Adaptations discussion

[Building Blocks]

besides 3, 4, 6, 8, or any other practical number

[penumbra espinosa]

i was thinking about some examples of adaptations:

-flora appearence (sea lilys)
-turtle like shells,(calcian, wooden or chitine shells)
-more nostrils for some species of plents
-chitine armored plates for gilltails
-some different forms of wings for organisms (bat like, insect like, bird like and pterosaur like)
-flora adaptations for some plents, like growing leaves or structures similar to plants in their backs, or producing fruit-eggs

-more flower forms for some flora
-carnivorous adaptations for flora

[Nergali]

Potentially giving ideas for sessile organisms.

[Maineiac]

I support the eyes theroy that we should have eyes!

Also, does anyone know where I can propose and idea that flora can grow up to 5 times their size anywhere on Sagan 4 and Mason?

[MNIDJM]

Rule Discussion Thread.

[Clarke]

I support the eyes theroy that we should have eyes!

Why?

[Maineiac]

A compromise is that all creatures on mason, if they were to have eyes, they would be sauceback-like. (since you guys want alien!)

[Clarke]

I'm pretty sure its already done with, anyway, if Hydro approves mine.

Its up to the creator, anyways.

[penumbra espinosa]

we should add some other forms to breathe, i saw that the Darters seems to have butt-nostrils. i was expecting to see more bizarre organisms living in mason, u_u

[Clarke]

No they don't.

[Time Traveling T-Rex]

clarke, could you possibly draw up a detailed cross-section of the masonian organisms so that if somebody else wants to evolve off them they an do so easily and correctly? because i love how alien the masonian fauna are going and i really want to participate but i have no clue how all those tubes and flaps work. do they have a way of passing air over their air tubes? cuz the first fish didnt so they had to keep moving in order to breathe, and im wondering if its the same with the masonians. if so, i was hoping to make one using possibly a muscular heart like organ with a set of tricuspid valves on each end. it would be efficient and un-earthlike.

ps- a message to all saganites, im sorry i havent been active for maybe a month or so, but things have been really busy with school and my in general life. i also could not finish the diorama on time and eventually gave up out of lack of motivation since it couldnt enter the contest.

edit: nevermind, i just read the queft page on the wiki, i understand now. i would like to suggest that quefts, like onychophorans of earth, never grow to a considerable size because of the way their bodies are made. i think the largest ever queft should only be a foot or two long (maybe a meter because of masons low gravity). im off to try and make an interesting queft now! (i think however the flying quefts should be able to grow quite large because they arent effected by gravity as much and could possibly become top predator because of that)

[Clarke]

Sure, I was planning to anyways, along with one for the dartons. Explain your reasoning behind that they could only grow to a foot or so. And they actually do have a heart, I forgot to mention that. I'll fix it when I draw it up.

[Time Traveling T-Rex]

Sure, I was planning to anyways, along with one for the dartons. Explain your reasoning behind that they could only grow to a foot or so. And they actually do have a heart, I forgot to mention that. I'll fix it when I draw it up.

because as far as i can tell, the lack a sophisticated skeleton. im assuming their leathery exoskeletons are similar to that of an onychophorans, which can grow only a few inches tall... actually now that i think about it they should be able to grow to quite great lengths, its just height as an issue, you know, because of gravity and atmospheric pressure. that is unless they get a sophisticated skeleton, which seems unlikely at this point. i could definitely see them getting an arthropod like exoskeleton, because what they have right now is the assumed evolutionary precursor of an arthropod skeleton, but the exoskeleton that wouldnt help the size issue much. i cant see them getting an endooskeleton, or at least in the classical sense. you might be able to do it with some alien reasonings... i can think of a way to do it but its difficult and im busy. it basically has to do with several cartilage ring supports on the legs and respiratory structures. and i wasnt implying it needed a heart at this point (it does, but thats not what i was talking about) i meant like a lung... sort of... more like a buccal pump. either way it needs a way to pass air over its tubes while stationary or else it will suffocate simply by standing still.

[MNIDJM]

How and what do they breath?

[Clarke]

How and what do they breath?

Basically, the majority of the respiratory system is contained within the breathing tube. Air (Or water, in aquatic species) is pumped in and out of the tubes through rippling contractions along the tubes that produce wave-like motions. The interior of the tube consists of a thin mesh of tissues, kept moist by bodily fluids, that perform gas exchanges. Some tissue functions to absorb oxygen, and some to release CO2 and other waste gases, with the oxygen absorbing one being clustered near the front, and the latter near the back. Running around the breathing tubes are a cluster of ring-shaped arteries, which transport the gases via the queft's copper-based blood. The "hearts" mentioned are just single-chambered pumps found at even intervals. Darters have less tissues to allow greater mobility, but this is compensated for by the amount of water being moved through the tubes.