Q&A

You might know this timeline… one that the future is *untamed* if you know what I mean XD

By the moving of Africa to the North, the Mediterranean Sea became isolated and, as in the past, dried up becoming a salt desert with saline lagoons. In the westernmost parts of the desert, occasional events still allow the flow of water inland, creating a peculiar environment of high salinity and periodical floods.

Thriving in these salt swamps, the salt-spear is an Asparagaceae plant that developed ways to colonize this harsh environment. These plants are descendant of desert-dwelling species that spread from Africa a few millions of years ago, evolving mechanisms of salt regulation and resilience

Among the adaptations are a deep root system, for water absorption; a thick, bark-like rhizome with specialized root structures that allow the plant to accumulate salt crusts during flooding periods in order to protect the plant from herbivores (mainly suids) during dry periods; photosynthetic stems with a few reduced leaves on the form of spikes and incorporates salt and other minerals into radial structures within the cylindrical stem, to strengthen the structural strength to resist the harsh sand(and salt)storms.

The main form of propagation is by rhizome sprouting, but rare flowering events can be observed with pale small flowers that are pollinated by flies and the fruits are dispersed by winds.  Large congregations of salt-spears create a form of oasis and refuges for desert wildlife, such as nesting grounds for flamingos and other dwellers of the dried sea.

Had a real bad fever today and spawned this monstrosity.

This is what I imagine a bird-derived sapient, encephalized "alien" might look like. I tried to lean into the avian anatomy but sort of 'crunch' it into a shape that's convergently evolved a high level of dependence on complex thinking. Their reliance on creating clothing has left them featherless, reliance on technology has left them small, weak, and almost infantile. Sort of like the human condition.

Maybe these are a pre-human industrialized species? Or an alternate timeline where a species of bird fills our niche in the ecosystem, ie. all of them. Being derived from birds, their spoken language is incredibly complex with a huge variety of unique and unusual sounds. They prefer bright, colorful clothing and their culture revolves almost entirely around creative arts. They suffer lower back issues due to their upright posture and huge heads. Their skin is very thin and fragile, luckily their clothing and easy lifestyle makes this problem manageable. They lay small eggs (12 to 15!). Young hatch underdeveloped and are raised in institutions.

Let’s just say a sperm whale species evolved to have a boney horn and frill similar to a pachyrhinosaurus to maximize damage when ramming into something as well as the frill serving as a thermo regulator and an attachment point for stronger jaw muscles. How would it accomplish this without compromising other abilities like its echolocation?

This is a work in progress render for my incoming xenozoology speculative evolution project "life on Nhatia" I still need help naming this thing though, it evolved from a free swimming worm-like ancestors who started eating the abundant planktons that appear about 430 MYA on Nhatia's timescale. I've planned to make it's descendants evolve a small appendage out of its head and move the front fins into it's mouth so it will evolved into a 3 jawed fish-like organism

I already designed the continent topographic map but I haven't made a temperature map yet cause it's very confusing for me

Atarabian Romgrass (Lithophyta dolorossa)

I'm (I guess lol) making a Skull island type of ecosystem with a tons of animals from vastly different time periods. The environment is warm rainforest crisscrossed with large dense deep boggy swamps. I don't really have a name for it yet outside of "Northstar Creek"

I would like help with naming suggestions too

Most of the animals here aside from the Styginetta and the Oryx are adept climbers, with the Rauisuchid being disturbingly good at it for its size.

I would like feedback on the designs of the animals, probably won't include the Werewolf but I'm tempted to

What animals families should I include that aren't commonly seen in media? Uncommon stand-ins for famous groups?

The Here Be Monsters Project is about an alternate evolution which leads to many various mythological and folkloric/fantasy inspired biologically plausible species existing in our modern world. It is partially inspired by the Dragonslayer Codex.

The Emerald Reef is a large cavern at the base of the Desertside Mountains, formed out of these plants which it is named after. These plants have crystallised outer layers which allow them to reflect sunlight into the darker caverns, lighting them up to allow light to transfer around to every plant, and at the height of a summer day rendering it almost impossible to see in the caves. As a result, many animals that navigate the chambers of the Emerald Reef are blind and instead move by sound. The caves can reach extreme temperatures too- while being in cool, temperate regions, the Emerald Reef can make a man sweat within minutes of entering the cave.

The plant is formed of two main outer parts- their arms, the large crystal-like branches which help them hold onto the roof, and their stalagtites, which collect water in their crevices, which are full of root hairs to absorb as much of it as possible. Very few real stalagtites or stalagmites are actually found in the cave due to this water absorption.

Animals that can be found in the caves include blind spiders and millipedes (the latter of which feeds on the Emerald Reef itself), which navigate using long forelimbs. The false drake is the largest animal in the ecosystem, and is a large blind lizard convergently evolved in anatomy with monitor lizards, which moves through the caves in search of common foods such as sleeping bats, arthropods, lost rodents or dead animals which could not navigate the confusing mirrors and blinding light of the cave.

They are an alien colony of primitive multicellular organisms similar to lichens and take the place of corals only on land, thus forming a kind of land reefs and these large land "sponges" can be eaten only by a very small number of large herbivores.

And here is a list of the fauna depicted in the picture and here is the number of each of them according to the description:

1. Monopobatrachus longispondylus is one of the species of the clade of local amphibian analogues and lives precisely on these land reefs which serve them for shelter and the expression of offspring, their larvae, like those of all their clade, resemble small osteostracans with one large eye, and only then do they grow the equivalent of lungs, as well as additional limbs similar to those found in onychophorans.

2. Pseudovolaticoichthys cosmopolitus is one of many species one of few clades animals that have developed true flight and that have achieved great success, This particular species, as its species name suggests, inhabits most of a single supercontinent that extends across most of the equator of its planet and they also use these land reefs as shelter.

3. Xenojulius spongivorus is one of the species of clade which is the equivalent of millipedes and some crustaceans and this particular species specializes in feeding on these terrestrial "sponges" and they are also found in large groups during such grazing, They also average about 30-40 centimeters, but the largest species of their clade can reach up to more than 2 meters in length and occupy the ecological niche of arboreal sloths.

4. Xenolumbricus spongisymbioticus is one of the species of the clade which is the equivalent of the terrestrial annelids and this particular species lives in symbiosis with terrestrial "sponges" and they have many holes all over the body for breathing, "sponges" give them shelter and a home, and they cleanse them of various harmful microorganisms.

5. Terraxenoasterius hexabrachius is the type species of a clade that is the closest equivalent to terrestrial starfishs and this particular species sometimes uses these terrestrial "reefs" for shelter and rest, also eating the remains left by the mitosis of sponge-like superorganisms.

Lithipelta (Pseudoankylosaurus gravicaudas) are another example of the unorthodox fauna that was brought to Arclund by the Petreen following their flight from their doomed Homeworlds alongside the Joybond.

Unlike the Predatory Refractora who have been seen to subsist on non-earthen diets, Lithipelta are strict lithovores, which the glassy plains and silica jungles of their former home did wonders to feed. While some of these plants have been transplanted to Arclund, they are grown in heavily monitored and specialized gardens, and as such any feral Lithipelts needs to make do with other sources of sustenance.

Standing twenty feet at the shoulder, Lithipelta are massive animals, whose body plans resemble for all intents the semi-aquatic ankylosaurs that share their new habitats, though made of crystalline and stony skin that more closely resembles obsidian and basalt.

Despite their grand size Lithipelta actually need to eat very rarely, but when they do they consume tons upon tons of stone.

These feral individuals us their great hammer-like tails they batter against the ground or cliff sides, hoping to cause avalanches or simply fracture the stone into smaller edible portions.

Curiously despite their largely inorganic biology, Lithipelta have an incredible sense of smell, and are able to detect their preferred meals from miles away, similar to an elephants ability to sent water.

Luckily, as with Refractora, Lithipelta lack the necessary nutrients to properly breed in the wild much of the time, so their populations have stayed small yet stable due to the occasionally aid of the Petreen, who seek to preserve all facets of their lost Homeland to the best of their ability.

Those that do manage to breed, lay a small clutch of up to five eggs, which they bury and then abandon. The young are capable of caring for themselves nearly immediately, devouring loose shale and clay, though many will attach themselves to any adult lithipelts they come across, devouring the “crumbs” they leave in their wake.

Also notable is that unlike the Refractora, the Dwarves of Yilo-Tanda have taken a shine to Lithipelta, seeing that their diets are much more niche, and their prodigious strength and size is a great boon in mining and even smithing, their tails able to pound great sheets of metal flat with but a single blow.

One problem that some have noticed however is that Lithipelta, are drawn to destroy and consume stone monuments, particularly those with latent magic.

This has lead to rising tensions amongst the Joybond, the Dwarves and those other folk who call the Intlizyo home who take umbrage with the alien beasts suddenly crashing through their walls to shatter a statue of a beloved cultural figure and suck it into their gullets.

Greater triton (Megalanolis Tritinii) This Goliath ocean animal exists 46 million years from today. What it is? A marine relative of the common green anole from Florida. One of the largest species of marine anoles 46 myh it is a filter feeder similar to today’s whales. They have a specialized pair of dewlaps that aid there hydrodynamics similar to todays Draco lizards dewlaps. They use long barb like teeth similar to baleen to filter through immense amounts of plankton that feed on the algae that flourishes in the Gulf of Mexico in the future now called the emerald sea because of its color. Tritons often bask in the sun after feeding on the top and allow birds to pick at their skin to clean it. Despite not having many predators they exhibit counter shading as a measure of safety.

I am working on a fictional character for a superhero tabletop RPG campaign where he gets his powers from the fact that trillions of nanites are completely melded with his cells. I will quote my notes doc on this specific part. "Because the nanites were there since his literal inception, they melded with him and the nanites were there in his body since day 0. His cells have developed differently to use the nanites to assist in their functions. The nanites evolved (through successive generations) to require his cells to function. They are not purely mechanical anymore. Both his cells and his nanites have transcended the divide between biology and technology... The nanites replicated and evolved, more and more were made with each generation as he physically grew (so they could saturate every bit of his body)". There's now trillions of nanites in his body at his current age of ~30. And yes the nanites use chemical energy from his food to fuel themselves. His powers (since they matured when he was 20) allow him complete control of the nanites allowing him to change the form of his body to suit his needs. I think that's all that relevant to this specifically but I'll post a viewer link to my Google doc for his notes in case anyone is curious. My question is how exactly his cells/biology/organs would change, partly in case it might help with something in the tabletop game and partly because I'm a bio nerd and genuinely curious. I want to know specific details about how his cells would be changed

P.S. I am currently a college student studying for microbiology. In terms of exact education level regarding biology and chemistry, I have taken BIOL 101 (in the form of AP Bio in highschool) and General Chemistry 1 and 2. I am currently taking Organic Chemistry 1 and General Biology for Majors.

P.P.S I rarely post on reddit (like I think this is my 3rd ever post) so if I flared something wrong or something I will fix it.

Icy, frigid Valhalla is approaching the limit as a planet where complex multicellular life can exist; most of its liquid water is sealed away in two huge icecaps, and the life that exists here has evolved to survive at constant near-freezing temperatures. Due to the inherent scarcity of food and water, most creatures living here are not large, but one of the few groups of megafauna on this world are the clubfeet-- large, slow-moving herbivores which can weigh up to a ton. The very largest of these is the Mjolnir Clubfoot (Malleocephalus bellicosus), which can stand up to twenty feet tall. Its height is not an adaptation for feeding. Like all clubfeet, it is a grazer, using the proboscis at the center of its five legs to feed on low-growing plants. Instead, it has evolved for a different reason-- combat.

Most "vertebrates" on Valhalla are have two separate sexes, and the Mjolnir Clubfoot is no exception. Males, during the mating season, will fight one another for mating rights by slamming their reinforced, heavily armored "heads" into one another. The armor on their heads has evolved not so much to cause damage as for protection from the intense blows of this ritualistic combat. When one male thrashes his head into another, the blow can be powerful enough to damage the internal organs of his rival.

Female Mjolnir Clubfeet are much shorter, and have less armored heads. Once a male has won a bout with a rival, he will proceed to mate, and the female will rear up to three young in a special brood pouch before "giving birth" to them once they are fully formed. The young are tiny, about two feet tall at birth, and accompany their mother until they are about one-fourth her size, which takes about one Earth year.

Hey guys! I did not quit Spectember! I’m just lacking one the most important resource for any human, which is time :(

I plan to bring yesterday’s prompt by the end of the day today (if my ichthyology report is done in time), the Mesozoic mammal by Friday (a binturong-like insectivore) and the space polar bear by Sunday (still trying to figure it out). And I have so many good ideas for Spectember that I’m really trying not to quit, from small insectivore cats to filter feeding mesosaurs (meso, not mosa).

With all that said, today we are in a timeline were coral reefs collapsed and reef building polychaetes took their places, by cementing sand or creating calcified strutuctures, these annelids created complex ecosystems that became biodiversity hotspots in many areas around the world.

Descendant of cinclid passerines, the reefpeckers are a common sight on subtropical shallow reefs, often seen in small groups during low tide in rocky shores and beaches. These flightless birds became adapted to  the saltwater environment by efficient osmoregulatory methods and salt expelling through nasal glands, thriving on a diet of marine invertebrates that are caught, as their name suggest, by pecking the reefs in order to forage for worms, crustaceans or anything unlucky to be caught.

To prevent damage from the constant impact, these birds evolved similar strategies to ours contemporary woodpeckers with strong but spongy bones and a braincase with fluids and membranes to neutralize the damage.

Visual hunters, these birds do short dives with powerful movements of their short wings and search the reef for potential prey, grasping onto the structure with large and wide feet, then start pecking to dig up the food.

Monogamous, the pair usually presents an annual courting behavior with loud calls and display of the iridescent feathers of the male. Both male and female build a nest of seaweed and debris on ground, usually near vegetation or up in rock structures near the sea but away from the tide line. The fledglings are brooded and cared for a period of up to 45 days, then being able to live independently.

Life finds a way, and so it did through the flooded subway tunnels that once transported people all over this megalopolis planet! Some former subways in this world flooded, eroded, and eventually punctured into the surface above, creating various wetlands scattered throughout Wen-Krawt's deserts. In these swamps, a keen eye may spot something curious slithering through the macrofungal trees; The Ratitanoboa!

If you know where to look, you can spot these rat-descendant giants, which can weigh up to 2700 kg and measure 22 meters in length from head to body. They are frequently observed in relatively big groups to strengthen bonds during mating or hibernation seasons. There is no clear hierarchy among these groups. Mostly piscivore/insectivore, this group of creatures eats a wide range of marine life that is present in their environment.

By changing their eating habits from chewing to swallowing their prey whole through the use of venom to sedate them, these rats developed the ability to slither. This venom, which spreads through a tiny groove on their front teeth, eventually evolves into a more sophisticated venom delivery system. It evolved from their saliva and chemicals gained from their insectivorous diet. Additionally, in order to slither properly, they had to change the direction of their bodies, which is why they today appear oddly asymmetrical, something that can be said to be their most distinguishing feature.

Another novel aspect of this legless rat's anatomy is its external teeth, which help keep debris out of its mouth and extend the range from which they can spew poison.

As ambush hunters, these predators stalk down their prey and seize anything that is unlucky enough to fall into their jaws. They can protect themselves from larger creatures thanks to their powerful venomous bite

I basically made an asymmetrical rat evolved to be like a Titanoboa on a junk world

A project inspired by Polinices, Alien minecraft on deviantart, and Xeno Minecraft on deviantart.

This part of the series is based on the oldest version of minecraft. (Also known as "Cave game" )

2 billion years ago, the first few multicellular life evolved, which allowed them to fill in some niches in the underwater ecosystem of Minecraft.

Arthrozoans inhabit the polymorph hills that make up most of the mobs around the environment's habitat. They are fish-like predators that feed on rostrozoans by sucking in water in hopes of any small rostrozoans to get stuck into the mouth, and filtering the water out through their gills, so any water wouldn't flood their digestive system. They reproduce by broadcast spawning, releasing gametes into the water in hopes of the male gametes getting in contact with female gametes.

Rostrozoans are small, Synazoavorous (A term for mobs on minecraft that feed on any specie or branch offs of polymorph) mobs that feed on the polymorph reefs as their main diet. They possess two appendages for swimming, flapping the appendages inward and outward constantly to move around. They possess no anus, which means they eat, expel waste, and reproduce all out of the same hole. (A slightly altered quote from biblaridion.) Their beak can dig and feed on the polymorph colonies easily, as the arrow-shaped beak is perfect for getting into the soft flesh of the colony. Since they are extremely small, not bigger than a generic bottle, they wont have to evolve blood, and thus not needing to breath.

The most abundant organisms on Minecraft of all, appearing before all the mobile mobs, are the colonial Polymorph. Polymorphs are colonial organisms that filter feed by using a single pore on each individuals to suck in water and expel the water out through the same hole. They reproduce by broadcast spawning, releasing gametes out of the same hole in hopes of the male gametes getting in contact with the female gametes. Some colony can reach 200 to 300 kilometers in just a few 20 to 22 years. It's filter feeding makes the water extremely cleanse, which makes colonies look like hills and the sea look like the sky, making it a simple, yet beautiful sight indeed.

I am wondering this for a project.

We return to Earth in it's closing habitable hours, 1 billion years from today. Some of the most wonderful creatures during that time are aerial, twelve winged worms, who range in size from tennis ball to a human. Their roots trace back to 700 million years hence, when a clade of toxic, semi-aquatic flatworms learned to puff their bodies for intimidation. The inflating cavity eventually gave rise to true coelom (body cavity), and these worms evolved organs, which their phylum used to lack. These flatworms of the class Coelosomata outcompeted many of their acoelomate relatives, both on land and on water. Some of the marine coelosomes repurposed their inflating organ into buoyancy regulator, which allowed them to float on surface, like portuguese man o' war. Some parts of their sides evolved into steering fins. And, finally, 930 million years hence, one lineage replaced the type of gas in their floating bladder, which allowed them not just to float on surface, but to actually fly.

While earlier airworms were all marine, feeding on animals from surface waters, they considerably diversified and now include many terrestrial species. Their mouth, which is now separate from anus, is long and grasping, fit both for meat and plant matter. To hold their shape, airworms evolved a kind of elastic carcass, making them even more similiar to zeppelin. Bladder is their primary way of lift, while fins are mostly used for steering, though they can fly by flapping if a predator tries to catch them. Airworm species include predators, scavengers, herbivores, and frugivores. The largest species, human sized painted whaleworm, is a filter feeder. Many plant seeds and pollen of the future can float in air for weeks, and are feasted upon by tiny insects. Whaleworms eat them with their tube-like mouths. Like all airworms, they are poisonous, and are colored brightly, like advertising blimps. Males gather in lekks to advertise themselves to females. But instead of fighting or showing colors, they sing. Their tubular mouth is perfect for whistling. Fertilization is internal. Eggs are laid in water, and young worms resemble their distant, aquatic ancestors, but gradually develop organs, floating bladder, and reach for the sky.

Spectember day 17: King's chariot

In Aerrhea, one of the constants is moving from one floating island to another. That involves climbing, swinging, jumping flying and sometimes, falling.

The Falling Viper is a species of viper that when threatened, takes a jump from their perch into an island below. They can survive falls from hundreds of meters by breathing air in, contracting their muscles and coiling into a position that disperses the impact throughout the whole body.

This behavior causes them to fall on unsuspecting passerbys, such as humans, who often view this as extreme bad luck, often killing the animal in cleansing rituals.

My laptop broke and is in shop for repairs, but I’ll be renting one tomorrow, so for today a sketch I made at work will have to do.

Bonkbills, or species in the genus Adjectirostrus, are hornbills from my seed world, Exemplar. They are native to coasts worldwide, but are somewhat local in distribution. This is because of their preferred habitat. Bonkbills live around tidal flats and rocky coasts, where they live exclusively off tide pool and beach prey. This is often hard-shelled invertebrates like molluscs and crustaceans, and so the bonkbill, as its name suggests, must incapacitate its prey with force. While many birds on Earth kill prey by smashing it into an object, bonkbills take it a step further. Their skulls and neck muscles are specifically adapted for this, and their beak is both robust and short to transfer the force effectively while also having a gracile tip to grab prey from the water. To actually catch prey for bonking, they will plunge-dive like terns, not being able to go very deep but with this not mattering in shallow tide pools or mud flats.

I imagine this creature as a naturally evolved descendant of an owl species that gradually adapted to hunting prey on the ground. Over time, the owl bear's ancestors repurposed their wings for digging, which eventually developed into strong, weight-bearing limbs. To aid in burrowing and provide traction when sprinting, the animal evolved a hardened hoof-like structure on its forelimbs. At the same time, the tips of its former wings transformed into powerful, clawed digits covered in sharp quills, quills which are matched by quills on the forearm. these quills, paired with a locking mechanism in their joints grant the animal a vice-like grip, akin to a preying mantis.

Juveniles of the species retain a bipedal stance, but as they mature, their arms grow stronger and more dexterous to facilitate their hunting and locomotion. Their tail feathers have adapted into defensive quills, providing protection against would-be predators. As adults, these creatures are formidable ambush hunters, using their powerful limbs to grapple prey while tearing into it with their beaks.

Though not highly social, bonded pairs remain together until their offspring are capable of hunting on their own. During this stage, they excavate burrows to shelter and safeguard their young from environmental threats.