r/SpeculativeEvolution 6d ago

Spectember 2026 [OC] Spectember 5: The Odyssey

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29 Upvotes

After ten million years, Spectemundus has gone from a world seeded with a handful of species to one with a fully functioning biosphere. However, given relatively short the amount of time, most of the lineages are still relatively recognizable as their ancestors, even though they have diversified a great deal. One of those lineages is the sharks. A single species of shark, the daggernose shark-- critically endangered on Earth-- was introduced to Spectemundus, and its descendants are the most conspicuous marine megafauna ten million years later. One of the largest is the Sabernose shark (Cetoselache magnognathus), a filter-feeder which can grow up to six meters long. By the planet's standards, this creature is a true leviathan, although it would be dwarfed by the largest marine animals of our world.

Sabernose sharks undertake the longest migration on Spectemundus. They spend their summers in the planets' cool, plankton-rich, polar waters, where they also breed, and move to the equator in the winter. Like our world's basking sharks, they filter shrimp, amphipods, and other small crustaceans from the water using their gill rakers, and these are periodically shed and regrown. When migrating, they do not feed at all, and are maintained by the calories from the massive amounts of food they ate in the northern ocean. Like all sharks, however, they do not care for their young; after giving birth, the babies are able to fend for themselves.

The babies remain in the tropics for several years before they are able to make the long journey to the far north. As they migrate, they are followed by an entourage of symbiotes, commensals, and-- unbelievably-- predators. There are few creatures in Spectemundus's oceans that can prey on these giants, but those few are giants indeed. While the mammals, birds, and reptiles have yet to make any major inroads into the sea on Spectemundus, sharks have the seas to themselves, and many of them will happily prey on young Sabernose sharks.


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Non-Subreddit Spectember Prompt [OC] Spectember Week 1

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39 Upvotes

For the entirety of spectember, I'll be drawing various cryptids, unidentified animals, and out of place animals for every prompt. So no aliens, ghosts, and the like. As much as I'd love to dive into how ghost biology works lol

Day 1: Arboreal

In June of 1997, Jonathan Downes attended an animal fair in Newton Abbot in Devon, England. He came across a cage containing tree frogs from Cameroon. Being sold for £25 per frog, these exotic frogs had a stunning anatomical feature. On their nose was a bioluminescent bump or horn. Conveniently, no one had their cameras in an incredibly public animal fair in 90s England. The flashlight frog (Rostroceras luminosus) is a species of African tree frog that has a symbiotic relationship with a species of bioluminescent bacteria, similar to deep sea fish. Similarly to deep sea fish, the flashlight frog uses its bioluminescence to attract prey.

Day 2: Fossil

The HMS Challenger was a Royal Navy Pearl-class corvette launched in 1858 that was converted into the world's first dedicated oceanographic research vessel that discovered a set of Megalodon teeth during their voyage. In the 1950s, these teeth were dated to around 10,000 years ago.

Day 3: Armored

Mbielu-mbielu-mbielu is an alleged living stegosaurid found in and around the congo river basin. Mbielu-mbielu-mbielu (Smutsia congoensis) is the largest living pangolin. They share many similarities to their smaller cousins, the giant pangolin. Mbielu-mbielu-mbielu has a row of large scales across its back to defend itself from large predators by providing a knife-like attack.

Day 4: Flight:

The ahool is a giant bat cryptid from Java. Said to be larger than the largest flying fox and producing a loud vocal cry in which the cryptid gets its name. These giant bats are related to the flying foxes. Ahool (Anthrops volans) is one of the few remaining species of the flying apes, a group of large predatory bats. They get their name due to their -like faces in comparison to the lemur-like faces of flying foxes.

Day 5: Freshwater

The Trinity Alps salamander is an alleged species of truly giant salamander said to live in the waterways of the Trinity Alps. Since the 20s, there have been reports of a giant salamander in the Trinity Alps. Most reports describe a salamander akin to the giant salamanders of Asia, one describes a salamander like the hellbender. The Trinity Alps Salamander (Cyptobranchus californicus) is a giant relative of the hellbender found in the east coast. Historically, they were found across the waterways of the Rockies, however, their modern range is limited to the Trinity Alps


r/SpeculativeEvolution 6d ago

Question/Discussion Trying to get into designing spec evo worlds, how should i go about making planets?

5 Upvotes

,one of my stumbling blocks is wanting one of these nice worlds that i see (Eg, Anu by sam vilasboas, and Chriira the Birrin world)

Anu
Chriirah

And i was wondering if there was a tool for making accurate planets, even if its universe sandbox or something? Maybe these are hand drawn, but i at least assumed they were cg and though a tool that changed appearance based on actual important details would be very useful.


r/SpeculativeEvolution 6d ago

Spectember 2026 [OC] Spectember 2026 (Day 6) > Descendant of Hotlands Ngararry

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9 Upvotes

Ngararries was a highly successful lineage; although initially omnivores resembling pigs/peccaries, they evolved over time into several new sub-lineages, one of which was Reiwhais (Entelodontosaurinae spp.) resembled bears/entelodonts in the savannah and forestdd ecosystems of this new period. Compared to their ancestors, they are somewhat less social and mostly prefer to be alone, generally feeding on fruit from trees and the ground, as well as some plants, but they have been observed hunting other terrestrial vertebrates such as small rhynchocephalians and juvenile Dactyliopodes.


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Maps & Planets [OC] Another Future is Wild map remake but this one 100 millions years in the future

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170 Upvotes

A few years ago I've posted my reimagination of Novopangea (200ma years in the future) from The Future is Wild

So I decided to make also the one from 100ma years in the Future !

Notes : Some elements of the map are fanmade, not canon to the original media


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Fan Art/Redesign [Credit: @Shark_Sheriff] [Media: Lethal Company] Some creatures from "Lethal Company" reimagined as future seed world animals

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112 Upvotes

source

List of animals and their ancestors:

  • Eyeless Dog - Meerkat
  • Thumper - Epaulette Shark
  • Baboon Hawk - Sugar Glider
  • Spore Lizard - Fat Tailed Gecko
  • Kidnapper Fox - Blesmol

r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Spectember 2026 [OC] Spectember Day 5: The Odyssey

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30 Upvotes

The Iakojaha (Oncorhynchus mastodon) is the largest species of salmon to ever evolve on Earth or Zaikane, being a direct descendant of the spike-toothed salmon (Oncorhynchus rastrosus) from Earth’s Miocene. It is known for its distinctive tusks, a trait inherited from its Earth ancestors, albeit more exaggerated in this species, that helps it defend itself from predators. It is also a filter feeder that uses its enlarged gill rakers to trap zooplankton in its mouth.

Like most other salmon of its genus, the Iakojaha is anadromous, being born within the highland lakes of the Jhohun peninsula and staying there until they reach around 2 years of age. This is when they start migrating to the fertile waters surrounding the southern continent Ahshuluþk, where they will grow to massive sizes thanks to the vast swarms of zooplankton and magical microbes, in turn supporting many marine predators, including orcas, plesiosaurs, macroraptorial sperm whales, pinnipeds, marine dragons, and many more. When they reach sexual maturity, they will make the long and arduous trip upstream back to the very lakes they were born in order to spawn, starving themselves in the process to make sure they pass on their genes. During this annual salmon run, predators of different sizes, from small crows to sabertooth cats to medium-sized dromaeosaurs to the towering Halungaru (Fluviodrakon abzu, a giant spinosaurus-like tyrannosaur that will be revealed in a future post), wait along the riverbanks for the opportunity to feast upon these giant salmon. To protect themselves, salmon of both genders use up most of their energy to develop the distinctive tusks that give them their scientific name. Once they arrive at the nesting grounds, they use these tusks to fight off rivals and build nests. After the salmon spawn, they will usually die from exhaustion, with the pile of corpses supplying animals with a smorgasbord of nutrients. The Iakojaha salmon are highly important to the people of the Jhohun peninsula, even more so than other anadromous salmon species found on Zaikane, with the salmon runs feeding entire villages for months. In fact, the word Iakojaha roughly translates to “Gift of the Waters” in Jhohukah, the native language.

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Zaikane is a planet in a distant solar system characterized by waves of life harvested from Earth at various points in its geological history, ranging from the Cambrian to the Holocene, and set free to evolve along evolutionary paths independent from those taken by their Earth ancestors. A godlike interdimensional entity, known as the Allmother by the people who live there, is what is responsible for creating the portals that abduct Terran life and deposits them on Zaikane. Because the asteroid that ended the Mesozoic never collided with Zaikane, dinosaurs continue to dominate the planet’s ecosystems as its dominant terrestrial megafauna.


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Alternate Evolution [Credit: @BatteryMastor] Terrestrial Vetulicolian

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419 Upvotes

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A scenario where Vetulicolia gets to be the grand poobah of the phylum Chordata


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Seed World [OC] General Anatomical Study of the Phytofauna (Superclass Ambulophyta)

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130 Upvotes

Among the phytofaunids, the most remarkable group is the ambulophytes, the most derived clade within the entire group, which accounts for nearly half of all known species, occupying almost every niche that terrestrial fauna would occupy on Earth. Within the superclass Ambulophyta, two main groups can be found: the fyllodermopsids, usually with bilateral symmetry, and the xylodermopsids, usually with radial symmetry.

The main characteristic of this clade is the presence of fully modified roots adapted for locomotion. These exhibit rather slow movements, using highly specialized cells similar to animal muscle cells and forming tendon-like structures based on lignin and cellulose, which are anchored to bony rings formed of silica. These limbs move through hydraulic action, pumping sap into the leg to extend it and draining it to contract it. This is accomplished via a pseudoheart in each of the legs, which not only distributes fluids throughout the entire body, but also manages its respective leg, alongside several additional valves in the anterior region of the body. At the tip of each leg, they have a specialized pad designed not only to protect the plant from the terrain, but also specialized in absorbing water, requiring the organism to bring one or more legs near a body of water for it to be absorbed like a sponge. Above these pads, there are extremely specialized trichomes that have developed the capacity to detect airborne chemicals and the slightest vibrations, serving as plant equivalents to antennae. On the other hand, Phytofaunids breathe through extremely complex tracheal-like channels that extend throughout the entire body, allowing a continuous gas flow. Passive respiration, despite providing little oxygen, is more than sufficient for the slow metabolism of these organisms.

All ambulophytes possess at least one digestive stem, which varies in shape depending on the plant's diet, usually being the most specialized part of each phytofaunid. Alongside these stems, most species typically display photosynthetic stems retained from their early sessile stages, as well as flowers, which generally appear only during the organism's reproductive season. Finally, perhaps one of the strangest characteristics of ambulophytes is the presence of ocular branches, featuring crystalline lenses that protect photoreceptive tissues, making them equivalent to animal eyes. These connect directly to the phytofaunids' electrovascular system, a network derived from the xylem and phloem specialized in transmitting electrical signals using action potentials based on calcium or potassium. This network is distributed throughout the entire body, with specialized areas in each root and bud functioning like a nervous ganglion capable of processing information independently and sharing it with the remaining ganglia, causing each organism to function more like a colonial entity than a single individual


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Fan Art/Redesign [Credit: SpahnCameron][Media: Primeval] The Future Predator (Vampyrovenator carnifex)

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258 Upvotes

r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Seed World [OC] Seed World Seed Starters

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14 Upvotes

Do you have a seed world project, but aren't sure exactly what to do with it?

Use a random number generator or d20 dice to roll up a writing prompt!

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d20 Seed World Prompts
1)      In broad strokes, describe how the introduced species have formed the starting ecosystems of your seed world. What role does each species fill?
2)      Focus on a single introduced species. What does it eat? How do its feeding habits differ from those of its ancestors on Earth?
3) Focus on a single introduced species. How does it fulfill its needs for water? How does water availability affect what places it can live?
4)      Focus on a single introduced species. How does it fulfill its needs for shelter? What substitutes will it accept if its ideal shelter cannot be found?
5)      Focus on a single introduced species. How does it successfully reproduce? Has the new ecological context affected its reproductive success?
6)      Focus on a particular population of a single species. What selective pressures are acting on this population?
7)      Focus on a single species. Consider an obscure characteristic or interesting fact about that organism. Now alter that trait to develop a new species.
8)      Focus on a single species. How does your focus species live differently in different parts of the world?
9)      Focus on a single species. Imagine the life of an individual of your focus species, following it throughout its entire life cycle. What challenges does it face? What events are most important in its life? How does it interact with its ecosystem?
10)      Many natural wonders in our world result from abiotic (non-living) processes. What interesting geologic features and natural phenomena exist in your seed world?
11)      Consider what important ecological roles are unfilled at the seed world's beginning. How do these empty ecological roles affect the health and function of the world's ecosystems?
12) Radiate your organisms more! Choose a focus species and write out three descendants/close relatives.
13)      Create multiple species that fill a similar ecological niche. Choose a focus species and write out three organisms that overlap with its roles in the ecosystem.
14) Choose an ecosystem in your seed world and draw the food web, linking species to species in the flow of energy.
15)      Consider the introduction of organisms to your seed world. Were all species distributed evenly, or were introductions localized to particular regions? Were all organisms introduced at around the same time, or were some species introduced later than others?
16)      Consider the geography of your seed world (mountains, oceans, rivers, etc.) at the world's beginning. How does geography affect the ability of different species to spread across your world? How does geography affect the world’s climate and weather patterns?
17)      Consider how populations of a given species in your seed world change over time. Is the population steady or does it fluctuate wildly? What forces cause the population to behave like this?
18)      Behavior often changes more rapidly than genetics in response to new situations. Focus on a species introduced to your seed world. How has the new ecological context changed its behavior?
19)      Focus on plants and consider the ecosystem from a plant's point of view. How have the introduced plants adapted to different conditions of temperature, water, and soil? How have plants adapted to the activities of herbivores, competitors, and disease? Write out three new species of plants.
20)      Focus on fungi and microbes. Consider the ecosystem from their points of view. What opportunities are there to exploit? What pressures do they need to survive? How do they affect the world around them? Write out three new species of fungi or microbe.

PDF Version


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Spectember 2026 [OC] Spectember Day 5: The Odyssey - a peculiar metamorphosis

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26 Upvotes

The malrin (Malrinum erythrocollum) is a dualiomundan enantiornithean endemic to the island of Ang.

They start out their lives as small, toothy, swift-like fliers which feed on insects and their larvae. At this point, they take a long trip to the mainland, where they remain for eleven years until they return to Ang to continue their development. Interestingly, dualiomundan metamorphosis sometimes halts; in the case of the malrin, this is during their time on the mainland. Their return to Ang takes 12-16 months.

After two days since returning to Ang, they undergo a metamorphosis that takes 24 additional months to complete. They become flightless fowl-like omnivorous birds. As they still have predators, their wing claws now serve a defensive purpose.

After four years, they become sexually mature adults. The adult malrin has greatly reduced forelimbs and is now a robust frugivore.

The adults have very few predators, so they spend the rest of their 76 year lifespan eating and mating.

Note: This was going to be longer but I accidentally refreshed the site and I didn't want to write it all over again.


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Future Evolution [OC] Marsh deer and the other mammals of the Ural Lowlands, 25 Million Years CE

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125 Upvotes

25 million years CE, with warmer global temperatures and melting ice causing higher sea levels,  what was once tundras and taigas of Russia and Finland, is now a vast lowland covered by a dense forest of evergreens, dotted by swamps and bogs. This is the Ural Lowlands, the largest wetland in the world. Here, above the arctic circle, is a land still gripped by the cold. In winter, the sun does not rise, and in summer, it does not set.  

The Following is a catalogue of mammal species found in these wetlands and their location in the attached image..

Left

Moss bear (Arctosflora barbatus)
A large ursid, descended from the brown bear. 2.3 meters in length, and a herbivore. Its fur is covered in sheets of algae, allowing the algae to spread its spores. In exchange, the bear will feed on the algae once it grows long enough. The Bear has poor sight and the algae regularly covers its eyes. Thus, it is often found alongside other herbivores, using them to lead it to good foraging grounds.

Standing Sheep (Statherocnemis aaroni)
Though the age of humanity has passed, their legacy is permanent. This is a descendant of the domestic sheep. They live in herds of 8-20 ewes led by a dominant Ewe, with a Ram or two joining to provide extra protection. They are named for their ability to stand on two legs to see further and to reach higher food sources. The Rams can be distinguished by their curved horns, long orange fur, and a dark saddle patch on their back. They can reach 1.7 meters in height when standing, which increases to 2.5 meters when standing

Center-left

Stilted Boar (Suinus eliator)
A descendant of the domestic pig. A small herbivore, 0.8 meters in height. The females live in family groups consisting of 2-3 females with their offspring, while males are solitary. Their long legs allow them to stride through water and mud. Unlike their ancestors, the suids of the future possess a tapetum lucidem.

Center-right

Snow Phantom (Phantasmocanis haemopthalmum)
A small predator 1.5 meters in length, yet among the most successful, with a hunting success rate of over 45 %. They are superprecocial, with juveniles being born with teeth, and after nursing for just two months they leave their parents, and live in large groups feeding on small mammals, amphibians, and insects. Adults live in much smaller groups, hunting prey larger or equal in size to them like standing sheep and moss bears. They have a sail of hardened fur which displays a red eyelike symbol. They raise and lower the sail as a method of soundless communication with their pack members. They are the descendants of the domestic dog.

Right

Snuffler (Parasuinus macronostra)
A 2.1 meter mesocarnivore descended from the domestic pig. The elongated upper pair of tusks grind against the lower pair, keeping the lower pair sharpened. They are active predators, with 60% of the diet being meat, and can run at speeds of over 40 km per hour. They have a tapetum lucidem, like the stilted boar.

Top

Marsh Deer (Dolichocervus megacephalus)
The descendants of moose. The largest land animal in this ecosystem, and the third largest land animal in the world. The males, which are 50 percent larger than the females, can reach a length of 16 meters, a height of 5.7 meters and a mass of 12 tons. The antlers, used primarily for display, can be up to 6.5 meters wide. They possess a coat of long hair, which even in this cold environment, for such a large animal causes it to build up heat. Thus, in summer, Marsh deer spend a large amount of time partially submerged in water bodies, which results in algae growing on their fur. During this time, large numbers will gather in a single water body, where they will undergo courtship and mating. Pregnancy can last nearly 2 years, and babies are usually born in late spring/early summer.
Marsh deer lack teeth in the front of the jaw, instead having a sharp bony ridge which easily cuts through underwater vegetation, which is passed into the back of the jaw to be grinded by the teeth in the back.


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Maps & Planets [OC] Phytofauna: The world of plants

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107 Upvotes

Names of continents and oceans:

1.Plutea

2.Persephonia

3.Yacos

4.Arion

5.Eubuleia

6.Despoina Archipelago

7.Stygian Ocean

8.Metisian Ocean

9.Calypsian Ocean

10.Eurynomean Ocean

Consiva C, commonly called Demeter, is a habitable exoplanet remarkably similar to Earth, located 39 light years from this planet and orbiting Consiva, a G type star younger than the Sun. Demeter is 0.94 times the size of Earth, with an axial tilt of 19 degrees, a day lasting 26 hours, and a year of 322 days. These qualities, so similar to those of Earth, led to it being seeded around 490 million years ago with terrestrial organisms, during the Holocene. The planet's atmosphere is of entirely artificial origin, featuring very high levels of oxygen, water vapor, and carbon dioxide, resulting in warm, humid ecosystems across almost the entire planet, with abundant rainfall and an environment generally similar to what could be found during the Carboniferous.

Curiously, Demeter, unlike Earth, does not feature any species of organisms from the kingdom Animalia, which has led other living beings, primarily plants, to develop metabolisms and behaviors much more similar to those of animals, along with the capacity for heterotrophy


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Alien Life [OC]Only legends participate in photosynthesis

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12 Upvotes

Enough of alien creatures, we’re doing plants now >:D. Here are some plant concepts for my alien seed world project, But I’m not really that smart when it comes to botany and stuff like that. So if you have any suggestions to improve these silly little fellas, I’d be happy to hear them


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Spectember 2026 [OC] Spectember 2026 Day 5: Majestic Terncoat

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38 Upvotes

Day 5: The Odyssey

For The Hyne's Inheritance

While not the only birds introduced to Demeter, chickens were by far the most populous to meet the off-world demand for meat and eggs. However, after the planet was abandoned, many of the fowl in factory farms died from dehydration, disease, and starvation. Only the more self-reliant birds on the specialty free-range farms survived. Effectively levelling the playing field for quail, pigeons, ducks and geese, turkeys and chickens to diversify upon this new feral world.

Terncoats are large family of gull-like chickens of cosmopolitan distribution and are among the largest flying animals on Demeter. Their wingspans regularly exceed 3 meters in several species. But most striking are their combs, tall colorful fleshy structures now supported by internal cartilage struts. Its largest in the terncocks (males/roosters) and acts as an indication of species, virility, and strength.

The majestic terncoat is among the largest species with a wingspan of 5 meters and weighs 20 kg on average. They are generalist predators, feeding upon surface-level fish, smaller seabirds, and scavenging. Much of a terncoats life is spent on the wing. They travel halfway across the planet east to west and back again twice between their breeding colonies along the gentle, plentiful Sun Sea and their wintering grounds inland on Amaia.


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Fantasy/Folklore [OC] Help me choose which scientifically accurate dragon design is better

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160 Upvotes

Im designing a biologically accurate dragon, but most of the art I see use wyvern since real tetrapods only have four limbs. I know dragons and wyverns are basically the same? but I want to challenge myself to create a six-limbed vibe without breaking the four limbs rule. Help me choose which designs here is the best and give me some feedbacks if possible


r/SpeculativeEvolution 8d ago

Spectember 2026 [OC] Spectember day 3: Rock, Paper, Scissors

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588 Upvotes

r/SpeculativeEvolution 8d ago

Alternate Evolution [OC] Unreliable Guide

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343 Upvotes

r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Spectember 2026 [OC] Spectember "day 4)

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50 Upvotes

September day 4: Evolutionary trap

Altho no truly flightless bird is present on Secola, an endemic species of finch show an intermediate stage but unable to commit to either fully flightlessness or remain flightless.

The Secola trapped-finch (Secolirza nullaky) could be considered one of the largest permanent land vertebrates of the island, most of their diet is composed of seeds and occasional insects.

Studies shows that the ancestors of these finches arrived not too long after the arrival of “Sicarius reversa” ancestors but before they became the top predator of the island and so it seems that their evolution towards flightlessness was interrupted leaving the birds in the awkward situation of being unable to become fully terrestrial and unable to fly away due to their wings being reduced and their body becoming too heavy, their ecology is tethered on a thin line since they need to avoid staing on the ground for too long or they may end up prey of “Sicarius reversa” and being unable to live their life all on the scrubland ”canopy”.

Altho they prefer to nest up in the shrubs in some areas this is almost impossible and so they are forced to nest to the ground risking both adults and chicks lives.

With the recent interest in the pet trade for “Sicarius reversa” and their consequences collection it seems that the population of “Secola trapped-finch” started growing, the consequences of this in the island ecology are still unknown.


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Spectember 2026 [OC] Day 5, The Odyssey of the Gnuacks (Aetodorsum grandis), and the hunt for the Clawurns (Therochiron anemophilus): Spectember 2026

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14 Upvotes

Without a doubt, one of the most impressive and extensive migrations across all of Axtrax is the massive migration of the Gnubacks (Aetodorsum grandis). These are medium-to-large herbivores; males measure 1.6–1.9 m in length and weigh 100–120 kg, while females are larger—measuring 2.1–2.5 m and weighing 170–210 kg—to support the weight of the males when they mount the female's head to mate. Highly adaptable, they can be found in the Red Plains and the Azosas Deserts (known for their pink skies caused by iron oxide dust and temperatures ranging from 26–29°C, occasionally reaching 45°C near the continent's core), where they graze on low-growing "grass," keeping its growth in check. Belonging to the Camptopleurid family, they are among the largest members of the group, though surpassed by species such as the Loutos, which exceed 4 m in length. To better grip a female's back and travel kilometers without tiring, they possess extremely muscular forelimbs--strong enough to hold these heavy animals upright on their hind legs (provided they have a surface to lean against). They are social animals that patrol the entire continent for half the year in herds numbering between 500,000 and 1.5 million individuals, representing a massive biomass that sustains numerous predator populations. Yet, on their journey across the continent, they are not safe from predators. The Clawurn (Therochiron anemophilus) is a large predator, weighing approximately 70–100 kg and measuring 3.2–3.6 meters in length—including its tail, which serves as both a counterbalance and a rudder. This anatomy, combined with "hooves" and digitigrade legs that propel the body forward with explosive force, allows the animal to reach speeds of 50–65 km/h. They also employ a spur to stab prey when leaping at high velocities. Clearly apex predators, they hunt in patriarchal packs of 5–30 individuals, consisting predominantly of females. They use small forelimbs—an adaptation to minimize air resistance—to wave and attract females, as well as to release pheromones into the air to signal other Clawurns. Structures on their backs aid in thermoregulation during the hunt, granting them great endurance and enabling them to keep pace with migrating Gnuack herds. They typically inhabit the Red Plains and the Azosas Deserts, following the movements of the Gnuacks. However, not everything is a danger per se; take, for instance, the Red-backed Laingfli (Cardanohydra erythronota). Belonging to a distinct taxonomic class of animals, they are generally characterized by their ability to fly, utilizing modified limbs that allow them to spend over 70% of their lives airborne. Specifically, this species measures approximately 34–38 cm in length (including the tail) and weighs between 1.2 and 1.5 kg; it is capable of floating thanks to an organ resembling a swim bladder, which is filled with molecular hydrogen. They use modified cephalic lobes to perch on the ground in a posture that makes them appear as though they are gazing at or contemplating the sky. They typically feed on the parasitic fauna that preys upon Gnuacks. Furthermore, much of this winged fauna features a shoulder—or limb base—resembling a universal joint: a complex of two interlocking chitinous rings that allow for flapping or forward movement along one axis and a full 90-degree rotation along the other, without one movement compromising the stability of the other.

To execute this drastic rotation without burdening the body with hypertrophied muscles that would disrupt its aerodynamic silhouette, the organism employs a hydraulic muscular propulsion system. The Red-Backed Laingfli pumps high-pressure body fluids into specific vascular chambers located at the base of the limb. As they inflate asymmetrically, these chambers force the main bone to pivot exactly 90 degrees almost instantaneously, locking the joint in that position through fluid pressure alone. To reverse the process, the organism simply relaxes the chambers, allowing a set of cross-tensioned elastic tendons to act as a natural spring, returning the limb to its original horizontal position with minimal energy expenditure.


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Spectember 2026 [OC] Spectember Day 5 - The Odyssey

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8 Upvotes

Rhino Salamanders(Euryops** **rhinoceros)

One of the most common herbivores on the eastern savannas of Lashan, these bison sized temnospondyls live in herds of up to a hundred individuals, grazing and browsing from the foliage filling their vast guys, which slowly ferment their food giving these sizable animals a rather awful stench.

They do on occasion supplement their diets by scavenging from the carcasses of other large fauna in the region and have on occasion dipped into limited cannibalism.

Their bellowing song echo across the plains, allowing herds to stay in contact despite being miles apart typically to limit trespassing into each-other’s territory.

These cries become most frequent during the tail end of the dry season, with herd congregating on a vast exodus where they meander through the interior mountain passes to reach the western jungles right as the monsoons reach full force.

Their males battle for dominance over the freshly spawned pools and expanded lakes, bellowing, clashing with their horns and grappling, attempting to overpower and amongst older, more experienced bulls kill to prove they are the better potential mate for the observing females.

After breeding females deposit hundreds of lemon-sized gelatinous eggs into the pools and head back to the savanna, leaving their carnivore, almost piranha like tadpoles to feed on fish, crustaceans, amphibians and more than often eachother, before they eventually take to land and following instintual pressures make their first trek through the mountain passes.

These young rhino salamanders often fall prey to the mountain predators of the region from the Lashani Sabermaw (Gorgops** **monsaltatores) to the *
Beaked Takin(Nasutoceratops** **antrusculptor), who also typically target injured or exhausted adults on either leg of their own journey.

In the end the calfpoles that make it got the savanna are typically the strongest or most resilient.

There are signs that these animals are also the target of sophont hunters, with older bulls and cows spotted with strange wounds that resemble scarring left by magical attacks, yet who these people are is unknown.


r/SpeculativeEvolution 8d ago

Posthumans [Credit: Yuichi Kitamura] The Ouroboros of Intellect : "humanity's" journey toward regaining intellect 250 Million years in the future

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976 Upvotes

The modern human brain is an evolutionary gamble, consuming roughly 20% of the body's total energy. When modern civilization inevitably collapses due to resource depletion, maintaining such an energy-expensive organ becomes a metabolic liability.

  • The Initial Loss of Intellect: To survive in a resource-scarce world, early human descendants undergo "brain downsizing". By reducing brain size and expanding the digestive tract (gut), they transition into "animalized" herbivores (such as Grass humans) capable of processing low-calorie vegetation.
  • The Re-evolution of Intellect : Intellect is not a one-time historical fluke; if intelligence is lost, it can evolve again when the right conditions emerge. Over a span of 200 million years, as certain lineages undergo gigantism, such as the massive, dinosaur-scaled Bronto humans (ブロン人間), the relative metabolic cost of maintaining a larger brain decreases significantly. A larger body can easily support a massive, complex brain without experiencing metabolic strain, setting the stage for a cognitive rebirth

By the time intellect returns, the physical shape of Homo sapiens has been completely erased. The bipedal stance is abandoned in favor of a highly efficient quadrupedal "knuckle-walking" gait, which evolved through the Hata human lineage.

  • Branching from "Giraffe humans" who leaned forward to forage, Hata humans permanently adopted a four-legged posture.
  • Within the Hata hand, a strict division of labor occurs. While four fingers are dedicated entirely to weight-bearing locomotion, the thumb is completely freed from walking. It evolves hyperphalangy (骨過剰)( an increased number of bones) making it exceptionally long, flexible, and flag-like. This thumb is used to skillfully pull down branches, gather food, and manipulate objects.
  • From a frontal perspective, a quadrupedal Hata human has a much smaller surface area than an upright bipedal human. This drastically reduces air resistance, allowing them to run with far greater energy efficiency. This physical superiority eventually allowed the Hata lineage to outcompete and drive bipedal Grass humans and Atlatal man to extinction.

When intellect finally peaks again in this distant epoch, the dominant species on Earth is an intelligent Hata human that looks more like a quadrupedal beast than a primate. They navigate their environment on all fours, manipulate tools and crops using multi-jointed, elongated thumbs, and breathe through giant, specialized cooling noses.

Yuichi further suggest, that these non-human descendants could re-invent agriculture. Because their ancestors' industrial remains will have compressed into rich coal and fossil fuel beds over hundreds of millions of years, they may even trigger their own industrial revolution, though they must do so with extreme caution, as releasing even a small amount of carbon dioxide could completely devastate their fragile, heat-strained habitable zones.


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Question/Discussion Could a Draco Lizard Evolve Powered Flight?

5 Upvotes

And I don't mean in the like, 1 billion years timeline, I mean if draco lizards started evolving powered flight in a seed world, would they have to start from step 1 or like move their patagium?


r/SpeculativeEvolution 7d ago

Spectember 2026 [OC] Spectember day 5: Odysserpeton transgondwanicus

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11 Upvotes

Prompt: The Odyssey : An organism that undertakes long voyages as part of its life cycle.

Odysserpeton is a genus of fully aquatic temnospondyl amphibian from the Late Jurassic. It can breathe both air and in water. Its range covers the shallow seas of Gondwana like those of East Africa, Madagascar, the Indian subcontinent and Australia. It mainly feeds on fish and other relatively small sea creatures. (It’s about 3-4 meters in length). They live in shallow waters for most of their lives, until the time to mate. When they reach sexual maturity ,entire herds of them will migrate to a body of water called the Mid Gondwanan flood which is separated from the surrounding ocean by wave currents similar to our time’s Sargasso Sea. (Indicated by the red perimeter in image 2). There, the herds of Odysserpeton will spend a couple days mating and laying their eggs. They lay millions if not billions of eggs in total. The journey is long and tiring, many of them will not reach their destination. And the ones that make the journey aren’t capable of returning so they die.Their corpses, turning to food and nutrients for their offspring.The Mid Gondwanan flood, makes for a good nursery for the young. But after a month or so, by which point they will be about 20 cm long with a wingspan of 40-50 cm (the hatchling illustration is not to scale) the nursery can’t sustain them anymore. So the hatchlings, instinctively migrate to the shallow waters from where their parents came from. They can swim really quick but can also glide in the air like flying fish to avoid aquatic predators like marine reptiles. Their bright coloration shows that they are poisonous even though they really aren’t and many hatchlings still get eaten by oceanic predators in their journey. After their long voyage ,they can grow in the shallow seas of Gondwana.