On Earth the largest macroraptorial predators seem to be creatures like Megalodon and Livyatan, but is it possible that macroraptorial predators could reach Blue Whale sizes on average? What conditions would be needed to support such an animal?

i ve been thinking of an idea of a world in the future where birds rule not just the skies but land also

which would mean birds would grow big and mybe bulky sense they are spending more time at the ground

which made me ask this qustion like how big and bulky could a bird get whith out lossing flight or flying at the speed of a human or being bad at maintaining flight for long distances

I'm trying to make a whale adapted to use its hyoid bone to open its mouth wider, but that means it can't use it for muscle attachment points for the tongue, and can't use the tongue to force water out of the mouth. I already thought of using saliva (can't work because it would waste freshwater and whales have atrophied salivary glands), so I was wondering what adaptations could force seawater out the mouth without the use of the hyoid bone.

I just wanted to know uf anyone knows of any youtubers that make similar content to the cryptobiology series by thought potato? I really liked the series, especially the vampire episode, but I can't find anything similar. All I can find is 4-10 minute long videos and I prefer watching 20-180 (no that's not a typo, I love video essays) minute long videos.

This is my first Spec Evo project English Isn't my native language Future entries will have art

Project Macroterra Is an seedworld on an far away somewhat earth like planet.

In the far future of humanity, extinctions of animal species Is not just still a problem, but has even gotten worse. Humans traveling from planet to planet escaping the armageddons they create on those worlds. The introduction of animals to strange ecosystems and alien species doesn't do well for those animals history.

Humanity Is aware of these issues and multiple groups have formed trying to restore the species of both earthern and alien species. One of the newer groups Is "Spacebies" an organization that has specialized In protecting the Greater Bilby, an bunny sized marsupial which was once native to the now inhabitable earthern land of Australia.

Bilbies always have struggled to keep their species alive, but It only gets worse and worse.

So the Spacebies organization proposed an plan of how they can safe the species of Great Bilbies, they would create an seeded world on an empty planet with an earth like appearance where the Bilbies could repopulate without any issues their species normally faces.

The issue, there was no truly perfect planet they could seed, the planets where either already destroyed, too far away or were too unsafe. Eventually tho they found a planet, Macroterra. By far not perfect, but good enough. It's about the same size of earth, has enough water and even an desert similar to the Bilbies homelands. The only issue was that It was far away, It Is risky to send the AI machines with living organisms so many light-years away. But they risked It anyways and prayed that everything would go fine.

The AI was send out and arrived on Macroterra with the Bilbies safe and sound, although the AI brought more life forms from earth, plants and arthropods. Without them survival would be impossible. After the seeding process was finished the AI flew back to where they came from, leaving the animals In peace.

What the Spacebies organization couldn't know was that their foolproof seeming plan didn't went quite as predicted.

Just as expected without any predators and an endless seeming food supply the Bilby population exploded, know humanity will come back to get them right? Well... No. It Is not known why humanity and It's AI never returned, at least not for us as the observers.

Although nature couldn't care less and evolution took Its course. There Is only one vertebrate and an entire alternate earth, to keep the ecosystem In balance changes must happen.

-Planet Macroterra- (10.000 years P.S.)

It was another long day like every other, quite literally, one day on Macroterra are 24 days on Earth. During the day It's quite warm and during the night It can get quite chilly. While this sounds like Macroterra Is one huge desert, It's actually quite the opposite, as there Is only one very small desert located In the south of Macroterras single supercontinent. The rest of the south Is dominated by tropical rainforests. Due to the frequent rain fall on Macroterra things don't stay dry very long. Going North It gets a little colder but there can still be found some swamps and plains before you reach Macroterras tundra. During spring and summer It's still relatively warm here, but In winter, It's an whole other story.

The Spacebies organization has expected the Bilbies to stay In Macroterras desert as storms in the surrounding tropical forests are frequent and powerful, but as It turns out nature had different plans.

Amongst the tropical rainforests we see an unusual looking Bilby possessing shorter limbs which originally were an adaptation for the desert environments, but Bilbies outside the desert do not need these adaptions anymore. Many other Bilbies can be seen hopping around the planet, some with short limbs and some with long, some who are agile and some who are bulky, some who prefer plants and some who prefer meat. These Bilbies are still all genetically very similar, but this Is the sign of great new species to emerge soon enough.

I'm designing a hummingbird that raids bee hives for their honey, and I was going to give it a thin plate on its face to protect it from bee stings. However, I can't find any examples of birds actually evolving solid armor in real life. So, my question is why are there no birds with armor, and could feathers become solid armor?

Could an animal evolve to get fleshier more flexible ears which It could use like a trunk to feast on leaves and fruits from tall trees?

Can somebody give me 2 creatures to fuse into one that would be able to fit into a food chain and not be overpowered pls? (Will reply with image)

I’m doing a light speculative series involving Pleistocene conditions and Megafauna surviving into the present, and there’s a few speculative editions, mostly involving animals migrating into the state, including Elk and Dwarf Pronghorn from NA, and Mixotoxodon and Coati from SA. There’s even a small Terror Bird and northern species of Rhea

But one animal I’m considering adding is the Giant Anteater. They migrated as far north as Mexico during the Pleistocene, and I figured id have them continue migrating north into the Southeastern United States.

The habitat is about right (woodlands and grasslands), but I’m worried they won’t find enough to eat, unless they’re hardier than i imagined or can break through trees to get to bugs.

So is it possible?

https://preview.redd.it/cdplwx8bf0ge1.png?width=343&format=png&auto=webp&s=ea933712762bfdcb0171623acbf84062369d100d

For those who need the scales they want to work with.

Hadean Eon (4600–4000 M.Yrs)

Archean Eon (4000–2500 M.Yrs)

Eoarchean Era (4000–3600 M.Yrs)

Paleoarchean Era (3600–3200 M.Yrs)

Mesoarchean Era (3200–2800 M.Yrs)

Neoarchean Era (2800–2500 M.Yrs)

Proterozoic Eon (2500–541 M.Yrs)

Paleoproterozoic Era (2500–1600 M.Yrs)

Siderian Period (2500–2300 M.Yrs)

Rhyacian Period (2300–2050 M.Yrs)

Orosirian Period (2050–1800 M.Yrs)

Statherian Period (1800–1600 M.Yrs)

Mesoproterozoic Era (1600–1000 M.Yrs)

Calymmian Period (1600–1400 M.Yrs)

Ectasian Period (1400–1200 M.Yrs)

Stenian Period (1200–1000 M.Yrs)

Neoproterozoic Era (1000–541 M.Yrs)

Tonian Period (1000–720 M.Yrs)

Cryogenian Period (720–635 M.Yrs)

Ediacaran Period (635–541 M.Yrs)

Phanerozoic Eon (541 M.Yrs –Present)

Paleozoic Era (541–252 M.Yrs)

Cambrian Period (541–485 M.Yrs)

Terreneuvian Epoch (541–509 M.Yrs)

Miaolingian Epoch (509–497 M.Yrs)

Furongian Epoch (497–485 M.Yrs)

Ordovician Period (485–443 M.Yrs)

Early Ordovician Epoch (485–470 M.Yrs)

Middle Ordovician Epoch (470–458 M.Yrs)

Late Ordovician Epoch (458–443 M.Yrs)

Silurian Period (443–419 M.Yrs)

Early Silurian Epoch (443–433 M.Yrs)

Middle Silurian Epoch (433–423 M.Yrs)

Late Silurian Epoch (423–419 M.Yrs)

Devonian Period (419–359 M.Yrs)

Early Devonian Epoch (419–393 M.Yrs)

Middle Devonian Epoch (393–383 M.Yrs)

Late Devonian Epoch (383–359 M.Yrs)

Carboniferous Period (359–299 M.Yrs)

Mississippian Epoch (359–323 M.Yrs)

Pennsylvanian Epoch (323–299 M.Yrs)

Permian Period (299–252 M.Yrs)

Early Permian Epoch (299–272 M.Yrs)

Middle Permian Epoch (272–260 M.Yrs)

Late Permian Epoch (260–252 M.Yrs)

Mesozoic Era (252–66 M.Yrs)

Triassic Period (252–201 M.Yrs)

Early Triassic Epoch (252–247 M.Yrs)

Middle Triassic Epoch (247–237 M.Yrs)

Late Triassic Epoch (237–201 M.Yrs)

Jurassic Period (201–145 M.Yrs)

Early Jurassic Epoch (201–174 M.Yrs)

Middle Jurassic Epoch (174–163 M.Yrs)

Late Jurassic Epoch (163–145 M.Yrs)

Cretaceous Period (145–66 M.Yrs)

Early Cretaceous Epoch (145–100 M.Yrs)

Late Cretaceous Epoch (100–66 M.Yrs)

Cenozoic Era (66 M.Yrs –Present)

Paleogene Period (66–23 M.Yrs)

Paleocene Epoch (66–56 M.Yrs)

Eocene Epoch (56–34 M.Yrs)

Oligocene Epoch (34–23 M.Yrs)

Neogene Period (23–2.6 M.Yrs)

Miocene Epoch (23–5.3 M.Yrs)

Pliocene Epoch (5.3–2.58 M.Yrs)

Quaternary Period (2.6 M.Yrs –Present)

Pleistocene Epoch (2.600.000–11.700 a)

Holocene Epoch (11.700–Present)

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There is a problem in speculative evolution when it comes to sapient people. Predict how a bear might take to the sea and evolve into a whale? Darwin could do it, no problem. But turn your knowledge of natural selection to people, and the selection cannot be natural. People hunting plankton in the sea will not evolve into giants who strain water through their mustaches; they'll invent boats and nets. Worse, you, the speculator, are a human yourself. You will almost certainly fail to maintain your objectivity as you consider the reproductive habits of your neighbors. Many writers and artists have attempted to predict human evolution under natural selection, but their best work has still been more political commentary than speculative physical anthropology.

The solution of both Dixon and Kosemen was to use genetic engineering and remove sapience. In the case of All Tomorrows, both are part of the same program of cruel torment.

You can read the whole review at my website.