Round 39Don’t forget to read the ecosystem tab at the bottom of this round!
StealthStyleL –
Saltus gigantus (Primary Consumer)
Bigger : Success(v) Sting : Success (rolled a 2 for potency)Plenty of food and a temporary lack of predators has led the
Saltus gigantus to grown to an increased size. It is now a much more visible target for predators, but its large size allows it to better scavenge food and fight enemies. This species is an average 20 centimeters in length with a relatively short 8 cm body that is followed by a long and thin tail used for maneuvering. The overextended wingspan (the two wings stretched perpendicularly from the body) is nearly 30 cm in length, and each wing is around 5 cm thick. Below the body are four 3-fingered, clawed legs used for walking during brief periods of rest.
The long tail has a protruding spine bone tip at the end that is used to defend against predators. Over the years it has become hollow and houses a Toxin E. This toxin is made from a combination of highly-concentrated ammonia (from urine) and rotting feces with plenty of poisonous bacteria. It’s not terribly effective, but gets the job done.
LCPast Adaptations:
VGT
Circulatory System (3 chambers)
Muscles
Nervous system (II)
Digestive system (with acid)
4 Legs
Hearing
Purple
Notochord
Eyes
Herbivory
Lungs like a bird
Desiccation resistance
Teeth
Burrowing
Skeleton
Star nose
Pincers
Claws
Spit acid on pincers
4 wings (over an hour of flight)
Habitat:
Beach
@npc –
Sacculus caeruleus (Primary Producer)
The Sacculus caeruleus is a very interesting organism that is unlike any other, both on Earth and on this planet. It is a blue spherical sack that is approximately 10 cm in diameter. Inside of this flimsy sack is a large supply of nutrient rich salt water. With walls approximately half-a-centimeter thick, it is easy for many organisms to tear it apart for food.
Unlike most plant species, this one doesn’t have any permanent roots. It is able to quickly grow roots into the ground (up to a centimeter an hour) to pull out necessary nutrients, before being pulled back to the ocean during long periods of high tide. It then flows on top of the ocean for several weeks and then returns back to the beach to be rooted and to replenish nutrients. These roots are shed and constitute an excellent source of food for smaller herbivores.
The plant itself is an autotroph. Its blue pigment is partially the result of Phycorotene, a cyan-colored pigment that converts sunlight to chemical energy, and a type of anthocyanin that was developed to better blend in back in the day. The skin of this plant has microscopic pores that let it CO¬2 and let out O2.
ENPrevious Adaptations:
Mitochondria
Fully Multicellular
Muscles
Nervous System (II)
Stomach (Very potent acid)
Horizontal gene transfer
Circulatory system (3 chambers)
Smell
Eyes
Vacuoles
Internal gills
Air sac
Strong Fins
Wheels
Acid resistance
Lungs
Bigger
Desiccation Resistance
Teeth
Skeleton
Habitat:
Beach
Atrox –
Dorsumrodo cochlius (Primary Consumer)
Corkscrew legs : Success(v) Claws : Opposite of intendedThe turbines of this species have stretched out to look similar to corkscrews; they also moved down along the “spine” on this species to its tail, making the species look like a Y-shape (the head with spread out legs). The corkscrews turn, trapping small organism and creating a current toward the mouth of this organism. This is a 10 time feeding improvement from its ancestors, so the organism has a lot more energy to procreate.
Unfortunately, the “crippled” organism that this corkscrewed mutation first appeared in had a deleterious trait that ended making it into this species. Namely, that first organism lacked its front fins—they were reduced to tiny stumps, leaving the
Dorsumrodo cochlius with only four appendages: 2 anchor hooks and 2 turbines. Luckily, this mutation had little effect on the fitness of the organism as a whole, since they weren’t used much in the first place.
NTPrevious Adaptations:
Mitochondria
Muscles
Nervous System (III)
Stomach (Very potent acid)
Vertical gene transfer
Circulatory system (3 chambers)
Teeth for filter feeding (hairs)
Heat Tolerance
Smell
Eyes
Hearing
Vacuoles
Fins (2 fins, 2 turbines, 2 anchor fins on top)
2 Ball and socket joints (2 turbines)
Twisting muscle
Acid resistance
Lungs
Bigger size
Dessication Resistance
Skeleton
Swim bladder with pure oxygen
Habitat:
Beach waterline
deandactyl –
Lacertos negro (Secondary Consumer)
Better Circulatory System : Success(v) Sandy Coloration : SuccessThe lack of food has been taking a hard toll on this species, and it has had no choice but to move to the beach waterline where colonies of
Dorsumrodo cochlius have been booming. Its previously rusty colored skin have become increasingly dark to an almost black shade (the beach is made of volcanic rock, remember?). This has dramatically lowered the chances of the prey seeing it before it pounces, although smell and sound still pose a minor problem.
The main issue with hunting near the ocean, however, is the sudden riptides and waves in general that tend to drown many members of this species. The
Lacertos negro has developed a more improved circulatory system with 3 chambers in its heart to prevent oxygenated blood mixing from unoxygenated, allowing it to stay for a longer amount of time underwater. This adaptation also helps it to conserve energy.
EN[/b]
Past Adaptations:
Vertical gene transfer
Muscle fibers
Nervous System (II)
Stomach
Mouth
4 Tentacles
3 retractable eye stalks
Smell
Cryobiosis
Circulatory System
Thermoreceptors
Touch
Can digest plant and meat
Star-shaped mouth
Teeth
Rust red color
Long sticky tongue
Enzymes to break down sticky glue^
Jaw
Heat Resistance
Gills
Plated Shell
Stronger tentacles
Spit stomach acid
Cephalization
Scaly Skin
Skeleton
Burrowing
Snake-like body
Claws
Habitat:
Beach waterline
Redwatt50 –
Virus oreduorum (Secondary Consumer - Omnivore)
Separate Mouth : Success(h) VGT : SuccessAfter a recent symbiosis with plant-digesting bacteria, the
Virus oreduorum has moved to a more plant based diet to supplement its energy needs. Interestingly enough, rather than developing a mixed set of teeth that could chew both meat and plant, this species has evolved a second mouth on the inside of its first one made from the muscles of the esophagus. To eat, the
Virus oreduorum now uses a typical jaw with tearing teeth to bite off food and get it completely into its mouth. Then, if the food is meat, it is swallowed and digested in the stomach. However, if the food is a plant, it goes down a chamber branching from the esophagus where it is continuously chewed until it becomes very soft. This paste is then regurgitated and swallowed into the organism’s stomach.
Finally, this organism has developed a second sex that allows it to maintain a greater level of genetic diversity in the population, making this species more resilient to extinctions.
VUPrevious Adaptations:
Muscles
Nervous System (III)
Stomach (with acid)
Horizontal gene transfer
Circulatory system
Tearing Teeth that can crush through bone
Heat Tolerance
Smell
Eyes (reflective to see in darkness)
Internal lungs
Touch
Purple
Bigger (1 mm)
Notochord
Desiccation Resistance
Jaw
40 small, calcium legs
Toxic Bite (10/10)
Bones
Burrowing
Burrowing of food underground
Habitat:
Beach
Zer1000 –
Lucendi grandus (Secondary Consumer; Apex Predator)
Larger : Success With more species moving toward the beach water line in search of food, the
Lucendi grandus has had less food to live off of. Its normal life is now full of confrontations with species like the
Lacertos negro. Although this organism is fairly smart and has plenty of offensive mechanisms, it still takes its fair share of casualties from poison and spikes. To combat this, this species has grown in size to close to 4 cm in length. This vastly increases its chance of surviving an attack, and with plenty of food on the beach, this species is easily able to maintain its demanding metabolism.
NTPast Adaptations:
Nervous system (IIII)
Muscles
Digestive system (with acid)
Electrical shock (kill anyone of a similar size, must touch conductive surface on organism)
Eyes (three-dimensional, green and yellow)
Electroreception
Circulatory System (3 chambers)
6 tentacles
Blue
Lungs
Desiccation resistance
Bones
Teeth (sharp and tearing)
Hearing
Habitat:
Beach waterline
Skyguy98 –
Desultoros monogrammos (Primary Consumer)
Better Heart : Success(v) Endoskeleton : Failure This organism has developed a much more efficient circulatory system that contains 3 chambers. This prevents a loss of pressure through the capillaries (allowing the species to grow to a larger size); furthermore, it allows the species to be much more active—oxygen can be quickly pumped to the muscles, allowing for longer flight and quicker reflexes.
Over the years, the
Desultoros monogrammos has been making its exoskeleton thinner and thinner to make prolonged flight easier. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a series of compromises—for one, this species no longer has a solid protection against predators; additionally, if its paper-thin shell is breached, the pressurized insides come sprawling out, resulting in a painful and prolonged death. The
Desultoros monogrammos is most easily compared to a water balloon—popping with the lightest traum.
EN Previous Adaptations:
Mitochondria
Muscles
Nervous System (III)
Stomach (Very potent acid)
Vertical gene transfer
Circulatory system
Teeth for chewing plants
Heat Tolerance
Smell
Eyes (Blue and green)
Vacuoles
Hearing
Touch
Black
Lungs
Desiccation Resistance
Jaw
4 limbs (2 arms and 2 legs)
Bones
Cephalization
Teeth
Toxin D (6)
2 wings
Small hairs on arms
High-jumping legs
Swarming
Larger – 5cm
Habitat:
Beach waterline
mitobox –
Herbus drys (Primary Producer)
Thinner leaves : Success The flat and thick leaves of the
Herbus drys have become thin and flimsy. This species no longer invests its energy and time into developing perfect, state-of-the-art photosynthesizing machines. Rather, it goes for a quantity over quality approach, deciding that a hundred bad leaves are better than one good one. This sudden change has been caused by the numerous herbivorous species feasting on the
Herbus drys. Bad luck might strip the whole plant of its leaves in one day. Thanks to this recent adaptation, the organism can quickly replenish its supply of short-lived leaves without dying from lack off food.
LCPast Adaptations:
Chloroplasts
Dessication resistance
Low pressure tolerance
Black pigment to match land
Spores (VGT)
Roots (axial root)
Stalks
Vascular System
Leaves
Bark
Branches
White sap
Habitat:
Beach
RoboTrannic–
Virus aquos (Primary Consumer)
Travel to rivers with a healthy food supply : No EffectVGT : Success
The
Virus aquos has not changed much from its previous generation. It has developed the ability to exchange genetic material between other members of its species, leading to more efficient offspring.
A recent flood has moved a couple population of the
Virus aquos to nearby waterways and rivers. Unfortunately, the organisms all quickly died off from starvation. Just like in the ocean, there is virtually no macrocellular food. The organisms that can be found swimming in the ocean are more likely to eat the
Virus aquos rather than be eaten.
Tl;dr Only food in the ocean is algae. Not large food that the mouth of the
Virus aquos is suited to eat.
CRPrevious Adaptations:
Muscles
Nervous System (II)
Stomach (with acid)
Horizontal gene transfer
Circulatory system
Tearing Teeth that can crush through bone
Heat Tolerance
Smell
Eyes (reflective to see in darkness)
Internal lungs
Touch
Purple
Bigger (1 mm)
Notochord
Desiccation Resistance
Jaw
40 small, calcium legs
Toxic Bite (10/10)
Bones
Burrowing
Every third leg is a paddle
Habitat:
Beach
Immortal_Dragon –
Lacertos uvulo (Secondary Consumer)
Sandy Coloration : Success(v) Better Eggs : SuccessThe lack of food has been taking a hard toll on this species, and it has had no choice but to move to the beach waterline where colonies of
Dorsumrodo cochlius have been booming. Its previously rusty colored skin have become increasingly dark to an almost black shade (the beach is made of volcanic rock, remember?). This has dramatically lowered the chances of the prey seeing it before it pounces, although smell and sound still pose a minor problem.
This species has also developed a more efficient way of reproduction. It no longer deposits spore-like hoping that they survive on their own. The
Lacertos uvulo now lays eggs similar to those of Earth fish. The “female” species lay eggs that contain nutrients that will feed the developing fetus. Then a male walks by and fertilizes any unfertilized eggs. While this method still forces the
Lacertos uvulo to lay eggs by the water, a much greater percentage actually hatch.
VU[/b]
Past Adaptations:
Vertical gene transfer
Muscle fibers
Nervous System (II)
Stomach
Mouth
4 Tentacles
3 retractable eye stalks
Smell
Cryobiosis
Circulatory System
Thermoreceptors
Touch
Can digest plant and meat
Star-shaped mouth
Teeth
Rust red color
Long sticky tongue
Enzymes to break down sticky glue^
Jaw
Heat Resistance
Gills
Plated Shell
Stronger tentacles
Spit stomach acid
Cephalization
Scaly Skin
Skeleton
Burrowing
Snake-like body
Claws
Habitat:
Beach waterline
ECOSYSTEMWith many herbivorous species sprouting wings and swimming away, most of the
Lacertos genus have moved to the ocean to find more food. They now pose increasing competition to the
Lucendi grandus; however that species is still more adapted to the beach waterline niche. At the current moment there is enough food to house all three species, but the numbers of
Dorsumrodo cochlius are falling every day due to over exploitation. Luckily, the
Desultoros grandus, the “water balloon with wings”, is fairly easy to kill as long as you can catch it on the ground, and provides another source of food to those living by the beach waterline.
Farther from the water, the
Virus oreduorum is moving to a more plant based diet because most heterotrophs moved away in search of food. Its relatively small size compared to the other organisms greatly limits the amount of food that it can eat.
Finally, the
Herbus drys has colonized the rock bordering the beach with a 20 cm thick layer of sand. The weather is still fairly humid here, but the winds aren’t as strong, there isn’t a danger of flooding, and soil is harder than the sand and can make for better burrows.
Still planning to do this:
I will post a sketch of all your species and their relative sizes tomorrow. It’s not going to be very beautiful, and I’m not going to spend a lot of time on it, but it should give you a better impression of what your species looks like.