Chaundrea Speculative Evolution

Official blog of the Chaundrea Spec Evo Project Created by Zoe Williams (She/They) and Delilah [No :)] (She/Her) - Chaundrea is a world set in a fantasy universe, where the gods placed a handful of lifeforms upon the planet to watch how they evolve.

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Chaundrea

During the time of forging (approx. 12,000 years after the universe came into being) the gods created a planet out in the Astral, naming it Chaundrea. They set upon it a handful of creatures and placed the planet within a temporal and antimagical bubble, allowing the creatures to experience natural evolution in their timeframe without the interference of magic, and giving them time to properly evolve, with Chaundrea experiencing millions of years where the rest of the cosmos experiences only thousands. They then stopped their interference, wishing to see how the planet would develop naturally.

This is a record of the species of Chaundrea and how they evolved over time, detailing many of the creatures of the world. These entries are taken from the journal of the designated researcher of Chaundrea for the Aeseriac Cosmic Library, Acterlei Morne, in the most chronological format possible. 

There are a few things about Chaundrea and its creatures which one must note:

Chaundrea’s atmospheric oxygen content is approximately 35%, and its carbon dioxide content is 0.026%. This allows for much larger growth of organisms, as well as creating a cooler climate.

The majority of organisms on Chaundrea have Haemocyanin instead of Haemoglobin, akin to octopi on Earth. This is likely due to Chaundrea’s relatively high copper content, making it a better option than iron. However, some smaller invertebrates possess Haemerythrin, which is not as efficient with oxygen but due to the higher amount of oxygen they do make it work, similar to brachiopods on Earth.

Following the copper trend, the endoskeletal creatures of Chaundrea use copper instead of calcium in their bones. To accommodate for the higher density of copper, their bones tend to be more porous, having larger air spaces to lighten them. The plant-like organisms of Chaundrea use copper in their enzyme reactions, and harvest it from the high copper content in the soil and from absorbing the nutrients of dead organisms. The creatures of Chaundrea have adapted to deal with the high copper content which would be problematic for many organisms on Earth.

Chaundrea contains a large supercontinent, known as Antra, containing many biomes from temperate forests to a large desert in the center, as well as many islands off the coasts.

The time in which each creature existed is noted as x to x PS (post-seeding).

Further information on the fauna and flora of Chaundrea will be noted shortly.

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Dread Maw

Dread Maw

Dread Maw (Magnidens megalomati)

Classification: Venatori, Hexapoda

Location: Plains and savannas

Diet: Carnivore

Weight: 900 kg

Length: 5m

Time: 300,000 to 1.4m PS

The Dread Maw was a medium sized predator descended from the Plains Walker that used its speed to chase down larger prey, such as the Kenko or other herbivores. It possessed the six limbs that all Hexapoda had, which were strongly built for sprinting. It was likely that it could reach speeds of up to 65km/h in short bursts.

Its name derives from its mouth, filled with 12 inch canines in a crocodilian skull. Its back also had a series of sharp spines, which could have been for both defense and display. Due to these deadly features it was likely that the Dread Maw was the apex predator in the regions it inhabited.

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As a means of recording information I have taken it upon myself to detail two key pieces of Aesiriac spacefaring technology. 

First is the Spire. This is a large orbiting observation station, approximately fifty meters in height, designed for remote observation of planets from a low orbit. The apparatus on the left is the mechanism for movement, shifting the position of the ship using nuclear fusion and fission energies. The apparatus on the right is the teleporter. This allows the Spire to instantaneously transport back to the Aesiriac homeworld if needed. The device on top is a transmitter, which uses warp technology to transport the signals to the homeworld instantaneously. 

The other is the Leviathan, a 200 meter long spacecraft that, ordinarily, can travel at 21% of the speed of light. However, the round ring structure can induce a warp field, reshaping the fabric of space-time to achieve faster than light travel. The Leviathan is primarily used for small crews to cover distances and scout out planets to report back and potentially have a Spire positioned in the planet’s orbit via use of the Vannalien.

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Reconstructive sketch of the Initicene Quattropod carnivore Veloxicursus primovenatus, better known as the Quickfoot. With sharp small copper teeth it likely killed by laceration, as well as clawing with it's strong forearms. Some fossil evidence suggests that the Quickfoot may have been coated with a fuzz - either a soft hair lining or very primitive proto-feathers.

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Murder Tree

Murder Tree (Megaflora homicida ) 

Classification: Abora 

Location: Various Wetlands 

Diet: Ground Nutrients, Corpses 

Weight: 9 tons 

Height: 60ft 

Time: 3m to present 

The Murder Tree is comparitively short to some other members of the Abora family, however they are remarkable in design. It grows in the wetlands of Chaundrea, and is up to 60ft tall, but its size is mainly in its width, with its branches reaching out to cover an area of up to 100 square feet. It also possesses an advanced root system with small sensitive tendrils that lay just below the surface, able to detect the pressure of organisms moving near it.

Upon sensing sizable creatures, a specialised branch ending in a sharp bulb coloured akin to a fruit (for attracting herbivores) will thrust down, impaling the victim. In mere minutes secondary roots will grow into the corpse, absorbing nutrients which the Murder Tree uses as additional fuel. Some of these secondary roots form a ring of spikes around the corpse to ward off terrestrial scavengers. The Murder Tree also appears to leak pheromones which many species find attractive, drawing them inward, although some species down the line have learnt to avoid the smell instead.

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Kenko

Kenko (Foliapascentis erexispina) 

Classification: Gigantomorphs, Hexapoda

Location: Forested Areas, more common to the north 

Diet: Leaves 

Weight: 50 tons 

Length: 28m 

Time: 400,000 to 8m PS 

 The Kenko is a relative of the ancestral Plains Walker, although looking at it you would see its six limbed structure as the only real similarity between the two. The Kenko was much larger, at around 25 times heavier, and  significantly taller. This great leap in size has brought me to hypothesize that there may have been a missing link that I have yet to discover, somewhere between the size of the Kenko and Plains Walker. 

 The Kenko was an early member of the Gigantomorphs, a group of Hexapoda who evolved to feed on the higher growing plants, hence their size. The Kenko is also noted for its spined back, from which derives its species name, meaning “raised spine”. The exact function is unclear, but my main hypothesis are that it served as either a form of temperature control, display for communication, or an additional area for muscle attachment. The latter seems less likely, as other Gigantomorphs have done just fine without such a spines, so it's far more likely to have been one or both of the former. 

 The Kenko’s tail was shorter than that of the Plains Walker, with its torso lengthened instead in order to provide its counterbalance. This perhaps would have let it rear up for especially tall trees without the tail getting in the way, as I have observed in later Gigantomorphs. The neck of the Kenko was quite long, making up much of its overall length at around 12 meters, which coupled with an average height of 8 meters at the shoulder would have allowed it to reach up to nearly 20 meters, enough to access the leaves of Aborvorta Tropicus and the lower leaves of Aborvorta Deciduous. However, to take advantage of the truly massive and higher up leaves of some of these plants, later Gigantomorphs would grow to colossal sizes that dwarfed the Kenko.

It was one of the first species to evolve during the Ekrixicene, a time period defined by an explosion of biodiversity and evolution. The Ekrixicene would last between 300,000 to 8 Million PE, when unfortunately the Kenko, along with many other species, would face a mass extinction.

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As reference to future researchers and scholars, I have made a basic map of the star system of Chaundrea. 

Noraxis 

Noraxis is a main sequence yellow dwarf star with a diameter of approximately 1.4 million kilometers. It is the sole star of Chaundrea's system, and makes up well over 99% of the system's total mass.

 Artina 

Artina is a small rocky planet, approximately 5,800 kilometers in diameter. It is too close to Noraxis to be inhabitable, and has a thin atmosphere. Due to this the surface temperature ranges from -180 degrees Celsius at night to around 470 degrees Celsius during the day. Artina also has a very high metal and silicon composition, as well as higher amounts of many types of minerals compared to other planets. 

 Tela 

Tela is Chaundrea's only natural satellite, a moon with a diameter of approximately 3,200 kilometers. It orbits Chaundrea at a distance of 380,000 kilometers on average, and is tidally locked to Chaundrea. There is little notable features on Chaundrea, aside from frequent impact craters, suggesting that it has taken many hits from asteroids, comets and other such objects. 

Torxis 

Torxis is another rocky planet in Chaundrea's system, with a diameter of around 7,000 kilometers. The atmosphere is thick and gravity is suitable for life, but the lack of water suggests the planet would be uninhabitable without some degree of terraforming. If more water was introduced, the atmospheric conditions and overall elemental composition of the planet would make it quite suitable for living organisms.

Almea 

Almea is the only gas giant in Chaundrea's system, which would possibly seem odd if one were to forget that Chaundrea's system was created by divine beings. Almea has a diameter of approximately 130,000 kilometers, being by far the largest planet in the system.  Being a gas giant the planet itself is uninhabitable, however a few of its moons could possibly house habitation stations and other enclosed structures.

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Initial Plant Varieties of Chaundrea

Grush

Grush "Herba Humilus"

Classification: (Herba)

Location: Most of Chaundrea

Diet: Sunlight via photosynthesis utilizing Phycoerythrin

Weight: negligible

Height: 15-20 inches

Time: 0 PS to present

Grush is a grass-like plant that covers much of Chaundrea. It is extremely successful, changing little over time. It is part of the diet of many herbivorous and omnivorous creatures.

Grush is notable for its reddish colour, which is derived from its use of Phycoerythrin as opposed to Chlorophyll in more classic green plants.

Due to its success, it does not have any offshoots, and many plant niches it could have diversified into were taken by other plants. Thus, it is the sole member of the Herba family.

Vorta (Various)

Vorta "Aborvorta Tropicus (Tropical Vorta), Aborvorta Deciduous (Deciduous Vorta)"

Classification: Abora

Location: The forests of Chaundrea

Diet: Sunlight via photosynthesis using Phycoerythrin

Weight: Up to 11 tons

Height: Up to 100ft

Time: 0PS to present

Vorta are tree-like plants that occupy much the same niche. Within the genus Aborvorta are two species, Tropica and Deciduous, which occupy slightly different biomes. Tropica is more palm-like, and tends to grow to up to 60ft, with a fairly thick trunk. Deciduous is more akin to an oak, with a very thick trunk and large sprawling branches, growing up to 100ft tall.

The Aborvorta genus would diversify into various other genuses and species over time, filling many niches, but these two core species have barely changed over time. Similar to Grush, they possess striking red leaves due to their use of Phycoerythrin.

Temblick

Temblick "Putrescerus Parvus"

Classification: Mortuienduntus

Location: Most of Chauntea, except in the desert

Diet: Decomposing organic matter

Weight: 0.5-1kg

Height: 3 to 5 inches

Time: 0 to 1.6m PS

Temblick were small bud-like pseudoplants that occupied the same niche as many fungus, growing on and absorbing nutrients from decomposing organisms. They were cone-like in structure, with thin tendrils that’d burrow into whatever they were busy eating.

They would grow to full maturity after absorbing nutrients for around 2 weeks, after which the cone structure would begin emitting microscopic spores, at least some hopefully landing on other organic material, starting the cycle anew.

The species would last for over a thousand years, before other members of the Mortuieduntus family would outcompete them.

Kelgus

Kelgus (Omniforma oceanus)

Classification: Omniforma

Location: All but the deepest parts of the ocean

Diet: Sunlight

Weight: Varies

Length: Varies

Time: 0PS to Present

The Kelgus is an extraordinarily successful and interesting organism. Throughout its lifecycle it inhabits many of the various oceanic floral niches, including a microscopic plankton-like state as larvae to spongelike subadults and finally great tall seaweeds as fully grown plants.

Each stage of growth lasts a long while, with approximately a decade as larvae, to centuries as subadults and finally, the adult stage can survive for thousands of years. During the adult stage each year the Kelgus will release hundreds of spores which will develop into larvae, enough to not only act as the basis for much of the marine ecosystem but also to be able to grow into more subadult and adult Kelgi.

The Kelgus is incredibly adaptable and hardy, living through every extinction event throughout Chaundrea’s history, only minorly changing over time to suit the environment. Although potentially a slightly different species or subspecies, the modern Kelgus is so similar to its ancient predecessors and the original that it may just be the same organism, and the Kelgus has some unknown function to adapt to environmental changes without actually evolving into a new species.

The spores, after a short period of some hours, “hatch” into the larval state. These float around more or less aimlessly, absorbing light, but do have flagella which they can use to move around. After existing in this state for around a decade, growing and feeding on sunlight, the larvae will sink to the seabed where it will anchor itself and grow into its sponge-like subadult stage, often forming large colonies which can cover many square kilometres, creating a whole ecosystem. Eventually, around a few hundred years later, clusters of matured Kelgi cells will be ejected from the “mouth” of the sponge, float on the currents and anchor themselves onto rocks before growing into a seaweed-like plant which can become dozens of metres tall. These will release hundreds of their spores annually, continuing the cycle.

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An artist’s rendition of the Plains Walker, one of the original Chaundrean species. Note the hexapodal limb structure, as well as the large eyes to see within Chaundrea’s slightly darker environment. 

The colour and patterns are speculation, however due to the red Grush covering the landscape it is likely the Plains Walker would be a similar colour to blend in. The patterns are speculation of what might be used to attract other Plains Walkers, and possibly identify each other.

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Burrower

Burrower (Fodiens vermis) 

Classification: Nullaspinis 

Location: Subterranean (mostly in the various grassland regions) 

Diet: Soil nutrients, herbivorous 

Weight: 1 KG 

Length: 1M 

Time: 0 to 1.4m PS 

The burrower was a small and thin creature which lacked any bones, instead it more resembles a fleshy tube that burrows and travels with hydraulic movement. It has a small head with a tiny tusk that aids in burrowing and cutting through roots. 

 The Burrower itself was largely unremarkable, spending over a thousand years digging underground, but its descendants would diversify to fulfill many ecological niches, and due to the high oxygen content, many of them grew to much greater sizes than their subterranean ancestor.

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Skardin

Skardin (Aquavenator prima) 

Classification: Diuvenatorae 

Location: Coastal seas of Chaundrea 

Diet: Carnivorous 

Weight: 40 KG 

Length: 2M 

Time: 0 to 1.2m PS 

 The Skardin is an unusual and frightening predator whose primary prey was smaller water dwelling creatures. It had a long serpentine body with four small round fins for propulsion, and a long beak-like head. It would use this beak to chop prey in half like a pair of scissors, before four thin tendrils would emerge from its throat to pull in the pieces for digestion. It is the first member of the Diuvenatorae family, and are the main competition of the Natatori, although far enough down the evolutionary path of these two and it becomes less a family competition and more of a brutal free for all. The descendants of the Skardin are some truly frightening marine creatures with a strong start from this species.

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The Linney

Linney (Parum Natans)

Classification: Natatori

Location: Coastal Seas

Diet: Small plankton-like creatures

Weight: 0.2 KG

Length: 2 Inches

Time: 0 to 3m PS

Linney were quite successful small fish-like creatures that lived in the coastal waters of Chaundrea. They possessed two small tails that would work in tandem to propel the Linney, and it had a flat head with a bristle filled mouth for filter feeding.

The Linney was the first member of the Natatori family, a group of marine organisms notable for dual tails. This family would evolve to fit many niches over time, becoming one of the most successful groups in Chaundrea’s history.

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Quickfoot

Quickfoot (Veloxicursus Primovenatus)

Classification: Quattropoda

Location: Plains of Antra

Diet: Carnivorous

Weight: Up to 380 KG

Length: 3m

Time: 0-800,000 PS

The Quickfoot was the first true carnivore of Chaundrea. It was more on the small side, so favoured hunting in groups of 3-4, with the Plains Walker being its main prey. They were agile, able to outrun their prey, and tended to exhaust them before moving in for the kill.

They possessed four limbs, one of the main distinguishing features between the Quattropoda and the Hexapoda, and were largely bipedal, although they could rest on all fours as their forelimbs were almost as long as their hindlimbs. Their legs were muscular and strong, while their arms had four long clawed digits which they would slash at prey with.

Their skulls were almost crocodilian in shape, but tended to be taller and more stout. They had long, sharp teeth and were capable of producing a bite force of 780 PSI. Despite being good predators, they were eventually outcompeted by their descendants and descendants of the hexapoda family as life on Chaundrea began to diversify.

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Plains Walker

Plains Walker (Hexapodus Protagenus)

Classification: Hexapoda

Location: Grasslands all over Antra

Diet: Omnivorous 

Weight: 2-3 tons

Length: 8m

Time: 0-500,000 PS

The Plains Walker is one of the species initially created upon Chaundrea. It is the original member of the Hexapoda family, an order of animals noted for their six limbs, which over time would diversify to fulfill many niches. 

The Plains Walker was (for Chaundrea) a medium sized omnivore, with most of its diet being the grass-like plants that covered the grasslands that it lived within. It would also supplement its diet by consuming  the flesh of any dead animal it would come across, including the corpses of other Plains Walkers, although it was not known to actively hunt living prey. It did not possess any great intelligence, being comparable to a deer in brainpower.

It was approximately 8ft tall, and all six limbs were simple thick legs. It could likely run at fast speeds, which was how it would have defended itself, lacking any weapons aside from its fair size. It’s head resembled that of a bison, except without horns and with smooth scaled skin. Its skin was a dull green, with darker green stripes running horizontally down its back.

Plains Walkers tended to move in groups of 4-5 individuals, roaming the grasslands in a clockwise direction, with each cycle often taking multiple generations, since they had a lifespan of only around 10-20 years.