Speculative Biology - Blog Posts

Blubb Blubb - The Shrish

20 Million Years P.E. (The Late Origocene)

While Macroterra Is a planet of Bilbies, the invertabrates, which have been seeded to sustain the ecosystem, have changed over the years as well and the most succesfull and dominant ones would be the Shrish. Descendants of Planktonic Krill, they have come to dominate the oceanic ecosystem.

The Shrish started out as shrimp like swimmers that propelled themselfs through the water with feathery legs, Shrish like these still exist, the OJ Reefer (Pseudocaris Citrinasuccus) Is an good example. But some didnt bother to actively swim and become bottom feeders, like the Gravel Trilokrill (Trilobitacaris Fundusmaris).

Although some Shrish have optimized their swimming abilities,

some Shrish would eventually develop a shorter and more streamlined body, and give rise to active swimmers that propelled themselves with undulating waves of their abdomen and tail. Becoming a more efficient means of propulsion, these shrish would eventually modify their rearmost swimming legs along with their tail fan into a caudal fluke of sorts.

But these fluked Shrish didnt just stop there, as another adaption proved efficiency, pseudo-jaws.

These pseudo-jaws are formed from their elongated barbed rostrums and first front legs.

With these they can easily catch slippery prey an apply pressure to crack their hard shell.

two of these jawed Shrish are the Great White Shraw (Pisciscaris Magnusalbus) and the Cherry Shrimpede (Centipedecaris Cerasus).

Both are fearsome predators In their own right, the Shrimpedes are small slender Eel-like ambush predators, while the Great White Shraw are rather large at 1 meter In size they are true giants among the arthropods.

But not all of those jawed Shrish are predators, the Green Weedpicker (Herbariumcolligens Viridis) Is an rather peacefull grazer, using their jaws to pluck and crush tough algea, seaweed and corals.

Remember Your Ancestors - The Sandy Betaby

10 Million years P.E. (The Middle Origocene)

10 Million years into the history of Macroterra many descendants of an single animal, the Greater Bilby have risen and fallen.

Lurking In the shadows of various succesfull lineages there Is one that seems like It Isnt going to stick around that much longer.

The Betabies (Family: Betamacrotidae) were one of the lineages which emerged relatively early In Macroterras history and given rise to even more lineages like the Hedgey´s, Whoapossums and Bilcoons. The Betabies themselfs though are kinda victims of their own succes as they find themselfs In tough competetion with their relatives.

As of the Middle Origocene their Is only one Betaby species alive, the Sandy Betaby (Betamacrotis Arenosus).

It manged to stick around as an oppurtunistic desert dweller, but know there are other oppurtunistic more adapted species like Jerbaroos and Needle-Manes.

While It Is tragic that the Betabies will soon fade away from the face of Earth, or Macroterra, this Is just life, extinction Is the rule and evolution Is the exception.

But the Betabies managed to produce descendants that do quite well for themselfs, so while they themselfs will be gone, their lineage will be continued.

Cry About It - The Crybeasties

10 Million years P.E. [The Middle Origocene]

The Tearlings, an species of Bilby that has reinvented the predator-prey armsrace, as the first true predator on Macroterra, the world belonged to them, but times change and the Tearlings, like every other Bilby, evolved.

Their descendants are know as the Crybeasties, canide like predator and quite fearsome ones on top of that.

The Forest Foxstrider (Vulpesambulans Silva) Is an farelly basal Crybeastie, small game hunters akin to earthern foxes.

Their prey of choice are usually Scoppels and small Bilbeelopes, which they grapple with their sharp teeth and wait for them to bleed out.

The Break-Neck Crybeastie (Clamabestia Collumfrangens) Is quite the opposite of the Foxstriders, as they are rather big game hunters.

as the largest carnivores on Macroterra as of right know, they will go after big prey, their prey of choice are the larger plains dwelling Bilbeelope and Nomwats.

Break-Neck Crybeasties will aim for the neck, using their sharp teeth to penentrate their preys lung, quickly sufficating them.

@tribbetherium what Dusk Mice species Is that?

A Coin Has 2 Sides - The Shrovels

10 Million Years P.E. [The Middle Origocene]

The Measels are some of the top predators In this time, excellent meso predators and small game hunters, which Is kinda surprising considering they have evolved from the pretty cowardly Bepples.

Small insectivores which spend most of their time underground hiding from larger carnivores.

While the Measels have gotten quite a glowup, they are not the only descendant the Bepples produced.

Next to the Measels there also were the Shrovels (Family: Talpiamacrotidae).

These small critters are alot more like their ancestors, spending most of their lives underground feeding on burrowing insects.

They have heavily converged with earthern moles, possesing poor eyesight, large shoveling claws and an bald nose to push away dirt.

The Shrovels are an not very diverse group with only very few species, the most widespread one would be the Balding Shrovel (Talpiacopia Calvus).

They are an very basal species of the Shrovel fitting the description very well.

While there currently Isnt much to see with their kind, this could soon change.

Whoa! - The Whoapossums

10 Million years P.E. [The Middle Origocene]

The canopies of Macroterra are starting to brim with life, Squruffies, Bilcoons and the Whoapossums (Family: Didelphismacrotidae) all call these forests with tall trees their home.

Whoapossums are excellent climbers with an long flexible tail and an semi-opposable thumb on their grasping paws.

These canopy critters are mostly specialised insectivores or frugivores to avoid competetion with arboreal seedeaters like Squruffies or Bilcoons.

The Masked Whoapossum (Larvatus Pseudooppositum) Is one of those skilled bug catchers amongst the Whoapossums.

Catching small nimble insects and also being known for chewing of pieces of bark to get to the insects hiding inside.

The Sweet-Tooth Whoapossum (Fuscusfrugivore Ascensus) Is quite the opposite and Is an frugivore, enjoying Itself an buffet of sweet fruits, although they are known for eating pollinating insects on occasion.

The Common Protein Glider (Maculatus Proteinavolans) Is another very skilled bug catcher and one of the smallest Whoapossums.

The Protein Gliders are unique for possesing an skin membrane between their legs like the earthern sugar glider and just with like the Sugar Gliders they use this skin membrane to glide from tree to tree, gliding to far away trees Is alot safer then to move to them via the ground where many predators lurk.

The Common Protein Glider akthough has found another plus point for the skin menbranes, catching insects mid-air.

They are not as skilled at moving In the air like earthern bats for example, but natural selection favors individuells which can controll their gliding more to catch more insects, In the future we might see the skies of Macroterra dominated by descendants of the Protein Gliders which developed powered flight.

Pop Goes The Measel - The Measels

10 Million years P.E. [The Middle Origocene]

The Tearlings and the Bepples were the first carnivores on Macroterra to emerge 9 million years ago.

But while Tearlings specialised In other Bilbies, the Bepples were insect eaters, untill some of their recent descendants, the Measels (Family: Mustelamacrotidae).

Measels are carnivores like their ancestors but have started to add other Bilbies into their insectivorous diet, some still eat mostly insects, but some have completly moved on to a diet consisting of small marsupials.

The Steak-Colored Measel (Pseudomustela Carnecolorate) Is one of the more basal species.

They are meso- ambush predators which eat both insects and small Bilbies.

The Steak-Colored Measel also shows an trait not often found In marsupials, parental care.

In most marsupials the mother wont interact much with their baby and will kick It out of the pouch once too heavy.

Most Measels will still carry around their joeys on their back after they have outgrown their pouch, showing them how to hunt and find insects, the mother will also protect the joeys from other meso-predators that might try to eat them.

The Steak-Colored Measel reproduces rather slow, once every few weeks they will mate and raise up to 2 joeys at a time.

The Shell-Fisher (Aquamacrotis Conchyliapiscatio) Is another rather odd marsupial, as their are semi-aquatic.

Semi-aquatic marsupials are difficult, as mothers would drown their joeys when diving Into water.

On earth we only ave one semi-aquatic marsupial the Yapok.

As a result the Shell-Fisher has heavily converged with the Yapok, evolving the same mechanism allowing them to seal their pouch watertight, they achieve this with an muscular mechanism that cinches the pouch closed.

With this mechanism the Shell-Fisher mother can dive Into rivers without drowning their joeys.

The Shell-Fishers themself will like the Steak-Colored Measel raise an max of 2 joeys, less joeys require less air, thus the mother can dive longer then if she would raise more.

They although dont interact much with their joeys after leaving the pouch, unlike many other Measels.

Underwater the Shell-Fishers will seek out hard shelled prey like mussels.

The Pale-Faced Tree Measel (Mustelaarboris Pallidafacies) Is an arboreal entry of the Measel family, they are one of the few Tree Measels that only feed on other Bilbies and dont show parental care.

They are excellent climbers and feed on other arboreal critters like Squruffies or Bilcoons.

Your Gnawing On My Nerves - The Mausbies

10 Million Years P.E. [The Middle Origocene]

The Poochy Seedeater Is an Bilby which evolved 9 million years ago and became an specialized seed eater.

Now In the Middle Origocene, Its descendants the Mausbies (Family: Roderemacrotidae) took the place as the most dominant and widespread seed eating critters.

What makes them unique Is their convergence with earthern rodents. Possesing strong incisor teeth that grow throughout their lifes, perfect for gnawing on hard seeds.

They are also of rather small size to avoid competetion with larger seedeaters like Bilcoons.

Another rodent like trait from the Mausbies Is their quick reproduction, they can raise up to 8 joeys In their pouch.

The joeys also mature pretty quick and as soon as the litter Is done baking, the mothers usually have the next litter.

This fast way of reproduction Is some sort of defense mechanism of their part, which doesnt protect the single individuall but rather the species as a whole.

Due to their small size their are an prime target to the abundant meso predators or young large game predators.

This lifestyle of quick reproduction also causes Mausbies to have an not very long natural lifespan once again an trait akin to earthern rodents, since mausbies are often wasting alot of their energy birthing and nurturing their young or risking getting spotted by predators when out searching for mates.

The Grey Rattuff (Pseudorattus Griseus) Is one of the more basal Mausbies. Being incredibly widespread, their found all over Macroterra (except In the desert). They are omnivores but are specialized In hard seeds, which make up the most part of their diet.

Pretty typicall for Mausbies, the Grey Rattuffs live In large family colonies.

The White-Tail Squruffy (Pseudosciurus Caudaalba) Is an arboreal entry of the Mausby family.

They feed on acorn like seeds growing on the trees or the seeds of stonefruit.

The White-Tail Squruffy Is also pretty unique In the term of social behavior as they are solitary rather then living In family colonies.

The Common Desert Jerbaroo (Desertummacropodidae Parvus) Is an Mausby that has moved Into Macroterras desert.

Mausbies are unique for their bipedal hopping way of locomotion similiar to earthern Kangeroo Rats.

Their bipedal hopping Is an energy efficient way of locomotion In their hot desert climate.

Even tho their hopping Is optimal for the desert there are also some Jerbaroos that live outside the desert, although they are not as succesfull there.

-Mausby skulls-

Big Forest, Smaller Grazers - Bilbeelopes and Scoppels

10 Million Years P.E. [The Middle Origocene]

In an temperate forest of Macroterra we find an quite peacefull scenary, as 2 herbivorous Bilbies enjoy an meal In peace without any of their natural predators around.

The larger Bilby feeding on an bush Is an Bilbeelope (Family: Bovidaemacrotidae) specifically an Forest Bilbeelope (Silvamacrotis Evasivus). The Bilbeelopes are just like the Nomwats descendants of the Shorts-Tail, Unlike their stockier-build cousins, they prefer to eat from shrubs and small trees. Their interest In those food sources helps them to avoid competetion with the Nomwats.

The other small critters In the picture might look like the earthern bunnies, but like all the vertebrates they are descendants of Bilbies and thus marsupials, no bunnies. The Scoppels (Family: Pseudocuniculusidae) are the smallest Shorts-Tail descendants, their smaller size Is although a great way of avoiding competetion from larger more specialised herbivores. The Chocolate Scoppels (Chocolatumcuniculus Cautus) tho are quite specialised themselfs, as their favorite treats are vegetables and roots they find with their keen sense of smell and great digging abilities.

Scoppels are very social animals and live In large family colonies and are rarely seen alone. When feeding they are always observing their surroundings, on the lookout for predators.

Soon, Bilcoon - The Bilcoons

10 Million years P.E. [The Middle Origocene]

While many of the Bilbies started to specialize In specific niches such as, predators, seedeaters and grazers, some Bilbies remained omnivores, some have even expanded their diet, eating pretty much everything. One of those creatures on Macroterra would be the Bilcoons (Family: Procyonmacrotidae), oppurtunistic omnivores eating seeds, fruits, veggies, insects, carrion and even smaller Bilbies.

The Nutcracker Bilcoon Is one of the most common Bilcoons In the middle Origocene. Like most of the Bilcoons they are semi-arboreal, feeding on the goods up there, the Nutcracker Bilcoon Is one of the ´Coons that eats mostly seeds and nuts.

An more carnivorous member of the Bilcoon family Is the Bark-Striped Coon (Insectumlingua Cortexstriatus), this Bilcoon feeds mostly on quick and evasive insects, both on solid floor and on the ground.

He´s Just a Quill Guy - The Hedgey´s

10 Million Years P.E. [The Middle Origocene]

10 Million years Into Macroterras histories an predator-prey armsrace has evolved, with an food chain having evolved, the prey animals need to evolve as well.

There Is one lineage that posses an effective defence mechanism often seen on earth, sharp quills.

Those quilled Bilbies go under the name Hedgey´s (Family Erinaceusmacrotidae).

One of the main species would be the Needle-Mane (Acusleo Sus).

While Hedgey´s are usually insectivores the Needle-Mane remained an oppurtunistic omnivore.

It´s quills are also not as impressive as In other species.

Like all Hedgey´s they posses an with quills packed tuff at the end of their tail,but along with that they posses an quill covered mane and some smaller frailer quills along their back and ears.

Their quills overall seem to be more adapted to support heat loss and protection from the sun.

This comes In clutch as they call Macroterras hot desert their home.

Needle-Manes are still very similiar to the original Bilby, which Is reflected In their nature, tough they have taken their omnivorous diet to the next level, eating whatever you can think of, grass, seeds, insects, smaller Bilbies, everything Is on the menu.

Their long tails can also store very small amounts of water, an pretty new adaption, but one that comes In clutch.

The Stubby-Tail Bugbun (Insectivoruscuniculus Aculeatus) Is an more typical member of the Hedgey family, being an insectivore and possesing though quills at their back and tuff.

The Bechidna (Tachyglossusmacrotis Acutus) Is the tropical Hedgey, using Its claws to destroy termite hills and break away rotten wood and long tongue to slurp up the insects.

Its quills cover Its entire back, even the ears and the tail are packed with quills.

Automatic Weedwackers - The Nomwats

10 Million Years P.E. [The Middle Origocene]

10 million years Into the history of Macroterra, the first giants have evolved.

While Not quite megafauna, they are the largest animals Macroterra has yet to produce.

Those giant grazers are known as the Nomwats (Family: Vombatmacrotidae).

The secret of their size Is the lack of large scale herbivores on the planet, with the niche empty, the descendants of the Shorts-Tail quickly expanded In size.

As of right know there are about 5 different species of them, with the following 3 being the most widespread.

The Plains Nomwat (Campimacrotis Magnus) Is the second largest Nomwat living In this time and feeds on soft grasses and other vegetation.

The Koala-Nose Nomwat (Phascolarctosnasusmacrotis Griseus) posses an shorter, broader snout, more adapted for grazing on though vegetation.

As herbivores became more frequent, many plants have adapted thougher stems In order to be less appetizing to the grazers.

Among the evolutionary armsrace, the fauna although has also been evolving, trying to get away from competetion and the Koala-Nose Nomwat managed to adapt Its diet to range from soft to though vegatation.

The Tundra Nomwat (Frigidusmacrotis Fuscus) Is the largest of the Nomwats and thus the largest Bilby to live In this time.

Their large size Is an great adaption for the chilly climate they live in.