Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
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!

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Questions that don't need their own topics vol.2; New and fresh
Topic Started: Jan 4 2018, 11:18 AM (26,842 Views)
Archeoraptor
Member Avatar
"A living paradox"
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Ithink is a concept that has a lot of potential
Astarte an alt eocene world,now on long hiatus but you never know
Fanauraa; The rebirth of Aotearoa future evo set in new zealand after a mass extinction
coming soon......a world that was seeded with earth´s weridest
and who knows what is coming next...........

" I have to know what the world will be looking throw a future beyond us
I have to know what could have been if fate acted in another way
I have to know what lies on the unknown universe
I have to know that the laws of thee universe can be broken
throw The Spec I gain strength to the inner peace
the is not good of evil only nature and change,the evolution of all livings beings"
"
Spoiler: click to toggle
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Russwallac
Member Avatar
"Ta-da!"
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Setaceous Cetacean
Jul 7 2018, 07:32 PM
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?
A lack of plate tectonics would cause the planet to eventually be almost entirely covered by shallow seas. However, that would also indicate a cooler planetary core, which would in turn produce a much weaker magnetosphere and render the planet more vulnerable to stellar radiation.

It's also possible to just have less water on a planet, preventing deep oceans from forming, but I'm not sure how that would affect the climate.
"We've started a cult about a guy's liver, of course we're going to demand that you give us an incredibly scientific zombie apocalypse." -Nanotyranus

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Setaceous Cetacean
Member Avatar
Insert Funny Creative Title Here
 *  *  *  *  *
Thanks for the response. I don’t really want a weak core, and I don’t think less water would have desirable effects on habitability, so I guess I’m just wondering if a planet could have really expansive continental shelves.

My thought is that this doesn’t occur on Earth because the large amount of water would eventually weigh down the tectonic plate (this is why ocean basins are so low set).

Actually, regarding having a lower amount of water, less water would mean less weight pushing down on oceanic tectonic plates, which could theoretically create shallower oceans. I’m really not sure how this could work, but it’s a thought.
If you like balloons, the color red, or mixotrophic plants derived from photosynthetic vertebrate-analogues, then check out my xenobiology project Solais

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
GreatAuk
Member Avatar
Northern Penguin
 *  *  *  *  *
What could a 4-armed human-like sapient look like?
Let us dance together.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
CaledonianWarrior96
Member Avatar
An Awesome Reptile
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
GreatAuk
Jul 8 2018, 02:28 PM
What could a 4-armed human-like sapient look like?
A human with four arms.

Jokes aside, there would be four sets of pectoral muscles on the thorax due to four arms being present, perhaps the lower set of shoulder blades would be smaller to accommodate themselves within the body, or perhaps the shoulder blades already present would be elongated and shaped in a way to support two arms on one side, the ribs would likely be narrower since another pair of arms are present lower on the torso. I also think the lower pair of arms may likely be smaller to fit more easily beneath the upper pair of arms.

This is all under the assumption this sapient is exactly like a human in terms of skeletal and muscular structure. If it's an alien then you can get more creative with it as long as you stick to a humanoid form if that's what you want.
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
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Rodlox
Superhuman
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Setaceous Cetacean
Jul 7 2018, 07:32 PM
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?

What effects on oceanic (and terrestrial) ecosystems would this have?
sure, it could have shallow seas - just have lots of shelves, and no real Mariana Trenches.

as to the rest, not sure; sorry.
.---------------------------------------------.
Parts of the Cluster Worlds:
"Marsupialless Australia" (what-if) & "Out on a Branch" (future evolution) & "The Earth under a still sun" (WIP)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Rodlox
Superhuman
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
GreatAuk
Jul 8 2018, 02:28 PM
What could a 4-armed human-like sapient look like?
gibbons
.---------------------------------------------.
Parts of the Cluster Worlds:
"Marsupialless Australia" (what-if) & "Out on a Branch" (future evolution) & "The Earth under a still sun" (WIP)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mynameisnotdave23
Member Avatar
Idiot Extraordinaire
 *  *  *  *
I was wondering if my alien concepts were too terran to be considered plausible.
The main terrestrial vertebrates I dub 'quadronaths' are hexapodal (Either like an insect or like the creatures from avatar in leg arrangement, depending on the lifestyle) Have four eyes (In horizontal rows) And four external jaws. Two jaws open vertically, like earth tetrapods, and two jaws located on the side open horizontally. Within the mouth, there are three 'internal jaws' or oral tentacles, which are bony, yet flexible. (like a tail) Two 'tongues' are on the bottom jaw, another is on the roof. In the throat there's a pair of mandibles, like an insect. Three spiracles or nostrils are in a horizontal row on each side, and lead to the lungs. The anus is located near the 'belly', and the cloaca is near the tail, on the side, and is either asymmetrical or in symmetrical pairs (two cloacas), I haven't decided yet.
Projects


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)
Read here: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/8192410/2/#new

Deviantart: https://mynameisnotdave23.deviantart.com/
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Rodlox
Superhuman
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Mynameisnotdave23
Jul 8 2018, 09:40 PM
I was wondering if my alien concepts were too terran to be considered plausible.
The main terrestrial vertebrates I dub 'quadronaths' are hexapodal (Either like an insect or like the creatures from avatar in leg arrangement, depending on the lifestyle) Have four eyes (In horizontal rows) And four external jaws. Two jaws open vertically, like earth tetrapods, and two jaws located on the side open horizontally. Within the mouth, there are three 'internal jaws' or oral tentacles, which are bony, yet flexible. (like a tail) Two 'tongues' are on the bottom jaw, another is on the roof. In the throat there's a pair of mandibles, like an insect. Three spiracles or nostrils are in a horizontal row on each side, and lead to the lungs. The anus is located near the 'belly', and the cloaca is near the tail, on the side, and is either asymmetrical or in symmetrical pairs (two cloacas), I haven't decided yet.
I don't see how they're terran...plausible, sure; but terran?

eh, might be careful in being like _Avatar_...there are open debates on if that could work.

four eyes are great.

four jaws aren't unheard of in spec.bio.
oral tentacles? um...

fish have jaws in the throat, so that's plausible.

spiracles and nostrils in a row? lamprey say this is perfectly normal.

as to the belly...my only question is this: did they skip the need to crawl on bellies early in land history?
asymmetrical is plausible (the lancet has an asymmetrical mouth)


...so, to sum up, nearly all the parts you've mentioned, can be found in terran life...but not all of them in one single critter.
.---------------------------------------------.
Parts of the Cluster Worlds:
"Marsupialless Australia" (what-if) & "Out on a Branch" (future evolution) & "The Earth under a still sun" (WIP)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Russwallac
Member Avatar
"Ta-da!"
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
There needs to be a reason to have more than two eyes. Since two eyes seems to crop up over and over in evolution, it seems that it's a highly efficient and effective trait to have. Those animals which are exceptions tend to either have eyes that are specialized for different things (like spiders) or have very simple eyes (such as scallops).
"We've started a cult about a guy's liver, of course we're going to demand that you give us an incredibly scientific zombie apocalypse." -Nanotyranus

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
memebird
Member Avatar
haha longboy
 *  *
I'm considering doing a project focusing on Banker Horses and similar Barrier-Island populations. Though with a major focus on the Outer Banks region of North Carolina and the nearby coast. Naturally, with the cliche of humans being out of the picture- I don't think these horses would change at all really if humans are involved.

I've been doing quite a bit of research, but there is some stuff that I could not find answers for
- How long will North Carolina's Barrier Islands last? Obviously global warming would cause them to vanish below the seawater prematurely, so in this case it won't go to that extent.
- Many of the islands these feral horses live on (excluding ocracoke), have manmade bridges. Of course in a couple decades after humans vanishing these will collapse- but it means there would likely be an exchange between island life and mainland life. So what species would be best to have 'cross over' onto the islands, and compete with the horses without wiping them out?
- Banker Horses are known to occasionally drink seawater when they have no other choice. Obviously they aren't well adapted to this. What exact adaptations would make them able to drink seawater? I was personally thinking they might acquire salt glands- sneezing them out like a marine iguana perhaps?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dromaeosaurus
Member Avatar
Haemothermic orthostatic matrotrophic lexiphanic deuterostome
 *  *  *  *  *  *
@Setaceous Cetacean:

On the other hand, ocean crust tends to sink as it becomes older, so perhaps a very strong tectonic activity that merges and breaks apart continents relatively fast could work?
My deviantART page - My other extra-project work - Natural History of Horus and its flora and fauna - A graphic history of life (also here) - AuxLang Project: a worldwide language - Behold THE MEGACLADOGRAM - World Without West: an alternate history

SpecEvo Tutorials: Habitable Solar Systems (galaxies, stars and moons); Planets (geology, oceans and atmosphere); Ecology (energy, biomes and relationships); Alternative Biochemistry (basic elements, solvents, pigments); Biomechanics (body structure, skeletons, locomotion); Bioenergetics (photosynthesis, digestion, respiration); Perception (sense organs and nervous system); Reproduction (from genetics to childbirth); Offense and Defense (camouflage, poisons and weapons); Intelligence (EQ, consciousness and smartest animals); Civilizations (technology, domestication and culture); Exotic Life (living crystals, nuclear life, 2D biology); Evolution (genetics, selection and speed); Phylogeny (trees of life); Guide to Naming (how to name your creations) (and more!)

My projects here:

Natural History of Horus (19th century naturalists... in space)
Galactic Anthropology (intelligence takes many forms around the Milky Way)
Settlers from the Deep (a tour in a blind and slimy future)
Coming soon: A Matter of Time (a history of the future... all of it)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Octoaster
Member Avatar
Meanwhile at Customer Support
 *  *  *  *  *
Is a single row of legs placed directly behind each other at all plausible on an alien planet? I'm considering it for the dominant terrestrial clade on a planet with 2x the gravity of earth. Most likely to be supported by a ring skeleton, probably with some vertical hydraulic / muscular mobility. Balance can be sorted out with complex internal or external balance organs, but speed is probably going to be a big issue (was thinking four or five limbs).
"The only thing that would scar me for life would be pics and videos of hetero sex." - Flisch

"Die" - Arachnus

"though critising misseppls is hypcocresi on my part" - Archeoraptor

"You deserve to be abandoned!" - Arachnus

Open at own risk.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
IIGSY
Member Avatar
A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
How come the K-Pg extinction didn't harm shelled gastropods nearly as much as it harmed shelled cephalopods?
Projects
Punga: A terraformed world with no vertebrates
Last one crawling: The last arthropod

ARTH-6810: A world without vertebrates (It's ded, but you can still read I guess)

Potential ideas-
Swamp world: A world covered in lakes, with the largest being caspian sized.
Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal.
Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents.

Quotes


Phylogeny of the arthropods and some related groups


In honor of the greatest clade of all time


More pictures


Other cool things


All African countries can fit into Brazil
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Rodlox
Superhuman
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Octoaster
Jul 9 2018, 10:53 PM
Is a single row of legs placed directly behind each other at all plausible on an alien planet? I'm considering it for the dominant terrestrial clade on a planet with 2x the gravity of earth. Most likely to be supported by a ring skeleton, probably with some vertical hydraulic / muscular mobility. Balance can be sorted out with complex internal or external balance organs, but speed is probably going to be a big issue (was thinking four or five limbs).
I'm thinking it might be challenging, but not an impossibility. if anything, they'd probably have an advantage in hauling themselves out of the water, I imagine.

as for speed, you only need to be faster than either your food, or faster than the thing that wants to make you food. :)
.---------------------------------------------.
Parts of the Cluster Worlds:
"Marsupialless Australia" (what-if) & "Out on a Branch" (future evolution) & "The Earth under a still sun" (WIP)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · General Spec · Next Topic »
Add Reply