NESLife VI
- Thread starter Lord_Iggy
- Start date
bonefang
Emperor
OOC Woop !! 
Arisian Ocean
Organism:
Ancestor: Le Grande Conquéreuse
Selective pressure: Look there's all this land near us!
Mutation: Using a 'wax' on its leaves to prevent ammonia loss allows it to survive desiccation, while also hiding much of its super-structure underground to conserve ammonia including its buds, the Grande Conquéreuse can survive on land. Grande Conquéreuse have also developed the ability to separate themselves when under ammonia stress. This allows the better placed Grande Conquéreuse in the colony to survive, when other more unfortunate Grande Conquéreuse located in poorer positions die. This added redundancy and the fact that buds, which are chock full of protective anti-desiccation gel, can themselves be shed, and survive for some time without ammonia, allows Grande Conquéreuse to survive even the worst droughts. Grande Conquéreuse have also abandoned the glass of their ancestors and settled into using longer, and simpler, strands on carbon to make predators lives difficult.
Organism:
Ancestor: Le Grande Conquéreuse
Selective pressure: Look there's all this land near us!
Mutation: Using a 'wax' on its leaves to prevent ammonia loss allows it to survive desiccation, while also hiding much of its super-structure underground to conserve ammonia including its buds, the Grande Conquéreuse can survive on land. Grande Conquéreuse have also developed the ability to separate themselves when under ammonia stress. This allows the better placed Grande Conquéreuse in the colony to survive, when other more unfortunate Grande Conquéreuse located in poorer positions die. This added redundancy and the fact that buds, which are chock full of protective anti-desiccation gel, can themselves be shed, and survive for some time without ammonia, allows Grande Conquéreuse to survive even the worst droughts. Grande Conquéreuse have also abandoned the glass of their ancestors and settled into using longer, and simpler, strands on carbon to make predators lives difficult.
tuxedohamm
Disguised as crow.
Haskone Sea
Organism: Tybiller
Ancestor: Harvester
Selective Pressure: Threat of predation in current region
Mutation: The Tybiller has a thicker chitinous shell that allows it to maintain liquids better, but its primary advantage is the development of tracheal tubes that allow hydrogen to reach deeper into the creature even if it grows larger, which it can now do. The larger size becomes more difficult for predators to prey upon and the outer shell allows it to move further inland.
Spoiler :
Organism: Tybiller
Ancestor: Harvester
Selective Pressure: Threat of predation in current region
Mutation: The Tybiller has a thicker chitinous shell that allows it to maintain liquids better, but its primary advantage is the development of tracheal tubes that allow hydrogen to reach deeper into the creature even if it grows larger, which it can now do. The larger size becomes more difficult for predators to prey upon and the outer shell allows it to move further inland.
Terrance888
Discord Reigns
Organism:
Ancestor: Ripper
Selective Pressure: Competition over food sources, armor of Benthic food sources blocking predators
Mutation: Stronger muscles in its claws allow it to crush the armor of Spinata, based off of tetrahedral skeleton for leverage. This gives the Crusher a new food source, as well as better able to defend itself from their own predators.
Terrance888
Discord Reigns
Whoops. Hehe.
Spoiler :
Organism: Skitterer
Ancestor: Harvester
Selective Pressure: The need to outrun spinata predators.
Mutation: The Skitterer has developed a primitive heart and circulatory system which allows it to pump blood to the muscles in its legs over a short amount of time. This rapid pumping of blood enables the Skitterer to quickly dart from location to location at the sight of other armored predators. As such, the legs have also developed better musculature.
Sorry about two circulatory systems in a row, but I like me some blood flow.
bonefang
Emperor
ooc : Lactic Acid production .... that would come out some time or the other I guess.
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Iggy, just wondering if any of the extant Spinata have basic digestive systems not mentioned in the stats? I recall a cranial digestive system but I believe that branch got completely wiped out?
tuxedohamm
Disguised as crow.
I think you are remembering the Digestor which wasn't even part of Spinata. Their connection was all the way back to the Thick Feasters. The Digestor ancestor (Crushers) evolved during the same epoch as Spinators.
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Ah of course, yes. Thanks! So they remain external digesters, hmm.
Tux is correct. All extant Spinators feed either by contact digestion (through gaps in their armour), or through a mouth-like opening, or by everting a portion of tissue out of their body, and digesting prey using a strategy similar to a starfish. None of these techniques are particularly advanced.
I'm estimating 7 hours until I am completed the update. Time for some good, non-distracting ambient music!
Link to video.
Link to video.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
That specific Animusic song always reminds me of an intro to an '80's powerchord song.
This is Albion with their top-10 charting hit, Tomorrow Ocean!
This is Albion with their top-10 charting hit, Tomorrow Ocean!
Epoch VIII: The Harvestrian Epoch
After some forty million years of separation, the Sejessian and Arisian Oceans have once again come together, as the Straits of Velantia open up in the growing rift between Graderia and Okianus, while the continued westward slide of Eddoria opens up the Straits of Nassiria between itself and the southern continent of Plassidia. The reconnection of the two great oceans provided a major shock to the Lambda’s ecosystems. The Sejessian, which was significantly saltier and more turbid due to the intense volcanism and powerful erosive forces surrounding its basin, was diluted by the relatively clearer Arisian, ultimately leading to a homogenization between the two. Not only did the world’s two major marine ecosystems finally remingle into one (with the exception of the isolated, inland Haskone Sea, sandwiched between Okianus and Eddoria), Lambda’s climate and rainfall patterns were dramatically shifted by the resumption of the long-blocked global equatorial current, which broadly redistributed rainfall patterns.
For a general summary of the interactions of pre-existing organisms, the advanced Zippers and Rippers of the Arisian proved to be terribly effective competitors against their Sejessian cousins, the Tramps, Paras and Holonus. With greater size, energy, and digestive ability, the descendants of the Zebedis outcompeted, and frequently hunted, their simpler brethren to extinction. The leaping descendants of the Protlaepish returned to the Sejessian, thriving on the heretofore unpredated floating photosynthesizers which packed the sea’s surface. On land, relatively little changed. The Spinator-descendants came back into contact with each other, maintaining no families in common, but there were relatively few major competitive overlaps, thus preventing any major extinction events. The diverse filter feeding assemblage of the Sejessian quickly radiated out into the Arisian Ocean, rapidly enriching the comparatively-barren benthic community (initially composed of little more than Curatols, Manitols, Growers and Svis). While the opening of the Nassirian and Velantian Straits did separate the two continents into two separate agglomerations (Okiano-Eddoria and Plassidia-Graderia-Lambridia), all of the land plants had already bridged between the two ocean coasts, and most still could disperse between the two continents, which remain separated only by a few hundred kilometers of ocean. Growers and Zeppus remain amongst the few biological families which continued to exist in each ocean from the beginning to the end of the full separation of the Arisian and Sejessian. Finally, Indigestibles, in the form of Freefloaters and Ground-Grabbers, have made their long-overdue return to the waters of the Arisian.
Land
Horras first evolved in Lambridia, but rapidly dispersed to the rest of the temperate world. With broad bases, bushy tops and deep root systems, they are well-adapted to thriving in moist, inland locations. However, the height of these plants remains limited to roughly 20 centimeters, as they rely on simple diffusion for nutrient exchange. While they have several adaptations that would allow them to thrive in even drier environments, their spores are dependent on ammonia for dispersal, often relying on rainfall to splash their parent plant and carry them away to a damp location where they can germinate.
Solarotils, with large photosynthetic surfaces, and sticky, windblown spores, are highly competitive plants capable of broad dispersal. However, their very thin leaves are a vulnerability, rather than an adaptation for dry conditions. As such, Solarotils are limited to damp and coastal environments.
Siccabis, while somewhat less successful than Horras, have managed to establish themselves in more marginal environments. With most of their mass underground, and small, desiccation-resistant leaves, Siccabis are able to better tolerate dry conditions than any other land plant.
Tenkus have further freed themselves from ties to the seas, by developing spores capable of germination on land. Whole fleets of Tenkus, through a simple system of chemical signalling, are able to synchronize their reproduction and migrations. The tendency of whole forests of Tenkus to uproot themselves and depart for more nutrient rich areas has proved flummoxing for the few predators who have extended their ranges far inland. A Paravester clan may find a rich field of Tenkus one day, only to find their rich feast floating off into the sky the next day.
Raffipus developed a system of symbioses even more complex than those of their Paripu ancestors. Directing more and more energy into feeding and exchanging resources with various symbionts, many of which remained firmly attached to the ground, proved to be a losing strategy for the Raffipus, who lacked any major competitive advantages over the Paripus, and as such failed to diversify and gradually faded into extinction.
Ground-Graspers have moved a step further onto ground. Abandoning their floatation bubbles and silicate defenses in favour of simpler, carbon-based polymers, Ground-Graspers grow predominately underground, extending waxy photosynthetic structures above the ground at irregular intervals. While they are not quite as effective photosynthesizers as many of their contemporaries, their colonial structure and effective resource-sharing methods allowed them to establish themselves across a broad range nonetheless.
Tybillers, descended from coastal Harvesters, have enjoyed great success. With a network of tracheae penetrating their bodies, they are the first animals to have a system to properly exchange gases with the atmosphere. With this, and great desiccation resistance from a thick and well-developed exoskeleton, Tybillers have spread to all corners of the world, although they are still limited by their primitive digestive systems, which significantly limit the speed at which they are able to graze.
Haskone Sea
Crackers were an amphibious descendant of the Gangers, with tough, airtight exteriors. Unfortunately, while their relatives remained successful in the Haskone sea, Crackers were beset by a wide array of difficulties which caused them to struggle on land. They were ponderously slow (with relatively large bodies and small ambulatory spines), lacked an effective mechanism for dry land gas exchange, and were unable to make use of their strong sense of smell (thus blocking their critical pheromonal communications). With Hunters, Harvesters and Tybillers for competition, Crackers were unable to compete, and were swiftly eliminated by their better-adapted rivals.
Global Ocean
Tangle Reefs developed a close, symbiotic relationship with filter feeders, particularly Nesters. By heavily mineralizing themselves and growing protected internal cavities, these reefs provided an excellent and safe area for Nesters to grow. By feeding off of Nester waste and anchoring themselves to the ocean floor, with their photosynthetic upper areas near the surface, Tangle Reefs are able to thrive, becoming prominent in many of the more nutrient-rich coastal regions of Lambda.
Drainers evolved specifically to take advantage of the large networks of Free-floaters and their descendants, latching onto their relatives and parasitically draining them of resources. Drainers devote much of their resources into growing defenses, making them quite unpleasant to eat. A constant battle is waged between Drainers and their hosts, which ultimately prevents organisms such as Tangle Reefs from completely taking over their environments.
Waltzers are sinkers with a singular, limb-like spine which they use to balance themselves as they drift above the ocean floor. In times of danger, the spine can retract and extend rapidly, like a released spring, propelling the Waltzer high off the bottom and occasionally to safety. This adaptation left Waltzers almost immune to predation by benthic crawlers, though any swimming organism could catch it soon enough, as the springing mechanism takes several hours to reset after each leap.
The Mantifip adapted its three rearmost limbs into ventral, paddle-like structures, allowing it to swim, albeit in a backwards manner. This development has granted Mantifips far greater mobility than most of their relatives, as well as a highly-useful escape mechanism, rendering them difficult prey for many larger and slower predators.
Paravesters make use of sharpened mandibles to burrow through the rough exteriors of Toilotils and Horras. The damp interiors of these plants allow Paravesters to establish ‘bases’ further and further away from water. The relative scarcity of these habitats has forced a degree of communal living, with multiple Paravesters often inhabiting the same plant, defending it from the herbivory of rival Paravester clans.
Skitterers, close relatives to the Paravesters, have developed a simple system to pump internal fluids throughout their body. With the most effective circulatory system to be found anywhere in Phylum Spinata, Skitterers are hyperactive creatures, thriving in both benthic and coastal environments.
Iceni were Zeph-descendants who developed a friction-based sparking structure on their anterior prongs. However, as Zeph already had very little difficulty in destroying their floating prey (a simple puncture will do), and as electrical shocks are of little use against prey with no nervous system at all, the sparking adaptation of the Iceni proved to be more of a burden than anything else, and their lineage was thus marginalized and driven to extinction by their simpler relatives, with less redundant killing techniques.
Skyborn experienced more success, by releasing their larval young onto floating Tonu-descendants. This technique ensured a rich food supply for their young, and also protected them from predation by various oceanic hunters and filter feeders.
Gliphs made use of hydrogen-filled sacs and slightly thicker skin in order to spend greater amounts of time out of the water. While their thicker skin has made digestion even more difficult, their ability to float with minimal effort has allowed them to spend very little time in the seas, where they are quite vulnerable to predation. Instead, these creatures descend to reammonate themselves only on isolated occasions, spending the rest of their time safely out of the reach of other aerial predators, who can make short work of Gliphs in a direct confrontation.
Abyssi have developed a chitinous extension of their internal skeleton, forming a defensive set of armour around their bodies. This offers a modicum of pressure resistance, although more significant is the fact that this armour makes predation on the Abyssi a very challenging prospect. However, all developments have tradeoffs, and the Abyssi have significantly sacrificed their swimming speed rendering them significantly less skilled at capturing mobile prey.
Shredders are, if such a thing is possible, even more fearsome predators than their Ripper forebears. With their anterior claws adapted into a vicious jaw-like mechanism, there is no creature on Lambda capable of resisting the ferocious bite of a Shredder, save maybe a fully-grown Abyssi. These organisms have outcompeted their own ancestors, although they still face challenges from their larger and much more energetic Zipper cousins.
Haskone Sea
Global Ocean
Lambda
Notes: thomas.berubeg, adding a circulatory system and a waterproof exoskeleton all at once is too much for a single mutation. I gave the Cracker a waterproof carapace, as I felt that this was the development which most closely fit what you were going for with the organism.
Grandkhan, floating islands haven’t existed for 30 million years.
TerrisH... could you please proofread your evolutions, and try to be a bit clearer and more succinct? I had to spend way more time on both of your proposed evolutions (you didn’t erase your first one after changing it) than I would have preferred.
Also, to everyone, feel free to ask me questions about life on Lambda. I would rather not answer questions like ‘what evolution should I do’ and ‘will my evolution survive’, but I’d be very happy to talk about life on this world in general. If you want to have a more indepth conversation, I’m most easily found on the #nes IRC channel.
After some forty million years of separation, the Sejessian and Arisian Oceans have once again come together, as the Straits of Velantia open up in the growing rift between Graderia and Okianus, while the continued westward slide of Eddoria opens up the Straits of Nassiria between itself and the southern continent of Plassidia. The reconnection of the two great oceans provided a major shock to the Lambda’s ecosystems. The Sejessian, which was significantly saltier and more turbid due to the intense volcanism and powerful erosive forces surrounding its basin, was diluted by the relatively clearer Arisian, ultimately leading to a homogenization between the two. Not only did the world’s two major marine ecosystems finally remingle into one (with the exception of the isolated, inland Haskone Sea, sandwiched between Okianus and Eddoria), Lambda’s climate and rainfall patterns were dramatically shifted by the resumption of the long-blocked global equatorial current, which broadly redistributed rainfall patterns.
For a general summary of the interactions of pre-existing organisms, the advanced Zippers and Rippers of the Arisian proved to be terribly effective competitors against their Sejessian cousins, the Tramps, Paras and Holonus. With greater size, energy, and digestive ability, the descendants of the Zebedis outcompeted, and frequently hunted, their simpler brethren to extinction. The leaping descendants of the Protlaepish returned to the Sejessian, thriving on the heretofore unpredated floating photosynthesizers which packed the sea’s surface. On land, relatively little changed. The Spinator-descendants came back into contact with each other, maintaining no families in common, but there were relatively few major competitive overlaps, thus preventing any major extinction events. The diverse filter feeding assemblage of the Sejessian quickly radiated out into the Arisian Ocean, rapidly enriching the comparatively-barren benthic community (initially composed of little more than Curatols, Manitols, Growers and Svis). While the opening of the Nassirian and Velantian Straits did separate the two continents into two separate agglomerations (Okiano-Eddoria and Plassidia-Graderia-Lambridia), all of the land plants had already bridged between the two ocean coasts, and most still could disperse between the two continents, which remain separated only by a few hundred kilometers of ocean. Growers and Zeppus remain amongst the few biological families which continued to exist in each ocean from the beginning to the end of the full separation of the Arisian and Sejessian. Finally, Indigestibles, in the form of Freefloaters and Ground-Grabbers, have made their long-overdue return to the waters of the Arisian.
Land
Horras first evolved in Lambridia, but rapidly dispersed to the rest of the temperate world. With broad bases, bushy tops and deep root systems, they are well-adapted to thriving in moist, inland locations. However, the height of these plants remains limited to roughly 20 centimeters, as they rely on simple diffusion for nutrient exchange. While they have several adaptations that would allow them to thrive in even drier environments, their spores are dependent on ammonia for dispersal, often relying on rainfall to splash their parent plant and carry them away to a damp location where they can germinate.
Solarotils, with large photosynthetic surfaces, and sticky, windblown spores, are highly competitive plants capable of broad dispersal. However, their very thin leaves are a vulnerability, rather than an adaptation for dry conditions. As such, Solarotils are limited to damp and coastal environments.
Siccabis, while somewhat less successful than Horras, have managed to establish themselves in more marginal environments. With most of their mass underground, and small, desiccation-resistant leaves, Siccabis are able to better tolerate dry conditions than any other land plant.
Tenkus have further freed themselves from ties to the seas, by developing spores capable of germination on land. Whole fleets of Tenkus, through a simple system of chemical signalling, are able to synchronize their reproduction and migrations. The tendency of whole forests of Tenkus to uproot themselves and depart for more nutrient rich areas has proved flummoxing for the few predators who have extended their ranges far inland. A Paravester clan may find a rich field of Tenkus one day, only to find their rich feast floating off into the sky the next day.
Raffipus developed a system of symbioses even more complex than those of their Paripu ancestors. Directing more and more energy into feeding and exchanging resources with various symbionts, many of which remained firmly attached to the ground, proved to be a losing strategy for the Raffipus, who lacked any major competitive advantages over the Paripus, and as such failed to diversify and gradually faded into extinction.
Ground-Graspers have moved a step further onto ground. Abandoning their floatation bubbles and silicate defenses in favour of simpler, carbon-based polymers, Ground-Graspers grow predominately underground, extending waxy photosynthetic structures above the ground at irregular intervals. While they are not quite as effective photosynthesizers as many of their contemporaries, their colonial structure and effective resource-sharing methods allowed them to establish themselves across a broad range nonetheless.
Tybillers, descended from coastal Harvesters, have enjoyed great success. With a network of tracheae penetrating their bodies, they are the first animals to have a system to properly exchange gases with the atmosphere. With this, and great desiccation resistance from a thick and well-developed exoskeleton, Tybillers have spread to all corners of the world, although they are still limited by their primitive digestive systems, which significantly limit the speed at which they are able to graze.
Haskone Sea
Crackers were an amphibious descendant of the Gangers, with tough, airtight exteriors. Unfortunately, while their relatives remained successful in the Haskone sea, Crackers were beset by a wide array of difficulties which caused them to struggle on land. They were ponderously slow (with relatively large bodies and small ambulatory spines), lacked an effective mechanism for dry land gas exchange, and were unable to make use of their strong sense of smell (thus blocking their critical pheromonal communications). With Hunters, Harvesters and Tybillers for competition, Crackers were unable to compete, and were swiftly eliminated by their better-adapted rivals.
Global Ocean
Tangle Reefs developed a close, symbiotic relationship with filter feeders, particularly Nesters. By heavily mineralizing themselves and growing protected internal cavities, these reefs provided an excellent and safe area for Nesters to grow. By feeding off of Nester waste and anchoring themselves to the ocean floor, with their photosynthetic upper areas near the surface, Tangle Reefs are able to thrive, becoming prominent in many of the more nutrient-rich coastal regions of Lambda.
Drainers evolved specifically to take advantage of the large networks of Free-floaters and their descendants, latching onto their relatives and parasitically draining them of resources. Drainers devote much of their resources into growing defenses, making them quite unpleasant to eat. A constant battle is waged between Drainers and their hosts, which ultimately prevents organisms such as Tangle Reefs from completely taking over their environments.
Waltzers are sinkers with a singular, limb-like spine which they use to balance themselves as they drift above the ocean floor. In times of danger, the spine can retract and extend rapidly, like a released spring, propelling the Waltzer high off the bottom and occasionally to safety. This adaptation left Waltzers almost immune to predation by benthic crawlers, though any swimming organism could catch it soon enough, as the springing mechanism takes several hours to reset after each leap.
The Mantifip adapted its three rearmost limbs into ventral, paddle-like structures, allowing it to swim, albeit in a backwards manner. This development has granted Mantifips far greater mobility than most of their relatives, as well as a highly-useful escape mechanism, rendering them difficult prey for many larger and slower predators.
Paravesters make use of sharpened mandibles to burrow through the rough exteriors of Toilotils and Horras. The damp interiors of these plants allow Paravesters to establish ‘bases’ further and further away from water. The relative scarcity of these habitats has forced a degree of communal living, with multiple Paravesters often inhabiting the same plant, defending it from the herbivory of rival Paravester clans.
Skitterers, close relatives to the Paravesters, have developed a simple system to pump internal fluids throughout their body. With the most effective circulatory system to be found anywhere in Phylum Spinata, Skitterers are hyperactive creatures, thriving in both benthic and coastal environments.
Iceni were Zeph-descendants who developed a friction-based sparking structure on their anterior prongs. However, as Zeph already had very little difficulty in destroying their floating prey (a simple puncture will do), and as electrical shocks are of little use against prey with no nervous system at all, the sparking adaptation of the Iceni proved to be more of a burden than anything else, and their lineage was thus marginalized and driven to extinction by their simpler relatives, with less redundant killing techniques.
Skyborn experienced more success, by releasing their larval young onto floating Tonu-descendants. This technique ensured a rich food supply for their young, and also protected them from predation by various oceanic hunters and filter feeders.
Gliphs made use of hydrogen-filled sacs and slightly thicker skin in order to spend greater amounts of time out of the water. While their thicker skin has made digestion even more difficult, their ability to float with minimal effort has allowed them to spend very little time in the seas, where they are quite vulnerable to predation. Instead, these creatures descend to reammonate themselves only on isolated occasions, spending the rest of their time safely out of the reach of other aerial predators, who can make short work of Gliphs in a direct confrontation.
Abyssi have developed a chitinous extension of their internal skeleton, forming a defensive set of armour around their bodies. This offers a modicum of pressure resistance, although more significant is the fact that this armour makes predation on the Abyssi a very challenging prospect. However, all developments have tradeoffs, and the Abyssi have significantly sacrificed their swimming speed rendering them significantly less skilled at capturing mobile prey.
Shredders are, if such a thing is possible, even more fearsome predators than their Ripper forebears. With their anterior claws adapted into a vicious jaw-like mechanism, there is no creature on Lambda capable of resisting the ferocious bite of a Shredder, save maybe a fully-grown Abyssi. These organisms have outcompeted their own ancestors, although they still face challenges from their larger and much more energetic Zipper cousins.
Haskone Sea
Global Ocean
Lambda
Notes: thomas.berubeg, adding a circulatory system and a waterproof exoskeleton all at once is too much for a single mutation. I gave the Cracker a waterproof carapace, as I felt that this was the development which most closely fit what you were going for with the organism.
Grandkhan, floating islands haven’t existed for 30 million years.
TerrisH... could you please proofread your evolutions, and try to be a bit clearer and more succinct? I had to spend way more time on both of your proposed evolutions (you didn’t erase your first one after changing it) than I would have preferred.
Also, to everyone, feel free to ask me questions about life on Lambda. I would rather not answer questions like ‘what evolution should I do’ and ‘will my evolution survive’, but I’d be very happy to talk about life on this world in general. If you want to have a more indepth conversation, I’m most easily found on the #nes IRC channel.
Spoiler Extant Organisms :
JohannaK
Heroically Clueless
See, this NES is so awesome, I don't even care about updates per se, just the pictures are already worth it. 
Lambda Ignaceae
Warlord
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2013
- Messages
- 196
Woop-de-woop! I survived again. Shame we are all in the same soup again, perhaps i'll focus on the Haskone Sea next!
filli_noctus
Hmmn
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2010
- Messages
- 2,221
This is getting more and more interesting. If it's not too much to ask would it be possible for future updates to include details on why previously existing species went extinct?
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