NESLife attempt #3

[Daftpanzer]

inevitable wikipedia link

Plankton are found throughout the oceans, seas and lakes of Earth. However, the local abundance of plankton varies horizontally, vertically and seasonally. The primary source of this variability is the availability of light. All plankton ecosystems are driven by the input of solar energy (but see chemosynthesis), and this confines primary production to surface waters, and to geographical regions and seasons when light is abundant.

A secondary source of variability is that of nutrient availability. Although large areas of the tropical and sub-tropical oceans have abundant light, they experience relatively low primary production because of the poor availability of nutrients such as nitrate, phosphate and silicate. This is a product of large-scale ocean circulation and stratification of the water column. In such regions, primary production, still usually occurs at greater depth, although at a reduced level (because of reduced light).

Im still confused about whether warmer water has fewer nutrients by nature, or whether its just the way ocean currents are arranged in the (real) world... (is it to with density and nutrients sinking below warmer water?)

 

[Thlayli]

Lurker's Comment: It's because colder waters can hold more oxygen.

 

[Disenfrancised]

Looks like i'll have to get my facts straight. Id just assumed more plankton would exist in warmer and sunnier seas, if the sea currents and levels of nutrients etc were abstracted to some kind of global average.

Nope

a) Warm water can't hold onto oxygen as well as cold water can so there is more oxygen in colder waters and therefore more biomass.
b)For plankton to grow warmer water dosen't give much more photosynthetic efficency, basically in needs to be a few degrees above freezing and everything else is gravy (this holds true for land plants as well - its the water availability and amount of time that is 'not too cold' which is important for biomass)

However

Warm water tends to host a much more diverse animal community as its a more forgiving environment even if it is resource poor, so you have a diverse tropical waters and cold waters with huge numbers of only a few species.

 

[cvlowe]

Without getting too complicated, all I can do is mention these problems in the update, whenever they become a problem . It all depends on what kind of things the animal does...

The problem is you had 11 genes, some of them more energy-taxing, like live birth, gills for faster metabolism etc, with just one gene for actually processing what it can catch and providing the energy. Flesh eating level 2 in your new evolution will make things better. Level 3 would be great for your creature. Level 4 would be really efficient!

They have complex stomach, so I always figured them as having 2 genes dedicated to processing food. But I see your point about needing more as they get more active.

Also- I seem to recall a movie I watched about whales fairly recently. According to it, plankton actually grows heaviest in cold water. Whales migrate south to breed/give birth, and eat very little surviving off their blubber. They move back north in the summer and gorge on the plankton near the poles- storing up enough for the next summer migration.

Then again, it's your game, don't need to base it completely on real life!

Edit:
And there I go replying without reading the rest of the thread and seeing all the better explanations!

 

[Splime]

OK, I've compiled an evolution chart, ordered by generation, of the Dibbler Phylum. And damn, it took a while to produce. I'll only update this branch regularly, don't expect me to do the others.

 

[Daftpanzer]

thats awesome Splime!

OK about the plankton... Ill start taking into account that there is actually more of it in the colder seas, as would seem to be realistic. Thanks for the info!

edit: front page stuff should now say the same thing.

Hmm... I cant think of any good exlpanation/excuse for why plankton has been lower in the cold seas so far

edit: BananaLee, i meant to say, i am very honoured by your avatar

 

[BananaLee]

Many thanks. It's really cute. Let's just hope Yuckius Shaggus is cooler

 

[Lord_Iggy]

You could say... perhaps extremely high ultraviolet radiation near the poles, due to a severely damaged ozone layer- killing off a lot of small life.

 

[Niklas]

Spoiler Silicoalgae :

Silicoalgae: Niklas
Evolved from: Cryoalgae
Genes (8): Photosynthesis x3, Cold Resistance x1, Hibernation x1, Carpeting x2, Water Retention x2
Description: Being out-competed in the cold water biotope, the simple cryoalgae started taking to the rocky beaches and tidal pools, retaining water to be able to grow out of the sea. On land the carpeting ability was somewhat more useful as it allowed water to be transported from algae in moist areas to those in drier, but more sunny, areas. Keeping to the colder lands also helped to stay clear of grazers, as well as the acidic tendrils of the urchin.

Obstoalgae
Evolved from: Silicoalgae
Genes added (2+1): Photosynthesis x2, Acid x1
Genes: Photosynthesis x5, Cold Resistance x1, Hibernation x1, Carpeting x2, Water Retention x2, Acid x1
Description: Under the threat of being eaten, the shoreline algae needed defense. Their weak acid may not be lethal to would-be attackers, but it harms those crawling roots and generally makes life harder for those who would graze on them.

@Daftpanzer: I see Carpeting as helpful to water retention as well, since the outer surface of the conglomerate is lower, and since water can be transported from moist to dry areas. You didn't specify its effect in the genes list, but I would see it is as a mix of survival and energy efficiency (sort-of-metabolism), though not as efficient at either as the pure versions of course. Is this how you view it as well?

 

[Disenfrancised]

I'm getting sorely tempted to add an 'Evolvability' gene

 

[Splime]

If it's not too late, I'd like to change my evolution:

Spoiler old species :

Zibbler-21: Splime
Species evolved from: Dibbler-Revolution
Genes (6): Crawling x1, Eating Dead Things x1, Complex Stomach x1, Fangs x1, Water Retention x2,
Description: The Zibbler-21 has evolved to have a complex stomach and fangs, which will hopefully increase the energy capability of the species, and add a slightly larger range in its diet.

Zobbler-22: Splime
Evolved from: Zibbler-21
Genes added: Flesh Eating x1, Plant Eating x1
Genes removed: Eating Dead Things x1
Description: The evolution of the Zobbler-22 has left the roots of the noble dibbler, which ate the rotting carcasses of dead things, and has evolved into an omnivore. The fangs the Zibbler-21 developed become even more useful in this evolution, as they can be used to kill their prey. The plant-eating gene gives a supplement to the diet.

EDIT: Updated the chart to reflect extinctions.

 

[Niklas]

I'm of half a mind to do a similar graph for the Slimeotron Phylum. One problem though, the Era 0 thingeys have been removed from the first post, so there's no image of the original Slimeotron to be found. Daftpanzer, can you put that up again?

 

[Mauritania]

I can do that for you:

 

[Niklas]

Thanks a lot!

 

[Niklas]

First preview:

Spoiler Slimeotron Phylum :

Just images and arrows atm, I mean to add in names and maybe some other info (extinct or not, who evolved it etc).

 

[Splime]

Great, now we just need the following charted:

- Blobster Phylum
- Sucky Phylum
- Spongita Tanegashima Phylum
- Other Species which evolved from plankton directly, as opposed to from the original NPCs.

 

[Abaddon]

If we can encourage people to take care of their own branch perhaps?

 

[North King]

Does anyone have the first Blobster lying around?

 

[Niklas]

Slimes Mk II:

Spoiler Slimeotron Phylum :

Nice thing is that I can turn on and off any of the show artifacts. Gotta love Paintshop Pro. The image consists of 7 different layers, including the background. Comments appreciated.

I will try to keep this updated for future updates as well. And it would be fun to see some more people join the slimey arena.

 

[Daftpanzer]

Wow! Very very nice Niklas and Splime, these must have taken a while to do. They look great!

Just one tiny issue with the slimey chart... the prickly Land-Spike evolved direct from the plain urchin (the greeny coloured 'land' one) and not any of the sea ones.

BTW, here are the original species again: (ive also put them in the spoiler for update 0 on the first page)

@Daftpanzer: I see Carpeting as helpful to water retention as well, since the outer surface of the conglomerate is lower, and since water can be transported from moist to dry areas. You didn't specify its effect in the genes list, but I would see it is as a mix of survival and energy efficiency (sort-of-metabolism), though not as efficient at either as the pure versions of course. Is this how you view it as well?

Yes, I agree with you here

If it's not too late, I'd like to change my evolution:

No problem. Ive already done a pic for it, but it will only take a second or two to alter.



--------------->>>>>>> LINE OF DEATH ---------------------------------->>>>



working on update now... Might not appear tonight depending on how i get on.