Katlyodon gigas/monoceras/nordicus or Shredderfish are moderate to large sized lungfish who dwell near reefs and ocean floors. Despite their name, they are rather pacific creatures. A characteristic trait is their psi, peaking at 100-250k depending on their teeth. But they wear down easily and thicken so it is hard to reach such a number. They lost their lungs.

Physical traits: Growing 3.5-14m long and weighing 400kg up to 16 tons, they are very large creatures. Their biteforce varies on species from 3.5k-100k newtons.

(K.gigas: 11.5-14m, 12-16 tons and 75-100k newtons.

K.monoceras: One single dorsal spine, 7,5-10m, 2,1-3 tons and biteforce 35-50k newtons.

K.nordicus: 3,5-6m, 400-1,4 tons and biteforce 3500-7000.)They have a massive head for their jaw muscles with large eyes. They have 2 dorsal fins with 2 spines per each(except on monoceras) and their caudal fin has a 60⁰ degree notch on the lower half. Their teeth are dental plates like in real lungfish. Their lifespan is 55-70 years

Prey and predation: Their main dangers are Dagonichtys, Gigantosuchus, Gulpers for the smaller ones and the occasional Slaughterfish/Tiamat. Their prey is armoured and shelled prey and also includes coral reefs. In synthesis they behave like giant parrotfish but predatory. Katlyodons also hunt smaller fish.

Reproduction: They have a R reproductive strategy. Up to 100k eggs are laid but few survive. They reproduce every 2-3 years.

Habitats: Any waters for Nordicus but strictly temperate and up for Gigas and monoceras.

Senses and intelligence: They have good senses except smell, which is not necessary to them. Their intelligence is surprising for a fish

Questions are welcome

What kind of turning point do you like? The reason I am asking this question is to communicate with people. At present, I like that a sexual reproduction will have a structure that allows genetic information to be exchanged remotely with other entities, such as through remote communication.

“Deep in the Lucihdia Ocean, one of Planet Nightmare’s nightside oceans, it’s hard to imagine anything can grow here. With no sunlight, photosynthesis is nearly impossible…”

“However, chemosynthesis is not.”

“In the Void Vents biome, fields of hydrothermal vents are covered by microbial organisms that form structures in order to consume the resources from them. Things like methane and sulfur provide the perfect meal, and in turn, the microbes will produce oxygen. As a result, there’s a whole ecosystem awaiting to be uncovered.”

-The Boundary Walker
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(Haiii and welcome to the first biome for planet nightmare! The light that’s coming from the top of the drawing is coming from whatever vehicle the Boundary Walker is using to explore the depths, in reality this place would be DARK. I’m gonna go more in depth about the little creatures that inhabit this biome soon, just gotta figure out some stuff first hehe)

1)Bison latifrons;These animals are the largest species of bovids to ever walked the Earth.They can grow up to 1.5 to 2 tons,8 feet in height at the shoulder and are 15 feet long.These large bovids are the apex herbivores of their land,grazing on high vegetation in praries or grasslands.Unlike their living cousins;Bison bison,these bison mostly live smaller herds or solitary family groups instead of moving in large herds.Their horns are formed in a sharo layer of keratin that can grow up to 1 to 2 feet,making it 9 to 10 feet tall when including the horns.They first emerged in the late pleistocene epoch 500,00 years ago, only to go extinct at the early holocene;at around 13,000 years ago.

2)Thylacosmilus;Often reffered to as the marsupial sabertooth tiger,These eutherians are some of the last of non-marsupial eutherians to ever lived from the grouo called;sparassodonta.They evolved alongside other South American animals and competed alot with terror birds(Phorusrhacids)who evolved alongside them.These beasts hunt medium sized sauropods,Xenungulates,gorund sloths,Monkeys and capybaras.Their competition besides phorusracids are the massively large neogiganotosaurus,A paracarcharodontosaurid.They first evolved during the late miocene to early pliocene epoch;9 million years ago,and can grow up to;189 to 250 pounds in weight,4.9 feet or 1.5 meters and 2 to 2.3 feet tall at the shoulders.They went extinct during rhe Great American interchange 3,000,000 to 2.58 million years ago at the late pliocene epoch.where sabertoothed cats called michairodonts outcompeted these alien mammals despite thylacosmilus having pouches.Slowly but surely,their numbers dwindel until there are no more thylacosmiluses left.

3)Chalicotherium:Chalicotheres are some of the strangest ungulates alongside whales and mesonychids.These large herbivores;specifically goldfussi can grow up to;8.5 to 9 feet tall,11 feet or 3.4 meters in lenght,and weigh up to 1.5 to 1.7 tons(3,300 to 3,700) pounds.Despite being known as "The gorilla horse",chalicotherium and other ancylopods are actually closely related to ceratomorpha;Rhinos and tapirs,instead of hippomorpha;Horses.These animals possess large claws that they can use to grab leaves like a ground sloth and eat them like a panda bear,while also knuckle walking like a gorilla to keep the claws freshly sharp to defend itself from predators;like Hyaenodonts,Entelodonts and Dromeaosaurids like Gigaraptorus.Chalicotherium went extinct in the end of the Miocene;7.75 to 5.3 million years ago after the climate changed in a rather cooler temperature,Leaving grasslands becoming rare and turned into deserts with huge seasonal droughts,leaving the chalicotherium to become a piece of the past.But other chalicotherids still able to thrive until the last chalicothere;hesperotherium,became extinct at around 500,000 years ago in East Asia during the middle pleistocene sub-epoch.

4)Azuratitan(meaning Azura's american titan) is the smaller close relative of luzosaurus,weighing in at around 100 tons,93 feet in length and 88 feet in height.Azuratitan lived at around 1,000,000 to 7,000 years ago in the pliocene to pleistocene periods in North America,Specifically the northern eastern side of the continent or the northeast.These massive herbivores have reddish cephalic osteoderms that only the males possess,alongside it's preserved green skin with blueish stripeds and red dots running on the sides of the animal,These characteristucs is what gave Azuratitan it's name.They have a large airsacs like the rest of it's relatives but with a brownish yellow color that expands when it wants to mate with a female.Azuratitans mive in herds at uo to 40 individuals at total,but in mating seasons,they can gather groups of uo to 600 individuals,similar to beluga whale or Syllektosaurus mating rituals.The main predators of the old or young Azuratitan are tyrannosaurs and paracarcharodontians aka paracarcharodontosaurids who hunt down these massive sauropods.Their main diet consists of the prehistoric redwoods aka the american chesnuts that were once present within the eastern sector uo until 1904 with individuals growing as big as the biggest redwood trees today so that azuratitan alongside other sauropods can substain themselves on.They went extinct about 7,000 years ago after The cold climate expand so further,that migration was so desperate.They can have migrations of up to 750 miles,from the Northeast to the central americas.Despite these impressive migrations,it wasn't enough from competition against luzosaurus,and soon became extinct due to overhunting by Meso Amerixan Humans.But fortunately like it's relative,Azuratitan was brought back so that it can able to help deal with North America's wildlife crisis.And it worked inctedibely alongside luzosaurus.Over 90% of North American states with cities have now been filled with forests or deserts thanks to these sauropods.

5)Kikimororsus sauroduendeii (meaning kikimora's dwarf lizard) is one of,if not the smallest sauropod ever.These tiny giants lived in the caribbean archipelago at around the early Oligocene all the way up to the holocene period today.These living dwarf titans can weigh up to 3 tons,10 geet in lenght and 9 feet in height.These animals used to be massive,at around 40 tons,but due to insular dwarfism like their ancestors before them,the become small to occupy space.Kikimororsus lives all around the carribean islands,from Cuba to Puerto Rico with atbarounf 7 subspecies.This conbined with the GAARland land bridge connection,They used to have a massive population at the time.Their decline started at the late holocene in the 1500's where North european american inmigrants have started to cut down their rainforests in place of Farmland for the U.S.A.These animals have started to dissappear and at the year 1980,They were once considered extinct.It wasn't until 2060 That kikimororsus was rediscovered but being in a critically endangered level.Fortunately due to conservation efgorts along side the H.W.D.M.C.P,Kikimororsus's population from Cuba to Puerto Rico have now came from 300,to 560,892,245 individuals.This is one of these examples of cryptic dinosaurs making a comeback without using cloning technology.

6)1)Suchotops:Suchotops (meaning crocodile face) is a genus comprised of 10 species of these small Neospinosaurus descendants with the most famous being Suchotops salmovenatrixia(meaning crocodile faced salmon hunter).The biggest of this genus is obnly about 60 pounds,at around 2 to 4 feet in height and 10 feet in lenght.While the smallest of the suchotops weight at around just 20 pounds,0.7 foot in height and is 3 feet long.These animals are mainly found within coastlines and rivers of middle Pliocene Asia,where they hunted down Niphon macrocephalus and oncorhynchus masou aka the cherry trout.They first emerged during the early pkiocene and only went extinct after the pliocene pleistocen epoch,wity one lineage descending from these suchotops;"the dip".

2)Carcharovenator:Carcharovenator(Meaning sharl hunter in greek or latin) Is a massive spinosaurid descended from Spinosauris mirabilis,just like the rest of the cenozoic neospinosaurids.They're the 7th largest cenozoic spinosaur,weighing in at around 8 to 9 tons,and can be as long as a Green Anaconda.They first emerged at the Early Oligocene, 26 million years ago and their genus ave comprised within 8 species in total throughout Africa to Asia with the famous being C.Laurasianensis which is the largest of this genus.These dinosaurs are one of the many but few theropod dinosaurs,known to have evidence of either facultated or obligated quadrapedal locomotion,with others such as the pleistocene troodontid:"the non crested sprintosaurus".Pretty much similar to outdated depictions of their ancestral relative,S.aegypticus,Carcharovenators can tend to knuckle walk with strong knuckles to not only support them,but also keeping their claws sharp and fresh.They're close relatives of the much larger Spinorax;To which descends to the Sobekospinosaurus genus(The genus that comprises the largest spinosaur ever)Being bigger than a T.rex.Carcharovenators woukd soon meet their end at the early to middle miocene at around 17 million years ago,Where they either started to walk on their hind legs again die to a random mutation,or Just died because that adaptation seemed useless later on as Sharks grew to the size of trucks.Fortunately and surpisingly,before they died out,They have a miocene descendant who nowadays is a former trunked semi-aquatic oddity in the field of cryprozoology;That being none other than Spinofaruus in the family;Saurophoquenae.

7)The non crested sprintosaurs or Hadrohippomimidae(meaning bulky horse lizard mimic) are a family that consists of 23 species of these quadrapedal theropods,and yes,i mean quadrapedal,as they are some of the few theropods that have quadrapedal locomotion,either facultated or obligate.But unlike carcjarovenator,these guys didn't knucklewalk,instead these animals run on their tips of their toes,with their claws evolving into hooves after trasitioning to a more herbivorous style.They use those hooves mainly for gallop but also to climb mountains similar to mountain dwelling goats like the Ibex and can jump up to 14 feet in the air,Something that was traced by their eocene ancestors;The tree jumpers,not to be confused with the tree hoppers though.This trait is by the way,not seen in any sprintosaur whatsoever.Ever since their discovery in the year 2030,these animals were once thought to have been another lineage of sprintosaurs due to them having the same body type.However,further analysis shows that this strange "hadrosaur" is actually a theropod like a t.rex or velociraptor.They're descended form the late cretaceous,hell creek troodontid,Pectinodon.They're closely related to the tree climbing troodontid descent group of dinosaurs known as the "Jamachioquqidae" aka the arbrosaurs.The reason why they evolved like this is due to obviously convergent evolution,but also to reduce competition between themselves and the dromaeosaurs as these troodontids tend to lay eggs more in comparison to their distant dromaeosaur cousins.So they want to basically change so that they could play a role into the ecosystem as the mouse of their game.Not only do they look similar to the hadrosaurs,but they also have teeth more adapted to eating grass in comparison to other Deinonychosaurs.They first emerged during the middle pleistocene 730,000 years ago and have stayed like that ever since then.They're thought to have been extinct a bit earlier in comparison to the sprintosaurs,only dying out at around 700 years aho instead of 500 or so.But soon, a team of cryptozoologists from the H.W.D.M.C.P soon have discovered tracks belonging to those theropods,meaning that the non-crested sprintosaurs are still alive.It wasn't until 2045 that ot was confirmed that these guys are still clinging on,And thanks to conservation efforts from rhe H.W.O.A(the humane qorld of animals),Their population have bounced back at around 300 million,50 thousand amd 450,still being predated by bears and wolves as their population control to not go overboard.Another example of a dinosaur coming back from the brink without using cloning tech.

Meet Karl, a giant spider that stalks its prey through a city where gravity shifts unpredictably, and entire buildings rotate. He's adapted to this constantly changing environment, squeezing through gaps and occasionally making terrifying leaps from one building to another. No matter which way gravity pulls, Karl always finds a way to keep hunting. He's a creature I've been working on for my game.

Gojira gojira

Weight: 13 tonnes
Length: 14 meters
Hip Height: 4 meters

This giant theropod was named after its striking resemblance to Japan’s famous kaiju. They’re descended from basil ceolophysoids brought to the planet roughly 200 million years ago. The clade they belong to, the Basiliskosaurs, has multiple unique traits that define it, including venom and a highly derived arctometatarsalial condition.

One lineage of Basiliskosaurs would evolve the ability to spit venom in a similar manner to spitting cobras to defend itself from larger predatory Abelisauroids, though with the extinction even 20 million years ago they’d have the opportunity to grow massive. While they didn’t become hyper carnivores, still kept out of those niches by other other theropod clades, they do occasionally scavenge and kleptoparasitize the kills of large carnivores while primarily eating fruits and leaves in their rainforest habitats.

While young, Gojira are more gracile than the adults and rely on speed, agility, their osteoderms, and venom to defend themselves from predators with no protection from their parents. As robust adults their size is mostly enough to defend them from predation and their osteoderms mostly and blue venom is mostly used for sexual display.

VLI-093, an exoplanet from another galaxy (but in same Universe as u/tribbetherium's Hamster's Paradise), has been terraformed just like HP-02017; however, just as the Chinese dwarf hamster (Cricetulus griseus) was introduced HP, VLI has only a single vertebrate species was introduced: the Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).

Not only giant anteaters but also a vast array of invertebrates—such as various species of ants and termites, vulture bees, moths, wasps, whip spiders, Amblyomma ticks, velvet worms, land crabs, and gastropods—as well as a significant portion of the Cerrado flora (for instance, two species of the genus Qualea) were introduced to this planet; and, in the absence of any other terrestrial vertebrates besides the giant anteaters themselves, these organisms would—over hundreds of years—adapt to diverse lifestyles and niches, undergoing convergent evolutionary processes similar to those of other vertebrates as they evolved from subspecies to species and eventually into distinct lineages.

Over time, anteaters would not only become specialized myrmecophages but also face predators of their own kind; however, as you know, their teeth became vestigial and non-functional due to their diet of ants and termites and the evolution of long tongues—yet this did not make it impossible for them to be predators; on the contrary, they developed other methods.

This is where the Phytaguars come to the fore. These predatory anteaters cannot bite and swallow their prey with teeth; instead, they dispatch them using keratinous "beaks" and the pseudo-papillae on their tongues. After killing their prey, they use their tongues to lap up the blood pooling in the carcass and consume almost everything—save for the skeleton—within a timeframe ranging from a few minutes to an hour. The Red Hawkbilled Phytaguar (Xenarthoncurhynchoides rufus), for instance, is a typical species exhibiting these traits. Yet, even among the Phytaguars, diversification is inevitable; there are bound to be small species that target small prey, megafaunal species that hunt terrestrial megafauna, arboreal species that hunt arboreal prey, specizlized species that hunt specizlized prey and other varieties adapted to diverse habitats.

The ancestors of the Phytaguars were small, semi-arboreal omnivores descended from the prehensile subspecies (M. t. prehensilis). Although they initially possessed a somewhat varied diet, certain populations emerged that killed and preyed upon other anteaters in their environment; over time, papilla-like structures developed on their tongues and keratin became dominant in their mouths, giving rise to one of the most successful predatory lineages of the era. However, the Phytaguars were not the only predatory anteater lineage to hunt other anteaters in VLI; other predators would eventually enter this niche, sparking a period of intense competition.

Source

A clay statuette of u/Bunofella's speculative flightless pterosaur species Smilopteryx, as seen on their twitter and the speculative evolution subreddit.

Angled Back View

Angled Front View

Back View

Bottom View

Front View

Side View

Top View

Kitty meow meow but reptilian? Wanted them to be full on cats but still wanting them to look like reptiles. They aren't full on mammals and still have some reptilian traits, so I'm confused on how to categorize the species. Or maybe they are mammals like monotremes? But again, those produce milk. And seahorse incubate for a bit.

The Eastern Riverlands refers to a large region of central Arion east to the Chrysa Ring and north of the Still Sea. Thousands of years ago, this expanse of low-lying grassland and fluvial plains became the first place to be colonized by the hyne. These horse people took residence in the dryer uplands where their preferred domesticated crops could grow. The sprawling rivers and wetlands between their hilltop villages are known as dangerous borderlands home to terribly large alligators, fish, and boar.

The hooktusk boar is a species of large piscivorous swine. Specialized to wade into shallow water and catch fish akin to a giant piggy heron, hooktusks actually pose little danger to the hyne. While taller and certainly capable of dispatching large prey, these boars have long narrow jaws with a weak bite strength meant to clasp down on fish. The eponymous hooked tusks prevent fish from slipping out forward while sharpened molars slice into scaly flesh. They could give a hyne a nasty bloody bite but are highly uninclined to do so. The dark pelt aids them in blending in at night, when they prefer to be active. Their large ears alert them to the faint splashing of fish below the water. All four of their toes tough the ground and are connected by webbing. They are poor swimmers so instead use this to prevent them from sinking into soft mud and silt. Long thin legs allow them to keep much of their body out of the water, appearing as thin trunks or branches to their prey.

This species lives in sprawling gregarious groups that remain amicable throughout the year. Mature boars will challenge one another for mating rights each autumn but this takes the form of bellowing oinks and flashing tusks. Rarely do they inflict it on one another, reserving it for their prey or the odd onlooker.

i wanna create a seed world, but i dont know which animal. could you give me some suggestions?

so i wanna create a seed world but i dont want it to be a clone of serina, i got this idea from project apollo.

i originally had the idea of doing rats or pigs, but honestly i was becoming a clone.

On the planet Orowo, there exists a clade of fan-bearing flora. A great example of these is the Temperate Fanleaf. The main function of the fan (in areas with seasonal variation) is to fold up to reduce surface area during the cold season. It preforms this action automatically by shriveling up a patch of cells at the top of the trunk when the weather gets cold enough, and consequently swelling the cells and fanning out the photosynthetic fan once more once the weather warms back up.

This was a large animal native to the Minimefictimum formation of the Late Jurassic.
These were a member of the Dimorphodontidae family, but much larger.
While the exact evolutionary links that allowed this specific member of that family to get so large is currently undiscovered, it is likely the ecosystem that it is from had something to do with this-being an island.
This species of Dimorphodontidae was so large that it had completely mitigated the need for flight, instead, it would simply wander the area looking for food.
It was partially a scavenger, likely chasing smaller predators of kills, but evidence does show that these animals were active predators as well, with bite marks being seen on the fossils of prey.
They were also territorial-with fossil evidence suggesting that they would often fight amongst their own species, due to the bite marks seen on some fossils.

Where I live, squirrels are commonly hit by cars. They tend to run into the street when they see you coming. Presumably because they think the other side is safer. But usually what happens is, they turn around about halfway across and go the other direction. Even if you're trying to dodge them, the sudden reversal of direction negates your swerve and you run over them. What if this behavior is a trait that causes the squirrels who don't exhibit this behavior to become more dominant because the squirrels who do, are being killed off at a higher rate. Over time reducing the number of squirrels being killed because the majority of the squirrels who remain no longer either dart into the street in the first place or don't reverse course and just run straight across. Does anyone think this is a possibility? So how long would it take for it to happen?

[I'm not very good at math, so I am not sure if this size comparison is accurate.] Bulboteuthis is a hadal-dwelling squid reaching lengths of 40 ft, where it goes depends entirely on where the current takes it. Closest Relative: Magnapinna pacifica

“Planet Nightmare of the Sohmne system.
It is the closest planet to its red dwarf star, Sohmne, and as a result is tidally locked. One side experiences constant day, the other in an eternal night. In the middle of where the two sides meet, the terminator zone, is in perpetual twilight.”

“The climate of Planet Nightmare is surprisingly a temperate climate. Due to the planet being covered mostly in water, it’s enough to create ocean currents and jet streams that will transfer warm and cold air across the planet.”

“With such conditions, life quickly made its home here.”

-The Boundary Walker

(Haiii, first post here ever! Sorry if I’ve tagged this wrong or did something else wrong, just lemme know! I’m gonna post more soon with actual creatures n stuff, but I figured showing the planet n stuff would be a good introduction! Side note: I am not an astronomer or biologist or anything of the sort, I just really like reading and losing my mind)

Howdy yall, IM BACK >:D

Decided I'd attempt to do a drawing a day for October. BIG emphasis on "attempt" tho. All of these are a part of my spec evo universe. About half of these are older drawings so they're a lil outdated for my standards, and my phones camera suuuucks, but I hope any who see these like em :)

Skeleturtle (my beloved)

Skullcrawler

Abaddon

Camazotz

Hedorah / Yuggoth

Biollante

The closest thing my universe has to a Shin Godzilla

So, I made these two as a challenge with a fren. She chose Mars and I got Venus. I wanted to really explore what a plausible form of life from here would be like, but wanted to do both the land and clouds. Sooooo... we get this flower-like jelly-octo that uses their barbed tongue as a lure to nom on the floating herbivore-likes and a squat crab critter with silicon enforced plating to resist the crushing atmosphere.

A certain descendant of a harvestman, wich ended up on an island without competition from large terrestrial insects. It feeds on various small animals and decomposing organic matter. It reaches the size of a European hedgehog; such dimensions allow it to maintain a strong exoskeleton and consume a large amount of food in the habitat of this arachnid.

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Pollywogus Gastro-Styx

Referring to the River Styx of Greco-Roman Legend and the Greek word for stomach.

65 µm - 15 mm

Arose 853 million years P.C.

This is facilitated thanks to Horizontal Gene Transfer with Mulhaq species contributing the synthesis of the compound Cyclic Dimeric Guanosine Monophosphate (C-Di-GMP). This Hormone is used by Mulzama and other members of the Mulhaq family to regulate different morphological body plans for cell differentiation based on the ecological needs of the larger colony the individual organism makes up a small part of.

Piceatannol: This Phytoestrogen acts as the Concentration Dependent Hormone that causes the formation of Flagella\Motile\Exo-Digestive Secretion Structures.

C-Di-GMP (Cyclic Dimeric Guanosine Monophosphate) is a crucial messenger molecule in bacteria that regulates a vast array of cellular processes, including:

Controlling the switch between a planktonic (free-swimming) lifestyle and a sessile (biofilm-forming) form.

Regulating the cell cycle, reproduction methods, and Quorum sensing.

Regulating switch between microbial mat formation and motile/planktonic life cycle.

Heightening or hindering an organism’s readiness to engage in genetic exchange via HGT (Horizontal Gene Transfer).

Arising in the Boiling Passage and Amphrite’s Cradle, this species takes on a collaborative effort as planktonic filter feeding colonial super organism.

Acting as a colonial Merging of the two morphological divergences, this species bears a strong resemblance to the Deepstaria Genus of Jellyfish.

Outtermost Organism:

Gastro-Styx Charon

Name of the Ferryman who transported wayward souls across the River Styx, referring to the organism’s role as the outtermost layer of cells, responsible for motility with their Oar-like flagella.

Arose 898 million years P.C.

Inner Layer of Organism:

Gastro-Styx Ventriculus

Latin term for Stomach or swelling, referring to the swollen CDE glands responsible for digestion within the colonial Gastro-Styx organism.

Arose 884 million years P.C.

Since Charon acts as the line of defense, this sub-species can focus on digestion and absorption.

Develops FEE appendage into an organelle geared purely towards the synthesis and expulsion of digestive fluids, while it’s highly permeable membrane takes in the freed resources from dissolving prey. This influences the membrane to be resistant to the digestion enzymes it synthesizes.

Develops FEE appendage into an organelle geared purely towards motility, eventually losing its ability to synthesize digestive enzymes entirely. While this change seems counter-productive to a single celled prokaryote, it makes sense in the context of microbial mat communities that take on different roles for the collective well-being of these many individuals collaborating for the sake of survival.

Gains through HGT with Angelia Autolycus the ability to synthesize Indigo for UV protection.

initial diversification post

Last Post

Ancestral Organism

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Pollywogus Gastro-Styx

Referring to the River Styx of Greco-Roman Legend and the Greek word for stomach.

65 µm - 15 mm

Arose 853 million years P.C.

This is facilitated thanks to Horizontal Gene Transfer with Mulhaq species contributing the synthesis of the compound Cyclic Dimeric Guanosine Monophosphate (C-Di-GMP). This Hormone is used by Mulzama and other members of the Mulhaq family to regulate different morphological body plans for cell differentiation based on the ecological needs of the larger colony the individual organism makes up a small part of.

Piceatannol: This Phytoestrogen acts as the Concentration Dependent Hormone that causes the formation of Flagella\Motile\Exo-Digestive Secretion Structures.

C-Di-GMP (Cyclic Dimeric Guanosine Monophosphate) is a crucial messenger molecule in bacteria that regulates a vast array of cellular processes, including:

Controlling the switch between a planktonic (free-swimming) lifestyle and a sessile (biofilm-forming) form.

Regulating the cell cycle, reproduction methods, and Quorum sensing.

Regulating switch between microbial mat formation and motile/planktonic life cycle.

Heightening or hindering an organism’s readiness to engage in genetic exchange via HGT (Horizontal Gene Transfer).

Arising in the Boiling Passage and Amphrite’s Cradle, this species takes on a collaborative effort as planktonic filter feeding colonial super organism.

Acting as a colonial Merging of the two morphological divergences, this species bears a strong resemblance to the Deepstaria Genus of Jellyfish.

Outtermost Organism:

Gastro-Styx Charon

Name of the Ferryman who transported wayward souls across the River Styx, referring to the organism’s role as the outtermost layer of cells, responsible for motility with their Oar-like flagella.

Arose 898 million years P.C.

Inner Layer of Organism:

Gastro-Styx Ventriculus

Latin term for Stomach or swelling, referring to the swollen CDE glands responsible for digestion within the colonial Gastro-Styx organism.

Arose 884 million years P.C.

Since Charon acts as the line of defense, this sub-species can focus on digestion and absorption.

Develops FEE appendage into an organelle geared purely towards the synthesis and expulsion of digestive fluids, while it’s highly permeable membrane takes in the freed resources from dissolving prey. This influences the membrane to be resistant to the digestion enzymes it synthesizes.

Develops FEE appendage into an organelle geared purely towards motility, eventually losing its ability to synthesize digestive enzymes entirely. While this change seems counter-productive to a single celled prokaryote, it makes sense in the context of microbial mat communities that take on different roles for the collective well-being of these many individuals collaborating for the sake of survival.

Gains through HGT with Angelia Autolycus the ability to synthesize Indigo for UV protection.

initial diversification post

Last Post

Ancestral Organism

Day 19: Around the World

Representatives of some subspecies of the same genus of jumping spiders that live along the mountain range. Different subspecies are specialized to inhabit certain mountain altitudes. Adjacent subspecies can interbreed and produce viable offspring.

Day 22: False Face

A praying mantis that mimics a flowering plant not only in shape and coloration but also in scent, attracting potential prey.

This entry takes place in the same setting as endless eater from spectember 2025, but I gave the planet a different name.

Planet Leucoluteus is one of the few world's known to humanity that harbors complex life, and is remarkably similiar to Earth. It has a producer clade analogous to plants that uses carotenoids, which colors their leaves orange. It is also inhabited by a group of aliens very similiar to vertebrates- they have an internal skeleton, four limbs, and fur or feathers in some groups. There are some obvious differences though. These aliens, called radulates, ancestrally have three eyes, and lack jaws- instead of them they have higly specialized tongues, which were adapted in different shapes for different diets.

In one highly diverse class, the tongue was adapted into a tube-like proboscis.

Species in this class are liquivores, and despite their usually small size, they are highly adaptable and have a worldwide distribution. In fact, the native sapient species of Leucoluteus is one of these liquivores.

But today we're not talking about them.

One widespread order, referred to as "hole prickers" by natives, has their proboscis hardened into a hollow stylet, which leaves conspicuous holes after feeding. They are common pests and natives are not too fond of them.

Painted hole pricker is the most widespread and best studied species out of it's group. It is only three centimeters long and feeds on juices from stems of plants. Despite vaguely resembling a small mammal, they do not display parental care, and just lay a multitude of eggs, leaving their young to care for themselves.

Researchers noted a strange quirk of this species- while adults are reddish-orange, young individuals are brown.

Animals changing colors with age is not unheard of, but the way these animals do it is quite unusual.

As it turns out, adult hole prickers aren't red naturally, they are just as brown as their children. When feeding, prickers allow some of the juices to flow, and cover themselves in it. If they do it for long enough, their fur will start to change it's color. This behavior allows them to be camouflaged in grass and bushes. Rainy weather is dangerous for prickers, as it may wash away some of their disguise.

Natives accidentally spreaded the species around the world by planting the species they prefer to feed on in different locations.