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Questions that don't need their own topics vol.2; New and fresh
Topic Started: Jan 4 2018, 11:18 AM (26,843 Views)
HangingThief
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Ragnar
Jul 3 2018, 10:12 AM
Good evening!

Is aragonite a biologically viable alternative to a cartilage, calcium phosphate, or calcium carbonate endoskeleton?

If so, how might it be produced within an organism?

Would such a development lead to a significant fitness advantage, or are there any restrictions regarding the use of this material?

Kind regards,
Ragnar
Aragonite is a form of calcium carbonate, and it is produced biologically by organisms such as stony corals, mollusks and tubeworms.

I assume that its structure is better for building external shells than an endoskeleton, as that's how organisms always use it.
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IIGSY
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HangingThief
Jul 3 2018, 09:18 AM
Ragnar
Jul 3 2018, 08:16 AM
Perhaps the organism's bulk abdominal musculature could become concentrated in the animal's centre. Provided with sufficient vascularisation, the organism may be able to achieve a countercurrent exchange of any body heat generated by the muscles.
The most important muscles in an insect's body are in the thorax, which is already at the center in compact- bodied insects. Bumblebees, large moths and other insects already generate heat from their thoracic muscles, but they're small enough that they don't need vascular activity to warm their entire bodies.
How would an insect go about vascularization?
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Mynameisnotdave23
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Would a terrestrial planet with 2-3 moons be too unstable to support (large) multicellular life?
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Avisia, an island archipelago isolated for over 88 million years, and is know home to megafaunal birds, mekosuchine crocodiles, and many relics. (currently in infancy)
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Rodlox
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Mynameisnotdave23
Jul 4 2018, 12:10 AM
Would a terrestrial planet with 2-3 moons be too unstable to support (large) multicellular life?
short answer: nope.

longer answer: depends on what size and distance the moons are...probably not.
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Cool_Hippo43
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Mynameisnotdave23
Jul 4 2018, 12:10 AM
Would a terrestrial planet with 2-3 moons be too unstable to support (large) multicellular life?
I think not, depending on the orbits and the size of the moons ...
if it's 2-3 moons with the mass and size of our moon it would end up in a mess. now if it's 3 little moons I think that would be no problem.
Mars has 2 moons but both are no more than 12 km (deimos has 6km). now though I think these tiny moons are not as relevant, so I think 3 things the size of charon would be stable (606 km)
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Rebirth
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Would it be possible for a non-mammalian synapsid, such as a gorgonopsid or pelycosaur, to get rabies?
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Russwallac
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Rebirth
Jul 4 2018, 08:14 PM
Would it be possible for a non-mammalian synapsid, such as a gorgonopsid or pelycosaur, to get rabies?
If I had to guess, probably not. In addition to the biological differences between them and mammals, rabies needs its host to have a high enough body temperature to propagate. Opossums, for example, are resistant, since their body temperature is very low for a mammal. It's possible that nonmammalian synapsids, especially the more basal ones, would've presented the same issue.
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Setaceous Cetacean
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Could blue photosynthesizers feasibly exist on alien worlds, and would there need to be a specific star type or planetary conditions that could allow for this?
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Sceynyos-yos
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Blue photosynthesizers, depending on their exact absorbance spectrum, would absorb more energy than green plants here on Earth. The question is if there would be excess energy and if yes, how would they deal with it.
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Setaceous Cetacean
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That’s interesting, because I always thought blue was among one of the most high-energy wavelengths of light and that not absorbing it would significantly decrease the overall energy intake of plants.
If you like balloons, the color red, or mixotrophic plants derived from photosynthetic vertebrate-analogues, then check out my xenobiology project Solais

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Sceynyos-yos
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It is the most high energy type of visible light, but the sun emits most light in the green spectrum, which green plants reflect and blue plants would absorb and make use of. Of course, depending on exact color and biochemistry, it is conceivable that a bluish plant would absorb less energy on Earth than your average green plant.
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Rodlox
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Setaceous Cetacean
Jul 5 2018, 11:25 PM
Could blue photosynthesizers feasibly exist on alien worlds, and would there need to be a specific star type or planetary conditions that could allow for this?
yes, they can exist - they exist on Earth...some plants have pigments that lets them feast on the bluer ends of the spectrum. (and if there is extra energy, then either use fuzz to reflect the excess away, or direct it into...(?))
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Sceynyos-yos
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How do new muscles evolve? Do they gradually split into two, or do they arise from some tissue?
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Rodlox
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Sceynyos-yos
Jul 6 2018, 02:57 PM
How do new muscles evolve? Do they gradually split into two, or do they arise from some tissue?
doubling, I'd imagine
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Setaceous Cetacean
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Would an Earth-like planet need to have any special characteristics to possess relatively shallow oceans, similar to the productive ecosystems of the continental shelf?

In other words, could a world feasibly possess extremely prevalent and expansive continental shelves? What effects on oceanic (and terrestrial) ecosystems would this have?

I am aware that this was addressed somewhat in the Serina thread; I’m simply curious as to how this could be implemented in a xenobiology setting, and I would like some more information on this topic.

Those are all my questions. Any answers would be greatly appreciated.
If you like balloons, the color red, or mixotrophic plants derived from photosynthetic vertebrate-analogues, then check out my xenobiology project Solais

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