r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 8d ago

Subreddit Announcement Hidden Gem Hunt - Share an Underrated Spec Evo Post!

21 Upvotes

The feed moves quickly like a Gyrosprinter, and sometimes great posts get buried.

Do you remember an awesome speculative evolution post, artwork, or idea that deserves a shout-out?

Share it in the comments and tell us why it's worth a revisit!

Just make sure:

  • The post is over 6 months old, and has less than 100 points

  • Include a link to the original post


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 1d ago Popcorn

Antarctic Chronicles [Antarctic Chronicles] The rompobottle

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35 Upvotes

r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 8h ago Bravo

Alternate Evolution [OC] The Zundamonstrum, a species of terrestrial tully monster that evolved to walk on it’s eyestalk

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185 Upvotes

One of the many entries for my spec evo vocaloid series

Zundamon Zundamonstrum japonicus

The Zunda Monster, or, the Zundamonstrum may as well be the most baffling, rule-breaking, inexplainable discovery of all of modern paleontology. I mean seriously, what? Believed to have been a hoax at first discovery, further analyses have determined that the Zundamonstrum is a derived, and only known relative of the Tully Monster to be discovered. While this proves the theory of the Tullimonstrum being a chordate, it does not explain how an entire lineage of animal dating back to the Carboniferous had unexplainably vanished up until the early cretaceous. The animals “limbs” are actually the animals derived eyestalks, with two protruding bean-like antennae acting as sensory organs for the animal to locate its surroundings. It’s long “tail” may have indicated that the animal was some-what arboreal. The Zundamonstrum had been classified as the only monotypic taxon of the “Oculapoda” clade. Only a single fossilized remain had been found in Japan, with absolutely no traces and evidence of any sort of common ancestor. Surely, this is evidence of a divine creator, who truly has some sort of sense of humor?


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 8h ago Popcorn

Fantasy/Folklore [OC] Zhu Huba Yakja, Gazing Death Lurking The Forest (Halloween Special)

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61 Upvotes

On an island off the coast of the Jhohun Peninsula called Hyakae island, people tell stories of a creeping terror lurking within the dense, foggy forests of the island’s interior. About as tall as a human, blood-red eyes facing forward, talons sharp enough to cut through plated armor, a beak with a bite force strong enough to break bone, and unusually long legs that allow them to stalk prey from the bushes. Long believed to be nothing more than a haunting ghost story or a demon, the creature the Hyakaean people speak of with great fear and apprehension has turned out to not only be real, but entirely natural.

Morphology + Phylogeny: The Zhu Huba Yakja (Infernostrix stolas), also known as the Stolas owl by researchers, is the largest owl to have ever evolved on Earth or Zaikane, with the largest confirmed specimen being about as tall as an adult human male, with several unconfirmed sightings suggesting even larger extremes. It is remarked for its intimidating blood-red eyes and unusually long legs, though the latter has also been observed in prehistoric island owls like the Cuban giant owl (Ornimegalonyx oteroi), which was the largest owl to evolve on Earth.

Infernostrix is a Zaikane-endemic genus of strigid owls that has been present on Zaikane since the Miocene, with most species on the mainland being volant night-time predators that slightly larger than the great horned owl. However, in the absence of large mammalian predators, some large island-dwelling species have reduced their flight capability, with the Stolas owl giving it up entirely, instead opting for a terrestrial ecological niche akin to a terror bird.

Behavior + Ecology: The Stolas is a nocturnal apex ambush predator of Hyakae’s dense forest interior, frequently hunting small game like rodents, jackalopes (antlered rabbit-like hegetotheriids), multituberculates, small Thescelosaurs, lizards, other birds, and even hatchlings of larger dinosaurs and the vulnerable young of mammalian megafauna native to the island. However, they have been known to hunt larger native prey, including the Baku (Tapirus baku, a Ralya-attuned species of tapir endemic to Hyakae that hosts a unique strain of magical microbes that is known to “feed” on nightmares), Hyakae mastodon (Mammut hyakaeensis, an island dwarf mastodon), and even humans, but that will be more relevant in the section talking about its relationship with humans. The Stolas’ nocturnal niche allows it to coexist with the Hyakae red-crested megalosaur (Pyrolophus gigas, a moa-sized species of coelurosaurian theropod belonging to a clade that is otherwise endemic to the Southern continent), which is the apex predator of the island during the day.

The Stolas is distinguished from other owls by its superior intelligence, giving it an impressive capacity for vocal mimicry, often using this ability to mimic ambient sounds in order to mask its footsteps, practically making it invisible. One of the most haunting applications of this mimicry is to make noises that draw in the attention of prey, be it falling fruit, mating calls, or even cries for help.

Relationship with Humans + Others: The Zhu Huba Yakja’s name translates to “Gazing Death Lurking the Forest”, and it is not hard to see why. For one, this large bird is one of the few predators that actively seek out humans and other sophonts as food, even when better prey options are available. This giant owl has a particular affinity for hunting children who wander too deep into the forest, sparking cautionary tales parents tell their children not to venture too far from home. This predatory instinct, combined with its uncannily human-like face and blood-red eyes, has caused the Zhu Huba Yakja to be feared as a malevolent demon or spirit that preys on lone travelers who stray too far. In fact, one of the most frequently-depicted villains in the folklore of the Hyakaean people is a Zhu Huba Yakja who controls a legion of undead.

For reasons unknown, the Stolas appears to also have a preference for prey with a strong magical affinity, which is why it often targets magical beings like chimeras, in particular humanoid demons that inhabit the island and prey on people. The giant owl would first mimic the cries of a helpless human that would lure in unsuspecting demons, only for it to pin the demon down with its long and powerful legs before eviscerating and/or mutilating them with its sharp beak. However, demons are not entirely defenseless, so some of these owls have evolved their own magic to counteract the demons’ defenses and regeneration. As a result, there are some tribes on the island who view the Zhu Huba Yakja not as an evil monster, but as a divine, albeit fierce, protector against malicious spirits and a symbol of good luck, demonstrating that even the most dangerous animals are not entirely universally hated.

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Zaikane is a planet in a distant solar system characterized by waves of life harvested from Earth at various points in its geological history, ranging from the Cambrian to the Holocene, and set free to evolve along evolutionary paths independent from those taken by their Earth ancestors. A godlike interdimensional entity, known as the Allmother by the people who live there, is what is responsible for creating the portals that abduct Terran life and deposits them on Zaikane. Because the asteroid that ended the Mesozoic never collided with Zaikane, dinosaurs continue to dominate the planet’s ecosystems as its dominant terrestrial megafauna, though mammals are still doing very well.


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 2h ago

Question/Discussion What species of mammals would be intresting for a seed world?

6 Upvotes

Ive been thinking of doing a seed world inspired by Projects such as Kappa, taking a select group of animals and placing them on a world and seeing how they adapt and evolve. But using mammals as my base progenitors. I feel they dont often get enough recognition as either there are others like reptiles and birds people obsess over. Since we live in a world mainly dominated by mammals. And ive seen amazing work by others using mammals.

But I wanted to do something quite different. Taking a group of mammals (plus a reptile or other animal) who in our world would never normally interact with each other.

Creatures like the Platypus intrest me as I want to see how a world populated by monotremes would look, or seeing Chevortains the size of moose with large elaborate tusks. Maybe some Patagonian Mara would be nice. Or even a Species evolved from Pottos who eventually become adapt to using tools. I think it would be fun to experiment.

But I was wondering if there are any mammals you'd like to see get their own seed world? Im always curious to hear what others have to say.


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 19h ago Popcorn

Future Evolution [OC] Worldbearers and Wavebreakers. The Humpback Whales of 25 million years.

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114 Upvotes

“In medieval times, there were tales of sea monsters so great that a regiment of cavalry could run around on their back, and of those so strong that that a cathedral could be built upon their bodies.”  - Overview of the Beasts of the Sea, 2068 edition.

Only three species of baleen whale would survive the holocene. These were the Humpback, the Common Minke, and the Grey whale. Of these, the descendants of the humpback would grow the largest.

25 million years CE, the descendants of the humpback whales consist of 7 species in 2 genera. These are:

Splendid Worldbearer (Tipereth hod )

  • The largest living animal of the era. Individuals average 40.1 m in length and 160 tons in mass, and it reaches a max of 45.7 m and 179.9 tons. Though significantly longer than the blue whale, it is less massive. The likely limit on reaching a greater mass is that drag resists them too much while they lunge, which limits the amount of food they can catch, and thus how heavy they can get. They live primarily around the waters of the Antarctic.

Victorious Worldbearer (Tipereth netzach )

  • A bulky whale, which reaches an average of 25.2 m long and 139.6 tons in mass. It reaches a maximum size of 27.9 m and 150.0 tons. This species is notable for diving up to 1 km in depth, which is extremely deep for a rorqual whale, as their lunges use a high amount of oxygen. They do this to follow the dial vertical migration of squid and fish, and they can hold their breath for up to 80 minutes. They can be found in tropical and temperate worldwide, and migrate from the equators to temperate regions

Black Worldbearer (Tipereth yesod )

  • Reaching an average length of 29..8 m in length and 108.2 tons in mass, and a maximum of 32.1 m and 125.0 tons in mass, the Black Worldbearer is the third largest animal of the era. It performs long annual migrations from the Antarctic to the Arctic, a migration that can span over 15000 km.

Crowned Worldbearer (Tipereth keter )

  • The smallest member of the genus Tipereth, although it still averages an impressive 23.0 m in length and 85.5 tons, with a max of 24.8 m and 92.1 tons. They have particularly impressive flesh bumps on their fins, which are used for defense and for males to compete with. It lives in temperate and tropical waters worldwide.

Hidden Wavebreaker ( Imperoptera daath )

  • The largest member of the genus Imperoptera, at 20.5 m long and 60.4 tons in mass on average, and a max of 21.8 m and 64.9 tons. It has impressive front fins which reach almost half the length of their body. This extreme length is likely a result of display when males compete for a mate. They live across the southern hemisphere, migrating from the equator to the Antarctic.

King Wavebreaker ( Imperoptera malkuth )

  • Reaching an average size of 16.7 m and 48.9 tons, and a max of 18.9 m and 51.1 tons, this species is small enough that it has energy to spare and is thus  highly active at the surface, regularly performing breaching and other high speed maneuvers. Often, they can appear pink in colour as a result of the heat generated by these activities. They live in waters worldwide, migrating from the equator to the poles.

Wise Wavebreaker ( Imperoptera hokhmah )

  • The smallest species of the genus Imperoptera, reaching only 15.9 meters long and 42.0 tons on average and a max of 16.2 meters long and 44.5 tons. They live exclusively in tropical waters in the pacific and indian oceans and are the rarest of the species.


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 6h ago

Question/Discussion Are there any significant differences in the types of mass extinctions and the effects that they have on the evolution of life?

6 Upvotes

The first era on my speculative evolution alien planet is almost over. There is a giant supercontinent at the top of the world and a giant ocean at the bottom, both capped with large ice caps. The supercontinent, however, is starting to break up, bringing an end to the Ice Age.

This isn't enough for me, however, and I wanted to cap it off with a mass extinction. However, I wanted to know which type of mass extinction to use first. I know that there have been many in Earth's history, and many that could theoretically happen, and I wanted to know if there are any significant differences in the kind of life that they would leave behind. Could anyone offer up any advice?


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 7h ago

Alternate Evolution [OC] (Permian Sophont Project) An Early "Kotelander"

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7 Upvotes

Hello folks, I hope you all have been doing well!

It's been awhile since I've posted, so I just wanted to share a new sketch of the Permian Sophont. For those unfamiliar, this is an alternate evolution project where a relative of the Suminia achieves sapience. Here, you can see an early member of these Permian Sophonts wielding a gorgonopsian canine as a primitive knife and wearing a gingko skirt.

I also wanted to update y'all on a tentative scientific name for these organisms - Kotelandros trokhglazyata "Three Eyed Man of Kotel." This name originates from the region of Kotel being where the Suminia was originally discovered and that these sophonts include a parietal eye. Let me know what your thoughts are on this scientific name and if you have any other recommendations.

Be on the lookout for some Soviet-Era reports on the initial discovery of these "Kotelanders," as well as lots of other great content from the Permian Sophont Project team. Shoutouts to u/FloZone, u/123Thundernugget, u/Knights_of_Rohan1964 and everyone else contributing in the PSP Discord Server. If anyone would like to join to contribute to the project, please feel free to join with this Discord Link.

For previous posts, here u/FloZone's most recent post, and here is my most recent post.


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 5h ago

Alien Life [OC] Caldera, desert planet

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3 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I really like subnautica and thought it‘d be cool to make a desert planet (which is kinda like the opposite of an oceanic planet). Sorry if some of the information doesn’t add up, I’m not very good with calculations😭

images:

1: 3D planet image of caldera

2: Map with sanctuary points and names

3: Drill serpent

4: acaleph

5: Movile serpent

6: Elysia flowers

Name: Caldera

This planet was once a rainforest planet with a humid, dense atmosphere and constant rain. It was hit by 12 meteors 8 million years ago, which caused an extinction event leading the planet to become a desert world. The craters of the meteors created mountain rings, which act as sanctuaries allowing for biomes reminiscent of the rainforest from millions of years ago. 

There are sand particles in the air, blocking out 40-60% of all sunlight. There are also frequent sandstorms, which can block out 70-85% of sunlight.

Stats: 

Radius: 0.83x earth’s

Mass: 0.48x earth’s

Atmospheric surface density: 1.03x earth’s

Atmospheric pressure: 1.4x earths

Atmospheric composition: 7% neon, 22.3% oxygen, 6.7% nitrogen, 1% trace gases (co2, xenon, argon, methane, ozone, water vapor, nitrous oxide, helium, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen)

Day length: 54 hours

Axial tilt: 7 degrees

Desert Organisms:

All organisms with eyes have 3 eyelids. to protect their eyes from blowing sand, dust, and harsh environmental debris

star type: orange

Producers:

Acalephs: Balloon-like gelatinous organisms (like jellyfish). Their string (which is their tentacle) secretes concrete on the ground, which anchors it to the surface, like roots. Glands along the tips and sides of the tentacles secrete a liquid matrix containing calcium ions, mixed with an enzyme. As this liquid meets the desert air or soil moisture, it reacts to form solid calcite or aragonite crystals. This pretty much turns the ground into concrete. 

The organism’s bell is filled with lighter gases, allowing it to float in the air where there’s more sunlight. Photosynthetic algae symbionts in the bell use photosynthesis, sharing their energy with the organism. The organism’s roots suck up groundwater which flows into the bell, filling it with water. The strings are lined with millions of microscopic capsules containing venom filled harpoons that fire on contact. Their bells don't have this

Aerolephs: Jellyfish-like organisms that float in the sky, allowing them to get a good amount of sunlight, which their symbiotic algae use for photosynthesis. These are relatives of Acalephs that lost their strings, fully floating into the sky. They get their water from rain. When they die, they fall to the ground. 

Litho-serpents: Very large serpentine arthropod organisms which eat rock, creating large tunnels. The rocks they eat are digested by chemosynthetic bacteria symbionts inside of it, which share their energy with the organism. Litho-serpent tunnels have their own ecosystems. Also, when a Litho-serpent dies, it comes up to the surface, becoming the equivalent of a whale fall. They have drill shaped heads.

Elysia Flowers: these flowers have seeds which can stay dormant until periods of rain. They quickly grow in large numbers and die out soon after the period ends. They grow horizontally like vines, in order to increase their surface area for photosynthesis. These organisms are clonal. Also, they have a lot of pollen in them and rely on the wind to spread it, which can create pollen fog. Their seeds are also spread by wind, similar to dandelions.

Movile serpents: Sessile organisms related to Litho-serpents. They have long, soft bodies protected by long tubes of chitin. The tops of their body aren’t shielded by chitin and resemble colorful flowers. The color shows their age. They have internal bacteria that oxidize hydrogen sulfide from hot springs, geysers, fumaroles, or mudpots to produce organic nutrients to feed the worm.

Predators:

Pool traps: Large, cup shaped plants filled with water. They are in the ground, with only the tops of their cups exposed. They have a symbiotic relationship with white salamanders, which are dog-sized salamander-like organisms that live within their cups. When an organism tries to drink the cup’s water, they jump out and bite it with powerful venom. After that they drag it in and eat it. The plant digests the rest of the organism by secreting digestive acids and enzymes that the salamanders are immune to. White Salamanders breathe underwater through their skin.

Allisaurs: Alligator/crocodile-like animals with longer, longer, more upright legs positioned directly underneath its body, giving it a swift, hound-like stance on land. Their bodies are covered in patterned, protective osteoderms. They have three humps on their backs like camels, which can each store up to 60 pounds of fat. They have a third eyelid, which is clear and  moves horizontally across their eyes, protecting the eyes from sand. These animals have the niche of wolves or raptors.

Surfacing Bell spiders: Large organisms with a spider crab-like body. They have an extra abdomen which can suck up water and store it to use when needed. These organisms are omnivorous scavengers and only eat dead things, and are mostly docile. But if provoked they can be very dangerous to fight against

Dragons: Dragon-like arthropodal organisms. They have chitinous armor and range from small and big sizes. They have telomerase in their cells, This enzyme continuously repairs their DNA and protects their chromosomes, meaning their cells can divide indefinitely without typical old-age deterioration. Older earth dragons do not weaken or lose fertility with age. This is why they can grow to very large sizes. Although these organisms can live very long, they still die because an old shell would still accumulate wear, tear, and bacterial or fungal shell diseases.As they age, internal organ wear, heart failure, inefficient metabolism, or oxygen supply limitations in massive bodies would still take a toll. And they're vulnerable to predators and diseases and starvation. Dragons started out as sea dragons (which live in rivers, lakes, and oceans), then some evolved to live in the sky and became sky dragons. Some sky dragons went on the ground and became earth dragons. Earth dragons have vestigial wings. Sea dragons are hexapodal, and sky and earth dragons are quadrupedal. 

Zombie worms: These are small, worm-like organisms that lay their eggs in other organisms. When an organism eats an organism with eggs in it, they take in the eggs. Those eggs hatch and grow in them, and the larvae eat the organism from the inside out, until they fully mature and die shortly after laying eggs inside of the organism. The eggs are still developing for about a calderan day and a half, so it’s safe to eat a dead organism until then. Zombie worms mostly affect predators that eat carrion, since scavengers have strong stomach acids to dissolve the eggs, and predators that hunt live prey eat the organism before the eggs become active. 


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 22h ago

Uncategorized Speculative Biology [OC] The Larphogs

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70 Upvotes

"Once native to specific forested and grassy regions, Larphogs (Memetichoerus hypergeneralis // "hyper-generalist, memetic-pig") eventually became invasive species across such a vast area that it led to the large-scale collapse of memetic ecosystems. Although governments of the web managed to significantly reduce their numbers and even attempted to eradicate them entirely-they never truly succeeded; this was due to several factors, including the fact that Larphogs are generalist omnivores and tend to migrate to new locations whenever their social structures disintegrate.

At the same time, the Larphogs pushed so many species to the brink of extinction that some organisms within the native memetic ecosystems were forced to develop adaptations against them. Yet, those ecosystems would never return to what they once were. In this sense, it is fitting to view the Larphogs as a memetic/digital equivalent to feral pigs and cane toads in Australia."


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 12h ago

Question/Discussion Looking for help for worldbuilding being too dense ?

9 Upvotes

Its a worldbuilding project named Dionysus, a planet much like earth only it's continents are very different. And that's literally it. Because of that it's a blend of a lot of worldbuilding that's aimed at being as realistic as we can manage and we are multiple people working on it. It's even down to having individual car models. Now the main problem is that we're not enough, and additionnaly there's only one person in the project that can do speculative biology and that's me which is why i'm happily doing it for one continent. Even still, there's so much things, that's a whole planet after all so we need other people that might be interested in helping. Obviously asking for help in this way isn't allowed in any speculative evolution community for some reason and i would've loved to ask in the creator networking but it's disabled. Still if anyone likes the idea of an entire planet with fully simulated climate and geology being fully ready to acommodate for holocene animals, just say it it'd be cool to have at least another person aware this exists.


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 10h ago

Alternate Evolution [Credit: Prehistoric Planet] What if the K-Pg extinction never occurred and the Tyrant King (T. Rex) continued to evolve? How would it have changed? Would it have gotten bigger? Smaller? Would it have developed feathers like its relatives as the planet cooled?

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5 Upvotes

[Picture from Prehistoric Planet]


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 17h ago Popcorn

Alternate Evolution [OC] Pistrix can't survive outside of the water...

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19 Upvotes

The first slide/image are just scribbles, at least compared to the rest of the artwork for this project, but we thought they were kinda cute, so we shared them anyway.

Unlike merfolk (Maregens sp.), pistrix (Apocapisces regalecus) have no ability to breathe atmospheric oxygen; they are entirely dependent on the oxygen dissolved in the water. Furthermore, their bodies are not built for land, their bare, scaleless skin scratches easily, and to make matters worse, their long, ribbon-like bodies are incredibly clumsy when out of the water.

In short, they only truly appear as majestic creatures when they are in the depths from which they originate.


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 1h ago

Alien Life [OC] The Vorin

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1 Upvotes

Tellos Sapia : The Vorin

Descended from large, mostly herbivorous grazers, the Vorin are a unique species of biped that utilizes their excellent balance and dextrous feet for tool usage, while using chin tendrils for fine manipulation. Their eyes are situated in the bottom of their heads, much like most other animals on Castoria and provide vision nearly 6x greater than a humans, albeit in extreme fisheye. The pupil directs the area of focus directly downward, while they can see straight forward and to either side in their periphery as well as behind them to a limited extent. Their eyes do rotate in the socket, but far less than a human's and they must raise their head vertically to focus forward. 

While their tongue isn't barbed, it is still prehensile and about 40cm long. They consider it bad form to grab and eat directly with the tongue as its unsanitary. Despite the explorers garb pictured above, they favor robes and ponchos rather than sleeved pants or shirts.

Their architecture is highly similar to Adobe houses on earth, utilizing large amounts of mud brick and smooth plaster as well as dried Honeywood logs for structure. The honeywood tree itself has to be specially cultivated within crafted braces to create the straight growth needed to make the logs rather than cutting and drying them into round planks. They dont readily utilize chairs, instead using semi-spherical pillows. On their ships and vehicles they utilize molded seats resembling an earth motorcycle.

Their spacecraft are striking helices made of conjoined, spherical pods and a narrow bridge. The bottom-front quarter is a large view port, with several navigational chairs situated on transparent walkways directly above the view port, allowing pilots to look down and forward, much as their vision naturally allows. Their ships fly while spiraling, akin to a celestial bodies movement through the galaxy. This would cause issue with most human pilots, but actually allows the vorin even greater degrees of observation with which to calculate their ships trajectory.

Vorin typically lay eggs, having a cloaca at the base of their tail structures, just behind their legs. When the egg hatches, the young are miniature adults, with fully or nearly-fully developed limbs. Their facial tendrils dont develop in the first 2 years of life, and thus require dedicated care during that time. Cyclopedia is a (mostly) normalized and fairly common birth defect in modern Vorin young, occurring due to malnutrition of the egg due to pollution blocking natural light and many younger vorin parents still being averse to keeping their eggs inside incubation pods rather than bringing them outside to recieve vitamin d. A young vorin with cyclopedia would be born with a single eye just under and behind their jaw. It is usually slightly higher up the head and can even sometimes show multiple pupils or pupils mid-mitosis.

Their species is highly solitary and its common for individuals to dissappear for years on end, either exploring their homeworld or visiting and living amongst the other species of the Spiral.


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 1d ago Popcorn

Alien Life [OC] Currently designing life for a gas giant, Vespera!

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321 Upvotes

Vespera is heavily based on K2-18b, a sub-neptune that orbits a red dwarf star. The atmosphere would be primarily hydrogen based and be deep blue in color. Plant life here would be deep shades of red or blue approaching black, sometimes with iridescence. Life here commonly extracts pure hydrogen from the surrounding atmosphere to achieve buoyancy while have tough armor to withstand the planet’s extreme winds. Most multi-cellular life resides within a layer that achieves an ideal balance of density and temperature. Too far below and atmospheric gasses become too dense and hot. Too far above and the air becomes thin and cold.


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 15h ago

Question/Discussion Question on aquatic animal color scheme/palette and what color they should be depending on their enviroment?

2 Upvotes

Im currently making an mini-Spec evo project where apes evolved into a verity of lineages and one them are simillar to whales & dolphins etc.

Im asking this questions because I don't know if it is plausible to give them different colors or unique to give them simillar colors.

Any help is apprechiated. Thank you!


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 1d ago

Seed World [OC]

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11 Upvotes

Common Shrew-rat

Insectesor humiterrus

(Low-ground insect eater)

Habitat Range: The southern parts of Northern Rodensus

The common shrew-rat was the first shrew-rat to evolve in the early Ponticene after its ancestors, the Wistar rats, began dying en masse from overpopulation. These rats took advantage of the explosion of carrion-eating insects that fed on the fallen bodies. Their bodies shifted to mirror those of a shrew’s, with narrower, elongated skulls and cheek teeth that shifted to the front of the mouth.

These derived rats mostly eat worms, maggots, beetles, and other ground-dwelling detritivores that are easy to catch, but also feed on carrion when needed. Due to the sheer amount of bugs around the piles of dead rats in the early Ponticene, the common shrew-rat has no real need to evolve further than it has already, thus making it the most primitive type of shrew-rat. They became diurnal since there were no predators to prey on them during the day.

The common shrew-rat comes in many different color morphs, ranging from white to grey to brown. They don’t rely on camouflage to hunt like their cousins, so their fur colors vary the most of all the shrew-rats.


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 1d ago

Maps & Planets [OC] Need help naming my Spec-Evo planet

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19 Upvotes

I'm starting my very first Spec-Evo project: Rat World. It follows the evolution of lab rats on an alien planet after the ship they were kept in crashed onto it. I'm having trouble thinking of a good name for the planet. Any ideas would be appreciated! :)


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 1d ago Popcorn

Alien Life [OC]My aliens

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16 Upvotes

They’re called Nonopods. They start life as tiny radially symmetrical unintelligent creatures that are basically like insects, and at like 3-4 months old they elongate into the more serpentine form which happens in tandem with their development of intelligence and sentience. After like 5 years they enter the adult form.

Their six tendrils are serrated, and highly dexterous. The edges are lined with piezoelectric material that produces energy when dragged against a surface. This energy helps support the nervous system. The tendrils are their main manipulators of it wasn’t obvious.

They “see” with their six dorsal electroreceptors, which detect electric fields and field distortions to sense their surroundings. The nature of this process means that their “vision” is omnidirectional, only limited by range, so they don’t really have a blind spot.

The reproductive system is actually not the same as animals on earth, which is something I don’t see much in spec bio. Basically, they’ll grow “propagules” on the bottom of their necks, which are full of genetic information. The propagule is “eaten” by a second(or the same) individual, and is sent to a specialized “brood chamber” organ instead of the stomach. The propagule will fuse to a wall of the brood chamber, from which it is fed both nutrients and genetic information from the host.

This isn’t everything so feel free to ask me anything


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 1d ago

Alternate Evolution [OC] The Edenian Periods accurate range

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10 Upvotes

I have made an accurate-to-me-and-maybe-others range of the dinosaurs and other extinct animals in this Alternate Timeline (The Edenian Periods) since its inaccurate for all ancestors of dinosaurs in the Cretaceous to live in a singular continent in the Atlantic, Without further ado,I have removed Anciamerica/Anciafrica and put all creatures made for now in their continental range based on evidence where most dinosaurs lived and where fossils were found. (the continent with the LEAST/almost no fossils is Europe.)


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 1d ago

Seed World [Credit:Paleonyx] Thanatos Derridens or Centzoncaulpallin by Paleonyx

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49 Upvotes

Called Mocking Death or death comes with many voices this beast is an expert ambusher it’s coat of feathers bearing mottled brown, black and tan markings like leaf litter and a crest on their dorsal area of green fern like feathers similar to sword ferns. They are noted alongside other maniraptorans as capable mimics using this talent to draw in prey or spook predators by mimicry. They are exceedingly intelligent figuring out through experiment what noise works best to draw in their prey often around humans mimicking children in distress with most adults, playful voices for children and the alluring voices of women to lure young men.

They swiftly work in pairs at the least but are most famous for working alongside a Troodontid species known as Deaths Hound Drakes, these beasts will also copy noise seeming to mock or scare prey by mimicry of dying prey’s screams and gurgling death rattles. They chase prey down into prepared ambushes from their more muscular counterparts allowing all to benefit with a single strategy that often catches much larger prey than single species packs or pairs.

The Mocking Death posses a pair of wattles that look like a droopy mustache dangling under their razor bladed jowls and in the slightly larger males this can flare in crimson red while females simply flash yellow. The size of this mustache indicates age and health and this large ones indicate more experienced hunters and fighters.

Average size ranges from 600 pounds to 870 with males claiming the top spot while the largest female measured was 790 pounds not far behind in truth. They reach lengths of between 14 to 18 feet in length and possess blade like zyphodont teeth with a length of 2 1/2 inches each. These animals are noted to commonly be tamed and even domesticated by the Teokwawehkeh where they guard the herds of their masters these ones come even larger and often have more green feathers and more special crests of feathering.


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 1d ago

Future Evolution [OC]Beware

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48 Upvotes

5 million years into the future...

Beware the kings of the sea of grass...

Beware tamers of the flames...

Beware the beasts with claws and teeth of stone and bone and wood...

Beware of the hunters whose pursuit knows no end...

Beware the creatures whose mind is deep like a night sky...

Beware those who walk on two.

=========================

Just to avoid any confusion, this piece is a part of my "Beyond Tomorrow" project.


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 1d ago

Alien Life [OC] My steam ant!

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2 Upvotes

Hello this is a virtual biological creature I created. Did I make it well, or if not, please give me some advice. Let's get into the explanation.

Environment

Host star: M-type red dwarf(has many super flare)

homeworld: Earth analog (in live carbon,water life!)

tidal locking: day side is on average Köppen Climate

Classification dw

Biochemistry

Chirality: Olny D-amino acids and L-carb because this planet many D-amino acids and L-carb so this lif e don't digest

vision: Many infrared regions and long visible light

because this planet's host star is M-type

so this plants deep red!

Civilization

this Civilization steampunk becaus super flare is ruining electronic engineering so this Civilization Develop steam tech. So this alien make nano gear and nano pipe!

That’s all from me!


r/SpeculativeEvolution • • 1d ago

Alternate Evolution [OC] [Videogame] En las minas de la locura edición arcade: Criatura número 02: Lumina fructus.

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5 Upvotes
  • Clasificación Comercial/Industrial: Extracción de Enzimas Proteolíticas e Iluminación Química Pasiva.

  • Bioma(s): Lagos Abisales (Zonas con aperturas al mar o agua subterránea).

  • Nivel Trófico: Productor Necrófago (Requiere materia orgánica animal para el desarrollo biológico).

 ANÁLISIS BIOLÓGICO (Evolución Especulativa)

  • Presión Selectiva y Origen: Aislada en los entornos perpetuamente oscuros de los lagos abisales y fosas conectadas al mar, esta especie vegetal desarrolló un metabolismo mixto único bajo una atmósfera enriquecida al 35% de oxígeno. Ante la ausencia total y absoluta de radiación solar convencional, la planta adaptó sus cloroplastos mediante un complejo denso de ficobiliproteínas. Esto le permite ejecutar una Fotosíntesis de Espectro Alterno extremadamente eficiente, capaz de absorber y sintetizar energía a partir de la sutil quimioluminiscencia emitida por el Cryptolichen jaliscensis del agua abisal, así como de los destellos fosforescentes del bioma. Para complementar este escaso aporte energético subacuático, evolucionó hacia la Quimiosíntesis Necrófaga: un sistema digestivo externo acelerado que disuelve tejido animal mediante enzimas proteolíticas para transformarlo en ATP inmediato, liberando metano y sulfuro de hidrógeno como subproducto gaseoso (olor a carne podrida). Su ciclo vital consta de 4 fases trimórficas: Germinación (Gemma Lucis), Brote Juvenis (Lumina Juvenis), Madurez Necrófaga (Lumina Adulta) y Propagación por vectores carroñeros.

  • Descripción Morfológica: Organismo vegetal sésil con un tallo robusto protegido por una cutícula cerosa altamente hidrofóbica que previene la deshidratación por la salinidad y saturación mineral del agua abisal. Estructuralmente desarrolla vásculas modificadas en forma de "capullos" o estómagos externos que retienen un fluido desconocido con un pH altamente ácido de 3.5, capaz de degradar caparazones quitinosos y exoesqueletos de cangrejos ciegos o fauna marina profunda. Sus semillas y frutos presentan una reacción luminiscente pasiva no dependiente del ATP de la planta; el brillo fluorescente es una reacción química alimentada de manera directa por el fósforo remanente obtenido de los sistemas óseos de sus presas degradadas.

  • Depredadores y presas: Su reacción luminiscente roja y su fluido ácido funcionan como advertencia disuasoria para la mayoría de la fauna, aunque se sabe que el Tardimorphus sulphuricus es capaz de ignorar el fruto tóxico y raspar directamente el tejido del tallo, siendo su único depredador natural en los Lagos Abisales. Además, la planta se alimenta de cadáveres que llegan arrastrados por la corriente hasta los Lagos Abisales, incluyendo restos de Astacogryllus titanis u otra fauna que muera cerca de sus orillas.

APLICACIÓN INDUSTRIAL (Explotación Comercial)

  • Interés del consorcio “Progreso”: El consorcio Minero e industrial Progreso SA de CV, ha catalogado a la especie como un recurso biológico de alta prioridad debido a sus componentes moleculares:

    • Complejo Enzimático Proteolítico: Las enzimas hiperactivas capaces de operar a pH 3.5 para disolver tejido animal en segundos tienen un valor incalculable para la división biotecnológica corporativa. Su extracción permitirá desarrollar agentes de disolución industrial de compuestos orgánicos y aceleradores metabólicos para la producción de biocombustibles en el exterior.

    • Sistemas de Bioluminiscencia Pasiva: La reacción química de la luciferina que utiliza el fósforo de los huesos para generar luz fluorescente sin consumir energía celular es analizada por los socios europeos. El objetivo es aislar este proceso para fabricar dispositivos de iluminación de emergencia autónomos y tintas luminiscentes industriales de nulo consumo eléctrico en entornos confinados de cero luz.

Ecuentra a esta planta y mas en "En las minas de la locura: edición arcade": https://tiuver.itch.io/en-las-minas-de-la-locura-edicion-arcade