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tribbetherium · 3 months

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The Early Rodentocene: 5 million years post-establishment

(Remastered from this entry)

In the Middle Temperocene, a hundred and fifty million years after life was put onto this planet, the creatures that roam and live and thrive upon its surface have attained a pinnacle of diversity, with such a diverse range of sizes, shapes, colors and niches that it seems improbable, impossible even, to fathom that they once had a common origin, from a single humble species.

But this was not always the case: early on, when the world was young and its creatures small and unassuming, the animals that filled its forests, plains and grasslands were still clearly of close kin, recognizable as hamsters- or at least a similar related rodent. Yet they had already begun to fill the niches that were open in the empty ecosystem, quickly diversifying in a short period of time into grazers, seed-eaters, insectivores, omnivores, foragers and predators. In a retrospective view, these early species were the forerunners of peculiar, very derived, and unexpected descendants, yet already bearing the beginnings of the defining characteristics of these clades. But during the time in which they lived, they were but ordinary creatures: living their lives blissfully unaware of the grand future to come.

Among the first pioneers of the tree-tops in the Early Rodentocene was the speckled peachpitter (Archaeosciurucricetus punctus), a descendant of the hairy-tailed hamster subspecies Cricetulus griseus hirsutolongicauda. Their long, hairy tails proved useful to balance as they clambered up the trunks and branches of the abundant stonefruit trees, and the atavistic re-emergence of a fifth digit on each paw, independent to that of Cricetulus griseus pentadactylus, would prove an advantage in scaling and getting a grip on the rough bark.

In this lush, predator-free environment, the speckled peachpitter was a bold, fearless and abundant creature, leaping from branch to branch in great numbers out in broad, open daylight: entirely unconcerned by aerial attackers which had not existed at this point. It was the influence of this miniscule arboreal hamster, in fact, that would greatly shape the evolution of HP-02017's plant life. Feeding on the large, single-seeded fruits of the earliest stonefruit trees, the peachpitter destroyed countless forests in its time by eating too many of their large, vulnerable seeds, and created a selective pressure toward smaller, harder seeds and more protected pits: bringing about the early forebearers of the many-seeded pebblefruit and the hard shelled disnuts, both of which remain highly successful in later eras.

With hardly any enemies to concern them, the speckled peachpitter is active all day round, resting intermittently and foraging day, night, or Beta-twilight. In temperate areas where snow is present they may reduce activity and reproduction during the cold winter months, but in tropical climes they forage and breed all year round, producing large population spikes from time to time depending on local food availability. With hardly any enemies, speckled peachpitters are also rather neglectful parents, producing many young in litters of six to ten on average, nursing them only for two weeks until their fur grows in and their eyes open, and almost immediately leaving them behind to fend for themselves. With little else to threaten them, their population is instead leveled off by high mortalities from harsh competition during periods of food scarcity. Until something emerges to keep their numbers in check, they will continue this boom-and-bust cycles of population, and live a risky but fearless lifestyle, all the while shaping the world they live in, by forcing other life-forms to adjust to their ravenous numbers.

Agile in the treetops, this early species will, in time, become the ancestor of the Arbocricetidae: a vast, diverse lineage of tree-climbing species with prehensile grasping limbs and fur-covered tails that are skilled acrobats among the branches of their canopy home. While many of them would remain similar to the speckled peachpitter as small, recognizeable rodents, two particular lineages of interest would arise from this group. One, developing opposable digits, larger body sizes and larger brains from acquiring complex social behaviors, would become the primate-like lemunkies. Another, developing membranous webs of skin between their limbs to travel from tree to tree, would eventually progress into powered flight: giving rise to the earliest ratbats.

Meanwhile, across the continents of Nodera, Westerna, Ecatoria and Easaterra, a descendant of Cricetulus griseus pentadactylus would instead spread far and wide across the plains and grasslands, its efficient bipedal locomotion allowing them to cross the land bridges before they sank early on. The most widespread of these, the common plains jerma (Dipodoeocricetus saltus) would make it to all four of the major continents and in time dominate the open grounds. Only the isolated Peninsulaustra and Borealia, having separated earlier, would be out of their reach, though these would eventually be reached far later by small species rafting or migrating over times of briefly-lowered sea levels.

The common plains jerma is distinguished by its long and powerful hind limbs, and, perhaps surprisingly, its long tail, which compared to some of its later descendants was still relatively short and stiff, comprised of few but elongated caudal vertebrae derived from those of the ancestral Cricetulus griseus, which had proportionately long tails for hamsters. These structures allowed them to balance and run and leap on two legs, enabling them to cover large expanses of ground in search of food and evade some of the earliest predators of the Early Rodentocene.

The common plains jerma is both a skilled runner and hopper, moving about quickly on its two hind limbs while its forelimbs are relegated to grooming, digging burrows and holding and grasping its food, which may consist of grasses, seeds, fruit, and the occasional small insect if it can catch them. Common plains jermas breed all-year round, with their young being fairly precocial for hamsters, born larger and fully-furred and more developed. Their eyes are open in about a week's time, and almost right away are able to follow their mother as she leaves the burrow to forage. Unlike the speckled peachpitter, which shows little concern to its young, the common plains jerma is a more dedicated parent, leading its young toward food and shelter and away from danger in the more precarious ground level of the open plains as opposed to the safer treetops.

The descendants of the common plains jerma would, over time, diverge as the geographical isolation of its extremely widespread population becomes fragmented by the continents' separation. One lineage, specializing as walkers and burrowers, would become the long-tailed, facultatively-quadrupedal furbils, which continue to exist worldwide as small, "typical" rodents filling niches similar to voles, mice and rats. The other main lineage, becoming even more specialized hoppers, would develop longer, stronger hind limbs and even more flexible tails with increased numbers of vertebrae, giving rise to the jerryboas, from which the many bipedal clades, such as the oingos, walkabies, rhinocheirids, boingos, drundles, podotheres and pterodents would eventually descend from.

While the common plains jerma and its kin dominate the plains and grasslands, another herbivore is rising in prominence in the bushy scrublands, forest floors, and other areas of low-to-mid-height vegetation. Larger than most other hamsters, about the size of a large guinea pig and even taller due to long, slender legs, the scrubland goutie (Protoacaudamus altipus) is one of the biggest animals of its time, a trend that will only continue with some of its descendants.

Still possessing a vestigal nub of tail that will be entirely lost in future species, this descendant of Cricetulus griseus acauda has adapted to be a herbivorous grazer, turning its attention on grasses, leaves and stems, rather than the seeds, fruit and insects that other hamsters specialize on. Traveling in small groups, they forage on the tender stems of the earliest grasses, sometimes overgrazing small patches of grass when their numbers grow too plentiful. This degree of damage would over time pressure the grasses themselves to retaliate with defensive measures: some producing toxic, foul-tasting compounds to deter them, while others developing thorns or hard woody stems to make them more difficult to eat. This increased scarcity of easily-edible and palatable food, as well as the rising numbers of early predatory hamsters, would gradually keep the destructive effects of the scrubland gouties' grazing under check, with its presence heralding dynamic changes in the food web, both in the evolution of the plants it eats, as well as the first predatory hamsters that eat it, in turn.

Scrubland gouties are fast runners and live nomadic lives, traveling long distances in search of food. They do not dig burrows, merely seeking shelter in natural structures such as rocky outcrops or the shade of trees, and are constantly on the move. To compensate for this, they instead give birth to very precocial and well-developed young, in smaller litters averaging three or four at a time. Born fully furred, open-eyed and much more well-developed, they are able to walk within minutes of being born and are able to follow their mothers around in just a day or two. They remain in the care of their mother, safe from the small, predatory hamsters thanks to her large size and sharp teeth, for up to six months until they are weaned. Once weaned, however, the mother typically chases away the now subadult young, as, by this point, she is usually now preparing for and expecting her next litter.

With a stocky body and long limbs, the scrubland goutie is one of the largest hamsters of the time, and, as the eons go on, this trend carries on to its descendants, to whom large size affords them protection from the early predatory hamsters that, in this day and age, grew no larger than a rat. In time, as its descendants grow bigger still, two clades out of them become prominent and eventually dominate in the successive eras. One clade are the slender, fleet-footed hamtelopes, which, while playing second-fiddle to the boingos in the Therocene, eventually come to colonize Borealia by rafting or migrating at intermittent periods of lower sea levels, eventually producing the hoofed ungulopes: the dominant herbivores as of the Temperocene. The other clade, specializing on larger sizes and bulkier bodies, are the cavybaras, among which arose species such as the mison, the bumbaas, the hammoths and the piggalo, some of which becoming the biggest land animals the planet had ever seen.

Hamsters, however, are not the only animals introduced to the planet. With the need for detritus-scavengers, soil-burrowers and plant pollinators to create a functional ecosystem, a diverse array of insects were also introduced to the planet: beetles such as the darkling beetle, known for its mealworm larvae, as well as moths, ants, wasps and bees to act as vital agents to enable plants to reproduce. These are among a vast array of invertebrate life that also included free-living soil nematodes, earthworms, terrestrial isopods and springtails, as well as marine gastropods, some of which became terresteial independently of true earth land snails.

But such a diversity of invertebrate life would not go unnoticed for long. A descendant of Cricetulus griseus vulgaris, the forest shrewbil (Eomyotalpa polyvora) would quickly take advantage of this buffet of invertebrates, becoming a specialized insectivore that hunted insects, burrowed to search for worms underground and proliferated in the niche of small insect-eater rummaging through the leaf litter in the forest floor, searching for bugs to eat. Breeding all year round, mother shrewbils developed expansive cheek pouches to hoard large quantities of food for her fast-growing pups. Able to bear as many as four litters a year, and able to reproduce at six months old and keep breeding for the rest of their five-year lifespan, their numbers would come to swell rapidly in the Rodentocene: spelling trouble for invertebrates that lacked any means to deter these new enemies.

The emergence of this species would end up playing a significant role in what was basically the planet's first mass extinction: while occasionally eaten by hamsters beforehand, the local terrestrial invertebrates would never have been hunted at such a large scale as this before. Countless numbers of the initial invertebrate species would be eaten into oblivion by the ravenous shrewbils, leaving only those that had defenses, were able to quickly escape, or reproduced in even greater numbers to increase the chances that some would survive. Flying insects would remain mostly safe for now, but ground-dwellers, including large, slow-moving beetles and their fleshy, vulnerable larvae, and the first wave of terrestrial gastropods, would be completely decimated. One unlucky victim in these early days would be the twigbeetles: long-bodied, slender beetles that mimicked the appearance of twigs in the leaf litter of the forest floor, unable to fly or run fast but was gifted in stealth, staying entirely motionless to hide from attackers. An effective visual disguise against other predators, it unfortunately proved no match against the forest shrewbils' keen sense of smell, and would ultimately die out early into the Rodentocene.

With its insectivorous diet and burrowing habits, the forest shrewbil would be the precursor of the molemice: small-eyed, keen-nosed digging burrowers that spent much of their time underground. While rather typical creatures at first, in fact, the shrewbil may indeed actually have gone the most bizarre evolutionary path of all the initial species of the Early Rodentocene, even in comparison to the other clades' surprising descendants. The rattiles, ectothermic armored creatures converged upon a saurian form that became extremely successful in the Temperocene, the shieldears, with armored pinnae forming false jaws enclosing the head, and the cave dwelling daggoths, with their plethora of appendages and lack of any mammalian resemblance into borderline alien forms, each one among the strangest and most derived of hamster lineages, all owe their existence to the humble and mundane-looking forest shrewbil.

Shrewbils may have not been the first hamsters to develop a taste for fellow animals, but they were the most prominent. That was, until the emergence of the first proper carnivores, among them the golden huntster (Venatocricetus ferox). While cannibalistic tendencies had always been present since the original seeded hamster species, and interspecies predation had occured sporadically among earlier species, none had specialized to such a degree as with the golden huntster, with hooked claws on its forepaws for restraining struggling prey, pointed incisors for piercing bone and flesh, forward-facing eyes for better binocular vision, and a shorter digestive tract better suited for processing animal meat than plant matter. While no larger than a rat, the golden huntster was, in its time, the undisputed apex predator of HP-02017.

Like all other apex predators, the golden huntster ended up completely changing the dynamics of the world and its creatures upon its first appearance. Suddenly, this predator-free safe haven of plenty, a hamster's paradise, had once again become a battleground for survival, from one of their own coming to recognize its fellow hamsters as an abundant food source left unexploited by an empty niche. While the tree-dwelling peachpitters would remain complacent, down upon ground level other species would be pressured into defensive adaptations. The jermas would evolve into faster and more agile leapers, the gouties would grow ever larger to become more difficult to hunt, and the small burrowing shrewbils becoming even better tunnellers to hide from their newfound enemy. While the first wave of evolutionary radiation in the Early Rodentocene would simply be them diversifying to exploit empty niches and take advantage of new food sources, the coming of the golden huntster would kickstart another burst of adaptive radiation, as different species found new ways to survive its predation and defend themselves, flee, or hide in inaccessible places.

Golden huntsters, like all predators, are much more few and far between than their prey, but, like typical rodents, retain their extremely fast reproductive rate, especially now with a far more nutritious food source. During periods of population spikes, their numbers can be devastating to local populations of prey species, but fortunately, their numbers are kept in check by a most unlikely failsafe: themselves. Aggressive, solitary, and opportunistically cannibalistic, golden huntsters are not above eating one another when prey species becomes scarce or when huntster populations become too dense. While litters are born every few months, of up to eight babies each, few of those actually reach adulthood, with many falling prey to rivals raiding burrows seeking to eliminate competition, to their stronger, hungrier siblings while they share a nest, or even the mother herself, if she lacks the resources to care for many pups or is stressed enough to turn on her young. In a way, their own savagery to their own kind is a blessing in disguise, as it generally keeps them from getting too numerous enough to become an ecological menace.

The golden huntster would eventually give rise to the clade known as the hammibals: becoming the primary predator clade of the Early Rodentocene. But as of the Middle Rodentocene, they would find themselves gradually being edged out by two new clades of unrelated carnivores: both descendants of Cricetus griseus hirsutolongicauda. One clade would become the ferrats, mustelid-like predators able to tackle prey larger than themselves, which proved useful in hunting the ever-bigger descendants of the gouties, while another, the rat-like scabbers, became ambush hunters that lured in small, insectivorous prey. Pushed to the margins and relegated to becoming mere mesopredators hunting small prey, this dethroned pioneer lineage would only find success in the continent of Ecatoria. Here though, in the absence of competition, they would produce the large predatory hamyenas, which in turn would eventually give rise to the intelligent, adaptable and sociable zingos, a canid-like group that enjoys great success and wide diversity as of the Temperocene.

While other clades have begun to take shape as they occupy vacant ecological niches, some have instead taken refuge in the familiar. The banded dawndusk (Eocricetus linea), descended from Cricetulus griseus vulgaris, has remained basically unchanged in the last 5 million years, even as other lineages became hoppers and climbers and hunters and grazers. A small, crepuscular seed-eater with no notable anatomical changes, it is, basically, just a forest hamster. While adapted to living in burrows in the forest floor as opposed to their ancestor's desert habitat, its lifestyle is practically identical, emerging at dawn and dusk to hoard seeds in its cheek pouches that it then carries back to its burrow to stash away for later. Like its ancestor, it is also a frequent, opportunistic breeder, bearing litters of up to a dozen blind, hairless young that are dependent on their mother for the first few weeks.

The banded dawndusk, thus, is an illustration of the nonlinearity of evolution: while some branches of a taxonomic branch become more derived, in some cases extremely and unrecognizably so, others remain virtually unchanged. Evolution is not a race to be better or stronger, but merely a contest of surviving to reproduce, being simply sufficient to pass on its genes. And if the initial form is capable of persisting in its niche, then it continues to exist: alongside other divergent relatives far different from both it and the ancestral form they trace back heritage from.

Banded dawndusks are part of the group that would become the duskmice: a clade of abundant but mundane short-tailed hamsters that fill typical rodent niches along with the furbils. These change little over the course of the Therocene, Glaciocene and Temperocene, persisting in abundance as small and basal hamsters. And while, perhaps ironically, one related lineage, the aquatic pondrats, would emerge from the duskmice and dominate watery environments in beaver-like, seal-like and eventually whale-like forms in the cricetaceans, the direct descendants of the banded dawndusk would be the far more mundane hampters: a clade so remarkable in being so unchanged that it may in a loose sense be seen as a sort of living fossil.

Yet a future as an unchanged relic now prey to other lineages' more derived descendants is ultimately still a more fortunate outcome than no future at all. And yet, that is ultimately the tragic fate of the black-pawed dendend (Melanopodocricetus ultimus).

Very early on, at about one million years post establishment, as many as twenty separate subspecies would arise from the basal Cricetulus griseus subspecies. But of these, four of them would come to dominate: C. griseus vulgaris, C. griseus pentadactylus, C. griseus acauda and C. griseus hirsutolongicauda.

Other lineages would continue to persist in the margins, but as the "big four" began to diversify, one by one the other species' lineages would be outcompeted by the new species emerging from the four and occupying different niches. As of the Early Rodentocene at 5 million years post-establishment, only four other lineages survive: the descendants of C. griseus musculus, mouse-like forms eventually outcompeted by the furbils, the descendants of C. griseus macrotia, big-eared desert species that eventually lose out to the jerryboas, the descendants of C. griseus giganteus, large-bodied omnivores ultimately crowded out by the cavybaras and hamtelopes, and the descendants of C. griseus mirabilis, to which the black-pawed dendend belongs.

The black-pawed dendend would be the last one standing, persisting in the massive influx of new species from the four main clades. An adaptable omnivore, it persisted as a generalist despite the competition, by being able to consume a wide variety of food, switching from one to another even if it had no sole monopoly on each. Yet the final straw that would end up spelling its doom would be its eventual specialization on leafy grasses that would coincide with the emergence of defensive grass species fending off the gouties, as well as the rise of the huntsters. A combined double blow of a relatively sudden lack of palatable grass and the coming of a new predator that reproduced quickly would prove too much for them to overcome, and the black-pawed dendend would finally disappear shortly before the beginning of the Middle Rodentocene 10 million years post-establishment. There were winners and losers in the game of life, and in the competitive environment of the Early Rodentocene in the midst of rapid evolutionary radiations, the black-pawed dendend would, sadly, not come out victorious.

It would leave no living descendants, and be relegated as merely another footnote and experiment in the cladogram's family tree, while the descendants of the main four subspecies move on to greater things in the eras yet to come.

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#speculative evolution #speculative biology #speculative zoology #spec evo #hamster's paradise

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speculative-world · 8 months

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psittacocheri, more commonly called a fern grazer, are dexterous seelenlos, they commonly eat seed ferns and unintentionally spread their bur like seeds, they are capable of arboreality and use that skill to avoid predation, they will stay with their mate until their kits are grown and then will move on, however unlike most terrestrial ostomesa with a similar lifestyle psittacocheri parents will fertilize their mates eggs as well as lay their own, psittacocheri kits will hold onto their parents backs when theyre young and when they get older its only to traverse rough terrain or to avoid predation, they usually build nests at the bases of trees and if they cant defend that nest they will hold their eggs and climb up said trees and hope the predator leaves, if you have any questions about this seelenlos please dont be afraid to ask im more than happy to answer

#speculative biology #speculative zoology #speculative evolution #speculative planet #speculative world #spec bio #spec zoo #spec evo #spec planet #spec world #ngiu◗#exobiology #psittacocheri #fern grazer

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kirakhproject · 9 months

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Animals of Natikah

Reptilians

Some creatures, with their name in the Sanatakea language in the top, and their scientific name in the bottom, in a made up conlang that I quickly made for this.

List of creatures and the niches they were supposed to represent:

Laarecou: Fast running grazer (antelope, deer, or kangaroo analogy)

Renoulis: Lithe pursuit predator (wolf analogy)

Sazukaa: Supposed to be a sheep/goat analogy

Kouki: Small stocky carnivore (badger or wolverine analogy)

Zouxuyee: Armored herbivore (Rhino or cattle analogy)

Rehou: Giant browser (Giraffe analogy)

Zeyaaxu: Medium browser (Moose analogy)

Saakee: Small grazer (Rabbit analogy)

Leara: Supposed to be a mouse/rat analogy

Sanre: Arboreal predator

Keaxe: Arboreal omnivore (Monkey/squirrel analogy, closely related to the Kirakh)

Naaxi: Large omnivore (supposed to be a pig analogy, design might change later)

Neexou: Specialized insectivore (Anteater analogy)

Pentapodia: Bulky ambush predator (Large cat analogy)

Thanea: Bulky ambush predator (Bear analogy)

Sikhukhaa: Giant browser (Elephant analogy)

Mammals

There's only two of these right now, there might be more in the future.

Seakeli: Lizard analogy

Xanouthi: Kinda lizard analogy, but it is erect.

These are currently the only animal groups that I have, I would make more if I could.

#speculative biology #speculative zoology #spec bio #worldbuilding #creature design

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twf2020 · 1 year

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Can species de-extinction actually restore nature?

Steven Spielberg fans or not, most of us have seen or either heard of the Jurassic Park/World franchise. Its massive financial success proves that the concept of de-extinction enraptures not only scientists and conservationists, but also the general public. To the unacquainted, de-extinction refers to the process of bringing back extinct species using advanced genetic engineering techniques such as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats).

CRISPR works by cutting a DNA sequence at a specific genetic location and deleting or inserting DNA sequences, which can change a single base pair of DNA, large pieces of chromosomes, or regulation of gene expression levels. In layman terms, it means that we can manually edit the ‘programming code’ of living organisms (DNA sequences), recombine them to varying degrees, control the proteins they code for and therefore the biophysical characteristics of the organism.

While this may seem to belong to the realm of science fiction, we have all heard of Dolly, the first mammal to be successfully cloned from non-reproductive cells. That was almost 30 years ago and since then there have been rampant strides in the field of genetics, which means that CRISPR mediated de-extinction is very much real and applicable.

Ecological and conservation implications of de-extinction

One of the primary merits of de-extinction is the potential to restore lost species and enhance biodiversity. By bringing back extinct species, we can fill ecological niches, restore disrupted ecosystems, and contribute to the overall balance of nature. This process could help preserve valuable genetic diversity, allowing us to learn more about the intricate web of life and possibly even identify traits that could benefit other species. An example of this is the attempt to bring back and re-introduce the Wooly Mammoth in Siberia by the company Colossal Biosciences.

They plan to use an the DNA of an Indian elephant to restore the broken fragments of mammoth DNA extracted from frozen fossils to create a mammoth clone. The company claims their reintroduction in the Siberian permafrost will have strong ecological implications. The permafrost all across the Arctic Circle is melting at an alarming rate which means that the millions of tonnes of carbon sequestered underneath is now being released gradually into the atmosphere resulting in severe climate consequences.

They argue that increasing arboreal vegetation in the tundra absorbs more heat and allows shrubby vegetation to proliferate which in turn reduces the duration and areal extent of permanent snow/ice cover. With the introduction of the mammoth, tree species populations will be kept under check and allow herbaceous grazers like reindeer to keep the tundra ecosystem intact by promoting grass specie#. Such processes will also have cascading impacts on further reducing heat accumulation though a feedback loop of increasing snow cover leading to increasing albedo thereby keeping temperatures low and reducing the amount of carbon released through loss of permafrost.

What about the Tasmanian Tiger?

Another example is the proposed reintroduction of the Thylacine or the Tasmanian Tiger in the Oceanic countries. The native fauna/flora in these regions is among the most fragile to being outcompeted by invasive species with several changes having already occurred due the exotic species introduction such as the Cane Toad and the common Dingo. This has lead to a gross imbalance in the food web and reintroduction of a native apex carnivore could help restore balance through a top-down predation mechanism.

youtube

An in situ lab for research and education

De-extinction could provide valuable insights into the biology, behavior, and evolution of extinct species. Scientists would have the opportunity to study these animals up close, allowing us to expand our understanding of their ecological roles and the environmental factors that contributed to their extinction. Such research could help us develop effective conservation strategies for currently endangered species, as well as mitigate future extinctions.

Ethical Considerations of de-extinction

Humans have played a significant role in causing extinctions, directly or indirectly. De-extinction can be seen as an ethical responsibility to rectify the mistakes of the past and attempt to restore the balance that was disrupted. Moreover, the resurrection of extinct species may provide an opportunity for humans to appreciate and value biodiversity, ultimately fostering a greater sense of responsibility towards the environment.

Ecotourism and Public Engagement

De-extinction could generate public interest and promote conservation efforts. Imagine the potential for ecotourism associated with the reintroduction of charismatic extinct species like the woolly mammoth or the passenger pigeon. The revenue generated from such tourism could be used to fund conservation projects and protect endangered habitats. Additionally, the public’s fascination with de-extinct species may help raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity conservation.

At the same time, many experts have serious doubts about its efficacy

As indicated above. de-extinction is an exciting exploratory field of genetic science with several potentially revolutionary implications for the field of conservation biology, however, there is a significant ‘but’ at the end of this prose (forgive the tautology), During one of the most poignant scenes in the first installation of Jurassic Park, paleontologists and mathematician Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) raise several concerns regarding the hubris of attempting to tailor ecosystems, being proven right in the enthralling third act of the film. Skeptics of de-extinction voice similar criticisms, the first of which is around the complex ethical questions it raises.

Critics argue that the resources allocated to de-extinction could be better spent on conserving existing endangered species and protecting their habitats. Some also express concerns about playing the role of “creator” and the potential for unintended consequences. Additionally, the selective de-extinction of certain species may give rise to debates regarding which species deserve to be revived and the criteria for such decisions.

Ecology is a dialectical scientific field and there is a case for ecosystem disruption

Reintroducing extinct species into current ecosystems can have unforeseen consequences. Ecological systems have evolved over time, and the sudden introduction of a long-lost species can disrupt existing ecological relationships and destabilize ecosystems. The impacts on native species, competition for resources, and the potential for introducing new disease s or parasites need careful consideration.

Consider for a moment a previously example, we have no way to truly envision the full scale of impacts that woolly mammoths will have on the Siberian tundra. How will they affect prey-predator relationships of other critically endangered megafauna in the region such as Siberian tiger and the Amur leopard? A lot has changed since their extinction 10,000 years ago and we can’t be certain that the tundra be able to sustain wild populations at the present. Will this lead to a rise in human-wildlife conflicts in the region? What about more subtle and complex ecological dynamics such as energy flow and pollination? It is nigh impossible to predict the outcome of these situations.

Is de-extinction just a ploy to flex our god-complex?

The financial and scientific resources required for de-extinction research and implementation are substantial. Conservations argue that these resources would be better invested in addressing the root causes of species decline and preventing extinctions in the first place. Protecting habitats, reducing pollution, combating climate change, and conserving existing biodiversity are pressing issues that require immediate attention. Furthermore, de-extinction may misplace conservation focus and create a false sense of security. It may divert attention from the urgent need to address the underlying causes of extinction, such as habitat destruction, climate change, and poaching. The perception that we can “bring back” extinct species may dilute the urgency of mitigating biodiversity loss reducing public awareness and commitment to conservation efforts.

We at Think Wildlife Foundation recently launched our Livelihoods for Conservation project to provide alternative, sustainable livelihoods to the communities living with wildlife. This is with the aim to incentivize conservation while uplifting these communities economically. You can purchase merchandise from these communities here!

Written by: Rishabh Srikar

Originally published at https://thinkwildlifefoundation.com on August 9, 2023.

#Youtube

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dramatic-shitpost-poet · 1 year

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Veiled Chameleon

Enclosure:

The minimum is a 24 x 24 x 48 inches or 2 x 2 x 4 feet tank with lots of height

Bigger is better

Only house one Chameleon per tank

UVB (preferably suspended 6 inches above) and a heating lamp is needed

They need a day and night cycle (12 hours each) to avoid stress

They need a place to fully hide from the heat if needed

Their daytime temperature should be 72-78 degrees F and can drop to the 50-60 degree F range at night

Basking temperature should be between 80-85 degrees F (be careful as they cannot tell if they are being burned and just start lower)

Humidity should be 40-50% during the day, then 80-100% at night (getting a mister and monitor is suggested)

Spray the tank so the chameleon can drink the droplets (about 2 minutes, twice a day)

A water dish is not needed as they do not see them as sources of hydration, so the enclosure must be sprayed

They needs lots of enrichment such as branches, safe plants, a cave, or other perches

Substrate is suggested to not be used. Just use newspapers or reptile carpet.

Spot clean daily and clean entirely every month

Diet/Feeding habits:

If they are hatchlings or juveniles, then feed everyday for as much as they want to eat

Adults eat every other day and feed them about 4-6 gut loaded insects max

Do not feed fruits

Insects to feed roaches, mealworms, crickets, grasshoppers, silkworms, etc.

They are insectivores and grazers (can feed lettuce, dandelions, kale, zucchini, squash, etc.)

Add calcium powder and vitamins to every meal

Age identification:

Most live 5-8 years with females living closer to 5 years and Males closer to 8 years

They reach maturity at about 9-12 months

Physical traits:

Most times they are a green color with yellows, but many morphs do exist

They do not typically change their color, but they can change the tone and shade of it depending on their mood

Males grow larger than females and have more bright colors along with a tarsal spur on their rear feet

Males grow to about 17-24 inches long while females are 10-14 inches long

They hatch at about 4 inches

Their tongue is about the size of ⅓ of their body

Their eyes can move independently to 180 degrees

They have a casque on the top of their head

Personality:

They are typically shy and cranky, but some are friendly and can be socialized. This depends on the time spent with them when young as they grow

Opportunistic eaters and grazers

They are solitary and territorial for both sexes, they only meet each for breeding in the wild

Arboreal

They like to warm up in the morning and cool at night

They might hiss (loud, open mouth breathing) when upset or even bite if threatened

They also might change colors in order to intimidate a threat

No details of breeding, but females become egg bound very easily regardless of fertilization and act

If they are calm they most likely won’t change colors

Health concerns:

Females may become egg-bound very easily, especially if there is extra heat and food so lower the amount to keep her safe

If they aren’t getting enough heat they may bask underneath the lamp for 30+ minutes or hang from the roof along with remaining dark in coloration and lethargic. Move the heat lamp if so, but make sure they do not get burned (better to start lower)

Bacteria can grow if high humidity remains too long and the surfaces the chameleon crawls on gets wet, causing infections

They can become overweight if fed too much and this can kill females

Eye and respiratory infections can be common if the tank is dirty and a good day and night cycle isn’t established

Metabolic bone disease is caused by lack of calcium and proper vitamins

Parasites can be bound to the skin of the chameleon

Handling:

They are very cranky usually and do not like to be handled

Chances are that even being socialized at a young age, they will still grow up to despise handling

Wash hands before and after handling

Only handle when needed or however much they tolerate, respect their boundaries

#veiled chameleon #chameleon #lizard #dsp care sheet #dsp care sheets #research #herptology #herpetologist #animal #animals

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ravnicacardsconverted · 5 years

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Join the Ravnica Cards Converted Discord and come hang out here https://discord.gg/PydYEEY (SERVER LINK)

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Don MacIntyre

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mtg-cards-hourly · 5 years

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Arboreal Grazer

"We fight to stop a tyrant, but we also fight for the gentle creatures who have no concept of what befalls their world." —Vivien Reid

Artist: Jason Rainville

#mtg #magic the gathering #tcg #jason rainville #arboreal grazer #war of the spark

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etherealdemon · 3 years

Note

🍓🍓 for two ocs!!

oliver rhee

oliver is the mom friend of his band. he’s the one who tries to be responsible and sends reminders for band practice. he always ends up volunteering to be the designated driver even though he doesn’t want to be.

brie grazer

brie naturally has brunette hair. she dyed it silver when she left arbor isle after being accused of killing rex. it started off as symbolic in a way, trying to remove herself from the past, but she liked it so much that she’s kept it ever since.

send a 🍓 + an oc and i’ll give you a random fact about them!

#tysm daisy!! hope ur well #daisy🌷#ask game #ask etherealdemon #random fact ask #oliver rhee #collegeverse #brie grazer #tfkyn

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inventors-fair · 4 years

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The Ones at Two

Conrats to our runners-up this week: @kavinika with Legion of Arrak, @misswamyn with Arclight Overclocker, and @stormtide-leviathan with Death Unbound!

Legion of Arrak

Sand tokens! I remember those guys. They’re 1/2’s now, my, how they’ve grown. I’m very concerned about one mana ramp, and if it was just desert reanimation I’d be okay since that’s hard to set up turn one, but this just needs you to be playing deserts. Arboreal grazer was not a broken card, but it was stronger than it looked, and the main balancing fact was that it was dead late game. This has late game use both in kicker and in ramp. Remove “hand or” from this card and I love it. The kicker cost and effect is really cool, and it combos really well with the main effect. The effect is also mythic, according to Avenger of Zendikar, though might just be a touch under when you take into effect the fact that they stay small.

Arclight Overclocker

Now this read like a mythic. It’s a repeatable grapeshot but only if you cast enough spells, and is weak to enchantment removal. In older formats I think that’s a great balance, since this card is very strong in being cheap and repeatable but the fact that storm gets hit by even MORE sideboard hate kind of helps. In weaker formats you probably won’t be able to one-shot anyone unless you’ve built your deck around this, but if you did you at least earned it. My biggest issue is the repeatable creature removal. If you just play this fairly, you’ll be dealing 1 or 2 damage to creature every turn, which can get really oppressive. If you’re on the other side of this, you won’t feel comfortable playing anything with less than four toughness, and if you wait, then you’re just giving your opponent more time to stack up cards in hand. If this had some other condition, like only counting a specific subset of spells, or only hitting creatures of a certain type (tapped, without flying, etc.), then there could be some counterplay. I really think you did a great job with this, it’s just a bit hard to counter without hard removal.

Death Unbound

Okay, another conditional card that scales with the game. These are solid as far as ways to balance being a one-drop. So it takes a few steps to be a worse deathgreeter, then it turns into a zulaport cutthroat, then it turns into… I don’t think there’s a card that really does that. The last step is a little disconnected from the first two, but I like where this card is at. I like how it goes 2-4-6, that makes it easy to track and plan around. I like how it requires a pretty heavy dip into black, not just a splash, and I like how it is functional from a pretty early part of the game, even as just a bit of lifegain. I think it’s got just a touch more text than it should for a mythic, but I think that’s pretty minor. Reminds me a lot of the Valakut / Emeria cards, where something minor turns into something huge eventually. A solid card.

Phew! Got through it. Good job everyone who placed, and good job to everyone else! My commentary is coming, and hopefully I’ll have it up by the end of the day.

-Mod Mr. ShinyObject

#runners-up #commentary #one mana mythic #mtg #magic the gathering #inventor's fair #custom magic card

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markrosewater · 1 year

Note

Hey Mark, could defenders by default have higher power than 0? 0 power defenders make the keyword feel like trinket text, and make it hard to remember when cards like Arboreal Grazer randomly don't have defender.

0-power us an important tool for creatures with defender. Sometimes we want them blocking, but not destroying attackers.

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tribbetherium · 2 years

Text

'The energy efficiency of leaping over bipedal running in traveling long distances across open ground has led over time to the re-evolution of bipedal hoppers among the podotheres: ones that have returned to the ancestral locomotion of their Therocene ancestors, the boingos. Known as the rebounders, these leaping podotheres are now one of Gestaltia's most abundant plains grazers, functioning much like their ancestors but with longer, stronger legs, more flexible necks, and more lightweight builds that make them especially suited for this lifestyle, that allowed them to usurp the last of the basal hoppers, the pyroos, as the dominant grazers of the prairies.

Yet not all is lost for these ancestral hoppers, for they had retreated to an unexpected new frontier: the trees. Their saving grace would be species of their favored forage, bleedweed and flameweed, that adapted to an arboreal life as bromeliad-like epiphytes growing commensally up on the branches of trees. Retaining their chemical defenses that the pyroos had developed a resistance too, these became an unexploited resource for these remnant vestiges of the early boingo lineage to exploit: and in turn do the trees themselves a favor by keeping the load of epiphytes in check, as they can be harmful to the host if they excessively proliferate.'

-----------------

#speculative evolution #speculative biology #spec evo #speculative zoology #hamster's paradise

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magicvibesonly · 4 years

Text

Top 1 Drops XxX Green Pioneer

For a complete list of all things green legal in MTG Pioneer check out gatherer, which is of course is THE most useful deckbuilding and card database searching tool around:

https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?sort=cmc+&color=|[G]&format=[%22Pioneer%22]

Creatures:

Bang for Buck (Biggest P/T)

- Warden of the First Tree

- Old-Growth Dryads {3/3 for 1? Tons of Fun, it bites when it eats removal, but when it sticks it beats lots of face for 1}

- Experiment One

- Pelt Collector {Elf}

- Hero of Leina Tower

- Kessig Prowler {2/1 that becomes a 4/4}

- Elvish Reclaimer {Elf with mana fixing and graveyard fill}

- Greenbelt Rampager {With no support its a 3/4 on T2}

- Gnarlwood Dryad

- Scythe Leopard {Reliably a 2/2 on your turn, when built around landfall 3/3}

- Sunblade Elf {Elf}

- Kumena's Speaker

- Wildwood Tracker {Elf thats pretty reliably a 2/2 when attacking or blocking)

- Narnam Renegade {Deathtouch Elf}

- Dryad Militant

- Lovestruck Beast (Heart's Desire)

- Oviya Pashiri, Sage Lifecrafter

- Chainweb Aracnir {Late game 4/4 and deals damage to flyer}

- Servant of the Scale

- Slitherhead

Deathtouch

- Wasteland Viper

- Gnarlwood Dryad

- Sedge Scorpion - Moss Viper

Evasion

- Gilded Goose

- Pelt Collector

- Spire Tracer{Elf, Baby Silhanna Ledgewalker}

- Almighty Brushwagg - Charging Badger {Badger’s ain got nothing on Brushwaggs}

- Gladecover Scout {Hexproof Elf, attach auras and equipment here}

Tribal

Defenders / Walls / Tough Gang

- Arboreal Grazer {Ramp Wall}

- Portcullis Vine {Sac a wall draw a card}

- Jaddi Offshoot {Landfall life gain}

- Wall of Vines {Basic Bitch Wall}

Humans

Hero of Leina Tower

Honored Hierarch

Edgewall Innkeeper {Adventure decks}

Crossroads Consecrator {1/2 that can pump other Humans}

Groundskeeper

Flaxen Intruder

Elf - Ctrl f “Elf”

Merfolk

- Jade Bearer {+1 counter for other Merfolk}

- Kumena's Speaker

- Jungle Delver { manadump for a +1 counter on Merfolk}

Ramp

Mana Dorks:

- Elvish Mystic {Elf Dork}

- Gilded Goose

- Llanowar Elves {OG Elf Dork}

- Honored Hierarch

- Arboreal Grazer {technically not a mana dork but still one of the best rampers}

-Saruli Caretaker {You have to tap another creature to get your 1 any but you get a 0/3 body to block, better in Assault Formation Decks}

- Loam Dryad

- Rosethorn Acolyte (Seasonal Ritual) {Mana Fixing Adventure attached to a decent mana dork that taps for 1 any, sure maybe, helps that its an Elf)

- Oashra Cultivator

- Deathrite Shaman {Elf}

- Groundskeeper {bring back lands from graveyard}

- Oath of Nissa

- Traverse the Ulvenwald {Late game lets you grab a creature instead}

- Mana Bloom

- Font of Fertility {Rampant growth on an enchantment}

- Vessel of Nascency {fills graveyard and digs for missing creature land enchantment or planeswalker}

- Urban Burgeoning {Untap land during opponent’s turn,great for casting instant}

- Crop Sigil {Fills graveyard, late game ramp}

- Open the Gates

- Attune with Aether { A side of energy with your ramp}

- Enter the Unknown

- Flower // Flourish (Flower

- Lay of the Land

Mana Fixing:

- Elvish Reclaimer

- Unbridled Growth {Aura you can sac to draw a card later}

Card Advantage:

- Warriors' Lesson { One of the best heroic triggers / multiple target spells }

- Sixth Sense {Aura that when they hit an opponent draw a card}

- Gilded Goose

- Edgewall Innkeeper

- Blisterpod {Replaces itself}

- Incubation // Incongruity (Incubation) {Dig and or removal}

Removal:

- Hunt the Hunter

- Primal Might

- Status // Statue (Status) {/+1 pump and deathtouch attached to artifact, enchantment, or creature removal, trixy trixy for green}

- Incubation // Incongruity (Incubation) {Dig and or removal}

- Wasteland Viper

- Prey Upon

- Mutant's Prey {fight for creatures with a +1 counter}

Pump Spells:

- Hardened Scales

- Primal Might

- Blossoming Defense {Pump and Hexproof}

- Hunt the Hunter {+2 and fight}

- Savage Summoning

- Appeal // Authority (Appeal) {+X for number of creatures, then later for two you can tap two creatures and yours gain vigilance}

- Aspect of Hydra

- Status // Statue (Status) {/+1 pump and deathtouch attached to artifact, enchantment, or creature removal, trixy trixy for green}

- Forced Adaptation {Aura for steady stream of counters especially good in scales}

- Gather Courage {Zaddy loves free}

- Might of the Masses {+X equal to creatures}

- Shape the Sands {At first glance not very playable but in Assault Formation suddenly you are getting +5/+5 on your anti flyer}

- Wasteland Viper

- Giant Growth { Basic White Girl Pump}

- Stony Strength and Burst of Strength {+1 counter, untap combat trick}

- Shed Weakness {+2 and remove a -1/-1 counter for Amonkhet drawback creatures or if your opponents happen to be playing counters, you can do worse}

- Lifecraft Awakening {+1 counters for artifact}

- Confront the Unknown {investigate and Clue Pump}

Auras and Artifacts:

- Vineweft { Returnable +1 Aura }

- Rosethorn Halberd (High equip cost but first is free}

Protection Spells:

- Savage Summoning

- Fog

- Blossoming Defense

- Ranger's Guile

- Hapatra's Mark {Hexproof and get rid of -1/-1 counters}

- Permeating Mass {Field Stall}

Lifegain:

- Life Goes On {8 life for 1 mana wo0o0oow}

- Deathrite Shaman

- Healer of the Glade

- Jaddi Offshoot

Sideboard:

Artifact and Enchantment Hate

- Flaxen Intruder {Late game option for filling the field}

- Mystic Repeal

- Natural State

No Fly Zone

- Windstorm

- Chainweb Aracnir

- Heaven // Earth (Heaven)

- Take Down ( 1 dmg to all flyers or 4 dmg to 1 )

- Skyway Sniper {1/2 elf with reach that you can manadump for extra flyer dmg}

- Run Afoul {Sac a flyer}

- Stinging Shot {Better options but cycling is good at times}

Control Hate

- Savage Summoning

- Shapers' Sanctuary

Graveyard Hate

- Serene Remembrance (3 cards back into library from a graveyard)

- Dryad Militant

- Deathrite Shaman

Specialty Toolbox:

- Obscuring Æther (Obscuring Aether)

Morph Decks

- Reclaim

More consistency, contol hate, graveyard fill decks

- Renowned Weaver and Centaur's Herald

Leave the battlefield effects/ replace themselves

Untapping:

- Stony Strength {+1 counter}

- Sudden Spinnerets {reach counter, 1/3 pump}

- Vines of the Recluse { Redundant Sudden Spinnerets }

- Ornamental Courage

Technically 1 drops:

- Wildwood Scourge (One of the best creatures in Non Hydra Hardened Scales}

- Hungering Hydra

- Mistcutter Hydra

- Gather Courage {Daddy likes Free}

- Primal Might

- Animist's Awakening

- Ivy Elemental

- Slime Molding {X/X Ooze, Oop Oop}

- Mana Bloom

- Reason // Believe (Reason)

- Lifecraft Awakening

- Wildest Dreams {XX cards back in your hand, want 3 cards back from technically a 1 drop? Only in your wildest dreams baby} - Windstorm { Flyers? Not in my Personal Space}

Manadumps:

- Oviya Pashiri, Sage Lifecrafter

- Sunblade Elf { Field Pump }

- Almighty Brushwagg {Don’t believe they exist? Yeah, them either, Possible 4/4 tromple for 1 though}

- Frilled Sandwalla - Wily Bandar {Indestructible Cat Monkey} If you want to try out any of these cards or any cards click the link below to start playtesting to your heart’s content

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ Rent whatever magic cards you want }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} Manatraders is a great service that really upped my competitive game Let me know your favorite green cards or what you’re brewing lately. Comments follows and reblogs will get you lots of love back :)

#magic the gathering #mtg #magic #green #green magic #garruk #nissa #kiora #samut #planeswalker #pro magic #gatherer #pioneer #mtg pioneer #pioneer mtg #modern #modern mtg

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