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Cloudbubble Cryoutine (Hydroutine nimbus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Cryoutines
Habitat: Atmosphere (Troposphere), Atmosphere (Stratosphere)
Size: 5 micrometers long
Diet: Facultative Heterotroph ([[Cloudbubble]] sugars), Obligate Autotroph (Water -> Hydrogen and Oxygen)
Reproduction: Asexual Seeds, Binary Fission

The '''Cloudbubble Cryoutine''' is an unusual cryoutine typically found in the atmosphere. Rather than forming symbiosis with glass flora, it is primarily found in clouds and [[Cloudbubble]]s. It produces energy by breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen and it shares some of that with its host, like its ancestor, but the main benefit it gives to the Cloudbubble is hydrogen. The Cloudbubble uses the hydrogen to fly, giving the Cloudbubble Cryoutine some sugar produced during photosynthesis in exchange. In its free-living state, the Cloudbubble Cryoutine moves through the air with its greatly elongated flagella.

When not inside its symbiote, the Cloudbubble Cryoutine is primarily found inside clouds, which are a vast source of water. It can survive being turned into rain or snow; when this happens, or when its cloud dissipates, it enters a dormant seed-like phase until the wind picks it up and it enters a cloud again. Its dormant phase is aeroplanktonic and returns to normal once it enters a cloud. It has also regained the ability to reproduce through binary fission, and will do so every 10-20 minutes. It no longer produces seeds at all, only shifting between the dormant seed-like phase and a normal cell as needed to survive.

Loafpick (Laceratiosmilus probus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Ringtail Loafshell
Habitat: Drake Boreal, Drake Rocky, Drake Polar Scrub, Drake Taiga, Drake Alpine
Size: 60 cm long
Diet: Carnivore (Xenobees, Xenowasps, Vermees, Minikruggs, Silkruggs, Sapworms)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Ovoviviparous)

The Loafpick split from its ancestor. It has shifted its focus entirely to small fauna as food, and as such it has lost its venom and no longer hunts in packs. It engages in more advanced parental care, feeding its larvae regurgitated food rather than dropping them off near carcasses. It has gained additional armor on its back as a defense against predators. Larvae can roll into defensive balls, but adults can only assume a partial defensive curl due to their legs being in the way. It uses its mobile fangs to pick apart nests so it can feed using its long sticky tongue. It will climb flora to do this, allowing it to consume arboreal creatures such as Xenobees. It will also pick at the soil to dig up burrowing creatures such as Vermees, and it can snatch other small fauna it finds crawling around with its long tongue to supplement its diet. It will especially do this in the more open parts of its range, particularly the alpine and polar scrub. It climbs using its feet and mobile fangs together, similar to some Terran birds.

The Loafpick is more intelligent than its ancestor. This is a consequence of its semi-arboreal habits and the need for problem-solving ability to access food. It has developed primitive tool use, being able to grip sticks and bones between its fangs to poke at nests it would not be able to reach otherwise. The part of its brain responsible for processing echos is greatly enlarged, as are its ears. This allows it to detect not only the external shapes of objects but also part of the interior, allowing it to determine if a nest is occupied and detect burrowing fauna as deep as 30 cm underground. Its brain is located beneath its largest shell, the “sauce”.

Despite no longer hunting in packs, the Loafpick remains a social creature. As a result of the increased complexity of its echolocation, its ability to create and distinguish complex calls has also increased. Though it has nothing quite resembling a true language, it can mimic the sounds that reflect off of specific objects, allowing for “discussion” of creatures and objects found in its environment. This ability is similar to that of Terran cetaceans, and it can use these sounds to warn its social group of specific predators being nearby. Different social groups have different dialects, where the three-dimensional shape “described” may be stylized or simplified in a variety of ways rather than being an exact realistic match to the object it was originally based on. Loafpick social groups are matriarchal, though rather than using inefficient alphas there is simply a small selection of females which are the leaders and get first pick of the males. Though higher up the social hierarchy is rather strict, lower-ranking members generally care less about hierarchy amongst themselves, though they still respect those above them. Within each rank, the females are generally considered above the males in the same rank, but not above males in higher ranks. The exact rank structure varies regionally and over time, though usually a given Loafpick can climb or drop in rank depending on its behavior and contribution to the group.

The Loafpick is ovoviviparous, like its ancestor. The eggshells have lost any actual protective features, being more like simple membranes, and as such it is actually incapable of laying unhatched eggs that can survive even if induced to lay artificially. Their small brown legless babies lack the ability to echolocate effectively and must be fed by their parents. Babies are raised communally by similar-ranked Loafpicks in the same social group as one another. When mating occurs between ranks, the rank of newly born offspring is inherited from their mother.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 24 2020, 08:54 PM

Bangsticks (Artillaflora badabang)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Boomsticks
Habitat: Hydro Tropical Beach, BigL Tropical Beach, Chum Tropical Beach, Jlindy Tropical Beach, King Tropical Beach, Oz Temperate Beach, Clarke Temperate Beach, Dass Temperate Beach, Elerd Temperate Beach, Fermi Temperate Beach, Wind Temperate Beach, Ramul Temperate Beach, Soma Temperate Beach, Maineiac Temperate Beach, Dixon Dunes, Fermi Desert, Dixon-Darwin Desert, Maineiac Desert, Darwin Plains, Drake Plains, Darwin Savanna, Dixon Savanna; Seeds and Spores: Atmosphere (Troposphere)
Size: 2 meters tall
Diet: Photosynthesis
Reproduction: Sexual (Hermaphrodite, Airborne Spores, Projectile Seeds)

Despite rising sea levels and sinking islands, a population of Boomsticks just narrowly avoided extinction and managed to continue their evolution. Bangsticks replaced their ancestor and developed sexual reproduction. They are hermaphrodites and have distinct male and female stems. The male stems fire spores into the air, and they eventually land in and fertilize a female stem which soon fires its seeds. Its seeds are contained in a larger casing which explodes in midair, sending seed “shrapnel” flying in all directions. The firing of the seed makes a “boom” sound while the seed casing exploding creates more of a “bang”, so when a Bangstick fires its seeds one might hear “boom boom boom boom, bang bang bang bang”. Its seeds are borderline microscopic and easily picked up by wind, and thus it has spread far and wide and contributes to aeroplankton in the lower atmosphere.

Derived from a desert species and relying on wind distribution, the Bangsticks are not suited to survive in especially moist habitats with a lot of tree cover. As a result, they are most commonly found in beach, desert, and steppe environments. Their seeds can and do land and grow in other habitats, as is to be expected from aeroplankton with no control over where the wind takes them, but those rarely reach adulthood due to overwatering or competition with larger flora. In cases where they might land in a montane environment, they might be able to successfully grow to full size, but they are unable to reproduce if the environment around them prevents them from heating up their combustion chambers.

Like other seed-shooting cryoflora, the Bangsticks make use of combustion of hydrogen and oxygen produced by its endosymbiotic cryoutines to fire seeds and spores into the air. When it comes time to fire its seeds or spores, flesh covering a chitin lens dies to expose it, causing light to be focused hard enough to create a spark. The explosion of the seed-filled “bullet” is unrelated. The fleshy bottom of the bullet is tightly bound, and when launched into the air it pops into a different shape shortly afterwards, creating a powerful but more biological explosive force which shatters the rest of the bullet and distributes the seeds.

In order to thrive in warm sunny environments, the Bangsticks have made the rather unprecedented adaptation to lose all of the lens-like structures of most of the cells of its chitinous exterior. This was an easy mutation, only a matter of the lens shape-encoding genes malfunctioning, and it’s baffling that such a thing never evolved beforehand. Instead, its exterior is structured very similar to crystal flora with more facets, as almost every single lens is replaced with a flat hexagonal face. The only lens left intact is the one responsible for focusing light for combustion in each stem.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 25 2020, 09:16 PM

Scalescooter (Scootypuffjr pineispellis)
Creator: Nergali
Ancestor: Shockscooter
Habitat: Adult: Soma Temperate Beach, Drake Chaparral, Drake Plains, Drake High Grassland; Juveniles: Soma Temperate Coast
Size: 8.4 cm long
Diet: Adult: Coprophagic; Juveniles: Planktivore
Reproduction: Sexual, Two Genders, Live Birth

Juvenile Shockscooters thrive in the shallow, warm waters that abound within the tide pools that dot the beaches of Ramul Island. When the time eventually comes and the cusp of maturity is upon them, they will leave these aquatic sanctuaries and take to the land. On occasionally, though, a particularly strong wave may drag a few away from these tiny pools. Most of these end up in the open ocean, where they swiftly perish. A few, however, carried on a current, will make their way across the straight to the larger Drake Island. In a new environment, rich in life and large fauna, the Shockscooters found themselves needing to adapt. While the potential for finding food had greatly increased, so too had the threat of predation.

The most prominent of these evolutionary adaptations, and the one for which they are named after, are their wooden scales. While many descendants of plents have evolved wooden armor, this adaptation has only ever been truly effective when dealing with other plents, as the material simply isn't hard or durable enough to deal with the stronger teeth of carpozoans and the like. To get around this, the Scalescooter has taken this defense down a different route. The scales are only loosely attached, and can be regrown quick quickly along with whatever portion of skin was torn off with them. As such, should a predator attempt to bite down on one of these creatures, all they will wind up with is a mouthful of wooden scales while the target of their hunger makes a speedy escape.

The scales also serve a secondary function. Due to their deep purple coloration, they resemble the needle-like leaves of Brickbark Ferine and Wafflebark Ferine. As such, Scalescooters can often hide amongst the fallen leaf litter that covers most of the southern part of Drake Island, free to gorge themselves upon the dung and pellets of other, larger fauna at their own pleasure.

Another prominent adaptation is their larger, padded feet. Because the local terrain is much rougher and littered with bits of potentially sharp debris, these feet allow them to move comfortably about. A single, delicate toe-like structure has formed. While it lacks bone, it is packed with sensory cells, allowing the Scalescooter to determine if what it is walking upon is potentially dangerous, thus helping them to avoid damage. This is useful, as cuts and scrapes can give rise to infections, which in turn can lead to sickness, crippling, and/or death. Avoiding this is thus preferable, as one would expect.

While the Scalescooters tend to live further inland, they will return to the beach once a year towards the end of summer, just like their ancestors did. During this time males and females will attempt to communicate with one another, sparking little jolts of electricity between their spines, in order to find a suitable mate. Once they have done so, they will then find a nearby secluded tide pool to reproduce within. The females will go first, wading in and laying their eggs, after which the males will follow and begin to fertilize them. Following this, both parents will show no further care to the offspring and will wander off into the forested plains. They no longer die after mating, and can instead potentially mate up to three or four more times, should they manage to avoid predation and instead die at the ripe old of five years. Because of this, corpses are no longer left to potentially pollute the waters their offspring will hatch in, which also helps to remove a tasty meal few scavengers would ignore.

This post has been edited by Nergali: Jul 26 2020, 06:13 PM

Minizap (Miniscooty tonitrua)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Shockscooter
Habitat: Ramul Temperate Beach, Ramul Temperate Woodland
Size: 1.6 cm tall
Diet: Coprovore, Detritivore
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Spawning)

The Minizap split from its ancestor and moved inland, becoming fully terrestrial. It became very small due to island dwarfism. In order to retain good eyesight at its smaller size, its eye is dramatically enlarged and the pupil has split in two. It has developed a pair of tympanic ears on its cheeks, which are supported by an internal ring of vibration-sensitive cellulose and allow it to detect sound. Like its ancestor, it communicates using electrical arcs between its spikes, but now in addition to the visual it also communicates using the crackle and pop sounds they make. It has highly developed legs, allowing it to move swiftly despite its tiny size to evade dangers such as predators or even mere stomping feet.

Like its ancestor, the Minizap eats dung. In the relatively moist temperate woodland environment, dung is more readily available, which in combination with its smaller size means there is more food to go around for its kind. It will consume the dung of any fauna in its environment, and if dung is not available it will instead consume detritus. Because of how much more food there is in proportion to its size, it is highly social and fights are rare except over mates. The air can sometimes be filled with the chorus of Minizaps crackling and popping.

Like its ancestor, the Minizap reproduces by spawning. It does not need to return to the sea to do this, as pools of water created by rain are sufficient. Indeed, unlike its ancestor it does not need to return to the water at all; as long as it is moist, it can use its throat sac as a sort of lung. Its body actively moisturizes the inside to support this. It breathes through its mouth, as it lacks nostrils. It still needs to stay moist and drink plenty of water, but this is hardly an issue as its native habitat is far wetter than what its ancestor originally evolved in. Over the winter, it buries itself under leaf litter to hibernate, much like a Terran frog. Due to its small size, it can breed much faster than its ancestor did, and as such does not die after mating. Its active, non-hibernation period is the same one in which it breeds.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 27 2020, 10:49 AM

Crystal Rupeegrass (Crystalloherba mollis)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Creeping Crystal
Habitat: Dixon-Darwin Boreal, Darwin Temperate Woodland, Vivus Boreal, Vuvus Alpine, Darwin Alpine, North Dixon Alpine, South Dixon Alpine, Dixon-Darwin Rocky, Dixon Temperate Rainforest, Darwin Temperate Rainforest, Vivus Rocky, Vivus Temperate Rainforest, Darwin Chaparral, Verserus Alpine
Size: 35 cm tall (individual), variable colony width
Diet: Photosynthesis, Detritivore
Reproduction: Sexual (Subterranean Waterborne Spores), Asexual (Budding)

The Crystal Swordgrass split from its ancestor. To avoid Muller’s Ratchet, it re-developed spores. Its spores lack cellulosebane and are spread underground from its roots through rain and snowmelt, much like the Crystal Peridot of another time and place. It forms colonial grass-like clusters. As a defense against predation, it is a fast grower, sacrificing some of its hardy crystal nature for outgrowing predation and competition. Its crystal leaves are not as soft as a terran mushroom, but they are still more bendy rather than stiff. This causes it to call back to the Crystal Rootgrass, to which it is only distantly related. Its root structure is entirely underground to protect it from herbivores, and it spreads far and wide to consume detritus and bud new individuals. Its long-distance budding capabilities allow it to quickly take advantage of clearings in the less open parts of its habitat.

The Crystal Swordgrass has developed a flattened rupee-like shape to its crystal leaves. This increases their surface area for photosynthesis in proportion to their volume and contributes to its ability to grow quickly. Though it faces competition for its niche from other flora, many of its competitors are purple and therefore use different colors for photosynthesis, so it easily coexists with them. The leaves consistently grow so that their flat surfaces face the rising and setting sun. Individual crystals do not last long, so as the sun’s position shifts with the seasons they too consistently shift their growth.

Being a mixotroph, the Crystal Swordgrass is able to thrive for extended periods of time without sunlight. This allows it to survive under snow and grow leaves the moment there is light available. Each leaf technically represents a single individual, with the mycelium connecting the leaves technically being a colony which shares nutrients. It is the dominant flora in many of the alpine habitats, and it can break up rock and contributes to soil formation.

--

Is this too much of a jump? They seemed like plausible developments for a crystal being preyed on over a short time period, but the visual difference is pretty distinct.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 26 2020, 05:58 PM

Brighteyes (Ornitherium micoculum)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Hearthead
Habitat: Dixon-Darwin Boreal, Darwin Temperate Woodland, Vivus Boreal, Vivus Alpine, Darwin Alpine, North Dixon Alpine, South Dixon Alpine, Dixon-Darwin Rocky, Dixon Temperate Rainforest, Darwin Temperate Rainforest, Vivus Rocky, Vivus Temperate Rainforest, Darwin Chaparral, Verserus Alpine
Size: 80 cm long
Diet: Omnivore ([[Hikahoe]], [[Neuks]], [[Neoshrew]], [[Scrambled Shrew]], [[Chasing Twintail]], [[Swiftsnapper]], [[Barkback]], [[Proto-Uksoar]], [[Spineless Toadtuga]], [[River Hikahoe]], [[Shrubrattus]], [[Montemsnapper]], [[Nectarsnapper]], [[Phouka]], [[Regal Sphinx]], [[Vivusian Barkback]], [[Fat Lizatokage]], [[Dracisketter]], [[Exoskelesor]], [[Jongfoll]], [[Burrsnapper]], [[Snaialowe]], [[Kehaida]], [[Spotted Sauceback]], [[Buttpiper]], [[Dusty Spelunkhoe]], [[Soaring Phlyer]], [[Handlicker Dundi]], [[Cryobowls]], [[Glaalgaes]], [[Crystal Swordgrass]], [[Olshkra]], [[Osziza]], [[Dixon Olshkra]], [[Grovecrystal]], [[Pagoda Crystal]], [[Woodland Grovecrystal]], [[Crystal Brambley]], [[Crystalpine]], [[Capped Brystal]], [[Fruiting Grovecrystal]], [[Hydrabowl]], [[Hanging Olshkra]], [[Wave Gigarystal]], [[Sheltered Pagoda]], [[Belay Crystalroot]], [[Flattened Gigarystal]], [[Signpost Crystamboo]])
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Bird-Like Eggs)

The '''Brighteyes''' split from its ancestor. It has developed more complex feathers down its legs, which are specially designed to allow it to run up trees and mountainous inclines by spreading out and flapping beneath it. The feathers themselves are what flaps while it does this, as they are highly mobile and it certainly can't run and flap its legs at the same time. It cannot run straight up like a terran maniraptor, but it can run up much steeper slopes than other saucebacks. This has allowed it to develop somewhat arboreal habits, where it carries food up trees or leaps down from them to catch prey. In environments without trees, it will do the same with rocks and cliffs. Its new hunting method mainly consists of finding a high perch, such as a tree or rock, and leaping off of it after the potential meal. It will glide a great distance, maintaining high speed with little energy, and if it does not land on top of its prey it will start to “run” in midair to parachute into a landing, allowing it to still be at a sprinting pace to close the distance. It will also glide, and enter a sprint from a glide, to escape predators. Though less common, if it has no good place to glide from it can also glide a short distance from a leap. As a smaller creature, it generally tends to hunt smaller prey than its ancestor did. It also consumes crystal and glass flora, making short work of their chitinous exteriors with its strong jaws.

The Brighteyes is named for the shiny appearance of its so-called “eyestrils”. As there was no way to develop a lens without closing off its scenting capability, it took a completely different approach to improving its eyesight. The back of each eyestril is reflective and directs the light towards a light-sensitive patch in the front, and direct stretching and squashing of the entire eyestril allows it to focus as though it were a lens. The eyestrils are held in a spherical shape by cartilaginous internal support, helping them return to shape after being stretched and squashed so much. This particular eye anatomy is not usually great for image-forming, but the redundancy makes its eyesight just as good as any creature with just two camera eyes. As its eyestrils are prone to dust, debris, and the occasional small fauna getting caught inside them, they are automatically cleaned by a clear, salty tear-like substance. It removes tears from its eyes by shaking its head like a Terran dog, creating a centrifugal force that forces them out of the pupils. It is able to see in color, unlike its ancestor, which gives it a notable edge over other Saucebacks which don’t know light, let alone color, even exists. The primary colors it can see include red, green, blue, and six additional colors in the ultraviolet spectrum which are invisible to our eyes. This in turn means its eyesight also detects over 700 distinct mixed colors, including a great number of colors which are invented by its brain similar to magenta in the Terran human. As is the case in its ancestor, air enters through the eyestrils' "pupils". The stretching and squashing of the eyestril has also taken over as the primary method of pushing out old air.

With eyesight this robust, the Brighteyes has done the unthinkable--it has begun to lose its echolocation ability. It is not completely incapable of using echolocation--rather, it cannot use it effectively anymore without some assistance from its eyesight. In low light conditions, especially around dawn and dusk, it actually still uses echolocation to supplement its eyesight. With little need for it otherwise, however, it may only be a matter of time before it loses its echolocation completely.

Like its ancestor, the Brighteyes is not a pack hunter but does nest with others in its social group. Occasionally, in desperate times, several individuals may group together to take down larger prey. Using its eyes for sight allows it to avoid giving away its nest location to the [[Opportunity Shrew]] where their ranges overlap. It incubates its eggs and larvae using the feathers on its legs to keep them warm. Its larvae are helpless and worm-like, lacking legs or feathers, and have to be fed regurgitated food early in their lives.

Notably, the Brighteyes has driven the [[Proto-Uksoar]] to extinction in their overlapping range. They competed for some of the same prey, the Brighteyes also fed on the Proto-Uksoar, and warm-blooded organisms tend to outcompete cold-blooded ones in similar niches. Though their niche was far from identical, the Proto-Uksoar could not handle the pressure and predation, which contributed to its range shrinking down. The Proto-Uksoar is now only present in the tropical woodlands and rainforests. Though the Brighteyes also competes with other local saucebacks for prey, it has not outcompeted them due to the other saucebacks also being warm-blooded and the Brighteyes being an omnivore.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 26 2020, 09:26 PM

Terrorfang Hafgufa (Hafgufa dorite)
Creator: Nergali
Ancestor: Cruelfang Hafgufa
Habitat: Adult: North Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Jujubee Ocean (Twilight Zone), Soma Temperate Coast, Oz Temperate Coast, Maineiac Temperate Coast; Juvenile: Jujubee Tropical Ocean (Sunlight Zone), South Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Jlindy Tropical Coast, BigL Tropical Coast, King Tropical Coast, Clark Temperate Coast, Chum Tropical Coast, Elerd Temperate Coast, Wind Temperate Coast, Dass Temperate Coast, Hydro Tropical Coast
Size: 16.4 m long
Diet: Adult: Carnivore (Lurking Lyngbakr, Delving Lyngbakr, Viridimaw Lyngbakr, Umbrascale Lyngbakr, Nonessie, Plesican), Scavenger; Juvenile: (Tethyssie, Ocean Scorpodile, Caraclaw, Outtablue Scylarian, Flumpus, Aqueryn, Aabaalki, Seashrog), Scavenger
Reproduction: Sexual, Live Birth, Two Genders

Splitting from its ancestor, the Terrorfang Hafgufa has begun the process of taking to more tropical waters of the equator. Because large prey is not as common yearlong within these warmer locals, the species as a whole has shrunken in size in order to better exploit the various local species. While adults stick to more northern waters, their offspring tend to instead migrate southwards where similarly sized prey is much more common. While their ancestors were fairly solitary predators, this species is quite the opposite. Forming small packs of two to seven members - referred to as squads - they hunt down larger and smaller prey alike, swarming them as they tear bloody gashes into their flanks before pulling back to wait from afar. With enough time, these wounds will prove fatal as they lead to shock from both pain and blood loss, before inevitably causing the target to bleed out. Once this has occurred, they will approach the dead or dying target and begin to feast, gorging themselves until their bellies are full.

The Terrorfang Hafgufa has undergone several evolutionary adaptations, the most prominent of which is the evolution of a lunate tail structure. Such a design allows for greatly increased acceleration in the open water, which in turn allows this species to hunt prey much more effectively. While maneuverability can be an issue, it is less so due to the majority of their prey items being fairly large, bulky, and not particularly agile. This proves especially true for the immense species of Lyngbakrs that inhabit the sea of Sagan IV. Squads of Terrrorfang Hafgufa will use their speed and numbers in order to separate older, sicklier members of Lyngbakr pods so that they may hunt them without interference from the rest of their kin.

Mating occurs towards the end of summer, with the resulting pups - typically one to three in number - being born towards the start of spring. These juveniles are shown no parental care, and thus they eventually make their way south where there is a greater abundance of smaller prey for them to feast upon. As they are typically already two to three meters in length at birth, they are capable of hunting some of the larger prey items in region.

This post has been edited by Nergali: Aug 8 2020, 05:39 AM

Bijadadu (Scootypuffsr ramuli)

Creator: MNIDJM
Ancestor: Shockscooter (Scootypuffjr coolsteph)
Habitat: Ramul Temperate Beach, Ramul Temperate Woodland, Soma Temperate Coast
Size: 32 cm tall
Diet: Opportunistic Omnivore (Neuks, Larvaback, Scuttlers, Dartirs, Sapworms, Frabukis, Xenobees, Minikruggs, Krillpedes, Vermees, Miniswarmers, Belumbias, Twinkiiros, Pioneeroots, Marbleflora, Snotflora, Burraroms, Twinkorals, Larands, Flashkelps, Keryhs, Chitjorns, Shelpads, Luminus, Silkruggs, Grabbyswarmers, Miniwhorls, Drake Uktank larvae, Qupe Tree fruit, Tonboswarmer, Fuzzweed, Drakescooter, Bashercoat young, Treeneer, Elahpekomlap Bubblehorn, Flippskima larvae, Darwin Thornshell leaves, Vermair, Shockscooter, Eeyore Stalks, Sailmail tadpoles, Syrup Ferine berries, Sleeve Ferine berries, Drake Uktank eggs, Elahpekomlap Bubblehorn eggs, Swaggersnapper eggs, Uklunk Eggs, Sailmail eggs, Baron Signaltail eggs, Finback Flunejaw eggs, Immense Flunejaw eggs, Bijadadu young), Scavanger, Coprovore, Detritivore
Reproduction: Sexual, Spawning, Two Genders

As the millennia crawled on, the island of Coolsteph began to sink lower and lower into the sea. Erosion began in the northern most coasts at first, but eventually Coolsteph began to fracture into dozens of smaller islands, before each was reclaimed by the sea. The shockscooker population bottlenecked as they found their food sources becoming less available as the Magnificent Slaesosaurus found other areas to breed. Some populations of Shockscooters began to compensate by becoming more opportunistic with their diets. At first they were observed eating the the dung of all larger species of the island. . As those became less frequent, their diets appeared to expand to dead purple flora that make up the slaesosaurus nests. Soon, as populations began to dwindle more and populations began to fragment, inbreeding began to take a toll. Neurodegenerative and genetic disorders set in, and sterility became a recurring issue.

Reprieve came as the southern most islands collided with island off shoots of the main Drake continent. Soon the trends reversed, as coastal beaches be to increase in size and availability. However the damage was done, and genetic drift had lead not only to speciation, but changes in behavior. Dissection has show that their brain capacity has shrunk 15% compared to that of their ancestors. They are now highly aggressive and competitive, no longer capable of communicating and anticipating the actions of organisms around them.

Pica became observed in all members of the species. They will eat any item that they can fit in their mouths, be it flora, fauna, dirt, rocks,or even their own young. As such, they have developed the ability to digest most of what they eat, however the inedible components have to regularly be regurgitated out. It is a compulsive behavior, and studies show that they have lost the ability to fully distinguish between food and nonfood items. They have become a regular recurring scourge on the island, reappearing every summer and eating everything they can. They are not particularly fast species, dragging themselves along at about 1.5 km/h, so they are limited to capturing slow or non motile species. They are occasionally preyed upon, but they have retained their ancestors electrical defense, which discourages most predators.

They breed in the early autumn months, laying eggs in saltwater pools or in areas around the coastal waters. They rely on numerical advantage for their eggs, with an adults capable of releasing 10000 eggs at one time. The eggs will hatch around early spring, and be fully grown in about 3 months. The numbers are necessary, as surveys show that only about 5-10 individual offspring will survive on average

Marine Crystals (Marecrystallus spp)

Creator: MNIDJM
Ancestor: Marine Crystal (Aquacrystallus iceageus)
Habitat: Global (Sagan 4)
Size: 15-20 cm Tall
Diet: Detritivore, Photosynthesis
Reproduction: Asexual, Spores

The marine crystals first appeared after the during the [[Geologic_Timescale#Yannickian_Period|Yannickian Period ]] in the Chum salwater lake systems. They soon spread to the oceans and began to thrive, as the global cooling freed up many marine enviroments for them to take the place of the basal photosynthetic flora. Once the global freezing event subsided, this genus began to find itself spread out through all shallow saltwater systems of Sagan 4. Soon the basal Marine Crystal species was replaced with over 60 descendant species, along all the major coastal and salt marsh regions.

The genus is characterized by a hard photosynthetic chitin that have tiny pores that intake water to filter out organic matter. Inside, their red fungi-like interiors consumes the organic matter, expelling the excess water and salts from their base. This same fungi-like material forms a base, which have a root-like system, which both anchors the crystals, and allows it to absorb further needed nutrients and minerals from the soil. They all reproduce asexually using spores, which are generated in the crystal interiors and expelled out of the filter pores. They are all capable of producing mild toxins, which when ingested by most herbivores cause digestive muscle spasms, leading to expulsion of their stomach contents. This has been taken advantage of by a few species in the more nutrient poor environments near Fermi, and have allowed them to spread their spores, as the spores will use the expelled organic matter to begin growing.

Eusuckers (Ferrosanguisugus spp.)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Rasp-Mouthed Suckiron
Habitat: Global (Sagan 4)
Size: 1-10 cm long
Diet: Hemophage (Magneferrubiota, Carpozoa, Binucleozoa, Grabbyswarmers), Scavenger, Lithovore (Iron)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Broadcast Spawning, Iron-Shelled Eggs), Asexual (Budding)

Eusuckers replaced their ancestor and spread globally, their diet of iron-based blood allowing them to reach any habitat which had water and iron-blooded fauna. They parasitize anything with iron-based blood, even the highly unusual Grabbyswarmers. To avoid Muller’s Ratchet, they have finally developed sexual reproduction in the form of spawning. They have a pair of gonads on each body segment, and they spawn in water. Their eggs have thin iron shells, which are penetrated and then replaced when sperm fertilizes them. Hatchlings will eat their eggshell to give themselves an iron boost until they can find a host. Those without hosts will also eat dead fauna and graze on iron found on the seafloor.

Eusuckers come in both fully-aquatic and semi-aquatic variants. Semi-aquatic species wait in wetlands and rainforest soil for some unfortunate creature with iron-based blood to pass by, at which point they latch on and start sucking like a Terran leech. Aquatic species may have a similar lifestyle in the benthic zone, but they can swim short distances to get to a new host even in the open ocean.

The exterior of Eusuckers is softer than that of other iron fauna, an adaptation which makes them more flexible and better able to avoid crushing, and they are able to breathe through their skin. As such, their “gills” now serve mainly for scenting rather than respiration. Like their ancestor, they can reproduce asexually through budding, the new budding offspring growing off the side of the body like little iron tentacles.

There are many, many species of Eusucker. Many are adapted for cold and even the crushing depths of the abyss. They vary little externally, however. The number of body segments varies from species to species.

Galleon Lyngbakr (Lyngbakr oneraria)

Creator: MNIDJM
Ancestor: Umbrascale Lyngbakr (Lyngbakr umbra)
Habitat: Jujubee Tropical Ocean (Sunlight Zone), South Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Jujubee Ocean (Twilight Zone), Jlindy Tropical Coast, Chum Tropical Coast, Elerd Temperate Coast, Wind Temperate Coast, Dass Temperate Coast, Hydro Tropical Coast, Fly Tropical Shallows
Size: 30 m Long
Diet: Planktivore
Reproduction: Sexual, Live Birth, 2 Genders

The Galleon Lyngbakr split from their ancestors as a response to the evolutionary pressure set up by the Terrorfang Hafgufa. They have begun to move into the warmer southern waters, as a way to avoid the adults of the terrorfang hafgufa. They live primarily in the Tropics, but will mate and rear their young in the more temperate colder waters of the south. They live in matriarchal pods, lead by a mother or grandmother of the members. The pods generally consist of a grand mother, a few daughters, and any young born that season along with their fathers. Male are rather transient, though will generally live with either their familial pods, or will live with their mate and young. The males are slightly smaller than the female, averaging 25 m, but are extremely aggressive and will fiercely protect the pods they are with.

The adults spend most of their lives in the sunlight zones, sifting plankton out of the water. They breed in the southern temperate waters, and the females will have a staggered mating seasons,so that not all females withing a pod will have children at the same time, allowing for their aunts to help with raising the young and protection. Once the young reach mating age, roughly their 12th year, they will generally stick with their mothers to help, but once the pods grow to a certain size, the oldest daughters will split off along with her young and form a new pod.

Mudferra (Ferrowort spp.)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Pionferruses
Habitat: Global (Sagan 4)
Size: 1-10 cm wide network
Diet: Lithotroph (Iron)
Reproduction: Sexual (Hermaphrodite, Waterborne Spores), Asexual (Budding, Subterranean Runners; Fragmentation)

Mudferra split from their ancestor and became semi-aquatic, filling out the iron cycle in the various wetland and beach habitats. They can also live in especially wet terrestrial environments, such as rainforests. They have developed sexual reproduction using waterborne spores, which emerge from their exposed stalks. Their waterborne spores have allowed them to spread globally to all landmasses with sufficient iron. Like their ancestor, they redox iron in the area, which allows higher iron fauna and flora to move in. Also similar to their ancestor, some form symbiotic relationships with rustmolds, providing nutrients in exchange for minerals. They thrive in wet substrate, but they are also known to break up coastal rocks to access the iron inside. Unlike their ancestor, which reproduces only by fragmentation, Mudferra can also bud using runners. When fragmented, all fragments containing a connection ball can regrow into new individuals. The connectors between the connector balls now have root-like fuzz which assists in water and iron collection.

There are many species of Mudferra. Being distantly derived from tundra-dwellers, they are highly resilient and easily able to withstand ice in polar habitats. They can be found in riparian, estuary, and beach biomes of all temperature types, as well as in the muddy temperate and tropical rainforests. Species are difficult to distinguish, as they vary little externally apart from size and location.

Kyutescoot (Scootypuffjr kyuti)
Creator: Coolsteph
Ancestor: Shockscooter
Habitat: Ramul Temperate Beach, Ramul Temperate Coast
Size: 12 cm tall
Diet: Coprovore, Detritivore, Carnivore (Minikruggs, Dartir larvae, Aphluks)
Reproduction: Sexual, Spawning, Two Genders

It shares the same linage as the Bijadadu, in the period where the low-lying Coolsteph Island shrank into multiple, smaller islands. They developed on a set of small islands where they adapted to a decreased food supply by becoming smaller. Aided by their smaller sizes, some eventually travelled to Ramul on rafts of Darwinian Diaminet, Colonial Bobiiros, Pioneer Raftballs, and occasionally larger fauna, like Pygmy Hullbacks. Their talon-like feet help them grip rafts or large fauna in storms, as well as Darwin Thornshells and other large, low-lying flora.

They are more aquatic than their relative, the Minizap, helping it partition beach and near-shore habitats. It is faster, too, than the Bijadadu: it can walk in a duck-like manner or make weak hops.

In contrast to the Bijadadu, which grew dimwitted and aggressive due to genetic disorders caused by inbreeding, the Kyutescoot became friendlier. Like a dodo, it has relatively little fear of large, potentially predatory fauna. Unlike a dodo, the Kyutescoot retains decent defenses. Its long, hard spines make it difficult and painful for predators to swallow whole. A predator touching two spines completes a circuit, causing a zap, but the Kyutescoot can create zaps of electricity at will. It happens that their response to being afraid or startled is an especially strong zap, allowing it to discourage predators even with their low levels of fear and aggression. Some of the more skittish predators are scared off by the sheer, sudden novelty of electrical sparks, in the sight, unpredictable movement, and popping sounds. The electric shocks work even better when the predator is wet: a common occurrence in its beach habitats.

Its only predator at time of evolution is the Lari Phyler, and only when it ventures out into Soma Temperate Coast on floating rafts. As such, it almost never outright panics unless attacked from above.

Building off their tendency to raft on large flora and fauna and follow them, it is occasionally a passenger on Seashrog rafts. Seashrogs are variously fascinated by or frightened by their sparks, but it is much less aggressive than the Kakonat,

They closely follow large fauna, especially the Magnificent Slaeosaurus, and wait for them to excrete. Although they prefer fresh dung, they will eat less-fresh dung as well, incidentally consuming dung-feeding, insect-like species. Unlike its ancestor, the Kyutescooter will also eat the owl pellet-like dung of various plents, though it is less favored. Like their ancestor, Kyutescoots are intelligent, and learn to predict behavioral trends by species or for individuals, especially if they receive most of their food from only a handful of individuals. Older individuals may figure out how to ride on the tails of familiar large, easily rideable fauna as they haul themselves around on land, sparing them the effort of walking. It is this habit that has led them to rarely eat blood-sucking Aphluks on plent hosts, when they happen to smell like dung.

Due to their limited diet, low tolerance of tropical temperatures, and tendency to get eaten by Kakonats when they get desperate on long voyages, they haven't been able to spread far on Seashrog rafts.

It has developed eyelids, which helps it with glare while rafting.

This post has been edited by Coolsteph: Aug 1 2020, 08:55 PM

Deep Glowswarmer (Aleawalic tawhaj)

Creator: MNIDJM
Ancestor: Glowbulb Swarmer (Miniplenti nitor)
Habitat: Otter Vents, Jujubee Ocean (Trench Zone), LadyM Ocean (Trench Zone), Rhodix Vents
Size: 2 cm long
Diet: Planktivore, Detritivore
Reproduction: Sexual, Spawning, 2 Genders

As they began to adapt further to the Otter vents and the deeper waters as a whole, the glowbulb swarmers began to shift away from the traits that remained from their more epipelagic ancestry. They have completely lost their photosynthesis, instead relying on shifting drifts of bacterial blooms and marine snow. They have fully developed a symbiotic relationship with a strain of symbiocells that now lives within skin sacks on abdomens. These sacks grow without a distinct pattern on the swarmer, and no two swarmers will have the same amount and distribution of them. They control the glow using tissue spasms. As they are the only creatures in the deep sea with any form of color vision, they use this bioluminescence to find and coordinate the swarms. They have significantly smaller than the ancestor they have replaced, reflecting the decreased availability in acquiring food. They are extremely common in the deep oceans, living in swarms of millions, and are a vital source of food for higher tropic levels.