Hello, I have started a spec evo project on both AlternateHistory.com and on DeviantArt, it's about if the Non-Avian dinosaur never went extinct, creative I know, but I am trying to make it a little different from most so I would appreciate the thoughts of this community.

It's named Across from the Twisted Mirror (What if the Non-Avian Dinosaurs Survived)

Here is the first update:

Every day, we find ourselves pondering a myriad of questions, ranging from the mundane, like "What will I eat?" or "When should I sleep?", to the more profound and expansive ones, such as "Should I tackle this now or postpone it?" However, amidst these commonplace queries, there exist esoteric and grand-scale musings, like "What if history unfolded differently and another side won a pivotal war?" One such inquiry delves deeply into the past: "What if non-avian dinosaurs had never faced extinction?" How might their forms have evolved? Could they have weathered the cataclysmic events that favored mammals?

Our journey takes us back 66 million years, to a world ravaged by a colossal catastrophe. A massive asteroid, estimated to be 10 to 15 km (6 to 9 mi) in diameter, struck what would eventually become the Yucatan peninsula in our timeline. This cataclysm unleashed energy equivalent to 100 teratonnes of TNT (420 zettajoules), over a billion times more potent than the combined force of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The impact triggered megatsunamis, enormous firestorms, and colossal earthquakes, reshaping the world irreversibly.

In this shattered and scarred world, survival is a privilege bestowed upon only a select few. Ground-dwelling and aquatic birds resembling chickens and ducks, alongside crocodilians, emerge as the sole survivors among the archosaurs, eventually claiming dominance alongside mammals in this altered reality. Lepidosaurs, turtles, and amphibians, though less prominent, carve out vital niches in the evolving ecosystems. But this world diverges significantly from our own.

In the depths of Asia, a species of Velociraptorinae scuttles across the terrain, its feathered body poised for swift action as it hunts for insects and small vertebrates. Standing at a diminutive 76 cm (2.5 feet) in length and weighing nearly 1 kg (2.2 lb), this creature, adorned with the iconic sickle claw, navigates a hostile environment. Surprisingly, it is not solitary; a mated pair of these Velociraptorinae marks a stark departure from our world, it’s quite a small critter, but that’s to be expected as this apocalyptic world isn’t kind to large animals. Since it isn’t alone, as there is another member of its species with it, this mated pair is perhaps one of the differences between this world and ours, in our world perhaps there was only a single individual or both individuals were of the same sex. But it doesn’t matter these two will be the founders of a dynasty that will regain the crown of their now-extinct cousins. We shall name this species the Fundareraptor primus, the first founder thief.

Yet, across the vast expanse of North America, another scene unfolds. Deep within a burrow, a small ornithischian tends to its clutch of eggs, weighing about 3 kg (6.6 lb) and measuring 1 m (3.2 ft) in length. From its appearance, it’s most likely a species of orodromine thescelosaurid, it’s has been fighting for dear life these past few months, and plant growth has been greatly reduced the only saving grace is that most competitors are long dead. Its burrowing instincts and the precocial nature of its offspring offer advantages in this harsh environment, ensuring their chances of survival. Maybe in our timeline the burrow collapsed or the eggs simply failed to hatch but this won’t happen here, something that will allow these small to become the largest terrestrial animals since the sauropods. The name of this species shall be Constructosaur foramen, the hole-making lizard.

Let's leap into the future of this alternate timeline, roughly around our present era, to observe the stark differences that have unfolded in this world.

The climate of this familiar yet altered Earth is subtropical, with an average temperature approximately three degrees higher than our own. While our Earth maintains an average temperature of 15 degrees Celsius (59 F), this alternate world hovers around 18 degrees Celsius (64.4 F). This warming trend has catalyzed significant transformations across the planet. Sea levels have surged by approximately 25 meters (82 ft), submerging many coastal regions that we would recognize into shallow seas.

Surveying the botanical realm, we find a world dominated not only by flowering plants but also by a diverse array of conifers, ferns, horsetails, ginkgos, and cycads, among other flora. While flowering plants retain their prominence, they do not monopolize the scene to the extent seen on our Earth. This botanical diversity paints a vivid picture of adaptation and evolution in response to the altered climatic conditions of this world.

In the realm of fauna, the resurgence of non-avian dinosaurs post-K-Pg extinction event and subsequent disruptions in the Cenozoic era has reshaped the ecological landscape. The descendants of Fundareraptor have undergone a remarkable diversification, with many species evolving larger sizes reminiscent of their Cretaceous ancestors like Velociraptors and Deinonychus. Others have reached colossal proportions comparable to the long-extinct Tyrannosaurs. Interestingly, some lineages within this group have taken on peculiar adaptations, mirroring the evolutionary trajectory of birds by developing toothless beaks alongside their dinosaurian features.

Meanwhile, the descendants of Constructosaur present a diverse array of forms. Some have retained modest body sizes, blending seamlessly into environments reminiscent of the Hell Creek Formation. Others showcase striking resemblances to their extinct relatives from the Cerapoda clade, sporting an impressive array of crests and horns adorning their heads. Notably, certain lineages have ascended to become the largest terrestrial beings since the era of sauropods, boasting staggering weights approaching 45 tons (99,200 lbs) and lengths stretching up to 30 meters (98 ft).

In contrast to much of the Mesozoic era, mammals in this timeline have not been relegated to a subordinate role. Instead, they have carved out niches as large-bodied species both on land and in the oceans. While they may not have attained the colossal sizes seen in our timeline, they remain formidable and play significant roles in their respective ecosystems. As we continue to delve into the intricacies of this alternate timeline, we will explore the diversity of life across continents, biomes, and species, unraveling the fascinating tapestry of evolutionary pathways and ecological interactions that define this world.

So what I am looking for is if it's plausible. Things such as animal sizes, would they be small enough to survive the extinction? Would they be able to grow into sizes rivalling their Mesozoic counterparts? I will also answer questions for better better critiques.

Hi.

I've long been planning a literary series similar to Primeval, in which creatures from parallel worlds, alternate Earths, traveling other evolutionary paths, would come through instead of ancient times and the distant future.

In the first story, the protagonists would encounter creatures from a world in which the Cretaceous/Tercier extinction had not occurred, so that non-bird dinosaurs had not become extinct.

In a second story, the characters would encounter giant proto-mammals that had evolved into dragon-like beasts, and only at the end of the book would it be revealed that a universe would be set in the previous story.

What other creatures could you imagine in such a story?

I got thinking about this from The Last of Us. The game is set 20-30 years after a cordecepts fungus mutates and wipes out the majority of the human population. In the game, nature has largely taken over, with parts of even (formerly) densely populated cities slowly turning into dense forests, swamps, and grasslands. In both games, you see a handful of animals which are implied to have either been released by their human owners, or to have escaped from places like zoos - such as giraffes, a zebra, and some monkeys (I can't remember off the top of my head what species they were).

This led to me wondering how non native animals like this would adapt over a longer period of time in the event that the human population significantly declined due to a disaster that left the environment fairly intact. Would monkeys, zebras, etc. stand a chance in the US or the general area? And how do you think they would evolve over a longer stretch.

Science fiction works like Planet of the Apes explore the idea that human intelligence is really our strongest advantage. And if physically stronger animals developed human-like intelligence, we'd be capital F, Fucked. It makes me wonder if at this point, developing intelligence actually poses more of a threat to the species of Earth than a strength. Like, if bears started forming small settlements and organizing a society, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that a not-insignificant portion of humans would say "we need to kill all the bears".

A few hundred years from now we have explored multiple universes, but earth is not looking so well. Soon all the snow will disappear from the earth surface and all the Colder climate animals with it. So they track down most of the animals and start looking for a planet that they can terraform. When the time left for the animal started to run completely out they chose the planet Called Hudson bay. Named after Hudson Bay in canada. Halfway getting all the animals on the planet the humans just disappeared with no trase. Maybe some aliens got them or maybe a black hole, but the only thing that's for sure is that they are gone. So with half the animal the world gets to evolve all on its own.

The planet or the one of the four moons of a humongous gas planet two times as big as jupiter. One year laste just 341 days on the planet and not 365 like earth. One day is 25 hours instead and the Gravity Is 1.3 lighter than earth. Fire times a year Hudson the gas planet will block any sunlight from hitting the planet. Those eclipses last around 2-5 weeks.

The animal that where delivered

Dall sheep at the dominant herbivore

Snowfoxses As the scavenger and small animal hunter

coyotes As the Apex scavenger

canadian goose As the migratory bird/sea bird

snowshoe hares As small pray

willow ptarmigan As Snow bird

canadian lynx As apex predator

Plants that were delivered

Mosses and liverworts As the main food source

Ferns Also as food source

Dandelion As the flower

Blueberry bush As the scrub

Pine Tree As a tree

timothy grass As grass

Inverts

Non Colonial-bees As the pollinator

Dragonfly AS food source for fish

Ants AS the cleanup crew

house cricest As a foodsors

Crustaceans

Fairy Shrimp As a cleanup crew and as a food source

Fish

Bluegill As the apex of the water together with the yellow perch

Yellow perch As the apex of the water together with the bluegill

​

I’ve been into spec evo for a while, and I had an idea to run two or three concurrent projects but I’m unsure about the premise.

One would be a standard future evolution of animals on Earth where I’d try to look at what 15-20 million years in the future could look like as realistically as possible, I think this one is fine on its own.

The second one I want to get opinions on is a terraformed/colonized planet where future humans have bred present day species using genetic/live samples to create a genetic refuge for Earth Animals. This planet is used as a way to get more samples and species to aid in colonization of other planets (deer for food, animals to make planets feel more like home etc.) This planet is only colonized by North, South, and Central American species as the other ships containing genetic material never arrive.

I was just wondering if this seems feasible or interesting enough to actually pursue. I feel like it’s kinda boring as it’s mostly be like Earth, and I feel kinda biased as it’d include a lot of my favorite species.

So yeah, is it interesting and does it seem like a cool idea? Any ways you’d tweak it? Lemme know, and have a wonderful, fantastic day

Region:

-North America

-Hawaii

-Africa

-South Nevada

What It Eats?:

-Rats

-Boar

-Giant ants called Megadura (Maga Ant)

How It Breeds?:

-once a year, If the conditions are right, it will mate for life.

Drawing made by: Me

Give me you're thoughts.

Earlier today I got a static shock from my dog.

Then that got me wondering, what if a creature could harness that?

My thought process right now is an organism with very fluffy underside, which it drags on the ground to charge up static electricity. Once it finds prey, it chomps into it with copper coated teeth and delivers a shock which temporarily paralyzes it so that the creature can kill it easily.

I want to name my animals but i cant figure out what the genus would be called?

Been binge watching the biblaridion alien biosphere series and I kinda wanted to make my own.

Like instead of Latin for naming them why not Farsi? And instead of a planet smaller than earth why not 3 times it’s size, mass and gravity.

And instead of 1 moon why not 3 moons? And instead of a g type star why not a k type?

But like now I’m not really sure what to call it?

Like the series is just called alien biosphere and the planet itself is called a bunch of letters and numbers.

But what did you guys do?

I'm starting a worldbuilding project focused on creating an alien species, but I'm unfamiliar with designing aliens. All I have right now is the name of the star, Mit, and the planet, Banosie J8. I could watch Alien Biospheres on YouTube for inspiration, but I want to avoid creating similar concepts.

I'm particularly interested in organisms that blend features of crustaceans and mammals, while still maintaining a unique, alien essence. Does anyone have advice or tips for developing these types of plausible alien species?

I planning an project called Futurepedia that show the future history of Earth from when humans leave Earth with their spaceship to the end of life on Earth. Humans have done many successful de-extinctions over the past centuries, resurrecting species that should be impossible. With humans leave Earth, the zoo that contain these de-extinct strains would be abandoned and outbreak is unavoidable. In an equilubrum of 5 million years, animals would diversify but during the climax's conclusion, an massive supervolcano from insular Morocco erupted and the worst mass extinction in Futurepedia's history is came, the Great Cataclysm, wiped out 95% fauna and 99% flora

10²³×10 million years in the future, humanity has now broken through all biological singularities and practically all physical and dimensional singularities, transcending the primitive physical form of their barbarian ancestors and ascending to dimensions that are terribly incomprehensible to us, so different from ours that they don't have gravitational effects on nearby dimensions (and for this reason never discovered before the year 10¹⁹×10 million). Humanity is no longer definable as belonging to the animal kingdom, it is no longer even definable as a eukaryote, and the only thing that classifies it as a living form is the ability to reproduce (albeit through decidedly unconventional means that we won't be able to understand). Now humanity, characterized by a transcendental form of plasma that nevertheless behaves like a non-Newtonian liquid, is able to connect to machines, create pocket dimensions, entire universes, shape gravity and entropy, manipulate inanimate matter and that living, as well as to manipulate the space around them, even being able to create complex life starting from basic mineral components. Time has lost its true meaning, and death is a distant memory handed down as lore and legend, but still seen under a sacred eye. Despite the name "Humanity", our species has not been part of the genus Homo for at least 10×7 milion years. Mankind is now classed under the name Ehloimi anunnakkus, literally "The Gods from Above," or "The Gods Who Came from Above," two words which individually mean "Gods from Heaven" and "Those who came from 'high" which have undergone a bastardization with transliteration in a vernacular Latin dialect. Despite all the changes that have occurred, the emotions are still present in these descendants of the monkeys, preserved through teachings that last throughout the ten thousand years of their childhood and the next ten thousand years of their adolescence. Among the many discoveries made in the geological eras, one of the most important was certainly the ability to manipulate dimensions and the ability to transmogrify things from one dimension to another, which allowed this new race of gods to explore far beyond the common 3D dimensions +1 (3 dimensions + time) known to us. Shown here is a 2D+1 pocket dimension resulting from an aquarium transmogrified into a 2D+1 wall-mounted construct similar to a painting, essentially a stable dimensional pocket that responds to its own laws of physics although it is in a 3D+1 dimension (not the one in which we evolved). It is composed of a frame of an insulating alloy of metamaterial and metal which appears black due to its chemical-physical properties transmogrified in 2D+1, inside which hyperconductive metal cables pass which feed a UV lamp for photosynthesis (the one in the center top) and a light for actual illumination (the one on the right). In addition to the lamps, the cables feed a water filter made of material capable of teleporting the filtered dirt and, through a dimensional shift, transporting it to an artificial dimension full of black holes that will dismantle it, and a timer that activates every twelve hours for a few seconds to release the freeze-dried food of a feeder into the water. There is a day-night cycle that adjusts itself automatically thanks to an artificial micro-intelligence inside the aquarium, which turns the lights off and on again with slow time cycles depending on how it is set. The water is green due to unicellular bioengineered algae capable of unnaturally fast reproduction which serve to feed the benthic filtering life forms. There is also a system of microcircuitry that unfolds from the main circuits, various devices and little electrical cables, but its dimensions are so small that they are invisible at this magnification. All the creatures it contains are not truly definable 2D+1 since they have been transmogrified in that dimension starting from a 3D+1 form (although there are real aquariums with real 2D+1 creatures), and are descended from bioengineered species of cnidarians, molluscs , algae and polychaetes, all created through genetic manipulation and, in the case of these specimens, unable to reproduce as they are genetically designed for masceria without genitals and, as the aquarium in question belongs to a child, bioluminescent in the absence of light.

All life forms in the tank have the scientific name ending with the word "fabricatus", i.e. "manufactured", because in their natural state their evolution into what they are now would have been impossible. All are part of the superclade improperly definable as "paraphyletic" called Fabbricatia, which includes all bioengineered life forms.

The first ones on we will focus on are on the water line; these are jellyfish of the variety Gorgeydes buctabilis fabricatus, or more simply a gorgeyd. They are photosynthetic autotrophic animals that in our dimension would appear to have radial symmetry, using partially rigid coats to stay above the waterline and long "tails" formed by fused tentacles to keep balance and swim. They possess a central chitin-based matrix at the base of the mantle, a sort of primitive internal skeleton, which acts as a counterweight / buoyancy chamber. They are the largest animals in the aquarium, ~15 cm tall and a few millimeters smaller in diameter. Unlike the animals they descend from, they are not stinging, the nematocysts have been removed to prevent them from harming animals that pass by their tails such as the red creature in the upper left that is passing against the tail.

The red fish-like creature turns out to be, despite the presence of some chitin bones, actually a species descended from the polychaetes, scientific name Esapinnes vinnicola fabrucatus, that is "Six fins, wine-colored". It is the largest nectonic (i.e. actively swimming) animal in the aquarium, ~4 cm long by ~1 cm high. It is the type species of the genus, from which other more colorful species and infinite phenotypes derive, obviously all domestic. In its 3D+1 form it would also have radial symmetry, albeit less marked. Its diet consists of the iophilized food from the manger.

The three partially transparent floating bluish spheres in the area to the right of the aquarium are a single organism, a filtering siphonophore, with three spherical zooids forming the main floating bodies, a vaguely triangular central one forming the docking body, and a series of peripheral zooids which are used for the ingestion and digestion of unicellular algae or their spores. Its name is Elihydrozia magneton, a name that translated means "solar hydrozoan, magneton-like", referring to the pokemon it vaguely resembles and the peripheral zooids that look vaguely similar to solar rays. Its life is quite simple: passively floating in the water column while the peripheral zooids acquire nutrients. The 3D+1 symmetry would be partially radial or irregular, as the floating zooids tend to move independently of each other pushed by the sea currents. Like the gorgeyds relative, this animal also has a chitin matrix inside the body which helps maintain buoyancy, although its is infinitely reduced and only present in the largest zooids. It has no fixed size, as floating and peripheral zooids are capable of contraction and relaxation. As with the gorgeyd, they too have had their nematocysts removed because they are dangerous for the other creatures in the aquarium.

Hidden among the filaments of algae (which are common aquatic plants of the genus Posidonia mutated with tree genes for the ramifications) under the mantles of the gorgeyds and in nests dug by them in the sandy bottom are members of Virmoformica purpurea purpurea fabricatus, i.e. "Purple purple antworm, fabricated", a subspecies of the much pinker base species. They, too, are bioengineered descendants of a polychaete lineage, and like their relatives E. vinnicola are nektonic swimmers that feed on freeze-dried food, but are nocturnal and modified with ant genes that give them particular eusociality and a tendency to build nests, as well as an anal spiracle (which for a 2D+1 creature is in the same apparatus from which it eats) which allows them to breathe the oxygen dissolved in the air which is produced by the gorgeyds as a byproduct of photosynthesis. However, this eusociality is not that of ants, with a queen that reproduces and the workers that work, but it is something more similar to that of prairie dogs, with a series of colonies in which there are many nearby and often interconnected burrows or a common den with members of different families. How ants accumulate food in certain chambers, in their case dry chambers dug above the water line. These are rather small animals, which rarely exceed fifteen millimeters in length, but, another trait inherited from ants, rich in formic acid and therefore decidedly bitter. This bitter taste protects them from being eaten by larger aquarium creatures. The 3D+1 symmetry is birateral.

On the bottom, together with the algae, are some sponges that are just that, common sponges that stand still to filter organic material, in their case unicellular algae and their spores, and to whisper and contemplate dogmas in the darkness of a life without eyes. They are a phenotype of the genus Robeospongia, the Robean sponge in honor of the planet on which the first specimen was bioengineered, which reaches heights of up to 10 centimeters if grown with enough food. The 3D+1 symmetry is radial.

The flask-like creatures positioned one to the left, near the corner of the tank, and the other to the opposite side, are two bioengineered nudibranchid gastropods with sponge and anemone genes and genetically tainted to have a sessile adult lifestyle while the larval stage is nectonic and motile similar to many existing sessile benthic creatures that lives today. Matralimax luminosa —"Luminous flask snail", this they're name, have the stomach as only truly developed organ they possess, which consists of a large, partially circular cavity within the body and a large, elongated mouthpiece through which they suck in water and, occasionally, also antworm perceived thanks to the chemoreceptors surrounding the corolla of the oral apparatus; these unfortunate virmoants are quickly regurgitated as too bitter.They are the proportionally heavier creatures in the aquarium being the jellyfish and the siphonophore composed mostly of water, with a weight of 45 grams arranged for the circumference of ~5 centimeters and the height of ~12 centimeters. The specimens shown here are two: the adult in the right corner and the juvenile on the left which still has the presence of locomotor appendages that will be lost in some a couple of months.The 3D+1 symmetry is radial.

The last creature that is present in the aquarium is always a bio-engineered nudibranchid gastropod with the same genes as the relative described above, but unlike it, it is partially neotenic, never completely emerging from the larval stage mqntaining its legs and being able to reproduce despite its shape in the specimens with genitalia. Pera melanica, i.e. "Black pear", is substantially a stomach with a basic nervous system, which comes out of its hiding place under the sand at night, clearly visible here as a small sinkhole, to extend the oral apparatus and filter unicellular algae and other biological particulate. Similarly to the relative illustrated above, it also occasionally nourishes of virmoants which it perceives thanks to the same chemoreceptors around the oral apparatus, which, however, tends to spit out immediately. ~6 centimeters long and ~3 centimeters high, the 3D+1 symmetry is bilateral.

A joey giant kangaroo is seen with its mother, separated from the herd after the giant koala-bear incident, its seeking refuge amongst a large river. The joey strays afar from its mother for its spotted a young tree to eat. The mother goes for a drink.. it was too quick, too sudden. As big and as powerful as these kangaroo descendants are, they were no match for the jaws of a real river Monster, the Australian inland crocodile. The joey has lost its mother in a blink of an eye, and now is alone. It does not know its mother is gone however as it was too busy eating the small trees.it turns and looks for its mother, and bellows a distress call, the troop is not far away, and the joey follows the calls. Not realising the bubbles seen rising from the colossal river, from the colossal predator. Seen from above is a circling descendant of the wedge tailed eagle, as it watches a carcass, seeing no other animals it swoops down and begins to eat (although an active predator, they still search for carrion). Jumping down is medium sized predator, that is similar to a leapord or jaguar, it slowly creeps towards the bird, but the bird is too smart and takes off. Another bird in the forest near by is seen picking up various materials, to form a display. It is seen building this to attract a mate. It is soon surprised by a female, the builder bird as its name uses tall structures to build ‘nests’ although not the nest were eggs are laid they are to showcase the builder birds talent. The female watches, and the male flys to the top of his work, to dance. With various colourful feathers appearing and leaving, swirls twirls and side steps, his act of performance is complete. There is a pause. She accepts and she flys towards the male. I will write part 3 soon of future australia. I hope you have enjoyed the series so far, and soon I will hope to get artwork for the series down under! Please comment how you feel about the series so far:) and tell me any questions about the appearance of these animals. If you haven’t seen the first one so far I recommend checking it out!