QUOTE (Coolsteph @ Aug 31 2022, 01:46 PM)

I don't think organisms can really use iron as a source of food. Some organisms "breathe" with it, instead of oxygen. You can always say that it requires a fairly high volume of iron in its soil to thrive due to its specific mineral needs. Some plants, such as rice, benefit greatly from having sufficient silicon, so having unusual nutritional needs isn't that odd.

There's a new rule to help with this

https://sagan4.jcink.net/index.php?showtopi...findpost&p=4869

Microbe Diet Rule

We have a lot of microbes that seem to have no direct source of organic matter in their diets, which... isn't great. To combat this, all previous microbes in this situation submitted prior to Week 27 are to be assumed to be some form of mixotroph (generalist consumers, carbon fixation, etc) and any specialized inorganic food sources listed like salt or iron are assumed to play a specific function. Moving forward, all species descended from them must indicate this in their Diet section

Woah, what happened to cause the change to this? This is lacking in detail and really requires a more detailed description on what has changed from its ancestor. The iron respiration will require details on why it evolved, how it works plus any other changes that occurred to its lifestyle as a consequence of these traits

Hydroblaster evolved in gen 149 so can't be spread

Please post your submissions in this child forum and not in this thread. If your landmark is approved, one of us will add it to this thread.

Please put the WEEK number in the thread title and picture.

Post up to 10 per week.

To kick off the new Week we are opening it with a Themed Challenge. This topic is...

ISLAND ADVENTURE: Species submitted under this challenge must take advantage of the new Archipelago features in the game. Like the last challenge, I will leave it to your discretion as to how best to fulfill the topic.
Some examples are:
- A migratory species using the islands as nesting grounds
- A species that has undergone Island Dwarfism/Gigantism
- A species that uses the islands to spread to distant lands.

All submissions must be in by generation 166 end, and every entry must indicate it in either the body of the topic or in the subheader. I will put up a poll in the forum for us to vote on. The winner gets the option to pick the next contest, the option to create a Week 23 species that will be allowed to survive to Week 27, and bragging rights.

Added a bit more. Honestly I could use a bit more inspiration with the description. I feel like I'm phoning it in a bit too much

QUOTE

A Time of Plenty Life has continued to recover from the events of the runaway Snowball event, now a distant memory fifty million years in the past. The volcanism that had pulled the planet out of the Ice Age has continued apace throughout the Bonoian Period, with new magma chambers and eruptions springing up all across the planet. This period of activity began to slow about ten million years into the period, and as the Bonoian gave way to the Huckian, a calm has washed over a surface wholly unrecognizable from that of the previous eras. Increasing geological activity has resulted in an expansion of land, in both existing landmasses as well as brand new subcontinents and archipelagos springing from the sea floor. Increased temperatures have also coincided with a marked increase in atmospheric water, fueling devastatingly powerful storms annually and acting as a potent greenhouse gas, raising temperatures further. Taking advantage of both the newly available moisture and the large tracts of land, flora life has exploded in abundance. Forests and heath are plentiful, and while some more rugged terrain still remains, most is restricted to the far extreme latitudes. Devastated by the Ice Age, tree-like flora had struggled to recover their size and distribution, but now thick canopies can be found in all major landmasses. Even the open oceans, once a barren desert in their own right, are now covered in vast floating islands of flora, providing a home to some of the most unique ecosystems this planet has yet produced. Across the Wallace supercontinent, life is rapidly expanding to all corners, out from the equator and down from the mountains, as the once separated landmasses of Dixon and Darwin continue to coalesce. Life from these once disparate regions continue to mingle as well, however as new points of conflict and competition emerge as the biota interact, for now the good land provides opportunity for all. Not every ecosystem is sharing in this abundance however. The increasing tectonic activity has begun pushing Drake further north. As permanent winter set in on Drake the local species showed remarkable resilience. Most species on Drake, like the rest of the world, are descendants of the previous Ice Age, and while much life was still lost it has merely set the continental makeup back to a level comparable to that of the Masonian. This however may not last, as the increased moisture is fueling the growth and expansion of glaciers which threaten to push out all but the most extreme of species. Those that have adapted to the warmer climates still cling on as rifts have separated off Dingus and various small islands from the southern point of the continent, granting the biota here a temporary haven. Overall, life has rebounded and continues to diversify, however such favorable times can’t last forever.

____________

There have been some dramatic rule changes for Week 27, so please read up on the changes that have happened:

• Submission Count: Generations submission count has been raised to 120: This is to account for the drastic increase in biome amounts

• Types: Type limit has been increased to 3, but the combo "Subpolar->Temperate->Subtropical" is not allowed

• Genus Groups: Global Genus groups have been nerfed in Week 27, however we are adding Regional Genus groups (Genus groups limited to regions or Continents) so True Global will be more difficult to obtain.
• In addition to the Genus group changes there have been new Group categories added:

Foundation System Rule
To reflect real-world phenomena, larger photosynthetic flora up to 20 meters in height may also be submitted as genera. These should be restricted to flora that act as foundations to an ecoregion (Forests need trees, grasslands need grass etc). These should be restricted to a single region on submission unless justified (eg. a cactus-like organism can be in two regions that are separated by a desert). Large flora genera may also be present on adjacent islands without restriction. Their description must include the limits of which types of habitats they appear in. Large flora genera are assumed to be absent in biomes which the treeline rule applies to unless otherwise specified.
Keystone System Rule
To reflect real-world phenomena, there are certain organisms that have a disproportionately large impact on the function of other life, as such these groups can be submitted as a larger collection of organisms than genus level. Collection of species fulfill this category are ones that fill hyper-specific niches that are necessary for life to function and would cause catastrophe if removed (ex. Nitrogen fixers, gut microbe, pioneer species). These are groups that are too broad to realistically be just a genus, but need to be globally widespread. These are limited to producers and primary consumers, and must be below 20 cm in size
Partner Species Sub-Entries
Any submission may make note of either specific species inside genus groups or subspecies of normal species entries which are partners to the species being submitted. These are not independent submissions and do not take up any additional slot; the only requirement is that they must actually fit within the definition of the genus group or species they are derived from (no non-aesthetical external changes). They do not need to be depicted.

• Superspreaders: Any species is only allowed to directly spread other species that they have a relationship with (Ex: a fauna spreads a flora that it eats thru seeds in the waste, a fauna spreads a parasite that infects its ancestor if it is not immune, a flora spreads its ancestors pollinator if the relationship remains, etc). In rare cases, a secondary spread can happen, but only if the secondary species is hyper-specialized to the direct spread. However, we will allow one "Superspreader" submission a Week per person that will be allowed to transfer more indirect species and more generalized fauna, however they must have a well thought out justification for doing so.

• Atavism Rules: An atavistic species cannot draw traits from any further back than 10 project Generations or its ancestor's ancestor, whichever is earlier, without extraordinary justification. Beyond this point, old traits are considered genetically lost and cannot be reactivated. This includes adding ancestral traits to unelaborated larvae.

Exception: Traits that are lost in one part of the body but not another related body part may be regained freely, as their presence is proof that their genes still exist intact. Examples: regaining foreclaws because it still had hindclaws, regaining teeth on the lower jaw because it still had some on the upper jaw
__

And finally, the compendium, and thus submissions, are now open!

Please post your submissions in this child forum and not in this thread. If your organism is approved, one of us will add it to this thread.

Please put the generation number in the thread title.

Post 120 per generation

Superspreader Rule
Any species is only allowed to directly spread other species that they have a relationship with (Ex: a fauna spreads a flora that it eats thru seeds in the waste, a fauna spreads a parasite that infects its ancestor if it is not immune, a flora spreads its ancestors pollinator if the relationship remains, etc). In rare cases, a secondary spread can happen, but only if the secondary species is hyper-specialized to the direct spread (Ex: a herbivore spreads a flora, which spreads that floras pollinators; a flora spreads a fauna, which spreads a predator hyper-specialized to hunt that fauna).

However, we will allow one "Superspreader" submission a Week per person that will be allowed to transfer more indirect species and more generalized fauna, however they must have a well thought out justification for doing so.

I believe this is demonstrates a good enough understanding of the rules to allow for this to progress to the Organism Submission thread for further scrutiny

@HethrJarrod Welcome to the Sagan 4 Alpha Team! Please repost your submission in the Organism Submission subforum.

That size jump is probably too big. Also it's missing respiration

Looks dope!

Approval Checklist:
Art:
Art Present?: Y
Art clear?: Y
Gen number?: Y
All limbs shown?: Y
Reasonably Comparable to Ancestor?: Y
Realistic additions?: Y

Name:
Binomial Taxonomic Name?: Y
Creator?: Y

Ancestor:
Listed?: Y
What changes?:

• External?: Coloration, Barbels, Wing Duplication
• Internal?:
• Behavioral/Mental?: Social

Are Changes Realistic?:
New Genus Needed?: Already Done

Habitat:
Type?: 2/2
Flavor?: 2/3
Connected?: Y
Wildcard?: N

Size:
Same as Ancestor?: N
Within range?: Y
Exception?: N/A

Support:
Same as Ancestor?: Y
Reasonable changes (if any)?: N/A
Other?: N/A

Diet:
Same as Ancestor?: N
Transition Rule?: Y
Reasonable changes (if any)?: Y

Respiration:
Same as Ancestor?: Y
Does It Fit Habitat?: Y
Reasonable changes (if any)?: N/A
Other?: N/A

Thermoregulation:
Same as Ancestor?: Y
Does It Fit Habitat?: Y
Reasonable changes (if any)?: N/A
Other?: N/A

Reproduction:
Same as Ancestor?: Y
Does It Fit Habitat?: Y
Reasonable changes (if any)?: N/A
Other?: N/A

Description:
Length?: Good
Capitalized correctly?: Y
Replace/Split from ancestor?: Split
Other?: N/A

Opinion: Approved

Done and ready for review

Here's a general outline for a Foundation group I'm working on for gen 149:

Yanisflora

Creator: MNIDJM
AncestorX: [[Vandriswoop]]<br>[[Ninjaswoop]]<br>[[Yenaptak]]<br>[[Yumerhing]]<br>[[Yotwis]]<br>[[Retigroenx]]<br>[[Pioneer Retigroenx]]<br>[[Potallotus]]<br>[[Lacrimuck]]<br>[[Thawgrass]]<br>[[Nibulb Thawgrass]]<br>[[Yellowgrass]]<br>[[Hairyllo]]<br>[[Gupongrass]]<br>[[Crownrunner]]
Habitat: Sagan 4 Global
Size: 2 - 50 cm
Support:
Diet: Photosynthesis
Thermoregulation: Ectothermic
Reproduction: Asexual, Detaching Cells, Regenerating; Asexual, Budding:

Most yanis are nominally terrestrial, growing within porous soil and water puddles. When the bulbs find suitable soil to grow in, they will begin growing until they reaches a hard surface which cannot be displaced, like a rock or gravel. When this happens, the support rods of the areal parts will break, and begin to transform into a kite-like structure, which will then fully separate from the bulb. This will allow them to be caught in the wind and spread, until it finds soil that can support them.

Yanis can be found in all viable biome of Barlowe and Dixon, with some species spreading as far south as Jaydoh and as far west as Trueteal. Their spread has also allowed the spread of some fauna that feed on them:

* The [[Migrating Capispine|migrating capispine]] dispersed out of the Ittiz Salt Bog back up the Ittiz riverway, out across the Nergali Polar Beach, and even out into the Nergali Polar Coast, making some small inroads into Maineiac Polar Beach.

* The [[Vandriswoop Shellworm|vandriswoop shellworm]] has also followed the diversifying species up the Ittiz waterway, as well as south, managing to make their way to the Ovi waterway, as well as the deserts, high deserts, and temperate beaches of southern Barlowe.

=Highlighted Species=

==Family Pillunaneae - "Swoops"==

* [[Vandriswoop]]
* [[Ninjaswoop]]
* [[Yenaptak]]
* [[Yumerhing]]
* [[Yotwis]]
* [[Retigroenx]]
* [[Pioneer Retigroenx]]
* [[Potallotus]]
* [[Lacrimuck]]

==Family Thawflora - "Thawgrasses"==

* [[Thawgrass]]
* [[Nibulb Thawgrass]]

==Family Agrostomimus- "Yellowgrasses"==

* [[Yellowgrass]]
* [[Hairyllo]]
* [[Gupongrass]]
* [[Crownrunner]

Yanisflora (Division: Vandruoria)

Creator: MNIDJM
AncestorX: [[Vandriswoop]]<br>[[Ninjaswoop]]<br>[[Yenaptak]]<br>[[Yumerhing]]<br>[[Yotwis]]<br>[[Retigroenx]]<br>[[Pioneer Retigroenx]]<br>[[Potallotus]]<br>[[Lacrimuck]]<br>[[Thawgrass]]<br>[[Nibulb Thawgrass]]<br>[[Yellowgrass]]<br>[[Hairyllo]]<br>[[Gupongrass]]<br>[[Crownrunner]]
Habitat: Sagan 4 Global
Size: 2 - 50 cm
Support: Cell Wall (Cellulose)
Diet: All: Photosynthesis; Pillunaneae: Filter-Feeding (Dark Octumoebium, Tiaran Octumoebium) ; Psychanthaceae: Chemivore (Sodium, Iron, Nitrogen)
Respiration:
Thermoregulation: Ectothermic
Reproduction: Asexual, Detaching Cells, Regenerating; Asexual, Budding

Most yanis are nominally terrestrial, growing within porous soil and water puddles. They will typically absorb moisture out of the air, creating small puddles where they can start to grow. When mature, these cells help the flora to catch water and drive it to the puddle. These puddles provide a home not just for themselves but for many other organisms to survive in there more unforgiving environments. When the bulbs find suitable soil to grow in, they will begin growing until they reaches a hard surface which cannot be displaced, like a rock or gravel. When this happens, the support rods of the aerial parts will break, and begin to transform into a kite-like structure, which will then fully separate from the bulb. This will allow them to be caught in the wind and spread, until it finds soil that can support them. While this is the baseline for the division, many branches have diversified into either more divergent habitats, or developed unique adaptations to the habitats they have found themselves in.

* The Pillunanaceae, while the most basal group, are also the only lineage with members to begin moving into subterranean environments. Those descended from the [[ninjaswoop]] can be found throught the cavesystems and watertable of Barlowe, and have developed filterfeeding abilities, digesting the octumoebiums found in the cavesystems which will grow in their puddles.

* The Myxosalpingaceae lineage is notable from the others with their replacement of the bulb with a germinating center that spreads in a chain along the ground. This lineage is one of the most globally widespread, being found on Maineiac, Barlowe, Dixon, Jaydoh, and even Fermi.

* The Psychanthaceae are notable for storing up chemicals throughout the year to generate exothermic reactions. These are then used in the winter to help generate heat when needed, preventing the flora from being damaged by frost.

* The Aurizingiberaceae superficially resemble Earth [[poaceae]] save for the yellowish-purple hue of their leaves due to large amounts of lutein, and have have developed a system of runners to allow for the flora to quickly spread on the ground, growing into large colonies

* The Pleagrostomineae are a diverse suborder that have evolved to be come either entirely aquatic or aquatic at various lifestages. They have adapted many forms of this, form marine species that float freely in the open oceans, to small lake living species that live calmly in the along the lakeshore.

Yanis can be found in all viable biome of Barlowe and Dixon, with some species spreading as far south as Jaydoh and as far west as Trueteal.

=Relationships with Other Species=

Their spread has also allowed the spread of some fauna that feed on them:

* The [[Migrating Capispine|migrating capispine]] dispersed out of the Ittiz Salt Bog back up the Ittiz riverway, back out across the Nergali Polar Beach. This abundant food source has allowed their populations to rebound, and can now regularly be seen in the coastal waters of Nergali. A small, bottlenecked population has even begun making some small inroads into Maineiac Polar Beach and the Maineiac river system, the product of a few crossings that occurred due to poor weather and more adventurous individuals. This population has adapted their migratory behaviors to this isolated environment, however many still attempt to cross back over to reproduce on Nergali beach, however many fail to make it

* The [[Vandriswoop Shellworm|vandriswoop shellworm]] has also followed the diversifying species up the Ittiz waterway, as well as south, managing to make their way to the Ovi waterway, as well as the deserts, high deserts, and temperate beaches of southern Barlowe.

* The [[irontangle]] followed the vandriswoops and relatives to spread with the diversifying species. They have spread in a similar manor to the vandriswoop shellworm, and can be found in every temperate environment of Barlowe capable of supporting a Yaniflora.

* The [[centilopeworm]] spread out from the Ittiz River region to their ancestral range. They can be found from the desert to the chaparral, however they were unable to establish themselves in the Ovi waterway due to the salt content.

* The [[Dark Octumoebium|dark octumoebium]] and the [[Tiaran Octumoebium|tiaran octumoebium]] have both spread to every subterranean environments of Barlowe, specifically the Barlowe Water Table and the Mandate Limestone Caves.

=Highlighted Species=

==Family Pillunanaceae - "Swoops"==

* [[Vandriswoop]]
* [[Ninjaswoop]]

==Family Myxosalpingaceae - "Retigroenxi" ==

* [[Retigroenx]]
* [[Pioneer Retigroenx]]

==Family Psychanthaceae - "Thawgrasses"==

* [[Thawgrass]]
* [[Nibulb Thawgrass]]

==Family Aurizingiberaceae- "Yellowgrasses"==

* [[Yellowgrass]]
* [[Hairyllo]]
* [[Gupongrass]]
* [[Crownrunner]

==Suborder- Pleagrostomineae - Yenaptaks==

* [[Yenaptak]]
* [[Yumerhing]]
* [[Yotwis]]
* [[Potallotus]]
* [[Lacrimuck]]

Made some minor ones

Thoughts?

QUOTE (colddigger @ Feb 27 2022, 11:58 PM)

I'm interested in a visual diagram of this, would it allow for a second set of jaws to be developed?

Hmm, that's a good question

Whorls (Rotoradia spp.)

Creator: MNIDJM
Ancestosr: [[Whorl]]
Habitat: Sagan 4 Global
Size: 1 cm - 10 cm Length
Support:
Diet: Planktivore
Thermoregulation: Ectothermic
Reproduction: Asexual Spores

The '''whorls''' have, since the Martykian Era, served a vital role at basal consumers of the open oceans, in a role similar to that of Earth jellyfish. Beginning in the depths of LadyM, they began to diversify in the wake of the Bloodian-Masonian boundary solar opening up niches lost with the freezing of the planet. While a few species have remained in the sunlit areas of the oceans, the largest diversity in species can be found in the deeper depths of the ocean, with the lack of competition from [[swarmers]] allowing whorls to be the primary planktivores, with only [[anipedes]] as competition. They prefer open ocean but can be found near sea beds and even swarming around vents.All whorls have at least four arms that are used to hold at least one set of feathery tentacles which each have hundreds of tiny stinging cells. These cells trap prey within them then absorb them within the feathery tentacles to eat.

No species have photoreceptors and they lack a central nervous processing system. Instead, they have a network of statocysts that connect to a network of nerves which help them detect their orientation and sense changes in pressure on their surface. With no way to directly sense prey, all whorls simply swim around against the current, collecting food in its tentacles. Movement is achieved using a large flagellum-like tail which wiggles in a corkscrew movement using primitive muscles. Their lack of photoreceptors also make detection of predators difficult. If they are able to detect predators their main adaptation for defense is simply to dart off in a burst of movement, however this burns through energy quickly. When this option isn't available each arm is covered in spiky hair-like setae which produce a nasty sting to anything that brush up against them. These help discourage predation on the whorls, with many species adapting varied applications of these defenses. Some species have evolved thicker spikes which act as thorns while others use detachable setae coated in silicates, which when in contact with skin will embed and release chemical that vary from simple irritants to neurotoxins.

=Integrated Species=

* [[Whorl]]

Reposting for Week 23

Approved

QUOTE (OviraptorFan @ Jan 15 2022, 11:29 PM)

So, any updates on the Purpleblades, the Saturntower, and the Duramboar situation?

All approved.

QUOTE (OviraptorFan @ Oct 20 2021, 08:39 PM)

QUOTE (Coolsteph @ Oct 8 2021, 12:52 AM) Here's the modified art. Permission to do a mild retocon for the Saturntower: "The roots do not branch unless they encounter water" seems very odd in its lack of exceptions. Permission to clarify: "roots appear not to branch unless they encounter water, but closer inspection reveals they do, in fact, branch: growing root diameter simply depends on the most direct paths to water available, and the roots accessing needed minerals are not as visible to the unaided eye." @MNIDJM and @Disgustedorite, do these changes look good enough to add to the wiki? They help clarify the digit number on the species and have the toe count of Duramceri make sense.

Yes