| The Landsharks of Selachotopia | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 1 2013, 09:01 PM (217 Views) | |
| Cyrus Theedishman | Oct 1 2013, 09:01 PM Post #1 |
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Do not asking *silly* questions about Heatmor. It makes Orz *frumple* so much.
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Background The Milky Way Galaxy one-billion years into the future was shaped not only by nature, but also by intelligent forces. Millions of planets were inhabited, created, or destroyed by such forces that arose naturally — and later from each other. Practically every nook and cranny in the Galaxy that was not planet was inhabited with — and snuffed of — life as well. Whether a star suddenly goes nova was also determined solely on a whim, with the resulting gamma radiation damaging life in surrounding solar systems, beyond the planets in the target solar system already being disintegrated. One corner of the Galaxy, however, completely escaped all of this turbulence and colonization. While the main actors that determined the course of events in the Galaxy for the last billion years, Humanity, are finally all but gone, new intelligences are already arising that seem ready to take their place. Where this is happening, however, is very far away, across the galactic core from our virgin stellar association. Here too, however, sophontia is developing, that which will eventually subject the interstellar locality it evolved in to the same thing it ultimately escaped from: being shaped by its whim. Meanwhile, while the rise of sophontic organization and endeavor is a wonder to behold, there is also the wildlife from which it evolved to wonder at as well (some hold that nature is far more impressive than anything sophonts, such as humans, could ever make or do). One solar system of our virgin stellar association would be an exobiological naturalist's goldmine, for that it has, at the very least, not one, but three livable worlds in its habitable zone. One is a moon of a gas giant, the other two are Trojan planets sharing the same orbit as the gas giant. Here, we will be investigating the life of one of those planets, which we will call Selachotopia, particularly a group of prodigious beasts known as selachosaurs and their relatives. Overview Unfortunately for our time-traveling exobiologist, assuming that he or she is human, who was looking forward to seeing strange multicellular life similar to that seen in the works of Wayne Douglas Barlowe and C.M. Kosemen, life on planet Selachotopia, at least when it comes to vertebrate life, is similar to that on Earth morphologically. Even then, however, it offers a potential window to how the Earth would look like if not bony fish (Osteichthyes) but gristlefish (Chondrichthyes) roamed the land, even with the planet's higher gravity and relatively thick, moist atmosphere. On the wet world of Selachotopia, bony descendants of gristlefish-analogues dominate the land, called selachosaurs — or, as we will call them vernacularly, landsharks. Terrestrial vertebrate life has evolved at least three times: first with the true selachosaurs; secondly from placoderm-analogues, plated with protective bony armor; thirdly from six-limbed anomalies of para-gristlefish that haven't an ossified skeleton like the true selachosaurs. One group of selachosaurs, the euselachosaurs, has evovled to become something of dinosaur-analogues, which have radiated into a diversity of forms. Basic Anatomy of the Selachosaurs As mentioned before, the selachosaurs are distinct from their relatives in having a bony skeleton. As cartilage would obviously do little good in supporting larger organisms on land, such contributed to the evolutionary success of the selachosaurs and their eventual domination of the globe. Their skins are covered by denticles, like gristlefish are on Earth. Derivitive structures such as spikes, horns, claws, etc. do occur from these. Because of their homology with teeth, they and their derivitive structures can be called "teeth." Because the atmosphere is warm and very, very wet, almost smoggy, the more primitive landsharks retain functional gills. The more advanced euselachosaurs, evolving from the comparatively dryer highlands of Selachotopia, evolved lungs from gills. All but the first gill arches are covered with skin on the outside and are closed off from the esophagus inside save for the second gill arches, forming a makeshift lung. They work to pump air in and out by opening and closing, like an accordion. The first gill arches become much smaller and serve as rudimentary larynges. Air is breathed through both the nose and the mouth. Of course, their jaws are not skeletally connected to the skull at all, being hinged to the skull by hyoid bones and suspended by muscles. Obviously, these bones and muscles are strengthened to accommodate gravity, which is higher on Selachotopia than it is on Earth. This configuration allows herbivores to graze or browse and stay alert for predators at the same time, whereas Earth tetrapod herbivores, with their maxillae fused to their skulls, must do one or the other. Since there is no bone structure to derive hearing organs from, the selachosaurs, auditorially, are limited to feeling vibrations. Hollow denticles assist with this process. The Taxonomy of Euselachosauria Kingdom: Animalia Selachotopiana Phylum: Chordata Selachotopiana Subphylum: Vertebrata Selachotopiana Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Selachotopiana <clade>: Parachondrichthyes <clade>: Osteoselache Superclass: Selachosauria Class: Euselachosauria Clades within Euelachosauria: Cephalognathia --Raptoriniformes --Quadrupediformes Stethognathiamorpha --Pancephalia --Paracephalia Notable Species of Euselachosaurian Landsharks Greater Cowshark (Bovisqualus vulgaris) These great quadrupediforms regularly browse the low-hanging trees of the misty valleys and plains of Selachotopia for leaves and the occasional fruit snack. They notably bear two horn-like denticles on their heads, used for defense and intraspecific fighting. They may not be the brightest among landsharks, but the close family bonds they form can be remembered for a lifetime. Stegoshark (Stegosauroides dipteraphora) Resembling a cross between a shark and a stegosaur, these bulky quadrupediforms plod through the misty plains of Selachotopia, feeding on shrubs and other small flora. Two dorsal fins serve as a warning display, filling with blood, creating an intimidating pattern on each of them. If this warning is not heeded by the interloper, it receives a thirling blow from the end of the tail, studded with three pairs of tooth-derived spikes, forming a thagomizer much like that of Stegosaurus. Common Boarhead (Ambulocaput verrifacies) These pesky, meter-tall pancephalian opportunists scurry the plains and valley for smaller animals, carrion, fruit, and the eggs of certain species. They use their pig-like snouts to direct them to their food. They have their heydays during the nesting seasons of certain species and whenever certain animals give birth, during which these creatures gang up to try to kill and drag away the newborn, though having to overcome very defensive parents, which many of them do not — and even die trying. Titan Dreadmouth (Stethognathotitan terribilis) Super-predators of the plains and valley, these huge paracephalians' elevated heads have a pair of rotary eyes and a good sense of smell to track and single out a particular victim and then charge and pounce at with their very large, awesome jaws. With these, they are able to chomp down and swallow even an elephant whole. Unlike their quadrupediform prey, they lay tight, leathery eggs with casing as tough as rawhide, and tend to their young until they are sub-adults. Sharkraptor (Selachodromeus pterodon) Forming packs, these dastardly, clever raptoriniformes cooperate to hunt their mostly quadrupediform prey. When they hunt, they first single out an individual, then they isolate it from the herd. After that, they pounce, tearing at their prey's tough denticle skin with razor-sharp teeth and claws that serve the dual purpose of holding onto and shredding flesh. Once it dies, the sharkraptors then savor their quarry. Like their quadrupediform prey, they give live birth. I have not fully developed this concept yet, and I have not drawn any illustrations for any of these creatures, but if anybody wishes to do so until I do so myself, be my guest! I would love to see what other people's conceptions of what a "landshark" would be like! Edited by Cyrus Theedishman, Oct 6 2013, 12:41 AM.
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| Olympianmaster | Oct 1 2013, 09:22 PM Post #2 |
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Very Active Member
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Wow! |
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| Cyrus Theedishman | Oct 6 2013, 12:42 AM Post #3 |
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Do not asking *silly* questions about Heatmor. It makes Orz *frumple* so much.
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I have added information regarding the basic anatomy of the selachosaurs to the original post. |
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| Citrakayah | Oct 7 2013, 12:39 AM Post #4 |
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Administrator
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Well, it's interesting enough. I'm not sure I like how Earthly the creatures are (yes, I know that they are similar to Earth life, but even past the point of divergence things are extremely similar)--from the descriptions, it looks like most of the animals are [animal]+shark. For instance, the cowshark is a cow plus a shark, complete with two horns. I kind of just have this mental image of the creatures looking like a shark, built like a cow, with four legs and a pair of bovine horns. Similarly, for the raptorshark I imagine a shark... with two legs and a generally raptor-like body. It just seems very predictable, I suppose. I would, in your position, ask myself what unusual adaptations that we do not see on Earth life a taxon covered in teeth might come up with. Who says they would use claws, when they could shred their prey by running past it quickly and rubbing against it? Perhaps they could have patches on the shoulders where the denticles point forwards, and use those to flay prey/rivals alive? Might some develop a denticle covered tongue, almost like a radula? |
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