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.
Please put the generation number in the thread title.
Beach Cheekhorn (Maxillacornu litorcapra)
Creator: MNIDJM, Nergali
Ancestor: Long-Horned Quilltail (Buccaceros longhornus)
Habitat: Jaydoh Temperate Beach, Jaydoh Desert
Size: 2 m Long
Diet: Herbivore (Pioneer Retigroenx, Lanternbranch bulbs, Fuzzpalm berries, Jaydoh Goth Tree, Kack Tower nuts)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Fur)
Reproduction: Sexual, Live Birth, Two Genders, Pouch and Milk
The '''beach cheekhorns''' split from their ancestors and have since moved to the beaches of Jaydoh. They have developed a rupicoline lifestyle, inhabiting the various rocky cliffs and coastal dunes that make up much of the coastlines they call home. To facilitate this transition in habitats, their feet have evolved wider hooves with rough pads underneath them, traits that make them better adapted to climbing steep slopes and similar surfaces.Their quills are significantly thinner and more needle-like compared to those of their ancestors, as the result of a general lack of active predation in the region they inhabit. Without many predators to worry about, the need to spend extra resources on larger, more thorn-like quills has decreased, and as such they have not been selected for. Despite their more fragile appearance, the quills are still quite capable of serving as painful deterrents should the need arise. One of the few actual threats to them, the [[Hook Tusked Waxface|predatory waxfaces]], are one such reason to retain these quills, though such encounters with them are rare. Cheekhorns tend to avoid venturing into waxface territories, and even when they do, the waxfaces tend to prefer different prey, and will only hunt cheekhorns on quite rare, opportunistic hunts. They are now a more generalized herbivores, feeding on the various shrubs and other flora that grow upon the cliffs and rocks, typically out of reach for most other non-flying species. They supplement this diet by licking the very rock bluffs themselves, attaining a source of salt as they climb up them. The instinct to climb has become so strong in them that they will readily scale up any available surface their feet can gain purchase on, be it rocky outcropping or a small tree, all in the pursuit of food, minerals, and if threatened, safety from danger.
Consuming a variety of low-growing vegetation and ground fruit, as well as the occasional fallen nut of one of the many [[Kack Tower|kack towers]] that dot the coastlines, the beach cheeckhorn has inadvertently managed to help spread the more indigestible nuts and seeds that manage to survive the trip through their gastrointestinal tract. In particular, the hardy nuts of the kack tree have benefited the most by this method of dispersal, and have since become quite plentiful on Jaydoh Island. Nowadays thick patches of kack tower forests can be found wherever beeah cheekhorns thrive. In return, the cheekhorns benefit as well, as the trees provide them with sources of shade, freshwater in the form of dew, as well more nuts for them to feed upon.
Like the [[Long-Horned Quilltail|long-horned quilltail]], young cheekhorns are born without hooves, instead bearing milking claws that give them somewhat of a resemblance to their distant ancestor the [[quilltail]]. With these milking claws, young cheekhorns will grip onto the backsides of their mothers, holding onto them tightly as they go about grazing upon the cliffside vegetation. Their hooves begin to come in around 6 months after birth. Once they have fully come in and they have reached a sufficiently large size to walk on their own, they will begin to climb the cliffs and such themselves, though will continue to nurse from their mothers until they are about a year old.
Cheekhorns are crepuscular, being active mostly during the dawn and twilight hours, during which they can take advantage of the cooler air. When sleeping in the shade during the day, one member of the herd is always awake in order to keep guard, a task that is rotated amongst the members from time to time. They are still quite social and will travel in large herds across the deserts and beaches. Males will fight over females by knocking their cheek horns into each others sides or swiping their tails at one another. Most the time, however, they don't actual hit each other and instead the whole display is mostly for show.
Pirate Waxface (Latrotherium ridiculocervix)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Jaydoh Waxface
Habitat: Jaydoh Temperate Beach, Jaydoh Temperate Coast, Koopa Tropical Beach, Koopa Tropical Coast, Hydro Tropical Beach, Hydro Tropical Coast, Ninth Tropical Beach, Ninth Tropical Coast, South Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Putspooza Tropical Beach, Penumbra Tropical Beach, Negative Tropical Beach, Solpimr Tropical Beach, Ovi Tropical Beach, Wolfgang Tropical Coast, Wolfgang Tropical Beach, Clayren Tropical Coast, Clayren Tropical Beach
Size: 3 meters long
Diet: Carnivore (Marine Tamow, Tamjack, Vermees, Cleaner Borvermid, Stowaway Harmbless, Scuttlers), Detritivore (nest remains), Scavenger
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Ovoviviparous, Crop Milk)
The Pirate Waxface split from its ancestor. It is semi-aquatic and specializes in consuming “seafaring shrews”. It has regained much of its wax; the wax is produced by glands at the base of its tusk-jaws and it spreads it over its feathers while preening, making it waterproof. A notable adaptation it has gained is the ability to rotate its tusk-jaws. It uses this ability to assist it in tearing into the nests of its prey, and in tearing their skin from their bodies to bypass their spikes. It is notable for its limited tool-use ability, where it can pull sticks or peel wood from its prey’s nest and drive it into them to hold them down while it gets to work on skinning them. It is able to accomplish this despite lacking traditionally dexterous body parts by grasping with its teeth, neck, and toes all together.
Life on the open sea isn’t exactly the best for a sauceback, especially one that broods its larvae in its tail feathers. However, the Pirate Waxface’s waxy plumage traps a lot of air, allowing it to swim without drowning its babies. Similar to its ancestor, it feeds its young fatty crop milk. While it isn’t exactly the greatest swimmer, it actually rarely swims when it doesn’t need to. When it kills a nesting seafaring shrew, it will remain on the nest and often even keep its victim’s mate and joeys alive to kill and eat later if another nest doesn’t enter its echolocation range. When a new nest to raid is in echolocation range, it is also in swimming range, and it will paddle there to begin another raid. If there is a long period of time between nest hops, however, it will start to eat the nest itself--particularly leafy parts, as well as vermees which have bored into the wood and stowaways such as Cleaner Borvermid and Stowaway Harmbless. The flora making up the nest itself isn’t easily digested, but partial decomposition has generally set in by the time it resorts to this, making it easier to digest.
The Pirate Waxface is far from unrepresented on shorelines. While the dominant subspecies live out at sea, others move between sea and coast regularly and some only live on the coast. When hunting on the coast, the Pirate Waxface will mostly kill and eat prey that are making landfall. Coast-exclusive subspecies are actually slightly smarter than the ones living out at sea, as they have a more reliable source of food and often must innovate more to hunt. Some coastal individuals are even capable of locating or preparing adequate weaponry to pin their prey, either finding good straight sticks on the ground or tearing strips of wood from trees and logs, long before they actually find anything to eat. They can even pass the knowledge to do so to their offspring by teaching them, similar to how a Terran wolf might teach its pups to hunt, but as it is solitary such ideas fade in and out over the generations and don’t particularly spread any more than an evolutionary trait would.
Weaned juveniles typically live on the beach as small hunters or scavengers before they are large enough to start hunting seafaring shrews.
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I will be commenting with minor description edits to the Seashrog to fit as well, shortly.
This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Feb 3 2021, 03:03 PM
Wub (Paulocursor minimacimex)
Creator: Nergali
Ancestor: Blind Wingworm
Habitat: Drake Boreal, Drake Temperate Rainforest, Drake Temperate Woodland, Darkov Temperate Beach, Ramul Temperate Beach
Size: 1.25 cm long
Diet: Sapivore (Forest Quone, Qupe Tree, Lurtress, Lurspire, Lurcreeper, Fuzzweed, Sum-Humgrove, Darwin Thornshell, Sunstalks, Supershrooms, Sapshrooms, Marbleflora, Pioneeroot), Detritivore, Scavenger
Reproduction: Hermaphrodite (Eggs), Very Fast Breeder
Over millions of years, some Blind Wingworms split from the main lineage and began to lose their capacity for flight. As they already had few predators to worry about, outside of the occasional adolescent Signaltail on land or Vicious Volox in the water, this evolutionary transition did not prove to be too unfavorable, and was retained in future generations. Continued competition with their flying kin for grazing spots, however, would continue to put pressure upon this group of flightless mutants. As such, natural selection selected for those that grew to smaller sizes, as they would require fewer resources to survive, all awhile their population, though limited, slowly spread towards the entrance of the cave system. Inevitably, competition with their flying kin would lead to this group to split even further, forcing some of them to begin to migrate out of the Sublyme Limestone Caves in search of space and food. While the descendants of this group would go onto thrive, those land-bound kin who had remained within the cave system slowly died out..
Life outside the cave system proved to be an incredibly lucrative opportunity for the early ancestors of the Wubs. The warmth of the sun, compared to the cooler depths of their ancestral cave homes, helped to essentially kickstart their metabolisms into high gear. To satiate their newfound hunger, they needed to adapt their diets accordingly, and microbes would no longer do. With their numerous sharp "teeth", they no longer scrape away at patches of microbial colonies, but now instead utilize them to burrow through the outmost layers of floral flesh in order to reach the vital fluids hidden within. Gorging upon this treasure trove of vital nutrients, Wubs must consume up to twice their own body weight every day or else risk death by starvation. Thankfully, the continent of Drake is covered in vast forests of suitable food sources, as well as plenty of decaying floral matter and rotting corpses upon which the Wubs may feed.
With an overabundance of new, nutritious foods to consume, the growth rate of the Wubs is significantly faster than that of its ancestors, and their turnover rate, and thus population numbers, is quite high. This isn't without cost, though, as this rapid growth has also led to significantly reduced lifespans, with most Wubs rarely living beyond one to two months at most. Many instead only last a few weeks before being killed by one of the typical culprits, such as exposure, starvation, injury, disease, or predation.
To combat a high mortality rate, reproduction in the Wub needed to evolve accordingly. When two healthy Wubs meet, will engage in sexual intercourse with one another in order to spread their genes. As they lock their tails together, the sheathe that has evolved to protect their otherwise vulnerable reproductive opening will spread apart, revealing the slit within. After several seconds of direct contact, genetic material will be exchanged and the eggs of both Wubs will be fertilized, after which they will subsequently go their separate ways. Should both survive, they will go on to lay nearly a hundred eggs. While roughly 90% of the resulting babies will die, more than enough will survive to help carry on the species.
Morphologically, Wubs have changed in a number of ways. As they are flightless, their middle pair of wings are almost always covering their bodies except when they produce sound, and in function they are not unlike the elytra of earth beetles. The frontmost pair of wings, already adapted for echolocation, have developed a thicker coating of feathery hairs for picking up sounds. The third pair of wings have perhaps undergone the most extreme adaptation of all. Now covered in chitin, it is a stiff structure no longer utilized in directional flight but instead rapidly beat them against a similarly chitin-covered - and now eyeless - tail segment. This produces a series of sharp chirps, which helps the Wubs "see" the world around them as well as communicate with one another. But this is not the only way they see. As they are no longer cave-bound, their eyes have begun to function once more, though they are now only capable of detecting differing levels of light and shadow.
Locomotion has changed as well. While most worms have legs held underneath their bodies, the Wubs have evolved an extra set of joints in their legs which allow them to hold them by their sides. This allows them to better grip onto the surfaces of flora and such, as well as allow them to more quickly move about. This is not that dissimilar to how their distant cousins, the Janits, move about. A case of convergent evolution, though in the Janits the jointed limbs were formed by heavily modified wings rather than alternations to the legs like it is in the Wubs.
- - -
While Wub populations can be relatively stable most of the time, on rare occasions hordes of them may arise. Should conditions be just right, they can explode in terms of population numbers, leading to vast swarms of them crawling over every available flora as they seek to satiate their hunger. With so many of them, huge swaths of forest can be drained dry, leading to a lack of food for large herbivores for a period of time, though smaller hunters will often experience population booms of their own as they gorge upon the Wub hordes, which is often enough to return them to reasonable numbers.
This post has been edited by Nergali: Feb 21 2021, 03:00 PM
Name: Okagouti (Kitrae okapiimimus)
Creator: OviraptorFan
Ancestor: Plentgouti (Kitrae agoutimimus)
Habitat: Drake Temperate Rainforest, Drake Boreal, Drake Temperate Woodland
Size: 50 centimeters long
Diet: Herbivore (Pioneeroots, Marbleflora), Frugivore (Qupe Tree fruit, Lurspire fruit), Graminivore (Forest Quone nuts), Photosynthesis
Respiration: Active (lungs)
Thermoregulation: ?
Reproduction: Sexual (Two Genders, Live Birth)
Some populations of Plentgouti began to leave their rainforest home behind, spreading into the Drake Temperate Rainforest and the Drake Boreal Forest. As these habitats were more open compared to a dense rainforest, they became easier to spot with their bright green coloration and they began to fall prey. To adapt, these populations would evolve to better blend into these kinds of habitats in order to survive and thus gave rise to the Okagouti.
Much like their ancestor and cousins, the Okagouti is fully terrestrial with hooves adapted to run on the substrate. Their legs have become longer in proportion to their bodies compared to their close relatives, allowing them to run faster and thus escape predators in the more open woodlands they typically inhabit. Their ears and their smelling eyes help detect threats before it's too late, though their ears have reduced in size since the environments they live in are cooler and a large surface area loses heat more quickly. The light-sensing eyes at the tip of the snout help with looking for food and watching out for predators.
It feeds on small flora such as Pioneeroots, Marbleflora and any fallen fruit such as from the Qupe Tree as well as the nuts of small producers such as those of the Forest Quone. Much like its ancestor, the Okagouti only gets a small part of its energy from photosynthesis, primarily getting its energy from the food it consumes. To better blend in with the woodlands and boreal forests, the Okagouti has lost most of its green coloration, the back scales having become purple from anthocyanins being present, the new coloration providing better camouflage while still helping to get sunlight.
Much like their ancestors and close relatives, the Okagouti frequently mate and give birth to many offspring to offset their relatively high predation rates. Their adaptations for speed, however, mean that more of these babies survive to adulthood compared to their close kin and those that do typically live longer.
There are two distinct subspecies of the Okagouti, with the Rainforest Okagouti(K. okapiimimus silvacursor) is noticeably greener, has larger ears, and lives more like their ancestor but are more uncommon due to more prevalent competition for its ecological niche. The second subspecies is known as the Common Okagouti(K. okapiimimus borealis), which live in the Temperate Woodlands and the Boreal forests, which this submission has mostly described and is the more abundant of the two.
A picture of the Rainforest Okagouti, the subspecies native only to the Drake Temperate Rainforest.
Here is my mason replacement submission! I plan to add the artwork of the Rainforest Okagouti at a later point.
This post has been edited by OviraptorFan: Mar 30 2021, 06:27 PM
Fairyshell (Reptilovermis lepidus)
Creator: TheBigDeepCheatsy
Ancestor: Desert Phantomshell
Habitat: Barlowe Desert, Barlowe High Desert, Barlowe High Grassland, Barlowe Plains, Barlowe Chaparral
Size: 25 cm Long
Diet: Herbivore (Mainland Chime Slingberry, Sunstalks, Marbleflora, Supershrooms, Statue Piloroot berries, Spiny Piloroot berries, Regrestoloppy)
Respiration: I HAVE NO IDEA HOW LIZARDWORMS BREATHE, IF SOMEONE CAN FILL ME IN ON THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm (Basking)
Reproduction: Sexual, Eggs, Male and Female
The fairyshell replaced its ancestor and moved further east towards the Barlowe Chaparral. As they spent more time away from their ancestral caves and surrounded by predators with eyesight, the fairyshell re-evolved its own eyesight. However, it can only see everything in a blurry greyscale form, but it is sufficient enough to tell between light and darkness, which helps with their nocturnal lifestyle. On top of that, its ancestor’s microfilaments have enhanced into bristle-like setae that cover both pairs of its sensory limbs; these setae further enhance its ability to sense vibrations in the air and help it know its surroundings.
Along with regaining its eyes and improving its radar-like detection, the fairyshell has regained its rust-red pigmentation, allowing it to stay camouflaged in the soil, so it does not have to constantly run away from potential predators. In fact, its main means of evading them is to hide, crouch down, stay still, and wait for the danger to pass by, paying close attention to the vibrations around it. Should this fail, the fairyshell bolts as fast as its legs can carry it and will try to run and hide until predators will either give up on chasing it or find themselves unable to reach it. To further help its speed, it has become smaller, evolved a slightly longer tail to help it change trajectory, and stands in a semi-digitigrade stance.
The fairyshell has increased the variety in its diet by including supershrooms, sunstalks, and marbleflora. The fairyshell no longer feeds on the pollen of the regrestoloppy, as this was not exactly sufficient for its size, but it still manages to pollinate it. It does this whenever it bites into regrestoloppies and the spores get caught on the setae of its frontmost sensory limbs. As it travels, the spores fall off and grow into new regrestoloppies. This has allowed the regrestoloppy to spread out into the Barlowe High Desert, Barlowe High Grassland, Barlowe Plains, and Barlowe Chaparral. It also managed to spread the statue piloroot and spiny piloroot by feeding on their berries and defecating the seeds in the Barlowe High Desert, Barlowe High Grassland, Barlowe Plains, and Barlowe Chaparral as well.
The fairyshell reproduces by mating with the couple facing opposite directions in a similar manner as Terran cockroaches, guaranteeing they will both be able to look out for predators while mating. After doing so, the female fairyshell looks for any sort of cover including leaf litter, rocks, or soil; next, it digs a small hole and lays up to 50 eggs per brood and leaves them to fend for themselves when they hatch. The young are born with soft white exoskeletons and they spend most of their time hiding underground or just barely under the leaf litter while they grow into adults. Unfortunately, not all of these eggs make it as the mostly purple snoa finds them to be a tasty snack. This has also allowed the mostly purple snoa to spread out into the Barlowe Plains and Barlowe Chaparral.
Lazarus Soriparasite (Soriparasiticus lazarus)
Creator: Disgistedorite
Ancestor: Desert Soriparasite
Habitat: Darwin Boreal, Darwin Tropical Rainforest, Morokar Tropical Scrub, Morokar Tropical Woodland, Javen Tropical Rainforest, Javen Tropical Woodland, Javen Tropical Scrub
Size: 8 cm long
Diet: Hemophage (Golden Earback, Swiftsnapper, Mountain Flunejaw, Goliath Flunejaw, Needlespike Flunejaw)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm (Basking)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Live Birth, Milk)
Soriparasites, or parasitic shrews, are an ancient clade of blood shrew which first appeared in the Clayrenian period. Some millions of years following their evolution, a particularly specialized species, the [[Death Soriparasite]], contributed to the spread of a [[Shrew Plague|deadly plague]] which nearly wiped out all shrews. However, though soriparasites survived the plague, they seemingly became extinct soon after in the Martykian period, being among the innumerable casualties of the gamma-ray burst, the worst mass extinction event in Sagan 4’s long history.
But that was actually not quite the case.
A single soriparasite--the [[Desert Soriparasite]]--was overlooked, assumed to be among the casualties. In reality, it had survived through a population residing in [[Rabid Sandstone Caves]], which was sheltered from the radiation. While other blood shrews within this same cave would meet deadly fates as cave-ins and waves of disease wiped out their plent hosts, soriparasites were specialized in carpozoan blood, allowing the desert soriparasite to persist by feeding on the blood of serpentsaurs, earbacks, and turtsnappers. And so it remained there for millions of years, completely untouched by extinction events.
Its fortune would soon come to an end, however, as rising sea levels pushed Rabid Sandstone Caves closer and closer to being engulfed by the ocean. Only concerned with finding the next host, the little soriparasite didn’t think to leave the cave on its own as other fauna in its environment had done. However, this did not stop some from being carried out of the cave by hosts--more specifically, Golden Earbacks. As a result, a viable population was able to become established outside the caves and soon spread to new hosts as well, speciating into the '''Lazarus Soriparasite'''.
Like its ancestor, the Lazarus Soriparasite is primarily a parasite of carpozoans, which in this instance translates to it primarily consuming the blood of flunejaws and skysnappers. When feeding, it grips the skin of its host with the teeth on its upper jaw. Anesthetic compounds in its saliva prevent its host from feeling a thing as it proceeds to use its barbed tongue to lick the skin raw, drawing blood. It then wraps its enlarged lower lip around the skin it has grabbed and begins to gulp, creating suction which pulls blood from the wound. This is more efficient than the methods of more primitive soriparasites, which left nasty bite wounds and depended on their host bleeding into their mouths. It also does not spread disease as readily as its long-extinct cousin the Death Soriparasite, though it still isn’t impossible for it to do so. Similar to its ancestor, its lower jaw lacks teeth so as to not interfere with feeding and it can also close its mouth further than more primitive soriparasites.
The Lazarus Soriparasite only has one pair of fully-functioning eyes, though the other two ancestral pairs are still present, just reduced. It can still sense light through these tiny vestigial eyes, but only the largest pair can form images. Its hooked foreclaws and gecko-like feet bearing fuzzy setae allow it to hold onto its host without falling off. It is unusual among shrews in that it does not have a pouch; when not nursing, its young may climb on its back to let their siblings have room to nurse instead. It has taken on a golden coloration, allowing it to blend in with soil as it travels between hosts. It usually mates during these treks. It is able to tolerate low temperatures while sucking blood, but it needs to warm up to travel at a decent speed, so it may also be found basking on rocks between hosts.
With soriparasites resurfacing as a lazarus taxon, there are now three distinct living groups of [[Shrew]]. Though its niche is low-profile and its range does not presently overlap with its furry or bubbly cousins, the Lazarus Soriparasite’s remarkable emergence is quite significant to the clade as a whole.
This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Mar 29 2021, 06:05 PM
Tlukvaequabora (Detlukvamequohi amayulvdi)
Creator: MNIDJM
Ancestor: Fuzzbora (Fuzzotestudo borabora)
Habitat: Clayren Tropical Coast, Hydro Tropical Coast, Koopa Tropical Coast, Wolfgang Tropical Coast, Oz Temperate Coast, Anguan Temperate Coast, Clayren Tropical Beach, Hydro Tropical Beach, Koopa Tropical Beach, Negative Tropical Beach, Ovi Tropical Beach, Penumbra Tropical Beach, Putspooza Tropical Beach, Solpimr Tropical Beach, Wolfgang Tropical Beach, Abello Temperate Beach, Anguan Temperate Beach, Ittiz Temperate Beach, Jaydoh Temperate Beach, Nuke Temperate Beach, Oz Temperate Beach, Time Temperate Beach, Barlowe Tropical Rainforest, Ovi Tropical Rainforest, Penumbra Tropical Rainforest, Putspoozoa Tropical Rainforest, Solpimr Tropical Rainforest, Barlowe Temperate Rainforest, Martyk Temperate Rainforest, BigL Tropical Coast, Jlindy Tropical Coast, Ninth Tropical Coast, Dass Temperate Coast, Raq Temperate Coast, BigL Tropical Beach, Jlindy Tropical Beach, Ninth Tropical Beach, Dass Temperate Beach, Raq Temperate Beach, Bardic Salt Swamp, Blood Salt Swamp, Kenotai Salt Swamp, Pipcard Salt Swamp, Terra Salt Swamp, Wright Salt Swamp, Dixon Tropical Rainforest, Dixon Temperate Rainforest, Maineiac Temperate Coast, Maineiac Temperate Beach, Maineiac Salt Marsh
Size: 100 m Tall
Diet: Photosynthesis
Respiration: Passive (Stomata)
Thermoregulation: Ectothermic
Reproduction: Sexual, Airborne fertilizing spores; fuzzy bouncy, buoyant berries
Replacing their ancestor, the [[fuzzbora]] in all overlapping environments, the '''tlukvaequabora''' is a true giant. Doubling in size, they tower over the surf. They form sprawling mangrove forests along the coasts of the major Barlowean landmasses. They play a vital role in the landscape of the coastal shorelines of Barlowe, as their deep roots provide a barrier against the eroding forces of the tidewaters and storm surges by trapping sediment with their roots. They are characterized by their large size and their aerial root systems, which hang from their top branches and wrap around each other and those of their neighbors, giving the groves a tangled, weaving canopy with plenty of space for creatures to make their home.
=Size=
Reaching heights that dwarf all but the largest individual Terran trees, undisturbed tlukvaequabora can reach sizes of upwards of 100 meters in height, with an average diameter reaching 10 meters at the base. Because of its size, the tlukvaequabora has had to further develop their abilities to pull water to the top of their structure. Water from the roots can be pushed up only a few meters by osmotic pressure but can reach the full height of the tlukvaequabora by using large negative pressures in the tlukvaequabora's water tubules and subpressure from evaporating water at the leaves. Tlukvaequaboras supplement water from the sand with fog, taken up through aerial roots that grow near the base of their puff stem junction.
=Marine adaptations=
Transitioning to an amphibious lifestyle was a difficult process. The high salinity of the water and the poor oxygen content of the marine sediment proved a challenge to fuzzbora that grew along the coastal regions of Solpimr
===Salt adaptations===
To protect themselves from excess salinity in the soil of the intertidal zones, they have developed a series of adaptions that both prevent the uptake of a significant amount of salt and remove any that may end up in their vascular systems. These adaptations allow for the delineation of the two major life stages of the tlukvaequabora, marked primarily by their major methods of dealing with salinity: the pre-reproductive “secretor” stage and the fully grown “non- secretor” stage.
The first stage, secretor, is geared towards protecting the tlukvaequabora while they are growing. Specialized glands within the tlukvaequabora, called salinicoules, concentrate the salt in hypersaline solution and excrete it through pores within their leaves and along the surface of their bark. As the water evaporates, salt crystals often form on the surface of the tlukvaequabora. This has the added benefit of making the growing tlukvaequabora unpalatable to most herbivores, protecting the growing seedlings from predation until they reach sufficient size for reproduction.
Once reaching maturity, they will have reached a size where pumping salinated water all the way towards their leaves become impractical. Once they have begun this stage, their energy focus will shift towards reproduction and bark reinforcement, entering the “non-secretor” stage. They will grow thick roots and hides reinforced with lignin and suberin, acting as a filter preventing the uptake of salts. This is not perfect barrier, preventing about 80% of sodium salts from being absorbed. While this stage is called non-secretor, it is a bit of a misnomer, as they still will secrete some salts from their bodies, but instead of coating the flora any salts that remain within are excreted into "sacrificial leaves", which are leaves nearing the end of their productivity that will be dropped into the surf.
These adaptations allow tlukvaequaboras to grow in salinities up to 45 parts per thousand (ppt), though they grow optimally in salinities between 2 and 19 ppt.
===Roots===
The soil where tlukvaequaboras are rooted poses a second challenge for them, as it is severely lacking in oxygen. While the soil of Solpimr are comparatively nutrient poor when measured against the coastal sediment and would normally be more ideal to grow in, the soil is saturated with water, causing oxygen to diffuse through the soil at a rate over 8000 times slower than through the air. This necessitated the development of a way to compensate, which the tlukvaequabora solved in the form of aerial roots called pneumatophores. These pneumatophores typically grow out of the top branch structures, allowing the tlukvaequaboras to receive oxygen out of the air. If their subterranean root systems are large enough to the point that the roots are able to grow above the water's surface, these may also develop aerating pneumatophores that grow up from the main root, as a means of supplementing the supply of oxygen availible to the tlukvaequabora.
Their roots will also grow into one another, and old growth forests will share connected root systems. This allows for the flow of nutrients, water, and occasional hormonal signals across these lines of connection, giving each other a bulwark against potential lean times. This trait seems to have come about as a way for older specimen to share nutrients with younger trees, as it is usually the case that the trees that surround an individual are, if not direct descendants, close relatives, helping to perpetuate their genetic lineages.
=Reproduction=
Life by the ocean has its perks—for tlukvaequabora, proximity to the waves and tides helps not only to provide a constant source of nutrient rich water, but it also provides benefits in regard to reproduction as well.
Like their ancestors, the tlukvaequabora use airborne pollen which get caught in the fuzzy leaves of other tlukvaequabora to pollinate them. One pollinated they will grow fuzzy blue berries which are meant to stand out on the flora to attract the attention of herbivores. The spores inside are capable of surviving digestion and will be able to germinate from droppings, facilitating terrestrial distribution. The fruit grow in conjunction with one another, and while they grow throughout the year, with the inter-connected root system allowing for hormonal communication, they are able to produce an abundant amount so as to create specific timed drops, where all fruit will fall within a week period. These drops usually happen twice a year, at the beginning of the rainy season and at the mid point of the dry season. This timed drop allows for maximum spread of the fruit in the water, and fauna that rely on the fruits take advantage of the plenty.
The watertight skin has, like their ancestor, given the tlukvaequabora's seed's skin and elastic quality, so the berries bounce off the sides of the parent's trunk and the ground several times. The seed within the berry will germinate within a few days if untouched, forming into a purple puff on the forest floor. The puff will grow in size, from a centimeter width to a diameter of a meter, for about 3 years. Then the puff will begin forming a grey-purple woody stem, reaching a height of one meter in a year. It will then continue to lengthen and thicken its stem over the next 10 years until it looks like its ancestor the fuzzpalm. After reaching 5 meters in height, new purple puffs sprout on the stem, which quickly grow with the whole flora to form "sibling puffs"; the first group of siblings is 2-3. After 10 more years of growth, all the puffs mature and begin producing and accepting pollen; puff stalks will enter the pollen phase for 3-4 months, after which they will resort to growing new berries from the pollen they themselves received during this time. This process will continue, with more sibling puffs sprouting from the puff stem junction, maturing, and producing pollen and berries, until the flora has grown 10-14 puff stalks; stalks can share the genetic material collected from any one sibling, ensuing a multitude of berries is in stock.
If they are not eaten, the tlukvaequabora have another method for spreading, using the ocean currents. Tlukvaequabora spores are viviparous, beginning their germination process while the fruit is still attached to the parent tlukvaequabora. Once germinated, the sporeling grows within the fruit to form a propagule which is already capable of preforming photosynthesis, and the fruit will drop from the parent. Once a fruit reaches this point it is generally considered "over-ripe" by most herbivores, as it will begin producing acids such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalic_acid oxalic acid], giving the fruit a sour taste, discouraging ingestion. The gases produced by the fruit beginning decomposition, when combined with the water-tight skins of the fruit, make them exceptionally buoyant, allowing them to float out into the coastal water. Their pollination season is in the spring to take advantage of the calmer climate, while their fruiting season is in the fall, timing the drop of the fruits to coincide with the storm season, allowing for maximum spread of the fruit.
The mature propagule then drops into the water, which can transport it great distances. Propagules can survive desiccation and remain dormant for over a year before arriving in a suitable environment. Once a propagule is ready to root, its density changes so the elongated shape now floats vertically rather than horizontally. In this position, it is more likely to lodge in the mud and root. If it does not root, it can alter its density and drift again in search of more favorable conditions.
=Dispersal and Range=
Map of the range of equabora in [[Week 24]]
The large scale spread of tlukvaequabora to all tropical and temperate waters of Barlowe are thanks to three factors: currents, tropical storms, and the [[Tam|tamshrews]]. Their waterproof fruit allow for the spores to be carries to distant shores, establishing founding populations that attract herbivores and tamshrews to the area.
Tamshrews are a particularly vital group of organisms with regards to the spread and success of the tlukvaequabora While these can be a detriment to some of the younger trees, as the marine tamows and tamjacks in particular do fell younger tlukvaequabora for use in their floating nests, they provide a means of the fruits to disperse, as they horde berries as a means of cultivating future stocks of building materials.
The typical method for the spread of the tlukvaequabora into the coastal waters begins with storm surges. Larger old-growth specimen would typically get felled in these storms and get carried out further into the water. Thought the tlukvaequabora is a rather large organism, they are surprisingly buoyant, as the large stores of freshwater in their trunks and tissue give them a lower density, especially if one has died prior to being felled and has already begun decomposing internally. Currents would occasionally allow for these decomposing masses to end up in shallower sandbank areas, which would allow for a perch for young seedlings to use as a nurse log, allowing them to gain a foothold in the area. If the nurse log was large enough, it could provide enough of a perch and nutrients to allow a few founding trees to grow large enough to plant into the sediment, which provide an anchor for further sediments to deposit against. Over time, these can build upon each other, allowing for the formation of "mangrove-reefs" that provide an oasis for terrestrial and aerial species.
The oldest mangroves are around the northern shores of the Solpimr and southern Ovi islands. In these old growth areas, they can grow up to a 1.5 km offshore, though there are many pockets of mangrove-reef islets off in the coastal waters. These islets formed thanks to the relative shallow waters of the Clayren-Wolfgang coastal interchange areas, with various sandbars and reef pockets dotting along the seabed. These shoals are the remains of once higher elevated sections of Barlowe, though weathering has sunk much, it has left enough near the surface to allow tlukvaequabora to establish themselves and stabilize the soil.
=Ecology=
===Terrestrial Environments===
As they are a descendant of the fuzzbora, they have facilitated the dispersal of all bora communal species. These include the [[Twinkbora|twinkboras]], [[Marblora|marbloras]], and [[Larandbora|larandboras]], which have spread to all environments shared by the tlukvaequabora and through contact have begun to live on other closely related fuzzpalm relatives, including the tlukvaequabora's direct ancestor the fuzzpalm and their cousin the [[Penumbra Fuzzpalm|penumbra fuzzpalm]]. Feeding on this abundant food source is species like the [[Stowaway Harmbless|stowaway harmblesses]] and the [[borinvermee|borinvermees]], which have similarly spread to all environments. These are in turn preyed upon by the [[Bora Scuttler|bora scuttlers]], but due to being relatively poorly adapted to terrestrial environments, they have been restricted to the humid, tropical regions in the range.
In addition to these species, the introduction to the Penumbra island has allowed for the dispersal of [[Tamhook|tamhooks]] from their original habitat out into the water. With the Tlukvaequabora being a virtually identical plant and having little need to protect themselves after the flora have reached maturity, the tamhook has begun in the assistance in the spread of the tlukvaequabora seeds, as the tamhooks will regularly feed on their fruit when they are in season, helping to spread the seeds. The tamhooks nimble body-form allows them to easily make their homes in the branches, though the occasionally high salt content on the surface of the branches can lead to irritation and sometimes dehydration as a result of grooming methods. They have not spread everywhere, but can be found in the coastal areas surrounding the [[Hydro Tropical Coast]], spreading to the interior of the [[Putspooza Tropical Rainforest]] and some headway into the central eastern regions of the [[Barlowe Tropical Rainforest| Barlowe rainforest]], though they have remained localized to that region and have not spread more throughout Barlowe, but small populations have established themselves in the western tropical regions of Dixon.
The [[phlice]] and the [[Snapperbeak Hookphlyer|snapperbeak hookphlyer]] have similarly spread, feeding on the bora scuttlers primarily, but this spread has opened up the opportunity of the phlice to come into contact with other tamshrew species, allowing them to have a more readily available food source outside of the regions the bora scuttlers have spread to, such as the [[tamjack|tamjacks]], [[Marine Tamow|marine tamows]], and [[tamhook|tamhooks]]. This is a rare occurrence, as they typically will stick to their normal food sources.
[[Tamkor]], while readily eating tlukvaequabora much in the way of their ancestors, have not proliferated far beyond the shores of Solpimr due to their large size as adults. The old growth has allowed them to reach Ovi island and the mainland of Barlowe proper, but have not spread farther.
The tlukvaequabora's relationship with the tamshrews as provided a boon to their fuzzpalm relatives. The tamshrew propensity to stockpile seeds and fruit to allow for future stock of nesting materials have allowed for the spread of the other fuzzpalms to not only the mainlands, but to the surrounding islands. The [[Penumbra Fuzzpalm|penumbra fuzzpalm]] have spread to rainforests of Putspoozoa island, mainland Barlowe, and even to the tropical rainforests of Dixon, carried over by the spread of the tamhooks. Their distant ancestor, the fuzzpalm also benefited, seeing their populations spread to all of the beaches of the northern island of Barlowe such as Abello, Ittiz, Nuke, and Time, as well as the northern temperate beaches of Barlowe such as Anguan and Oz.
The spread of species out of Jaydoh island has also occurred due to the spread of the tlukvaequabora, but this is a significantly rarer occurrence. Due to the isolation of the island, spread out of the area did not occur for thousands of years until after their introduction, as the spread was accomplished solely through rafting dispersal events. During large storms, entire sections of forest can end up dislodged from the seabed and float out to sea, taking any organisms clinging to them as collateral. One such organism is the [[Beach Cheekhorn|beach cheekhorn]] which is a regular sight in the upper canopies of these trees, as their strong instinct for climbing, the coating of salt acting as a good source of electrolites, and the berries have made the tluvkvaequabora ideal places for them to congregate. This has allowed not only the beach cheekhorns to spread to the beaches of Barlowe and Dixon, but the [[Kack Tower|kack tower]] as well, as the nuts produced by the kack tower regularly end up lodged in beach cheekhorns' digestive system, and spread to wherever their herds end up.
===Aquatic Environments===
The effect on the coastal water of Barlowe and Dixon cannot go without mention as well. Their ability to create stable seabeds have provided a spurce of purchase for various flora species, allowing them the chance to proliferate. [[Lacrimuck]] have spread throughout the temperate waters of Barlowe, [[Amphibious Flashkelp|amphibious flashkelp]] have spread to all tropical waters of Barlowe and even to [[Ninth Tropical Coast|Ninth]], and [[carnosprawl]] are now a common sight in all coastal and marsh waters of Dixon
The [[Polychrome Flagthroat|polychrome flagthroat]] found a boon in the new source of food and have begun to feed on the various communal species and fruits available. A small pocket have even found their way to Raq following the biyearly dropped fruit as they float out to sea.
=Taxonomy=
|domain = Eukaryota
|kingdom = Phoenoplastida
|phylum = Spherophyta
|class = Knodospheropsida
|order = Hirsupalmales
|family = Tlukvequaceae
|genus = Tlukvequa
|species = amayulvdi
Parasitic Branch-Lantern (Asseculanthos lanterna)
Creator: Irinya, Illus. MNIDJM
Ancestor: Lanternbranch (Psychanthos lucorami)
Habitat: Parasite of Tlukvaequabora (Tlukvequa amayulvdi) - Jaydoh Temperate Beach, Jaydoh Temperate Coast, Negative Tropical Beach, Koopa Tropical Coast, Koopa Tropical Beach, Barlowe Tropical Rainforest (South), Solpimr Tropical Beach, Solpimr Tropical Rainforest, Wolfgang Tropical Beach, Wolfgang Tropical Coast, Jindy Tropical Coast, Jindy Tropical Beach, Raq Temperate Beach, Raq Temperate Coast
Size: Up to 60cm Tall (Not Including Spore Droplets)
Diet: Parasitism, Photosynthesis
Respiration: Passive (Stoma)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Asexual, Sticky Spores carried by Fauna
The Parasitic Branch-Lantern has adapted from a freestanding lifestyle to one of clinging to the undersides of Tlukvaequabora (Tlukvequa amayulvdi) branches. The species gains nutrients and sugars from the host, while also retaining its own photosynthetic mechanisms.
The Branch-Lantern has reduced its number of buds from multiple to a single hanging mass from which it produces long sticky droplets laden with spores. The organism relies on bioluminescence and the appealingly nutritious quality of its droplets to attract fauna such as Bora Scuttlers (Scuttleresta scandtecto), Stowaway Harmbless (Mostli herbivorussinecrus), and various Tamshrew species which consume and brush against the droplets, thus transferring spores onto themselves and transporting those spores elsewhere in the great tree. Conversely, the petals, bulb, and stalk of the organism have become tougher and have developed astringent qualities to dissuade those very same visitors from consuming the main body.
The spread of the Branch-Lantern from its ancestral habitat on Jaydoh Island has been directly tied to the presence of Tlukvaequabora in coastal waters throughout the region. Spores rafting upon fallen Tlukvaequabora limbs have allowed the Branch-Lantern to gradually colonize more distant Tlukvaequabora stands.
Taxonomy:
Eukaryota
Melanophyta
Australomelana
Australomelania
??
??
Asseculanthos
lanterna
Name: Coastal Goth Tree (Creperum salsuradices)
Creator: OviraptorFan
Ancestor: Jaydoh Goth Tree (Creperum jaydoh)
Habitat: Jaydoh Desert, Jaydoh Temperate Beach, Dixon Desert, Raq Temperate Beach, Jlindy Tropical Beach, Koopa Tropical Beach, Hydro Tropical Beach, Ninth Tropical Beach, Only on rafts: Jaydoh Temperate Coast, Raq Temperate Coast, Jlindy Tropical Coast, Koopa Tropical Coast, Hydro Tropical Coast, Ninth Tropical Coast, South Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone)
Size: 50 centimeters tall
Diet: Photosynthesis
Respiration: Passive (stomata)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Gliding Berries and Puffy Spores), Asexual
As Jaydoh began to shrink in size due to rising sea-levels, the range for the jaydoh goth tree began to diminish. This led to some populations of jaydoh goth trees to spread their range to the coasts, where competition is infrequent and thus plenty of room to thrive if they can tolerate the particular challenges that arise from living by the ocean. This would require several unique adaptations that lead to the evolution of the coastal goth tree.
In many ways, the coastal goth tree retains many of the same characteristics as their ancestors, such as the fluid-filled leaves located on the jointed leaf stalks. The leaves still store water through a waxy covering. During the night and hottest parts of the day the water stored in the leaves will be moved down into the roots so that the plant doesn't lose it by evaporation or some herbivore eating the leaves. The jointed leaf stalk will also be lowered at night to completely cover the leaves, which shields them from the cold night air. These stalks are still moved by tubes in their joints filling with water and then straightening due to pressure. The coastal goth tree also retains a thick trunk with tough bark that prevents water being lost through evaporation as easily.
Since the species does not inhabit tundra and lives in relatively warm areas, their bark has become a dark brown in color rather than a dark grey since warming themselves up is not that much of an issue. Additionally, living along the coastlines means they often take in salt water from their roots. To avoid desiccating, the coastal goth tree developed a new adaptation to survive. This took the form of their smaller stems storing excess salt within their tissues before eventually being shed off.
Since the species still lived in relatively arid areas, the coastal goth tree had to take any advantage it could get to thrive. This came in the form of the species commonly becoming nurse logs, where coastal goth trees who die end up providing nourishment for coastal goth tree saplings(which arrive from the berries of other goth trees in the area landing on the dead trunk). While they can do this, coastal goth trees also reproduce through budding from the roots which allows them to settle new areas very quickly and also gives them an edge over similarly sized competitors.
That isn’t to say the species does not reproduce sexually either, with coastal goth trees still having a really tall berry stalk. This stalk grows dozens of small, cup-shaped berries that can be carried by the wind for long distances.
The adaptations for both tolerating salt water and for thriving on decaying flora would result in them incidentally doing well on the rafts made by marine tamow. The coastal goth trees were able to get nutrients from the decaying organic matter that makes up the rafts while extracting moisture from both rain and the sea water. Their ability to reproduce through budding allowed them to survive marine tamow feeding on individual stems while their berries can be picked up by the wind and carried to shore. This would lead to coastal goth trees being able to spread to nearby land masses like Dixon and Barlowe.
A close up look and the anatomy of the coastal goth tree's berries.
Here we go! My second Mason Replacement! It definitely has the longest and most in-depth description of any Goth Tree. Do give your thoughts on it!
This post has been edited by OviraptorFan: May 31 2021, 12:49 PM
Name: Stygmogg (Caccocynoxylon latrans)
Creator: OviraptorFan
Ancestor: Drakogg (Vepricanis hades)
Habitat: Darwin Rocky, Darwin High Grassland, Darwin Boreal, Darwin Chaparral, Vivus Volcanic, Morokar Rocky, Darwin Plains, Darwin Temperate Woodland
Size: 40 centimeters long
Support: Endoskeleton (Jointed Wood)
Diet: Omnivore (Cragagon, Jongfoll, Barkback, Rosybeak Phyler, Scaleskunik, Exoskelesor, Swiftsnapper, Bloodback, High Grassland Ukback, Hangerundi, Tasermane, Golden Earback, Sealkey, Whiskerslurp, Snoofloo juveniles, Glacial Sauceback larvae and juveniles, Handlicker Dundi, Lazarus Soriparasite, Treedundi, Dartirs, Sapworms, Striped Phlock juveniles, Plentshirshu juveniles, Giant Hornface juveniles, Plehexapod juveniles, Greater Plentshirshu juveniles, Mountain Flunejaw eggs, Goliath Flunejaw eggs, Needlespike Flunejaw eggs, Robust Rainforest Ukjaw eggs, Desert Ukjaw eggs, Megalaukjaw eggs, Robust Arid Ferine berries, Berry Arbourshroom, Tubeplage fruit, Fright Tree berries), Scavenger, Photosynthesis
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm
Reproduction: Sexual, Live Birth, Two Genders
One group of drakoggs would split off and return to becoming more social and generalistic. This would lead to the evolution of the stygmogg, which lives in a wide range of habitats. At first glance, the stygmogg looks pretty similar to its ancestor, retaining sharp senses of hearing and sight, which are its main senses for chasing down prey. Unlike the drakogg, however, the stygmogg prefers hunting small game, like the several species of nodent found within their range. To better handle the stresses of struggling prey and to reinforce their powerful bite, the skull of the stygmogg had developed a modified form of lignin within them that makes them stiffer and stronger than normal wood. While it makes it slightly harder to give birth, it makes it much easier for them to crush bones and armor.
Two particularly noticeable changes in the stygmogg’s anatomy involve features intertwined with its ancestry. The first change is that the lowermost pair of horns have returned to becoming barbels, allowing the stygmogg to smell more efficiently than its close relatives, the very tips of these barbels still have wooden spikes to protect the barbels from damage. The second major change is the duplication of its leaf-wings, a trait that occurs fairly regularly among plents. The second pair of leaf-wings did mean extra surface area for photosynthesis, but they were more important for communication, with stymoggs often raising and lowering the second pair of leaf-wings to show off the bright coloration. This correlates with the fact that unlike their ancestors, the stygmogg has become much more social, gathering together in groups of about 3-7 adults.
One benefit living in a pack provides is that the stygmogg can hunt creatures larger than themselves, mainly the juveniles of local megafauna. Since most of the megafauna are plents, some individuals will harass the protective parents and lure them away or chase them off, while other stygmoggs will focus on taking down the youngster. These packs can also help with catching rather evasive prey, with some individuals cutting off escape routes and driving prey into the jaws of a stygmogg. When a kill is made, the stygmoggs will eat every part of the carcass if given the chance, but will always go after choice pieces like the heart or brain since those provide the most nutrients.
While the thorny spines on their bodies do provide some protection from large ukjaws and flunejaws, the stygmogg will more often rely on their coloration and patterns to avoid being detected, which also means they can avoid being spotted by their prey as well. If backed into a corner, a lone stygmogg will not hesitate to bite and scratch at a threat, attacking with great ferocity and seemingly reckless abandon since at that point they are focused on turning the tables upon their assailant as quickly and violently as possible.
Although the stygmogg still acts aggressive to other species, intraspecific interactions have become much more peaceful, due to the species living in tightly-knit packs. For males, conflicts are now more settled by shoving contests instead of physical violence. This lowered aggression among packmates is due to how each member of the pack is important to the overall survival of the whole group, helping to obtain food and to rear young. Young stygmoggs, known as hornpups, are underdeveloped compared to their ancestor’s young. These hornpups have mostly sealed eyes (which limits their vision), no body armor, and only have their canines being present. Combined with legs unable to support their weight, stygmogg hornpups are entirely reliant upon their pack for survival. Stygmogg packs will rear their young in a den, which are often overhangs or abandoned burrows of other creatures, though a stygmogg can dig out their own den if left with no other options.
When the pack goes out to forage, at least one of the adults will stay behind to care for the young. Any threat spotted by the guardian will be dealt with appropriately, with smaller threats being attacked by the guardian while the stygmogg barks with their butt nostril very loudly to alert the rest of the pack if the threat is bigger. Even things like a large flunejaw are likely to back down if spotted, since a pack of stygmoggs protecting their young is not worth fighting against. Hornpups reach maturity at around 2 years of age, though they can begin hunting with the group at about 6 months old.
A newborn hornpup, showing its lack of armor and having underdeveloped legs.
Alright bois! Here is my third mason replacement species! I wanted to revive the lineage of bearhogs that were hunted to extinction by the Argusraptor Complex. What do you guys think of it?
This post has been edited by OviraptorFan: Jun 12 2022, 09:22 PM
Name: Scaly Mushveli (Eurhynchophoca loricatus)
Creator: OviraptorFan
Ancestor: Quilled Nailfin (Kharakophoca freakbeak)
Habitat: Wind Polar Coast, Krakow Polar Beach, Wind Polar Beach, Colddigger Polar Coast, Colddigger Polar Beach, Elerd Temperate Coast, Clarke Temperate Coast, Elerd Temperate Beach, Clarke Temperate Beach
Size: 1.2 meters long
Support: Endoskeleton (Jointed Wood)
Diet: Omnivore (Maritime Shockshell, Crestgrove, Segmented Pyamus, LadyM Korystal, Clinging Belumbia, Phoenix Tubes, Symbiotic Enom, Crusicruge, Burrowing Quid, Greater Droopgea, Snatcherswarmer, Stalkshell, Bloister, Transparent Enom, Field Swarmer, Imprisoned Wolley, Fan Bloister, Fat Korystal, Cryocanon, Dome Crystal, Beach Carnofern, Polarblades, Pioneer Fuzballs, Thornmound, Purple Dotter, Seascooter, Marine Tuffdra, Rainbow Marephasmatis, Marine Bubbleweed, Marine Bubblepede, Marine Crystal, Marine Filtersquid, Marine Droopgea, Marine Shrubite, Sea Cural, Bubbleweed Muckraker, Finned Filtersquid, Ocean Tristage, Shellear, Nectascooter, Lurehum, Marine Mine Layer, Polar Hummroot, Colonial Trapinout, Crevice Tuff, Hallucrastrum, Roj, Mini Pukai, Gray Muckraker, Chunky Zoister, Chambered Bobiiro, Octofoi, Crystal Trapinout, Trapinout, Spoisoreth, Kelpoggle, Stoutplage, Polar Quilbil, Segmented Carnofern, Fruiting Glog, Ouchiiro, Sandtrapin, Gömböc Roj, Nerius, Bulky Hammerhead, Flat Swarmer, Stalk Rastum, Greencrest, Lediiro, Barnapede, Citadel Trapinout, Trunk Frabuki, Nipper Nerius, Darwin Thornshell, Sunstalks, Supershrooms, Scuttlers, Frabukis, Cryobowls, Twinkiiros, Pioneeroots, Marbleflora, Glaalgaes, Burraroms, Twinkorals, Flashkelps, Chitjorns, Toxiglobes, Spore Towers)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Blubber)
Reproduction: Sexual, Live Birth, Two Genders
The Scaly Mushveli descended from populations of Quilled Nailfins that lived within the Wind Polar Coast, eventually replacing them in the area. One major change was the fact the species is specialized to feed on things growing on the seabed rather than trying to catch anything in the water column. This allows it to avoid competition with more pelagic organisms such as the Elegant Nailfin. Meanwhile, the Scaly Mushveli’s opportunistic feeding habits allows it to avoid competition with more specialized feeders such as the exclusively herbivorous Sealyn. Anything on the seabed that is too slow to get away or can’t move at all is a potential meal for the Scaly Mushveli, though this did require several adaptations. For example, many kinds of organisms unable to swim away go for thick armor, electric shocks, or various toxins to deter things from eating them.
When it comes to prey with thick armor or large spines, the Scaly Mushveli simply relies on its ancestral adaptations, using their powerful serrated beak (which are derived from the two buck teeth that are present in even the earliest nodents) to pulverize the tough flora into tiny little bits. The back teeth then further process the food until it's a sort of mushy paste that can then be swallowed. Not all of the Scaly Mushveli’s prey utilizes thick armor, however, with some instead using things like toxins or electricity. With all of these various dangers, the Scaly Mushveli’s direct ancestors developed a higher and higher tolerance for such weapons, eventually culminating with the Scaly Mushveli’s outright immunity to these defenses. Because of this dietary flexibility and such impressive countermeasures of their prey’s defenses, the Scaly Mushveli is able to make a living feeding on things nothing either wants to eat or can’t eat.
The flippers of the Scaly Mushveli have seen some changes, though it's more significant within the foreflippers. The hindflippers are pretty much unchanged from their direct ancestor, aside from slightly shrinking in size, with the limb having nearly all the bones fused together except for the foot of their ancient ancestors. On the foot, all five nails lock together and thus help form the shape of the flipper which then assists with steering, with the nails on the foreflippers also serving a similar purpose.
The foreflippers do have some major differences from their ancestor, however, and are very different from most other types of nailfin. In a trend that started with the earliest Kharakophocid, the Yellow-Belly Nailfin, the foreflippers have more developed arms than their cousins, though they were still mostly fused and inflexible aside from the hand. In the Scaly Mushveli, however, the upper arm bones have become unfused, with the elbow having been freed and thus granting the limbs much greater mobility than other types of nailfin. This does mean they are not as good for swimming, but since the Scaly Mushveli spends a good portion of its time around the seabed this isn’t much of a problem. Indeed, this lifestyle benefits from more flexible limbs, as the Scaly Mushveli can pull itself along by “walking” with the foreflippers on the seabed, or even help it scoot along on land.
As it does need to contend with predators, the Scaly Mushveli does have defenses of its own, many of which are merely built upon the defenses present within their ancestor. The hindmost pair of eyes still point backward, helping it scan for anything coming from above or behind while using its front pair of eyes to scan the ground for food. On land, the Scaly Mushveli will also use its ears to listen for anything coming towards it, though this does not work underwater. If it does detect potential predators, the Scaly Mushveli will do one of three things depending on the situation. If it's in the water but close to land, it will make a beeline towards shore to evade any aquatic pursuers, as while it may not be as mobile as things like the Elegant Nailfin, the Scaly Mushveli can beat its foreflippers back and forth for a decent burst of speed even if it will tire quickly. If it's on land, the Scaly Mushveli will use these foreflippers to instead scoot it towards the water as quickly as it can, since most terrestrial carnivores are not competent swimmers. If it can’t escape in either situation, then the Scaly Mushveli will instead turn and face its assailants. While the beak is mainly for feeding on tough foods, it can work just as well with delivering a very nasty bite since it can easily break bones.
Another defense possessed by the Scaly Mushveli are the large “scales” that cover its body. Being derived from the row of quills seen in their ancestor, these “scales” mostly lay right up against the body, providing some defense against cuts and scrapes without providing too much drag. The scales on the back of the neck, however, point upwards and help prick anything trying to bite on that vital area. With both these scales and their dangerous bite, predators will typically avoid these nailfins and go after easier game, allowing the Scaly Mushveli to feed in peace.
Much like its ancestors, the Scaly Mushveli breeds upon beaches, with females forming large harems that are then guarded by a male. The species does still exhibit sexual dimorphism, with the dorsal stripes being greenish in color on males while in females it is grey. Another difference, however, is the bright pink face of males which is used to attract mates and display fitness while females merely have the face be brownish-grey. As the male guards his harem, he will need to fight off any males trying to mate with females in his harem or any males that directly challenge him. These fights consist mainly of the males biting the face and neck of their opponent, often leaving deep wounds because of their powerful beaks. Young Scaly Mushveli are born on the beach, being cared for by their mother on land until they are strong enough to join her out at sea at the age of 2 months. From there, the pup will stay with her for another 6 months, until eventually leaving her behind to live on their own. The males gather females into the harems due to the fact that they can then monitor them and see when they are ready to mate, as females will only respond to any displays after giving birth to her pup.
The dentition of the Scaly Mushveli.
Alright boys! Here is a new species of nailfin! Thoughts on this bizarre species?
This post has been edited by OviraptorFan: Apr 3 2023, 07:20 PM
Name: Quilled Probeface (Pilosasagmatus spinosa)
Creator: OviraptorFan
Ancestor: Probing Waxface (Pilosasagmatus lactansdentis)
Habitat: Barlowe Plains, Barlowe Chaparral, Barlowe High Grassland, Barlowe Rocky, Martyk Plains, Martyk Chaparral, Barlowe Temperate Woodland, Martyk Temperate Woodland
Size: 1.5 meters long
Support: Endoskeleton (Chitin)
Diet: Sanguivorous (Xatakpark, Fairyshell, Sandblaster, Crimson Spelunkhoe, Crimson Bandersnatch, Grand Buttpiper, Buttpiper, Dusty Spelunkhoe, Dualist Bandersnatch, Spotted Sauceback, Centilopeworm)
Respiration: Active (Microlungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Feathers)
Reproduction: Sexual, Two Genders, Oviviporous
As the climate continued to warm and ecosystems continued to build upon themselves, a population of Probing Waxface would move away from the harsh deserts to settle the nearby grasslands, scrub, and temperate woodlands. Living alongside new kinds of prey as well as some competition, they would develop adaptations to surviving in these habitats and became a distinct taxon of their own right.
Known as the Quilled Probeface, this species of waxface possesses many adaptations, both inherited from its ancestors and features that had only just evolved. While it no longer lives within the arid deserts, the warm temperatures of Barlowe mean the feathers of the Quilled Probeface remain relatively short and close to the body. Instead of being a dull brown in coloration, however, the feathers have become a mixture of purples, reds, and blacks to better blend in with the various kinds of foliage found within their range. This in turn provides the Quilled Probeface better camouflage, helping it to avoid being spotted by both prey and potential threats.
As the areas outside of deserts are more dominated by plents instead of dwellers, the Quilled Probeface has had to broaden its diet and now feeds on a wide range of small game. The Quilled Probeface does still need to rely on echolocation to navigate its environment and identify other creatures in the area, but when it does detect potential prey it changes its strategy. By only using their ears to listen for movement so they can determine what direction the target is headed, the waxface will become completely silent and start stealthily moving towards the source of the sound. If the source is close enough, the Quilled Probeface will become rapidly echolocating to get as much information as possible while charging towards the target. The two fused tusks will be used to stab into the flesh of its prey, usually a type of buttpiper, repeatedly until the creature will succumb to shock and blood loss. After the kill is made, the Quilled Probeface will then stab the tusks into the victim once more to begin feeding.
As it feeds exclusively upon the blood of its prey, the tusks prove quite useful for a variety of reasons. The wax that coats the tusks is adhesive, meaning blood will flow upwards through the large groove running down the middle of the “proboscis”. When the blood gets close enough, the Quilled Probeface will use their short but wide tongue to lick it up and be swallowed. This feeding strategy can be fairly slow, but it works pretty well and provides the waxface with both food and moisture. Once the carcass has been sucked dry, it will be left for scavengers that can actually feed on the meat. On some occasions, however, larger carnivores like the Woodland Gossalizard will arrive on the scene and try to force the waxface away from the kill. In these scuffles, the Quilled Probeface will rely upon their namesake quills, which are derived from feathers, for defending themselves. The quills on the neck and back provide protection against the bites of an aggressor, with the quills being extra long behind the head for this reason. The quills on the tail, meanwhile, can be used to smack an attacker in the face, causing pain and potentially even blindness if the quills hit an eye. If all else fails, the Quilled Probeface can rely upon its long limbs to quickly flee the scene and abandon the carcass to the other carnivore.
The eggs are still retained within the mother until they begin to hatch, after which the several dozen larvae will be born live before soon after attaching themselves to the feathers at the base of the tail with their snorkels. From there, they will be regularly fed regurgitated food from their mother until they grow out their legs and lose the snorkels. By that point, the young leave their mother and start their solitary lives.
Alright guys! Here is my last mason replacement species for week 24! I'm quite proud of how I executed this guy, so any comments and critiques are highly appreciated like usual!
This post has been edited by OviraptorFan: Jan 11 2023, 11:17 AM
Name: Bristlemouth Dracoworm (Caelivermis draconis) [draconic sky-worm]
Creator: OviraptorFan
Ancestor: Tropoworm (Aeolovermis aerosollus)
Habitat: Atmosphere (Troposphere), Barlowe Tropical Rainforest, Ovi Tropical Rainforest, Penumbra Tropical Rainforest, Putspoozoa Tropical Rainforest, Solpimr Tropical Rainforest, Barlowe Temperate Rainforest, Martyk Temperate Rainforest, Ovi Tropical Woodland, Solpimr Tropical Woodland, Barlowe Temperate Woodland, Martyk Temperate Woodland, Nuke Temperate Woodland, Nuke Temperate Woodland, Ovi Tropical Scrub, Solpimr Tropical Scrub, Barlowe Chaparral, Martyk Chaparral, Time Chaparral, Maineiac Volcanic, Dixon Tropical Rainforest, Dixon Temperate Rainforest, Dixon Tropical Woodland, Dixon Temperate Woodland, Dixon Tropical Scrub, Dixon Chaparral, Negative Tropical Scrub
Size: 30 centimeters long
Support: Exoskeleton (Chitin)
Diet: Young; Filter-Feeder, Adult; Herbivore (Obsidibomb, Tropical Carnofern fruit, Tlukvaequabora berries, Marblora, Larandbora, Larands, Penumbra Fuzzpalm berries, Parasitic Branch-Lantern, Lungflora, Obsidian Shrub, Rainforest Carnofern fruit, Obsidibomb, Fuzzbora berries, Mainland Chime Slingberry berries, Statue Piloroot fruit, Spiny Piloroot fruit, Megalarand, Obsidiroot, Carnossamer fruit, Twin-Tail Orbibom berries, Hydrabowl fruit, Sunstalks, Supershrooms, Sapshrooms, Cryobowl fruit), Fliter-Feeder (breeding stage)
Respiration: Semi-Active (Unidirectional Tracheae)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm (Basking)
Reproduction: Sexual (Hermaphrodite, Eggs)
The Bristlemouth Dracoworm split off from their ancestor, evolving from populations that originally descended from the skies and began to live around the less populated islands around Barlowe. There, the lack of predators and competition allowed them to thrive, and they would transition from a diet of aeroplankton to a diet of flora. Though these populations originally evolved around these islands, they would then spread to other regions, like mainland Barlowe, Manieac, and even Dixon.
The start of a Bristlemouth Dracoworm’s life is similar to how their ancestors live, spending their time high up in the atmosphere. Here, they can use their feeding appendages to strain the air for aeroplankton. The appendages are still thin but are slightly thicker than their ancestor’s feeding appendages, which does make them a bit less flexible and thus their filter feeding less efficient, but it still works well enough. The chemoreceptors inherited from their ancestors help these youngsters with finding the densest patches of aeroplankton in the sky. The Bristlemouth Dracoworms also have an advantage over their ancestor in terms of navigation due to possessing large eyes on their abdomen, compared to the smaller eyes seen in their ancestors and the Herbivorous Tropoworm's complete lack of eyes. This means the youngsters can watch the skies around them for potential predators such as the Soaring Phlyer. Because they can see them coming, the youngsters can use their superior agility to avoid them, even if the Soaring Phlyer can easily catch them in a straight chase. Another defense the youngsters have is sheer numbers, gathering together in large groups in a similar fashion to other tropoworms so the chances of a single individual being picked out as a target drops significantly.
After about four months like this, the youngsters will have grown big enough to progress to the next stage in their lives. The young Bristlemouth Dracoworms will all descend from the skies enmasse, heading down towards the ground as they search for an ideal spot to settle. During this mass migration, many youngsters will fall victim to predators waiting for this feast literally raining down from the sky, but there are so many of them that a good portion survive this descent. A Bristlemouth Dracoworm will seek out an ideal habitat to settle down in, preferring rainforests, woodlands, and scrub. Once they settle down in a spot, they will spend the majority of their life in that one area, developing into their adult forms.
Unlike the long extinct Ramul Surfaceworm, Bristlemouth Dracoworms are still great fliers. This is because flight is a more effective way of getting around than squirming about on the substrate would be. The ability to fly also helps the adults with evading predators since while some adults do settle on islands with no other large fauna and thus have nothing to worry about, plenty more settle down in places with several different kinds of predators which in turn mean they have to remain alert. Since there are very few airborne microbes close to the ground, if there are any at all, adult Bristlemouth Dracoworms shift their diet towards feeding on flora. This can be seen through the thinner appendages of the youngster becoming much thicker and robust, with the bristles becoming akin to rasping teeth to cut their way into the tissues of flora. The main kinds of flora that are eaten by adult Bristlemouth Dracoworms are melanophytes and larands, though the fruits and berries of various flora also make up a significant portion of their diet. In areas where the two coexist, the Lungflora also makes up a good portion of their diet, with a Bristlemouth Dracoworm boring their way through the stretchy sack and eating the Lungflora from the inside out.
After about one and a half years of this lifestyle, the Bristlemouth Dracoworms will once again undergo a mass exodus. This time, however, the adults will leave behind the area they had settled in and return to the upper atmosphere. In this reverse migration, many adults will fall prey to predators waiting for their arrival, but their sheer numbers mean a good portion will make it into the sky. Up in the atmosphere, Bristlemouth Dracoworms will participate in elaborate mating rituals, with individuals performing elaborate dances. In such dances, those that keep up with each other for an extended period of time will then copulate and lay their eggs on eachother. As they lay their eggs, the Bristlemouth Dracoworms also excrete a sticky secretion at the same time which quickly hardens once exposed to the air, keeping the eggs in place so they aren’t blown away. With the eggs laid upon them, the two Bristlemouth Dracoworms will go their separate ways, but remain in the general swarm. This is due to the fact that once the Bristlemouth Dracoworms return to the skies to breed, they will remain up there for the rest of their lives. Having the eggs stick onto the abdomen of adult Bristlemouth Dracoworms who in turn stay in the sky for their entire development came with some major advantages; since there are no large areal flora to lay eggs upon and laying eggs upon the ground like their ancestors and relatives have been forced to would massively increase the rise of the eggs being eaten by predators.
While staying in the air greatly benefits the eggs, for the adults it marks the beginning of the end due to the fact they are no longer adapted to live up there full time. The feeding appendages and chemoreceptive feelers can strain the air for aeroplankton to a small degree, but it's nowhere near as efficient as typical tropoworms or even young members of their species which in turn means the adult will be primarily relying upon the energy reserves they built up from their time living close to the ground. For the whole duration of the egg’s development, which is about two weeks, the adults carrying will gradually weaken in condition since they are not getting enough food. Once their incubation is complete, the young Bristlemouth Dracoworms will hatch out of their eggs and cling to their parent. Holding on for around an hour or two while they get their bearings. During this time, they will beat their wrinkled up wings so they can unfold and thus be usable for flight. After the wings are fully primed for flight, the youngsters will detach from their parent and fly off, being fully independent from then on. For the adult Bristlemouth Dracoworms, meanwhile, they will begin to descend to the ground once more. This time, however, there is relatively little control on where they go since at this point they are in the process of dying. Indeed, their end destination does not end with them gradually slowing their descent to gently land on a branch but instead smacking into the earth at high speed and dying on impact if they aren’t dead already.
The spores of the Megalarand and Lungflora were quite prone to getting caught in the bristles and antennae of adult Bristlemouth Dracoworms as they fed on the adult flora. Some of these do get eaten, but more often than not they will remain stuck on the antennae or bristles for quite some time. These spores can sometimes remain attached even when the Bristlemouth Dracoworms return to the skies to breed, only to then sometimes be caught on the bristles of newly hatched Bristlemouth Dracoworms as they spend about an hour or two getting their bearings. Once again, a fair amount of the spores that get caught will get eaten, but a small portion of them will remain unnoticed even when the individual begins to descend towards the surface so it can settle down. If the spores are lucky, they might get detached and land in an ideal habitat, germinating into a new flora. This in turn has allowed the Megalarand and Lungflora to massively expand their range.
Species Spread:
Megalarand is spread into Martyk Chaparral, Barlowe Chaparral, and Maineiac Volcanic.
Lungflora is spread into Solpimr Tropical Rainforest, Barlowe Tropical Rainforest, Solpimr Tropical Woodland, Solpimr Tropical Scrub, Negative Tropical Scrub, Putspoozoa Tropical Rainforest, Penumbra Tropical Rainforest, Dixon Tropical Rainforest, Dixon Tropical Woodland, and Dixon Tropical Scrub.
A close up look of a Bristlemouth Dracoworm's mouth, showcasing the anatomy of their mouthparts.
Alright, so this SHOULD be my actual last mason replacement for week 24. This is actually a collaboration with @Hydromancerx! Hope this species looks good! As usual, any comments or suggestion are highly appreciated! Oh also, this is a wildcard sub.
This post has been edited by OviraptorFan: Apr 30 2023, 03:39 PM
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