| Tartarus | Jan 11 2017, 05:46 PM Post #28 |
Prime Specimen
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Wouldn't accelerating to such an incredible speed in such a short time (the train isn't traveling extremely far after all) create a dangerous amount of g-force on the passengers? Other than than, your description of London in 2120 sounds pretty well thought out. Also, I've heard of the pigeon eating pelicans of St James park. Will be interesting to see what becomes of them in your project. |
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| Beetleboy | Jan 12 2017, 10:08 AM Post #29 |
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neither lizard nor boy nor beetle . . . but a little of all three
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Thank you.
I'm not sure how large it should be, but it has expanded by a lot to give a large area for animals that roam far and wide, such as the mammoths. It is a huge area, split up into smaller individual sections.
Hhm, yeah maybe it would. I don't really know much about this stuff, most of it is what I researched. There are actually is plans to create these trains though, and 4,000 miles per hour is the speed they'd like to reach, so it seems that it is possible to do it. Also, I didn't really explain it, but London is a lot larger than it is today. Although perhaps I should have normal trains for transporting around London, and the super ETT trains for getting around much larger distances. Thanks. |
| ~ The Age of Forests ~ | |
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| Zorcuspine | Jan 12 2017, 11:42 AM Post #30 |
Enjoying our azure blue world
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What animals have gone extinct by this point? Judging by Pleistocene Park it seems a lot of megafauna made it through, unless they are clones made from frozen genetic material or something along those lines. |
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