#gigatitan

[knuppitalism-with-ue]

And here it is! The Madygen Formation in all it's incomplete glory! Added the hand so you get a feel for the size of some of these colossal insects!

This time the research team outdid themselves. LOOK AT ALL THE INSECTS! I bow before these friends who help especially with subjects I'm not familiar with!

As usual this also means the Wikipedia page got an update, many more taxa have been added!

Here also the unfinished/abandoned version from yesterday. For people who wonder, I didn't finish it because it's composition didn't work for me, there are individual good parts part the lack of strong focal points and distribution of elements just didn't work for me.

For me these pieces have to be more than just showcases of flora and fauna of a formation, they also have to function as an art piece so that they can still function beyond their scientific expiration date.

[fivefootfox]

A commissioned design for Shad. The Gigatitan Mantis is currently available on steam as a mod in ARK: Surival Evolved.

First time drawing a bug for a commission!

[slogokonnor99]

Month recap time!

This month's drawings:

- Twig hitches a ride on top of a Lalieudorhynchus

- Tired, Tontu lays asleep on top of a sleeping Elasmotherium

- A Gigatitan makes its home on David's head, and Frida tries to poke it (close up + full shot)

- Hilda is being hunted down by a Titanis

(Also part 2 of "Amends" coming next month)

[veloci-raptor]

Flocking Together

Gigatitan

Mahajangasuchus

Corythoraptor

Pederpes

[shovel-hooligan-frontera]

Lay your head to rest, just for a moment:

There was one thing about his master that annoyed Javier Asrahan. One thing that despite knowing the changed man and protecting him fiercely for two years, he had never seen. Javier Asrahan had never in his life seen Lloyd Frontera asleep. At least, sort of. He had seen him in a comatose state after Cremo, and had caught glimpses of him in the morning right before he woke up, but other than those times Javier had never seen him actually sleeping.

It only made sense, what with him needing Master Lloyd's "lullaby" to fall asleep, meaning he'd have to sleep before his master (a fact he was not comfortable with, but moving on), and Lloyd constantly working rather than taking any moment to rest. Still the fact bugged Javier anyway. He wasn't sure what about it bothered him but it did.

So, Javier came up with a plan. A simple one really, that would mean he could see for himself if his master actually did sleep, or if he was some nocturnal creature after all.

The first issue of the matter was the lullaby. Without fail it would knock Javier out no matter what he did, and waking up from it was near impossible until sunrise. There was no doubt Javier would have to work around that fact, and find a way to wake himself up after.

In the end he decided the best way to do so was the chair he slept on night after night. Despite rarely sleeping in a real bed he never had any issues with discomfort, but if he made the chair unbearable, then he'd have to wake.

So, one day when no one could notice, Javier broke his chair, causing a large wood splinter to crack from the back, right where Javier would lean against. It still lined up, instead of bending out, making it unnoticeable unless one sat down in the chair. Javier was almost proud of himself for this plan, before realizing he was as devious as his master, sending him into a spiral of disappointment and regret.

The first night with the broken chair Javier was woken, just like he had planned. But sadly when his eyes came into focus he realized the room was still lit, and the bed in front of him was empty, his master instead working late into the night at his desk, when Javier could not scold him.

"...Master Lloyd." Javier scowled at the man. He had deliberately said he wouldn't stay up to work, lying to Javier's face.

"ACK- Javier? Crap you scared me. Wait- why are you awake?" Lloyd gave his knight a confused look, the ridiculousness emphasized by the noticeable bags under his eyes.

"I could sense that I had been lied to, and willed myself awake to encourage you, once again, to go to bed." Lloyd was not as appreciative of Javier's sarcasm, glancing back at his work before deciding that he was destined to lose this fight.

Lloyd grumbled incoherently to himself, shuffling over to his bed to once again put Javier to sleep. Javier only hoped his master would actually listen to him this time rather than staying up once again.

I doubt the chair will be able to wake me a second time.

It took almost a week for Javier to awaken in the middle of the night again. This time however, his master was not sacrificing his health for needless amounts of work.

Instead in front of him his master laid, evidently on his side facing Javier. While Lloyd was unconscious after fighting the gigatitan he had been laid on his back the whole time, though it only made sense that he would find a more comfortable position when he properly slept.

What truly surprised Javier about the scene was his masters face. Javier had come to notice that when no one was around, Lloyd's hooligan act he spent the last two years perfecting would tend to drop, allowing him to take a less despicable face, almost nice when compared to the contorted expressions he usually sported.

The face he wore now though was different, however. Even when master Lloyd dropped his act, remnants of exaggeration would remain, not allowing any soul to forget. While he slept though, almost any trace of his crazed persona was no where to be seen. Of anything Javier's master looked...normal. So painfully normal. Like he wasn't the one to carve out mountains and build bridges. Like he could never dream of wielding a triple core manaheart, or summoning mythical creatures.

Maybe Javier was too engraved with his thoughts of guilt during Cremo to see it then, or maybe the circumstances simply were different enough to make him not look the same, but the face in front of him was not the Lloyd Frontera he knew.

Or maybe it was. And Javier simply had more to learn about his master than he thought.

link on Ao3

[gale-gentlepenguin]

What is considered the worst Akuma villain 

Hmmm.

I think it would depend on what you mean by worst.

Do you mean worst power? Least effective in capturing the miraculous? Weakest akuma?

Cause those are different.

I’d say the worst power is probably Silencer. It’s an inconvenience at worst, and if one is clever it can be worked around.

The least effective akuma in capturing the miraculous was probably Gigatitan. It’s a giant baby that doesn’t really grasp what it’s doing.

And the weakest Akuma is actually Simpleman, despite having arguably one of the most dangerous powers. Because he is not super strong or anything to compensate.

I guess you could also say puppeteer with no toys.

But yea

[lloydfrontera]

y'know i wasn't gonna complain about this because like. who has time to be bitter online and it's already been a while since this dropped. but it's been bothering me so i'm gonna do it anyway lol

this was. so silly. and at this point on canon so out of character for javier. why are you making my little guy so dirty. him bringing up not getting paid if they run, even if it's an attempt to get lloyd to go back to fight the dragon, is,,, no. just no.

javier's first thought is always towards helping people. he now understands that money is necessary and having materialistic motivations is not inherently a bad reason to help others, but he's not that kind of person! he wants to help people and protect others just for the sake of it! and bless his heart he believes it's the same for others too, including lloyd.

at this point in canon javier still,,, wants lloyd to stay and protect others out of his own will. i've talked a bit before about how javier isn't exactly. disappointed. on lloyd for not staying to fight the bone dragon as much as he's regretful of having hoped better of him when he thinks he shouldn't have. as if deep down he didn't want to have hopes of lloyd being better but simply couldn't stop himself and is now regretting it because lloyd is letting him down again.

but he at no point even gave a thought about protecting lloyd's 'honey jar'. there was an entire city full of people at danger of being killed. in what world would javier even care about lloyd getting paid when the stakes are that high.

here this is the webnovel equivalent of this scene

Javier's face stiffened as he stared at Lloyd. On second thought, his face would be better described as angry rather than stiff. "Master Lloyd..." His voice was now lower than a while ago. "Why are you always like this?" "Like what?" asked Lloyd innocently. "Many people are in danger right now. And yet, you do not hesitate to run away for your own safety, disregarding everyone else's." "Yeah. You're right." Lloyd shrugged. And he replied nonchalantly, "Is that bad?" "..." "I think we argued over something like this before, right?" "It was in Cremo," Javier reminded him. "You're right. The Gigatitan." "At that time, you were-" Lloyd interrupted him. "Yeah. I ran away just like now." "..." "Is this really wrong?" Lloyd asked, meaning every word. [...] "You have not changed at all, Master Lloyd." Javier looked Lloyd's way, and there was disappointment in his eyes. No, it'd be more correct to say it was bitter regret. A bitter smile appeared on Lloyd's mouth. "I can't do anything about it," Lloyd said. "I'll always be like this." "Do you mean it?" asked Javier. "Do you think I'm lying to you right now?" "No. However-" "However?" "Then enjoy living on my behalf as well." "Eh...?" Lloyd stopped dead in his tracks. He questioned. the other man. "What? What do you mean?" Javier was now wearing a face full of resolution. And he spoke with even more determination and sincerity. "It was my honor to serve you all this time, Master Lloyd. I hope you safely escape from here." "Hey." "And please convey my message to Count Frontera that I am grateful for our time until now and to please forgive me for not being able to protect him longer." "Hey, you!" Lloyd was flustered. Why was Javier talking like he was going to die soon? Why was Javier not responding to him? What was that faint, enigmatic smile on his face before he rushed off toward the Bone Dragon without a second glance? Lloyd couldn't understand anything.

does this look,, remotely like a guy who's only thinking of his own home and protecting his master's 'honey jar'. does it.

i know this is already an old episode at this point but god do i still hold a grudge over this arc akshdakkfds

[sunflowercider]

Do you know the timeline for all of lloyd's accomplishments? When and what he build? And if possible the titles he achieved?

LOL @lloydfrontera come get your anon 😂

Hi nonnie! I cant promise I can give you everything, since 1) thats. a big fucking ask for a 400+ chapter novel and 2) i actually havent finished it yet (im reading the Yonder chapters). That said, here's my Arc List I made for myself (up to ch 360ish), spruced up for other's readings:

Arrival / Ondol construction

Lloyd duel with Sir Neumann

Coal mining/Ants defeat

Icehouse(Seokbinggo) for the orcs / Necromancer defeat

Wetland Reclamation

Water poisoning / Aqueduct construction

Cremo (underwater concrete pillar construction / defeat of Gigatitan)

Magenta Capital suspension bridge construction / Meet Julian

Queens Assassination Attempt

Locust swarm defeated

Monster domino reversal / Recruiting Bibeong

Refugees arrive / Apartment complexes begin construction

Elf Woods (lloyd makes a contract with a group that has been actively avoiding humanity for literal centuries)

Sewer construction / Solitas acquired (lloyd hires a fucking dragon. This might not ever be known in the future? It was a secret between lloyd, javier, and solitas himself)

Zombie Mastodons barely defeated by lloyd

Namaran’s Wall (lloyd beats up 30 necromancers, javier and lloyd take down Hell's Knight, lloyd constructs a support system for the crumbling foundation of the city)

Sultan Kingdom / Water tunnel (Qanat) construction

Julian and Sheherazade get married :)

Royal garden construction (lloyd only partially helps with this one, focusing mostly on the central canal with a lock system to raise and lower the water level safely)

Bone Dragon defeat

Hell / Train construction

Dragon King patronage / wake up calls

Third Ending Spoiler

Mermaids (another infamously hard-to-get-along-with race lloyd contracts with) / Jjimjjalbang construction

Heart of Winter

Centaurs / Colosseum construction

Tyrannus

Return to Seoul

Finally home / Rebuild Jewel of Truth / Swordmaster Syndrome

Angel Interference (lloyd and javier beat up a whole-ass angel) / """"Solution""""" to Destiny

Tears of Summer “prophecy” (lloyd has the angels make up a prophecy and appear before the House of Peers to say it. It was rather flashy)

Mountain switchback train construction (lloyd uses time magic so not only is the construction of a train on a mountain impressive, but he did it in what looks like a few days too)

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

Let's see... as for Titles, thats a little harder since I wasn't keeping track of those... I'll list what I can remember/find, but I must note that the "titles" Lloyd receives are from the system, not ones officially provided by the people of Lorasia.

System Titles

[Exemplifying Punisher] (ch 101)

[Builder of Dead Estates] (ch 101)

[Honored Warrior of the Barbaric Tribe] (ch 101)

[Guardian of Cremo] (ch 101)

[Magentano Carry] (ch 101)

[Bell Saver] (ch 109)

[The Eldest Son of the Frontera Family] (ch 119)

[Hell's Singer] (ch 177)

[Top Gun from the West] (ch 197)

(I feel like im missing a few here...?)

[Upper Abdomen! Upper Abdomen! Upper Abdomen!!] (ch 271)

(huh, maybe missing some here too?)

[Hell's Top Talent] (ch 359)

[arezenithofyouthlove]

Wow, they really did it again huh? Just another heavily emotional scene followed by a cringe joke... I can't. I really can't. I was still angry how they add that Lloyd's spitting out water face when Javier became Grandmaster scene - totally destroy the feeling impact I barely got from the whole bone dragon arc - and today latest chap?

Lloyd: What do you think about me? A fake who replace the real Lloyd?

Javier: You have given so many people new hope and dream. I am glad you come here

Lloyd&Javier next panel: *puke and cringe at their own bubble speech*

I really tired now. The consequences of making shit up and not give a fck about the original source is piling up each day. I really suspect that LHM use his AI to summary the whole TGED novel plot, or else he would never butcher the story like this. The DP system that act basically like a free Ending Spoiler version. Lloyd is literally being spoon-feeded with plot armor thicker than Gigatitan's shell. Somehow someone so heavily favoured by the higher-being like him still have to deal with the fate restoration effect sound so stupid now. I am really considering inbox BK-Moon directly to ask him why. Why are you allowing this? Do you even read the manhwa? Or you just being happy with the fact your work got adaptation and that's enough? Someone shoot me please before I appear on Korean news for committing murder. Not kidding.

[imthepunchlord]

Hey, Punch, I know that Marinette's the MC, but... the number of episodes who can actually be dropped either because of her lack of crush on Adrien or because she's in another class really shows how essential she is to the class. It's kind of ridiculous, I mean no crush eliminates: Troublemaker's ridiculous scene, Riposte (people would see that Adrien won anyway), Gorizilla (as she immeadtly drag Adrien back), Frozer (actually that doesn't depend on her much...), Gigantitan, Chameleon, Reflekdoll, Christmaster, Stormy Weather 2.0, Chat Blanc and Hear Hunter entire mid episode?

I mean, it IS certainly lesser than the ones where she is on another class (which wow), but is certainly fascinating.

Honestly, some of those can still happen, you just remove some aspects or change them. To cover a few of what's mentioned:

Troublemaker the akuma can still happen with Penny overwhelmed and Marinette's privacy being invaded, whether there were Adrien pictures or not, no one likes having their space invaded without permission and having a whole camera crew come in to film. At most, you just remove the "humor" of Marinette having a lot of pictures of Adrien, which didn't need to be there. Set up alone is distressful enough.

Riptose could still happen with D'Argencourt just having an agenda against Kagami and her family. Or Marinette could still join and take that last slot, either because Adrien her friend invited her, or she wants to expand her combative capability.

Gorizilla I see still happening as Marinette the friend would still be inclined to help get Adrien to the movie he really wants to see.

Frozer the akuma would still happen but yeah, something else would have to be the focus. Which I guess it could instead fully be a double date Lukanette and Adrimi episode?

Christmaster could happen with Chris wanting Christmas now.

Chat Blanc could happen, just have it be caused by Adrien learning about his dad. Or maybe it could've been turned into a sort of season finale or where they stop HM instead.

For those up in the air/probably would be cut:

Gigatitan can definitely be cut and you know what, that can just go anyway. It was done cause ahahaha, isn't it fully that HM akumatized a baby? This is a great joke let's repeat again and again.

Chameleon would depend on Lila. Cause in Volpina, I still see Marinette upset and bothered, but I do think she would've approached Lila much calmer and in private, share concerns of what trouble Lila's lies can get her into (like HM targeting her). It's up in the air how Lila would respond, which puts Chameloen up in the air for existence.

Refleckdoll probably would be cut, like, I could see Alya inviting Adrien to model with Juleka, but she wouldn't be uprooting the shoot trying to get Adrienette to happen (unless she just decided she'd like them to be a couple). So the shoot shouldn't go so badly for Juleka.

A lot of the ML episodes can still work and be there, they'd just have to be tweaked to remove the LS content. And the LS content doesn't even need to really be there for a lot of them.

[wtf-triassic]

Gigatitan

By Ripley Cook 

Etymology: Large titan

First Described By: Sharov, 1968

Classification: Biota, Archaea, Proteoarchaeota, Asgardarchaeota, Eukaryota, Neokaryota, Scotokaryota Opimoda, Podiata, Amorphea, Obazoa, Opisthokonta, Holozoa, Filozoa, Choanozoa, Animalia, Eumetazoa, Parahoxozoa, Bilateria, Nephrozoa, Protostomia, Arthropoda, Mandibulata, Pancrustacea, Hexapoda, Insecta, Dicondylia, Pterygota, Metapterygota, Neoptera, Polyneoptera, Anartioptera, Polyorthoptera, Orthopterida, Panorthoptera, Titanoptera, Gigatitanidae

Referred Species: G. extensus, G. magnificus, G. vulgaris

Status: Extinct

Time and Place: 242 to 227 million years ago, from the Ladinian of the Middle Triassic to the Carnian of the Late Triassic. 

Gigatitan is known from Kyrgyzstan. 

Physical Description: Gigatitan was a very large insect, with a wingspan of 33 centimeters (13 inches). It’s one of the better-known members of Titanoptera, an extinct clade of large predatory insects. It would have looked a little like a giant mayfly, but with a katydid-lke head and much lnger antennae. The forelegs were large and bore sharp spines, similar to those of praying mantises. The wings were large and had distinct fluting. The ovipositor of Gigatitan has sharp ridges, similar to the earlier Carboniferous insect Gerarus.

Diet: Gigatitan was a predator, and its diet potentially included other insects and even small reptiles.

Behavior: It is likely titanopterans had similar lifestyles to modern praying mantises, living as arboreal predators. Their large wings would have allowed them to fly, but their relatively small hindlimbs wouldn’t have allowed them to leap very far. The fluting on the wings could be rubbed by the hindlimbs to produce sound, similar to the chirping of crickets, but if I had to wager, it’d be even more abrasive to the ear. The cutting ridges on the ovipositor were likely used to cut holes in plant material, so that it could lay eggs inside.

Ecosystem: Gigatitan’s fossils were found in the Madygen Formation, which is probably more famous for harboring the bizarre reptiles Longisquama and Sharovipteryx. The Madygen Formation environment was a forested submontane region, with rivers leading out to a large lake. The lowland forests were composed of lycophytes, seed ferns, cycads, gingkos, conifers,  and horsetails, with many aquatic plants by the swampy coast. Titanopterans such as Gigatitan preferred the upland regions, which were also home to the cynodont Madysaurus. The environment was flourishing with insects; other insects known include other species of titanopteran, mayflies, cockroaches, hymenopterans, flies, beetles, notopterans, caddisflies, orthopterans, cicadas, and true bugs. The rivers and lakes harbored the amphibian Triassaurus, mollusks, worms, crustaceans, and many fish such as Oshia, Saurichthys, the lungfish Asiatoceratodus, and hybodont and xenacanthid sharks.

Other: Gigatitan is one of the largest insects to have evolved beyond the Carboniferous.

~ By Henry Thomas

Sources under the Cut 

Bethoux, O., Galtier, J., Nel, A. (2004). “Earliest Evidence of Insect Endophytic Oviposition”. Palaios 19: 408-413.

Carlton, R.L. (2018). A Concise Dictionary of Paleontology. Springer International Publishing.

Grimaldi, D. (2009). “Fossil Record”. IN: Resh, V.H., Carde, R.T. eds. Encyclopida of Insects. Cambridge Academic Press.

Voigt, S., Spindler, F., FIscher, J., Kogan, I., Buchwitz, M. (2007) “An extraordinary lake basin - the Madygen fossil lagerstaette (Middle to Upper Triassic, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia)”. Palaontologische Gesellschaft 2007, Freiberg.

[knuppitalism-with-ue]

Results from the Flocking Together #paleostream Gigatitan, Mahajangasuchus, Corythoraptor, Pederpes

[beebeebombam]

That epsiode Gigatitan, where Gabriel stupidly akumatizes a baby, would that still happen in this AU with where Le Peon amokatizing baby August? Like, would Adrien with the help of the boys help set up a date with Marinette like how in the episode Marinette tried setting up a date with him with the help of the girls? Or would that not happen at all in this AU because of Gabriel having to amokatize a BABY?!

This is just Adrien’s imagination.

Lady fairy AU | Gigatitan

On that day, Adrien has a shoot and Marinette is walking with Alya at Trocadéro.

At that time, Adrien’s friends (The boys in class) are trying to keep Gorilla busy, plus Adrien is trying to avoid him.

Nino: Let’s go! Sunshine!

Max: This is Earth, The chance that you’ll meet Marinette increase by 90%

Kim: This is Water, Touring bike is ready! Stone! Have you pulled the stop sign out yet?

Ivan: I did.

Nino: This is Forrest, I have signaled to Alya. She will take Marinette to Trocadéro square. Fire, you wait at the goal. Okay?

Nathaniel: Fire… Ready… André is still here, he doesn’t go anywhere. But why do I have to join you guys? Why??

——————-

Until Baby August gets amokatized and that causes a Lollipop monster.

August: Lollipopppp!

Lollipop monster: *Turn and look at August*

Adrien: SH*T

Adrien has to help August and his mother running away from the monster before the boys help enticing it to the other way.

Alya has taken Marinette away, but Marinette can escape from Alya as usual.

And the champion who has chosen by Lady Fairy today is either Max or Ivan.

—————————-

——————-

——–

—

-

.

After the fight,

Marinette: If you don’t mind, you can come to play games at my house. Papa had said that he wants to play games with you.

Adrien: Really!!?

Gorilla presses car horn.

Adrien: Uh… But I might… have another shoot, and it is different direction from your house. I’m so sorry.

Marinette: Never mind. See you next time.

Adrien: See you.

Then he gets in the car.

The boys: ………

Alya: ………

Adrien: …..*Sigh*

[420blazeithorsesforever]

Miraculous Ask Meme! 3, 10, 20

3. Who are your brotp?

10. Least sympathetic villain?

20. Whose costume would you redesign?

[tresity]

August August is a baby biggoron. He's usually pretty content and a happy baby. Sometimes, as babies do, he'll get into tantrums that echo throughout the land. The sound is pretty unbearable, and the older gorons will try anything and everything to make him stop. He likes sucking on mud rocks the most.

[goofygoldengirl]

Hawkmoth is so done I love it