NESLife attempt #3

Big update, lots of player species and kinda went overboard with NPC ones. Not expecting anyone to update the charts in a hurry!

Era 10: Profusion Event #2

Much diversification occurred during this era, with new branches of evolution appearing, while old ones continued on. It was another era of abundant plankton, nutrients and sunlight. Many ancient species were finally replaced by newer forms. Complex life had now been evolving for hundreds of millions of years without any major disasters.

New Evolutions:
critters10.jpg


Winners:
The Orange Hunter became the dominant predator in the ocean, with huge populations. Fearsome weapons, fast metabolism and good digestion efficiency made a winning combination. The pack-hunting instinct became more effective as numbers increased. Almost every other animal was on the menu - Orange Hunters routinely hunted Deathrexes, Predevalions, Goliaths and Juggernauts. The poisonous Tentalux’s were the only large animals to be relatively safe from attack.

The successful Flying Fang split into three new species. Only two species survived for long. The overall winner was the Flying Form, which had a much more effective body design thanks to its cartilage. The youngsters feasted on plankton, while the adults grew into efficient meat-hunters.

Prime Finner II was very successful and began to clash with the Surferdids for feeding rights. The Surferdids may have had powerful claws, but the Prime Finners could always swim up to the tastiest parts of the plants. Young Prime Finner II’s could grow and mature very fast, thanks to abundant food and fast metabolism. The combination of relatively fast swimming and hard skeleton made them a low priority target for predators.

The regeneration ability of the Tough Zeeboo proved very useful. The Tough Zeeboo became the leading plant in the temperate inland areas.

The Omi deserves a mention. This primitive species managed to establish itself in a competitive world, thanks to its combination of basic swimming, eyesight and low energy needs. However, its numbers remained relatively low, as it was an easy meal for any predator. Omi’s spent most of their time hiding.

Fanel is also worth a mention. By the end of this era, it was well-established in many diverse areas, and showed no signs of being dislodged by other plants. However it was still being out-grown by simpler plants in cold regions.

The Yuckius branch of evolution continued its rampage with the Yuckius Aquahungus. However it also gained an enemy in the form of the Yucky Finner, which evolved a taste for these previously-unpalatable creatures. The Yuckius Aquahungus had no other means of defence, except sheer numbers. But the Yucky Finners had a much smaller population and spent just as much time attacking Urchins as Yuckys.

The ancient Grabenbewohner species finally began to increase in number, as the situation turned in their favour. Deadlier predators made gathering in shoals a more worthwhile tactic.

With the deadliest set of weapons yet seen, the ScuttleSamuari was able to tackle the feisty land crawlers. Although successful at hunting, it was however rather slow to reproduce.

Endangered Species:
Deathrex still had its own niche thanks to its electrical sense, allowing it to detect motionless and buried prey at close range, and its parenting instincts helped to ensure the survival of its young. Yet it was being out-competed by the Orange Hunter in many ways. Competition for food (both species lacked sight and hunted at all times of day) as well as actual attacks by gangs of Orange Hunters were steadily decreasing Deathrex’s population.

Juggernaut was still hanging on in the open ocean areas. But now it faced attack by Orange Hunters in addition to competition for food.

Early Seletran was the poor cousin of the Flying Form. Its pack hunting advantage was not quite enough to guarantee its long term survival.

Aasesser mit Zähnen was a versatile scavenger, but was just large and nutritious enough to make a nice meal for certain predators. It was losing out due to its lack of defences when it emerged from its burrows, and also due to its lack of efficiency in feeding.

Doubler remained the most social, and one of the brainiest creatures. It was one of the most versatile species, but in the face of increasing competition it could no longer to any single thing well enough to ensure its survival.

Extinctions:
The Wavy had a sudden decline, due to meaner predators and much competition. Slitheries and Grabenbewohners were among those that filled the gap (very ancient species themselves). The wavy was arguably the most successful animal the world had seen up to this point, having had huge populations for several hundred million years. It lived on in many different branches of evolution.

A host of other ancient species finally went extinct in this era. The Dibbler, the ancestor of all crawling species that existed, the Slimeotron MkIII, ancestor of all plants except the Zeeboo genus, and the Spongita Tanegashima, ancestor of all Sponge species. All were replaced by new evolved forms.

Braciola was out-competed and eaten into extinction. The species had, at least, survived longer than most.

Flying Fang, Blue hunter, Geluryte, Behemoth, Prime Finner, Shellster, Zeeboo, Threadcult, Yuckius Shaggus, Carnivalion, Scuttlekaiser, Luchen and Urchin Finner : all replaced by their own evolutions.

Zones:
Warm Shallows:
More diversity and fiercer competition amongst animals. Plant life remains unchanged.
zigl10.jpg


Cold Shallows:
Rich waters for Slitherys and those that feed on them.
ZIGLCS10.jpg


Open Ocean:
The deep ocean floor remains largely isolated from other ecosystems.
ZIGMO10.jpg


Temperate Land:
Fierce competition among plants. A handful of ScuttleSamurais keep the other inhabitants on their toes. Goliaths do not like the plants here.
ZIGLland10.jpg


Cold Land
Goliaths find tastier plants here, still not much reward for crawling ashore. The few cold-adapted plants compete with each other, but Obstoalgae remains most widespread. There are still no land predators to harass the crawlers here.
zigcoldland10.jpg


Bonuses:
Plant award: Tough Zeeboo. Fulton gets +1 gene bonus.

Animal award: Prime Finner II. erez87 gets +1 gene bonus.

Innovation award: Respiryte. Lord_Iggy gets +1 gene bonus.

Survival award: Urchin. TerrisH gets +1 gene bonus.

Story award: North King gets +1 gene bonus this time (if only because Lord_Iggy already has a bonus)

Special contribution award :) : In agreement with others, Splime gets +1 gene bonus for doing the vast majority of the evolution charts.

Genes Appearing in this Era:
'Hormonal Usurption' - the ability to manipulate the hormones (and thus behaviour) of another creature. Requires having attached to the target as a parasite.

’Climbing Tendrils' - plant tendrils that cling to various surfaces or other plants, allowing the plant to support itself or even move upwards, albeit very very slowly.

'Parasitic Roots' - plant roots that are specialised to leech nutrients from other plants.

Species Stats: (please check before evolving etc)
*Stats post link* (moved to another post now)

A reminder: mass extinction may still occur at any time :evil:

Problems:
@TerrisH, I used your old bonus on photosynthesis as you suggested. I don’t want to stack up bonuses from turn to turn, hope that’s ok…
@North King, im afraid Goliath isn’t actually any better at crawling than the old species, since it still has the same level of crawling. You would need to add extra crawling genes etc.
 
I know, but I was hoping for true legs... anyway... erm... you didn't change the graphics. :p Other than that, this is an awesome update, even if the Wavy did die out.
 
Great update daft! I'm being outcompeted pretty badly, so it looks like I need to diverge further from Order Flyera.

Mature Seletran
Evolved from: Early Seletran
Genes (14): Swimming x3, Vibration Sense x1, Eyes x1, Cold Resistance x1, Flying x2, Jaws x1, Flesh eating x2, Pack Hunting x2, Electrocution x1
Description: The surviving Early Seletran continued to elongate their bodies, becoming more eel-like and concentrating all their vital organs in a small anterior space. They improved their cooperation, and began to develop rows of electrocytes to stun their prey before swarming.
 
The pictures from the last update were showing. The correct pictures are shown now.

@North_King, i spent ages fiddling with the graphics for your creature, though it just ended up wierd. EDIT: i cant give it legs unless you add more crawling or walking genes, you dont get something for nothing.

Thanks, Thlayli :)
 
Good Update!

Big Fanel: TerrisH
Evolved from: Fanel
Genes (17): Photosynthesis x5, Water Retention x2, Acid x2, Piercing Spikes x1, Stem x2, Leaves x2, Cold Resistance x1, Carpeting x1, Roots x1
New Genes: Roots x1, Large Size x1, Fruitx1
Description: the Big Fanel was pretty much the same as a normal Fanel, just.. bigger. It also had longer and stronger roots, allowing it to better retain it's grip of the soil. the Big Fanel also was a bit more friendly to the animal life, having developed a form of Primitive Fruit. while not very large, It is somewhat sweet smelling and tasting when full grown, and contained up to a dozen Acid-resistant seeds. Usually, after being eaten and several days, they ended up with the seeds resting in some very nutrient rich soil.

OOC:
If the fruit won't work, Photosynthesis again.
 
I don't think that the Geluryte should have gone extinct, it occupied a slightly different niche than the Respiryte- it was amphibious, while the Respiryte is a dedicated air-breather.

But it's still a great update!

Tell me, what would be the difference between walking and crawling? I imagine that it would be much faster, but what else?
 
Life as we Know it- Episode 221- A Greening Planet- Continued

As the sun rises through the thin atmosphere of Delta Panzerus, our crew gets ready for a new day of exploration.

The planet has a stark beauty to it. Most of the surface, including the area of our bivouac, is stone, with gravel and dirt filling in the cracks and more eroded areas.

The primitive trees, Luchens, and Zeeboos may begin to colonize the land fully in coming eras, but for now they remain constrained to areas close to the water, or in low-lying areas very close to the water table.

We found an area such as this in a brief excursion from the camp, an isolated ecosystem filled with several Respiryte tribes and numerous trees. The environment was rather distantly separated from the main populations, which may have explained the strange behaviour of the local fauna. The Respirytes were particularly aggressive here, to the point of driving all of the other grazers in the area to extinction. It is, of course, possible that there never were competitors, but the aggressive response that our camera crew received suggests the former.

I would have dearly liked to spend more time on this incredible planet, but our time (only 2 days) was sadly limited. On the next episode, our travels will bring us to the Aquarium world of Sigma Mayar, where we will meet the incredible, peaceful titans that inhabit it- and the horrifying monsters which prey on them. Though why our managers didn't let us save on spacefare and simply uncover the marine environments on Panzerus remains beyond me.
 
Yes, I refer to the functional difference... somehow that word got dropped, I remember thinking it when I was typing.
 
Probably faster but taking more energy. I imagine that it's only really useful for larger creatures.
 
Let's examine the functional differences between walking and crawling.

Subject A: Crawling Organism
Scientific Name: Crawlus Infantus

crawling3.jpg


Note the large anterior node, that provides a complex brain with massive intelligence, at the expense of a body that remains lower to the ground to provide structural support, and prevent said organism from falling on its face. Painfully.

Subject B: Walking Organism
Scientific Name: Walkus Adultus

nordic-walking.jpg


As you can see, these organisms are built for speed, and lack much in the way of higher knowledge. They have, however, managed to develop simple tools to prevent themselves from slipping on banana peels, puppies, and other miscellaneous items.
 
Yes, but I wouldn't be making that big a transition. I'm thinking of going from a crawling arthropod to a walker, higher off the ground, but still using the same number of limbs.
 
Arthropods really aren't built for being large scale organisms. Actually, I've been bursting to say the idea of them having lungs is just plain old silly, but so far I refrained... oops.
 
Well, long-term I intend to have the exoskeleton be replaced by an endoskeleton.

Additionally, see the Carboniferous era.

And I just called the system lungs because that's its effect. Efficient gas transfer. Additionally, I can make vocalizations now if I wish. :p
 
Well, there are far more efficient ways of getting what you want--evolving off of a creature that already has all that comes to mind. ;) I think the arthropods should be left to do what they do best: be ultimately far more successful than any other branch of land life, yet be completely ignored as they are so small. :D
 
I have some interesting plans for makign fairly large arthropods, and perhaps some fliers eventually.

By 'fairly large' I mean dog-sized. Possibly bigger if it becomes structurally feasible.

It'll be very fun to see your amphibians and my (and several others') arthropods competing in the future.
 
Socivalion: The Farow
Evolved From: Predavalion
Genes (14): Plankton Eating x2, Flesh Eating x1, Swimming x2, Vibration Sense x1, Eyes x2, Pressure Resistance x1, Brain Power x2, Skeleton x1, Cartilage x1, Jaws x2, Fangs x1, Communal Behavior x1, Parenting Instinct x1
Description: The Socivalion has as the brain grew made better use of its functions. Slowly, over time social behavior of rearing of young and group hunting came about. The young would often attach themselves to their parents on the sticky slime coat of the adult. The eggs themselves were also attached to the females slime coat. The young would feed on the leftovers of their parents prey.

New Genes:
Communal Behavior
Parenting Instinct

The newly evolved "instincts" are merely an extension of the brain power I have already evolved so my creature really has not grown more complex physically just mentally making use of its brain power.
 
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