NESLife VI

[Lord_Iggy]

I think I explained everything but the Harvester, as I explicitly stated that the Ripper was supplanted by the Shredder, and that the Arisian Zebedi-derivatives wiped out the Sejessian Hobo-derivatives. For the record, the harvester was outcompeted by its diverse descendants, in a manner similar to the Ripper.

That said, extinctions will happen when a species is supplanted in its niche by another species, or when its niche disappears entirely. I'd think it should usually be fairly straightforward when something goes extinct, but I'll try to include mentions of extinctions, usually in the sections of the organisms responsible. If I don't do that, then I can definitely answer questions about specific extinctions after the update.

 

[Grandkhan]

Excellent update Iggy. Glad that the drainer managed to survive, even if floating islands haven't.

Are tidal changes more frequent and/or more unpredictable on lambda? Given that it orbits a far larger planet and it has ten other moons excerting their own gravitational forces tides would be pretty different to Earth's.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

We've got extremely odd tides, composed of over a dozen nearby celestial objects, which make them vary a lot. We also have pretty active plate tectonics, as a result of these same tidal forces, and we've got odd illumination patterns too, as a fully illuminated gas giant in the sky can make Lambda's night nearly as bright as mid day. However, on the flip side of the coin, we also experience regular eclipses due to a relatively close orbit around such a large gas giant.

 

[Lord_Herobrine]

Hey Iggy, is Thor the type of gas giant that would allow for operations such as helium-3 mining? If lambda life evolved enough, we might have some space traveling to do

 

[Daftpanzer]

Cool! Diversity has been restored, it seems. I will try to aid this further.

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.

Organism: Padiped
Ancestor: Skitterer
Selective Pressure: predation and competition for food on the sea floor.
Mutation: the Padiped is essentially a Skitterer with a body plan that is streamlined and adapted for sustained swimming. Legs have become armoured paddles that move in rhythmic, wavelike motions to provide thrust, either forwards or backwards [perhaps rudders and other appendages depending on moderator interpretation!]. The Padiped is adapted to stay close to shallow, clear ammonia, to get the most out of its eyesight, and attempts to evade predators with sharp changes of direction - using manoeuvrability to counter the growing size and speed of the Hobonia. As a last resort, it curls into a ball using its paddles as additional armour. It will seek shelter during darkness hours. It remains omnivorous and opportunist, feeding on anything from plantkon to floating plants and any small animals it can catch as it grows.

OOC: I wanted it to have gills and to become larger and meaner, but I think that is all too much for one evolution?

 

[bestshot9]

Nice one, Daft. Now when the Padiped descendants come to rule the ocean floor, like the Hobo descendants came to rule the open ocean, you will be remembered. My evolution, however, will go forgotten, just like the Sniffer, which the Hobo evolved from.

But that's okay, I still feel pride for my Sniffer lineage doing so well, even if its named after the bum ancestor .

 

[Daftpanzer]

We stand on the shoulders of giants!

Whoever evolved the Zippu should be most proud I think, considering that is a big branch of life and the Zippu itself is still alive.

 

[filli_noctus]

Organism: Ambusher
Ancestor: Burrower
Selective pressure: Rooting plants developing better defences and competition with above ground herbivores
Mutation: Curse them! Unlike its predecessor the ambusher has a taste for flesh. Unlike other predators it does not pursue prey but lies in ambush in a burrow just below the surface in the intertidal zone. To detect prey it has develop sensitive hairs that pick up on vibrations of creatures moving nearby. When a creature strays too close the Ambusher leaps from its burrow to strike the prey with its powerful forelimbs and drag them back to the burrow to eat.

 

[Nintz]

Well. Started 3/3.

Am now... 3/6?

Ah well.

I'll wait until Iggy posts the "Extant Organisms" list.

 

[Thlayli]

We stand on the shoulders of giants!

Whoever evolved the Zippu should be most proud I think, considering that is a big branch of life and the Zippu itself is still alive.

*cough*

Technically speaking my ancestor who created the Tonu deserves much of the credit.

 

[thomas.berubeg]

Organism: Horod
Ancestor: Horras
Selective Pressure: forests of 20 CM high horras
Mutation: An internal circulatory system, to allow the Horod to transfer water over larger distances, allowing it to grow to taller heights than it's ancestor, and so out competing them.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Hey Iggy, is Thor the type of gas giant that would allow for operations such as helium-3 mining? If lambda life evolved enough, we might have some space traveling to do

It is indeed a prime candidate for Helium-3 mining. Hopefully aliens don't show up and start heavy extraction while we're still marveling at the complexities of breathing air.

OOC: I wanted it to have gills and to become larger and meaner, but I think that is all too much for one evolution?

This is a very appropriate evolution as it stands, thanks for your discretion.

Nice one, Daft. Now when the Padiped descendants come to rule the ocean floor, like the Hobo descendants came to rule the open ocean, you will be remembered. My evolution, however, will go forgotten, just like the Sniffer, which the Hobo evolved from.

But that's okay, I still feel pride for my Sniffer lineage doing so well, even if its named after the bum ancestor .

Indeed, everything owes everything to the organisms from which they evolved. The reason that the group is commonly referred to as hobos, however, is because the sniffer was relatively marginalized in its time, while the Hobo was the organism that thrived, survived a mass extinction and then radiated into one of the most diverse phyla on Lambda.

Well. Started 3/3.

Am now... 3/6?

Ah well.

I'll wait until Iggy posts the "Extant Organisms" list.

I'll get on that later this evening. I might want to take a slightly longer than normal break between Epochs this time, as the last update really took a lot out of me.

 

[Lord_Herobrine]

I'm still very proud of my Spinelo lineage, even though a prominent part of that line died out in the mass extinctions . It still lingers on though, now being called the Hobo-lineage.

 

[Nailix]

Organism: Skyhunter
Ancestor: Skyborn
Selective Pressure: Need to stay above water longer.
Mutation: The Skyborn have evolved stronger and more flexible wings with sharp claw like legs. With these they can propel themselves through the air faster and longer as well as flow through the water quicker allowing them to shoot out higher into the air. They can some what flap their wings to maintain their hang time, but they cannot maintain themselves in the air forever. They soar high in the air looking down for prey, whether that be plants or feasters like the Gliphs, and once they spot their prey the lead Skyhunter alerts the rest of the pack and they swoop down upon it.

 

[Daftpanzer]

TOO DAMN SEXY

Note: my evolution might not actually be as sexy as this.

 

[Lambda Ignaceae]

Do mine, do mine!

 

[Lord_Iggy]

We can't all be Opabinia. :/

EDIT@Lambda Ignaceae: He's using google image search, it's Opabinia, one of the famous arthropods of the Cambrian Explosion.

 

[Daftpanzer]

Do mine, do mine!

If you are referring to the pic I posted, I stole it from Wikipedia. There were ancient swimming arthropod-like creatures that were really cool ^^

 

[Lord_Iggy]

I highly recommend that everyone should research the Cambrian explosion- it puts the diversity we've developed so far on Lambda to shame.


Link to video.

 

[Angst]

I highly recommend that everyone should research the Cambrian explosion- it puts the diversity we've developed so far on Lambda to shame.


Link to video.

Lurker's comment: Can't help but say I geekgasmed a little at the dramatic entrance of the carnivore. DIE PUNY HERBIVORES