QUOTE (colddigger @ Apr 4 2023, 02:08 AM)

For size if you add that the numbers listed are regarding wingspan, then we can have a very small thing. Too bad everyone has generally agreed that wingspan is not a very good choice, just because of artistic issues, so one to five centimeters long should suffice. How big are its ancestors? I feel like these things should really be less than a centimeter honestly, maybe next round. Then again they're offspring are immediately flighted aren't they? I guess it's their offspring that will be filling in the role of very very small flying insect, that's an interesting thought.

https://sagan4alpha.miraheze.org/wiki/Dartirs
Size: 10-20 cm

I am not using a wingspan in length, that's 1-5 cm tip to tail.

Minibees are only 1-3 cm in length, so these are comparable to those.

Name: Thunderwing (Pterobrontus
Ancestor: Minizap
Creator: HethrJarrod
Habitat: Atmosphere (Troposphere), Ramul Subtropical Beach, Ramul Subtropical Mangal, Steiner Subtropial Archipelago Beaches, Steiner Subtropical Mangal, Steiner Tropical Archipelago Beaches, Steiner Tropical Rainforest Archipelago, Steiner Tropical Mangal, Steiner Tropical Rainforest
Size: 10 cm tall
Support: Endoskeleton (Lightweight Wood)
Diet: Carnivore (Minidartirs), Coprovore, Detritivore
Respiration: Passive (Diffusion)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Spawning)

The Thunderwing split from its ancestor, the Minizap and spread to the lands of Steiner to the southwest. It’s second digit has formed a membrane so that when it leaps after minidartirs flying overhead, it lands safely. But a thing began to happen as it leapt after the minidartirs. A shocking development, one could say.

The electricity that it produced ionized the air and pushed a wind over their membrane, a thing called ionic wind. Thunderwing were able to glide for long periods of time. The ionic wind doesn’t add much gliding time, but anything is better than zero.

When they see a Minidartir flying around, Thunderwings will leap off the surface, be it a rock or a tree limb, spread out their membrane, and start generating sparks. In addition to minidartirs, the thunderwing will eat the dung and other detritus. They can also share their food in the form of electrical zaps to help give another Minizap a boost of energy when in need. Other than that, the Thunderwing is like its ancestor.

Name: Rockshellion (Volubilis petris)
Ancestor: Rockshorian, Rockruiser
Habitat: Morokov Subpolar Beach, Morokov Subpolar Coast, Wind Polar Beach, Wind Polar Coast, Voyager Barrens Archipelago, Voyager Archipelago Polar Beach
Size: 1 m tall
Support: Endoskeleton (Chitin)
Diet: Omnivore (Mangal Shrubite, Candycane Bonegrass, Miniswarmers, Finback, Follower Gilltail, Gillarill, Nectascooter, Raq Urpoi, Seafin, Seamaster Seaswimmer, South Polar Shardgill, Southern Gillfin, Southern Strainerbeak, Speckled Pumpgill, Strainerbeak, Swarmerscooter)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Eggs)

The rockshorian and the rockkruiser interbred, resulting in the stockier rockshellion. The rockshellion split from their ancestors, spreading along the southern coast all the way to the Voyager archipelago. Along the southern coast they do not have to deal with too many predators. This allows the rockshellion to bury their eggs underneath the soil and go out to hunt while one of the parents stays nearby. The rockshellion can retract its head and fold up its legs, causing it to resemble a small boulder.

The shell of the rockshellion is less porous and weighs more than the shell of its ancestor, resulting in a lower squatting position. It has a hardened plate on its head, and has fewer nostrils. The rockshellion has a fleshy proboscis like its cousin, the bobbysoxer, which allows it to grab at its prey, which it detects with its whiskers and a proto-melon located underneath the head plate.

Supplemental image:


The breathing fan has also shrunk to hide under the shell. Extended, the breathing fan (along with the tail) camouflage as a bunch of larand sticking on the side of a rock.

Supplemental image:

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Apr 3 2023, 03:56 PM)

You are limited to 2 wips per generation. Do not post any more wips.

These are just because I don’t have access to the artwork /filegarden on my phone

Name: Minidartirs (Katanimusca spp.)
Creator: HethrJarrod
Ancestor: Dartirs
Habitat: Lamarck, Barlowe, Driftwoods Islands, Vonnegut, Fermi, Wallace, Steiner, Ramul, Koseman
Size: 1-5 cm long
Support: Exoskeleton (Chitin)
Diet: Detritivore, Scavenger, Coprophage
Respiration: Semi-Active (Unidirectional Tracheae)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual, Hermaphrodite, Metamorphosis(Eggs, Larvae, Adult)

The Minidartirs split off from their ancestors the dartirs. Originating from the Driftwood Islands and shrinking down to the size of only a few centimeters, they rapidly spread to other habitats via sea shrog nests. There they found a plentiful source of food in the form of sea shrog detritus. This allowed them to spread to many different regions. Because they are not able to keep warm at such a small size in colder temperatures, they have not yet been able to spread to subpolar, polar, or montane habitats. Like the terran housefly, the minidartirs are known disease spreaders, such as pestilences. The diseases hang on the abdominal hairs, and are carried from place to place.

Minidartirs land on a surface and use two forewings to stabilize themselves along with its frontal horn and tail stinger. Their most noticeable feature is the lack of an internal stomach. That is because they don’t need it. The adult form only has a few days to live and find a place to lay its eggs.

Unlike their ancestors, they mate whenever possible, laying their eggs within any sort of large amounts of rotting matter and die. The worm-like larvae hatch, feed on the decaying matter, then change into their adult forms. These adult forms only survive a few days. During the change to their adult form, their digestive systems atrophy. Reproductive systems take precedence, and the adults die, providing the young with more nutrients.

Name: Mangal Shrubite (Australocornus marinus)
Ancestor: Tidal Shrubite
Creator: HethrJarrod
Habitat: (type: polar, subpolar; flavor: Sunlight Zone, Coast, Mangal, Beach)
Spores (Subpolar South Jujubee Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Polar South Jujubee Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Mnid Subpolar Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Krakow Polar Shallow, Mnid Polar Ocean (Sunlight Zone)
Adult (Xeno Subpolar Coast, Colddigger Polar Coast, Raq Subpolar Coast, Badger Subpolar Coast, Wind Polar Coast, Morokor Subpolar Coast, Arctic Subpolar Coast, Yannick Polar Coast, Scifi Subpolar Coast, Nemo Subpolar Coast, Blocks Mangal, Vivus Subpolar Mangal, Bone Subpolar Mangal, Badger Subpolar Beach, East Morokor Subpolar Beach, West Morokor Subpolar Beach, Voyager Archipelago Polar Beach, Wind Polar Beach, Raq Subpolar Beach, Raq Archipelago Subpolar Beaches, Xeno Subpolar Beach, East Colddigger Polar Beach, West Colddigger Polar Beach, Arctic Subpolar Beach, Fermi Archipelago Beaches, Oofle Archipelago Subpolar Beaches, Oofle Subpolar Beach, Scifi Subpolar Beaches, Vonnegut Archipelago Subpolar Beaches, Vonnegut Subpolar Beach)
Size: 2.5 m tall
Support: Silica and calcium carbonate shell, Soft spongy center
Diet: Planktivore
Respiration: Passive (via pores on the top and bottom sections)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual: Haploid aquatic spores, Asexual: Budding

The mangal shrubite diverged from its ancestor, spreading to the southern polar and subpolar regions and establishing itself as the main flora of the subpolar and polar mangals in the southern regions of Sagan 4. Unlike its ancestors, it does not grow in as tight as a spiral. It does still spiral, but near imperceptibly.

The mangal shrubite has a soft spongy core surrounded by a shell of calcium carbonate. The spongy core exudes a sticky sap-like substance, ensnaring organisms and debris that drift onto the mangal shrubite’s shell. This substance is slowly drawn into the pores of the shrubite and whatever particles have been caught in it are digested by the core.

When one mangal shrubite's shell comes into contact with another, the point of contact between the two does not get renewed as quickly, and eventually the two shrubites merge as one. This phenomenon is known as inosculation, which occurs when two individual shrubite growing in close proximity become morphologically joined. Because of this mangal shrubites can form interesting shapes.

During the end-summer mating season, the haplospores are released from the tip of the mangal shrubite. Other mangal shrubites capture these spores with the sap and exchange genetic information. The spongy core starts to form a shell around the spore until they are covered by a small shell of calcium carbonate as well. The spore then breaks off the mangal shrubite and falls into the water. They do not usually become attached to their own parent stalk, due to a unique chemical signature, acting as a sort of teflon.


==Internal Structure==


Purple - Reproduction cell; located near the top
Orange - Shrubite Growth cell - creates new cells to grow the mangal shrubite
Yellow - Shrubite Heartwood - Basal Shrubite cell, provides support
Red - Consumer cells responsible for eating, they create the shell of the shrubite

Cloudkeeper Krugg (Pterigiocimex Aeolus)
Ancestor: Bristlekrugg
Creator: HethrJarrod
Habitat: Atmosphere (Troposphere)
Size: 10 mm wide (excluding bristles)
Support: Exoskeleton (Chitin)
Diet: Detrivore
Respiration: Passive Diffusion (Bristles)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Hemaphrodite, Snail-Like Eggs)

The Cloudkeeper Krugg took to the skies when a colony of Bristlekrugg stumbled onto a low floating Nimbus Cloud that had become entangled with some trees. A stiff wind freed the Nimbus Cloud and it rose into the sky along with the Bristlekrugg inside.

Relationship with the Nimbus

The cloudkeeper krugg has formed a symbiotic relationship with nimbuses of nimbus clouds. The nimbus’s long feathery fronds catch pollen and other tiny particles which interfere with their photosynthesis. The cloudkeeper krugg carefully clean these particles off of the nimbus and eat them.

A cloudkeeper krugg does not weigh much more than an individual nimbus. When a cloudkeeper dies, its body will be used to expand the size of the nimbus cloud. Both nimbuses and a dead cloudkeeper krugg have minute hooks at the ends of their fronds allowing them to attach to each other. Cloudkeepers constantly keep the bristles clean by grooming each other.

Cloudkeeper Krugg Society

Cloudkeeper kruggs live in groups called marches, led by a Cloudkeeper marchess, a female matriarch. On earth a march was the term used to describe a border territory or frontier. The person that ruled over a march was called a marquis, or if female, a marchessa. A nimbus cloud usually has between 2-3 marches residing within it. Each cloudkeeper march contains roughly 100-200 members. The marchess is the colony’s primary breeder, similar to a terran ant queen. When a cloudkeeper dies, its body will be used to expand the nimbus cloud in which the cloudkeeper march resides.

The cloudkeeper marchess is most recognized by its enlarged posterior segment, used to store the nutrients required for reproduction. She is practically sewn into the nimbus cloud by the hooks on her fronds. The other cloudkeeper kruggs bring her food. Once an egg is produced, a Cloudkeeper attendant will carry the egg until it hatches in a few hours. Because the numbers of cloudkeepers are low, in order to keep weight low, cloudkeepers don’t form caste groups, but can be divided into different tasks they might be performing at the moment.

Attendant cloudkeepers carry around eggs in their fronds until a few hours later they hatch. Cleaner cloudkeepers crawl along the fronds of the nimbuses that make up the nimbus cloud, bringing the food and water back to the marchess. Other cleaner cloudkeepers clean off debris from fellow cloudkeepers and do the same. They share food with each other if the marchess is fed.

==Starting a Colony==
Marches keep close track of their population, if it gets over 200 members, the marchessa will give birth to a new marchessa to prepare. The colony will even divide in two and form a new march. If it grows even more, it start to form a new seed cloud by carefully unhooking the nimbus of a part of the nimbus cloud. This new section will drift away from the old cloud along with at least 5-10 Cloudkeepers.
If the number of cloudkeepers are low, they share genetic material with the Marchessa, exchanging it via their mouths.
In the event of a marchessa’s sudden death, the most recently hatched egg becomes the new marchessa. This is in part due to the chemical influence of the Marchessa preventing the workers from becoming a marchessa.

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Mar 31 2023, 11:40 PM)

> Major predators above 1m in size have a 50% chance of going extinct. That's the only extinction criteria? that would make it the least deadly mass extinction lol

I figure anything big and predator would probably get hunted down. Should the % be higher then, like 90-100%?

Actually not a bad idea imo for extinction event.

All the impact of a sophont species but none of the hassle evolving it.

As Generation 167 is about to begin, an unexpected visitor arrives in the skies of Sagan 4. Aliens have come to Sagan 4.

Major predators above 1m in size have a 50% chance of going extinct.

Size changes can be doubled. (A 2x normal boost becomes a 4x boost)
Atavism genes can now reach ancestors ancestor regardless of # of generations


Hybrid species between unrelated macroscopic organisms, because of the alien experiments, are much more likely to occur for this Gen only.

Hybrid flora species slots 0/10 filled
Hybrid Fauna species slots. 0/5 filled
Microscopic Life has spread to Mason by these aliens.
Revived Life: A species previously thought extinct has been brought back to life.
0/5 slots filled

Luckily the invaders will move on at the end of this Generation, But their impact will be felt for millions of years to come.

Oh, and by the way,

April Fools

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Mar 29 2023, 01:37 PM)

"Dormant Spores (Worldwide ocean)" This is not a valid biome to put a species in.

Fixed. Just Otter Vents now.

From ancestor: Siliconitrifiers

“With the rise of Nitromethanians, which produced abundant methane, the Siliconitrifiers also arose to make use of this abundant methane source for their silicone resin coatings. They were swiftly exposed to the ammonia which was also produced by the Nitromethanians, and in response they became nitrifiers—using some of the oxygen they produce to oxidize ammonia into nitrite. This has resulted in them having less leftover oxygen to form their silicone resin coating, but as they live in oxygen-poor environments with comparatively few predators this is not an issue. Like their ancestor, they have specialized organelles for processing silicon and creating silicon compounds, and they enter a dormant cyst form when no methane is available.”

• Because of the Nitromethanians, their ancestor used this methane produced for their resin. Excess oxygen was used to turn ammonia into nitrite. They go dormant in a low methane environment.

A codependence. It’s like… instead of sitting down for a meal at the Café Methané, this organism hires one of the cooks as their personal chef.
1) Can produce nitrite easier, instead of having to look for ammonium, it’d be right there
2) Nitromethanians are provided with a low oxygen environment they require

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Mar 28 2023, 10:09 PM)

With the removal of plains and addition of beaches, this could be salvaged as a plausible descendant of coastwoodufo, which is a slightly smaller but very similar ophrey species that's already coastal and lives in the north Darwin subtropics (which border the temperate regions).

Switched Plains to Beaches.
And changed to correct ancestor.
And since the jaw thing wasn’t going to work, removed it

QUOTE (Cube67 @ Mar 28 2023, 09:12 AM)

QUOTE   Please do not make organisms that fill half the nitrogen cycle on their own. Is the implication that it should only make ammonia and not go onto the next step? Is there any particular reason why organisms that fill more than one nitrogen cycle step are problematic?

I figure it would not be energy production to do the WHOLE thing

but using organelles to convert N2 to ammonia and then processing that ammonia into nitrite should be ok.

Anything MORE than that would be a bit crazy.

I have a hard time telling what thing was atavised as well

Alpha Nominations

1. Swamp Beans https://sagan4alpha.miraheze.org/wiki/Swamp_Beans
by BioCat

2. River Bubbleweed https://sagan4alpha.miraheze.org/wiki/River_Bubbleweed
by Hydromancer

Beta Nominations

1. Siliconitrifiers https://sagan4beta.miraheze.org/wiki/Siliconitrifiers
by DisgustedDorite

2. Denitrifying Detritis https://sagan4beta.miraheze.org/wiki/Denitrifying_Detritis
by DisgustedDorite

Revised for conciseness and readability...

Changed how ancestor was listed.
Took into account ideas about process

QUOTE (colddigger @ Mar 23 2023, 09:23 PM)

If it has not already been mentioned in the description, I would suggest just clarifying that the inside chamber where the free floating thermoplasts are located is quite well sealed from the outside to prevent infections or foreign bodies from getting in. I would also consider stating explicitly a means for thermoplasts to enter that chamber, for example having cells that reach a certain age and then there mitochondria shift in structure to form thermoplasts, this could be achieved by mitochondria just kind of breaking down into smaller objects that then are freely released into the cavity upon the cell's death. Alternatively just having a particular cast that buds off of the main layers and fairly immediately dies after forming thermoplasts in order to release them into the central cavity. Both of these allow for greater cell diversity in The colony kind of comparable to blue green algae. Although if you just wanted the cells to release the thermoplasts into the cavity on their own, without any particular caste system, should be able to work.. Just two thoughts on it, The concept itself doesn't have anything wrong with it from as far as I can tell, if someone wants to do a review on the submission that would be cool.

Made adjustments.
Mentioned cave systems as sealed off. (Other than the nutrients from vents of course)

And mentioned the mitochondria becoming free-floating thermoplasts on the cell’s death.

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Mar 21 2023, 12:51 PM)

They need to breathe.

But like could it have the top lungs/nostrils for breathing and bottom lungs/nostrils for vocalization

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Mar 22 2023, 10:05 AM)

Genus groups need a region range, not biomes.

How does that work with neglected biomes?

Otherwise, I’m good with Glicker, Barlowe, Beaches and Wetlands
If those are ok

Not sure the size is possible. IIRC, max size gain is 4x for fauna
putting it instead at 80 cm, not 1m.

I could be wrong though.

Siliballs (Nitromethanosiliconium spp.)
Creator: HethrJarrod
Ancestor: Siliconitrifiers, Nitromethanians
Habitat: World Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Beaches, Wetlands
Size: 120 um individual cell
Support: Cytoskeleton
Diet: Photosynthesis, Nitrification, Geophage, Detritivore
Respiration: Passive Diffusion
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Binary Fission, Auxospores

Some of the Siliconitrifiers absorbed nearby Nitromethanians, transforming them into cellular endosymbiotes and grew an astounding eightfold due to the increase in energy. These became the Siliballs They still utilize photosynthesis to break up silicon dioxide which it takes in from quartz in the sediment; it uses this in combination with carbon, oxygen, and other materials (including methane) to produce various forms of silicone. Absorbing the Nitromethanians has allowed them the energy to make a silicone membrane that prevents them from drying out when they wash up onto the Glicker Tropical Beach. This membrane also serves to help create the low oxygen environment the nitromethanian organelles need. If the membrane does dry out, the Siliball will pop, releasing a small cloud of auxospores.

Because of their shape, they are usually able to roll back into water, their membrane picking up sand and silica dioxide for it to use. The Nitromethanians absorb atmospheric and dissolved nitrogen, and create ammonia. The Siliballs then use this ammonia and create nitrite waste products that it spreads as it rolls.

Because of its small size, it can easily be pushed by the wind quite long distances. They can also be found floating with the ocean currents.

Varieties you might see along their habitat:
Cylindrical, Fusiform, and Spheroid

Fixed some of the artwork to reflect discord discussion

QUOTE (Cube67 @ Mar 15 2023, 10:37 AM)

Haven’t read this all yet, but I’ll transfer some of my earlier thoughts here: I think there’s a feature you should mention: lateral mandible serrations. They’re present on the corpse spardi, and should probably be present here too given the parasitic lifestyle (mosquitos have serrated mouthparts). They could (and should) be microscopic; I’m not asking for any kind of redesign. I’m curious as to why the ear of the middle species seems to be the same color as the blood it’s drinking. Is it coincidence? Is it meant to be flushed with blood? Does it serve a function to the organism? What’s the little red scribble below the mouth on the middle one?

The microscopic serrations are mentioned. ✅

Their diet does have a small influence on their pigmentation. It’s Most noticeable on their ears. As far as I know of, no function, except maybe to tell the species apart.
The red of the middle one is its tongue.

Name: Blood Spardis (Spardisanguinus spp.)
Creator: HethrJarrod
Ancestor: Corpse Spardi
Habitat: Darwin, Glicker
Size: 4-6 cm long
Support: Endoskeleton (Bone)
Diet: Sanguinovore, Scavenger
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Heterotherm (Basking, Muscle-Generated Heat)
Reproduction: Sexual (male and female, live birth)

The Blood Spardis split from their ancestor, the Corpse Spardi, specializing in the consumption of blood.

It is primarily nocturnal, feeding during the night and low-light times of the day. Otherwise they will roost in caves, trees, hollow logs, or any other dark place they are able to find. Large groups of them have made a home in the Ferret Anchialine and Rabid Lava Tube Caves. They will often hang upside down, holding onto a stalactite or tree branch with their tail and raptoral arm for support.

Like its relative, the Spearing Spardi, it has two long lateral mandibles. On the Blood Spardi, these mandibles have tiny, microscopic serrations. When feeding, the Blood Spardi will land on prey, and use their mandibles to puncture a wound. They then fold up the mandibles, and suck up the blood. Once full, the Blood Spardi flies away. Most of the time, the prey hardly realizes that they had been fed upon.

Their mating method is the same as the Corpse Spardi.


Supplementary image(s):
Closed mouth:

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