NESLife V

[Tambien]

Spoiler :

Frother: Mystery Player
Coastal Algaeform
Thriving
Evolved from: Bubbler
Genes: Photosynthesis x1, Drifting x1, Water Retention x2, Buoyancy x1
Description: this offshoot of the Bubbler now has thicker outer walls, in addition to small organelles that retain the oxygen it produces. These allow it to float along the surface of the water more efficiently.

Exo-Algae: Tambien
Evolved from: Frother
Genes Added: Cell Wall x1, Cillia x1
Genes Removed: N/A
Description: This offshoot of the Frother marks the transition from aquatic to proto-land plants. It can use its cillia to anchor to the shore rocks, thus allowing it to stay out of the water. When it is in water, it can move towards the light. The cell wall protects it from water loss and some forms of predation.

 

[Randomness]

Welcome Randomness The Soleneidea Subterra already has a burrowing ability in the stats. You can give it an extra level of burrowing, but I don't think the acid is so useful here. Perhaps rethink what you're adding here?

I see I need to explain better. The burrowing ability has been adapted from a single hardened edge into many smaller tentacles. The idea is that the worm it's "roots" into the rock and uses the acid to digest it more efficiently. I will edit my post to make this more clear, I had to rush the first time.

Revised version:

Spoiler :

Ardens Worm: Randomness
Volcanic vent dweller
Evolved from: Soleneidea Subterra
Genes Added: Cilia[Burrowing +1], Acid X1
Genes Removed: none
Genes: Digestion x2 [Bacteria+2], Pressure Resistance x1, Heat Resistance x1, Tentacles X1 [Burrowing+1], Acid X1

Description: The Ardens Worm evolved from the Soleneidea Subterra when the hardened end of the worms body split into many tentacles. These hardened tentacles were used as system of roots, borrowing them into the rocky face of the volcanic vents, and excreting acid to collect nutrients from the rock for it's bacterial food source. The Ardens worm would stay in one place while digesting the surrounding rock and move on when most of the nutrients were extracted.

 

[erez87]

I remind you all that shells and exoskeletons haven't been done yet. Claws, beaks, jaws, rasping tongues are all possible too. Anything is possible, kinda!

Mucosaki: Daftpanzer
Evolved from: Donki
Genes Added: Mucus x1, Photosynthesis x1
Description: primitive Donki, under threat from parasites and predators, has evolved a hitherto-unseen defence mechanism. The Mucoskai now encases itself in a layer of inert, transparent, slippery, jelly-like mucus, a substance that is inexpensive to produce. It serves to deter both parasites and frustrate the small spikes of Spiculid predators.

I'm not rushing to make skeletal animals , I want to have simple stuff first! Like Sponges !!!

 

[qoou]

Alces Felis: qoou
Evolved from: Alces Felix
Genes Added: Sporogenesis x1, Pheromones x1, Swimming x1
Description:

The Alces Felix's novel reproduction system kept changing, going from a focus on producing a small handful of large spores likely to survive to a focus on producing dozens upon dozens of tiny spores, with slightly lower individual chances of survival but in vastly increased numbers. An unfortunate side-effect of this change was that the primitive reproductive system of the Alces Felis began experiencing gradual wear-and-tear, ultimately failing after several dozen spore production cycles. While this put a hard limit on the lifespan of the Alces Felix, in contrast with their potentially methusaleic ancestors, in practice (due to predators and accidents) the average lifespan changed little while the number of offspring per individual grew immensely.

As overall numbers of the Alces increased, a second unique mechanism evolved to take advantage of this. By releasing various bundles of chemicals, Alces individuals began communicating and more closely cooperating with one another. This greater cooperation within colonies also led to the evolution of a very primitive swimming method, in truth little more than glorified drifting. The four main primitive reactions that evolved were:

The Community reflex: Alces Felis individuals passively eject tiny amounts of a marker chemical cocktail, AF1, at all times. In a colony of hundreds of individuals, these hundreds of tiny markers stack to become a decently strong marker. All Alces Felis individuals are instinctively attracted and swim towards greater concentrations of AF1.

The Danger reflex: If an Alces Felis individual comes to believe it is being damaged (be it by a rock, by a predator, or by false alarm), it instantly empties a cellular pouch of chemical cocktail AF2, which as a side-effect also pushes spores out of the reproductive pouch. When other Alces Felis individuals feel the presence of AF2, they release proportional amounts of their own AF2 and tiny amounts of spores, and try to swim away (while they attempt to swim directly away from the original source of AF2, receptors are not advanced enough for that to be quite possible yet). This causes a self-dampening chain reaction, the total extent of which depends heavily on how many Alces Felis individuals feel damaged.
The purpose of AF2 is to scare off any potential predators, and while it does contain some foul-"smelling" compounds, the AF2 cocktail is still in the process of specialization and also contains several useless compounds.

The Disease reflex: If an Alces Felis individual comes to believe it has been infected, be it by some virus or some parasite, the Community reflex is reversed. The individual no longer passively emits AF1, and is repulsed rather than attracted towards concentrations of AF1. Currently, Alces Felis individuals are still rather bad at identifying disease and parasites though.

The Satiation reflex: Extended exposure to a food source leads to the all-but-complete shut-down of an individual's swimming, as well as the release of a pungent chemical, AF3. Alces Felis individuals are strongly attracted towards AF3.



Life-cycle of a random Alces Felis individual:

Note: "eat light + make spores" abbreviated into ES for easier reading.
Note2: All instances of ES removed for easier reading.
Note3: All instances of ES reinstated, everything else removed, for easier reading

ES -> ES -> ES -> ES -> ES -> ES -> ES -> ES -> ES -> ES -> ES -> ES -> ES -> die


Edit4:
Just to clarify: there's a "hard cap on their lifespans" because after so many spore emissions their "genitals" are pretty much in tatters. Thankfully, they rarely get to live to that age. Unless an extinction event happens to kill everything but the Alces Felis; then you'd have ruptured protovaginas dotting the ocean floor.

 

[spaceman98]

Pingucomende: Ninja Dude
Opportunistic grazer/scavenger
Endangered!
Evolved from: Archaic Life
Genes: Digestion x1, Drifting x1, Crawling x1
Description: tiny beads of cells, clumsily drifting along the seafloor. They feed by simply absorbing food particles through their skin. While gathering up detritus on the seafloor, they are also opportunistic grazers, flattening out to absorb bacteria wherever the microbial mats may have been disrupted by storms. They are found throughout the shallows.

Pingucomende Benetus:
Genes added: Burrowing x1, Sensory Hairs x1
Genes removed: Drifting
Discription: A much more seafloor based version of the Pingucomende. This creature evolved to better use the carnage on the ocean floor while using sensory hairs to find if it is under attack and rapid burrowing skills to get out of said trouble. It collects detritus and bacteria that flourish on the bottom and hopefully, can dig its way out of becoming detritus itsself.

 

[ChiefDesigner]

Oh, so that's why the solenids sounded familar...


--------


Methanovermis: ChiefDesigner

Methanotrophic burrowing worm
Evolved from: Soleneidea subterra
Genes: Digestion x2 [Bacteria+2], Pressure Resistance x1, Heat Resistance x1, Burrowing x1

Genes Added: Jaw x1 [Borer], Segments x1
Genes Removed: Bacteria -1

As soleneidea subterra ranged farther and farther from its native volcanic vents, the concentration of free sulfur compounds in its environment decreased. Burrowing solenids near cold seeps soon evolved, however, to take advantage of an abundant new food source—methane clathrates, buried under seafloor sediment.

Methanotropic bacteria had always existed around cold seeps and hydrothermal vents; at some point in the early Spirulic, they had colonized the interiors of certain species of solenid worms. While the worms with methanotropic bacterial cultures were less efficient at digestion, they were able to colonize both marginal areas of the seafloor where sulfur was relatively less prevalent, as well as thrive in cold seeps, with their much higher concentration of methane.

By the end of the Spirulic Era, a second metabolic pathway could be seen in proto-methanoverms, one that consumed methane as input. The true methanoverm diverged from the solenids with the evolution of a shutter jaw and multiple segments, allowing it to expel undigested sediment and methane gas behind it as it tunneled in search of clathrate deposits to metabolize.

The characteristic shutter jaw of the methanoverms evolved in part from the tapered end seen in soleneidea subterra. Opening and closing like a camera shutter, this jaw allowed the methanoverm to more efficiently tunnel through sediment, as well as to contain methane-rich water in its first body segment.

 

[Son of Erdrick]

Spoiler :

Donki-Mula: Son of Erdrick
Algaeform
Surviving
Evolved from: Donki
Genes: Photosynthesis x1, Holdfast x2, Stem x2
Description: While some strands of Donki have taken to entangling their roots and forming colonies, others have begun to stubbornly dig into the ground while they extend their stalks further up towards the surface in search of sunlight. Taller than average Donki, sturdier than average Donki, the Donki-Mula quietly grow in relative isolation from their own kind.

Donki-Pertasinus: Son of Erdrick
Evolved from: Donki-Mula
Genes Added: Holdfast x1, Internal Nutrient Streaming x1*
Genes Removed:-
Description: Like their progenitor, Donki-Mula, Donki-Pertasinus finds its safety in the tenacious grip it holds on the sea-floor. Donki-Pertasinus are hardy plants, not much taller than the Donki-Mula, but more apt at remaining in place. More importantly, the Donki-Pertasinus has begun to develop more efficent ways of distributing nutrients, genetic information, and other crucial materials that help the organism thrive.


*So I just kind of wikipediea'd 'algae' and grabbed what seemed right, if I used this term horribly wrong and if the more biology-learned players bleed from their eyes at seeing this then please, correct me!

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Cytoplasmic Streaming makes sense, but for the game I imagine it might be better to generalize it as simply being improved internal transport (akin to an animal adding genes for a circulatory system, or a plant adding genes for its internal transportation, xylem and phloem). Alternatively, you could just say improved photosynthesis, but keep the description the same. I can't think of a past NES where we really got down into the nitty-gritty of cellular physiology, we usually just leave it be, since our focus tends to be more on macro-scale life.

That said, the description works just fine for me. Your mutation isn't super-weird or exciting, but it doesn't have to be. It's extremely practical, and would allow your species to do basically everything faster, giving a potent edge over its rivals.

 

[Son of Erdrick]

Hey, my end-goal is to make a race of sentient algae monsters. You got to take small steps.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

I like to play this game without an end goal- evolution doesn't work towards an end goal, it works a single step at a time. If you act with a plan, you get what you imagined... but if you act without a plan, you end up with amazing things that you had never expected when you first set out.

 

[erez87]

I like to play this game without an end goal- evolution doesn't work towards an end goal, it works a single step at a time. If you act with a plan, you get what you imagined... but if you act without a plan, you end up with amazing things that you had never expected when you first set out.

I'm going to try that this game! Not going to get attached to any specific line of Evolution... just trying to radiate branch like crazy and fit things into spots that haven't been filled yet. Or just things I want to see, like Sponges and Corals for others to live in...

 

[Terrance888]

Hey, that's my plan! D:

 

[Haseri]

Slimer: Haseri
Evolved From: Bubbler
Genes Added: Digestion x1 (Decomposer), Slithering x1
Genes Removed: Photosynthesis x1
Description: The photosynthesising cells of the slimer have been discarded in favour of cells better adapted for gaining nutrients from dead creatures washed up on the shore. They have also developed a way of travelling between corpses via secreting a mucus-like substance that the creature 'slides' on.

 

[spaceman98]

I just make random edits and create random creatures, focusing more on the small animals that populate ecosystems in massive numbers IRL. But, I cannot make them realistic, can I?

Cue hairy lobster!

 

[Daftpanzer]

This era is looking pretty chilled, lots of passive and gentle creatures. I've started work on the graphics and stats, but there's still time to post evolutions before I start working out the update.

Also, making another evolution, because I can

Pingucomende Crawlus: merciary
Opportunistic grazer/scavenger
Thriving
Evolved from: Pingucomende
Genes: Digestion x2, Drifting x1, Crawling x2
Description: Being able to produce more energy from what food they are able to acquire has allowed the Pingucomende Crawlus to developed more independent locomotion and enabled it to reach richer areas.

Polychende: Daftpanzer
Evolved from: Pingucomende Crawlus
Genes Added: Tough Skin x1, Proboscis x1
Description: the Polychende has evolved a toughened outer layer of skin in response to harassment by spiky predators. While not a perfect defence, it is flexible and relatively inexpensive, and offers at least a chance of survival in a struggle. It has also refined its table manners, evolving a pointy proboscis mouthpart, which is used to probe through the sediment for scraps of digestible food. Still lacking any developed sensory organs, the Polychende nonetheless struts confidently along the seafloor.

 

[Algeroth]

Neosilvaetus: Algeroth
Evolved from: Neofloatus
Genes Added: Rhizomes x2
Description: abundance of Neofloatus in shallow waters lead to its further adaptation to this environment. With solid ground nearby, some parts of the colony become responsible with anchoring the colony to one place and shortly afterwards, these structures were also responsible with extracting nutrients from the soil, thus creating Neosilvaetus, which made at some places whole kelp forests few decameters high undersea.

 

[erez87]

The reason both of my creations should exist without too much competing is because the Shittu fits sandy coasts where it can borrow and move around, while the Petrosa should be much more at home in rocky coasts where it can hold its ground and grow with no competition from the sand-loving Shittu (that can't borrow in rocks....)

 

[Daftpanzer]

Neosilvaetus: Algeroth
Evolved from: Neofloatus
Genes Added: Rhizomes x2
Description: abundance of Neofloatus in shallow waters lead to its further adaptation to this environment. With solid ground nearby, some parts of the colony become responsible with anchoring the colony to one place and shortly afterwards, these structures were also responsible with extracting nutrients from the soil, thus creating Neosilvaetus, which made at some places whole kelp forests few decameters high undersea.

Hmm, we had this argument in TuxLife. I was educated that sea plants can get all their nutrients from the water (especially now that burrowing lifeforms are circulating nutrients), they don't need roots except as 'holdfasts'.

Holdfast x1 and Stem x1? I was actually thinking of some floating plants coming back down to the seafloor to compete with the Donkii.

 

[merciary]

Locosensus: merciary
Evolved from: Pingucomende Crawlus
Genes added: Crawling x1, Chemical Sensing x1
Genes removed: Drifting
Description: The Locosensus has developed chemical sensitive organ that allows for it to sense areas with high concentrations of chemicals like those released by Shittu when they burrow as well as waste excreted by various organisms. This has allowed for the Locosensus to remain in areas with a higher concentration of food. Once it can no longer sense a high concentration of chemicals it moves on to a new area.

 

[Algeroth]

Hmm, we had this argument in TuxLife. I was educated that sea plants can get all their nutrients from the water (especially now that burrowing lifeforms are circulating nutrients), they don't need roots except as 'holdfasts'.

Holdfast x1 and Stem x1? I was actually thinking of some floating plants coming back down to the seafloor to compete with the Donkii.

We did? Sorry if i missed it, I just discovered that this campsite has its wi-fi (Technological progress! Behold!).

That genes would do it, but I'm really suprised that this NES ocean is not limited in iron and other micronutrients as our is.