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@on-beyond-holocene
Exciting news! I’ve been developing a website for On Beyond Holocene, which should hopefully be more intuitive and navigable than this blog. Now, it’s at a state that’s ready to be shared! Each setting in the future has its own page, with more information on the species that live there. Naturally, the project is still in progress, and this site will be updated with more content as time goes on.
If you want to support this project, feel free to support me on Ko-Fi.
The On Beyond Holocene website has been reorganized and revamped, with new information about the major mass extinction events of the future. Further updates on the way.
We will be active again soon
Colophotherium grimmorum
Colophotherium is one of the many descendants of cattle present worldwide 35 million years in the future. This species can be found in colder wooded habitats in northern Eurasia. Coat density changes with the seasons, allowing Colophotherium to inhabit the same regions year-round. The head bears an inflatable resonating chamber, similar to that present in saiga. Herds will communicate over large distances with amplified calls, and in fights, it is usually the one with the louder moo that wins.
The diet of Colophotherium consists of grass, leaves, and bark. As an individual grows, the horns are first used to scrape bark off of trees; at a certain age, the incisors and mouth musculature will be robust enough to remove bark on its own. The large horns present on the heads of adults are often used to fell trees, so that an individual can feast on leaves present higher up. The molars are honed to handle rough and hard-to-chew foodstuffs, and the extensive ruminant stomach can easily digest a day's worth of bark.
Phobotherium trachyops
While artiodactyls are generally thought to be a herbivorous clade, this is more of a guideline than a rule. Occasional carnivory is present across the clade, but at least two groups of artiodactyls, suids and hippopotamids, regularly eat meat as well as plant matter. One major lineage, Cetacea, is exclusively carnivorous. It is therefore not implausible that more carnivorous artiodactyls will evolve in the future.
Phobotherium is descended from wild boar, which prospered both during and after the Holocene. In the wake of larger carnivorans such as bears and big cats, millions of years of evolution have honed these hogs from aggressive generalists to apex predators, with a shoulder height of two meters. Individuals patrol large territories, up to hundreds of square miles, and, with the exception of mothers and juveniles, generally do not tolerate each other; most of the face is bare and rugose, and older individuals often bear scars from intraspecific fights. Phobotherium bears large tusks inherited from their suid ancestors, originally evolved for intraspecific conflict; here, they have been exapted to also inflict wounds on prey organisms. Phobotherium preys upon medium-to-large herbivorous mammals, such as bovids, cervids, procyonids, and other suids.
Entaviastes sp.
It is likely that after vultures go extinct, corvids will step up to fill the scavenging niche; the behavior is already exploited by numerous species of corvids and ravens. Coroner crows are a diverse lineage of primarily scavenging corvids, widespread in Eurasia, Africa, and Australia 30 to 50 million years in the future. Descended from crows in the genus Corvus, their wingspans are usually between 4 and 6 feet. Depending on species, between 50% and 95% of the diet consists of carrion, with the rest consisting of small prey, eggs, fruits, seeds, and dung.
Coroner crows are noteworthy for their high intelligence and ingenuity. They appear to be able to not only communicate the locations of carcasses, but also where they will likely be found in the future. They will gather to watch prey die before eating it. A few populations in East Africa and central Asia have even been observed using sharp rocks as hand axes, with which they butcher and scrape meat off of carcasses. Although they have not yet formed anything recognizable as a society, being of a more loosely gregarious nature, it might be worth keeping an eye on them.
Notopanthera ferox
In the time of humans, cats were a nuisance in Australia. Since 1820, over three million feral cats have come to populate the continent. Cats are extremely effective predators, and their spread has contributed to the extinction of at least 22 native mammal species. Even today, feral cats have begun to grow abnormally large, reaping the rewards of their success. Lax control programs have ensured their survival past the Holocene, and as time went on the cats became progressively larger and more ambitious.
Notopanthera is the largest terrestrial predator in Australia ten million years hence, with large individuals being comparable in size to a mountain lion. Its upper canines have grown so large as to stick out of the mouth when closed. This re-evolution of saber teeth is not surprising, as it had evolved at least six times previously in synapsids. A pursuit predator, it preys upon kangaroos, emus, and camels. It’s most common in open, drier habitats, but it is versatile and can be found across the continent.
Siberia, 200 million years hence
It was rare for Siberogekko to descend to the ground for long periods of time. These lizards were highly adapted for a scansorial lifestyle. Both hands and feet bore opposable digits with long claws, well-fit for grasping onto branches. Neosaurs evolved from terrestrial lizards – the “eyelid geckos”, Eublepharidae. These ancestral geckos lacked the distinctive adhesive lamellae of other gecko lineages, so the feet of siberogekkonids – the most arboreal lineage of neosaurs at this time – more closely resembled those of arboreal lizards and mammals.
But descend this individual did, for she had an idea.
The gecko scuttled down the side of a redwood tree, beside which a grovemaster slept. Grovemasters could reach over 30 feet in length and weigh over a ton; this individual was almost at full size. Despite their large size, they still bore a short coat of fur that covered the entire body in juveniles, retreating to only the dorsal third of the body in adults. And this furry covering could potentially bear parasites. Siberogekko often employed this on the flanks of the colossal Avititan, as those colossal birds were a magnet for parasitic insects and bloodsucking nails. Perhaps this strategy could also be fruitful here.
The Siberogekko leapt from the side of the trunk, landing in the leaf litter. Her gait was awkward on the ground; being the earliest diverging lineage of neosaurs, siberogekkonids still had splayed hindlimbs, lacking the upright posture that would carry other lineages of neosaurs hundreds of millions of years into the future. But even so, she managed to approach the grovemaster, treading softly enough to not wake it. Approaching the tail, she leapt onto the side of the grovemaster’s flank and climbed up towards its dorsal half.
She could find nothing except for a bloodsucking nail. This one was a decently-sized individual, with about a seven-inch wingspan. It sat hooked on the grovemaster’s upper flank, its toothy proboscis drilled into the beast’s side. As it drank the grovemaster’s blood, it excreted the digested remnants of the blood onto the side.
A meal’s a meal. The Siberogekko bit the nail by its torso and tore it off the side of the grovemaster. Blood spurted out of the now-open wound, but the nail’s proboscis was small enough that most of the time the host did not notice. The flapping of the nail’s wings took a while to cease as the Siberogekko grabbed it in its forelimbs and continued to inflict bites.
Just as the Siberogekko was about to start eating its catch, the grovemaster stirred into consciousness. It raised its head from the ground and opened its mouth in a yawn, baring all 40 of its rust-colored teeth. The Siberogekko instinctively froze as the grovemaster raised itself from the leaf litter, pushing itself off the ground with its forelimbs. Adopting a reared bipedal posture, the 25-foot mammal cocked its head as if it had heard something, before letting out a deep, yawn-like roar. A similar but more distant-sounding roar responded. The grovemaster headed forward into the forest, seemingly tracking the source of the opposing roar. The Siberogekko remained frozen on its back.
Soon the grovemaster found itself face-to-face with another of its kind. Usually, grovemasters were solitary, mostly convening during mob-hunts of Avititan. This could lead to a fight. Dead nail in its mouth, the Siberogekko bailed, leaping off its ride and landing on the trunk of a nearby redwood, which it then ascended.
But neither emitted the guttural aggressive vocalizations characteristic of the species. Each grovemaster sniffed the other, and then the two nuzzled their snouts together. These were a mating pair. Pairs were transient and lasted only the 15-month duration of pregnancy – a gestational period this fast for an animal this large required more food than a single individual could bring down on their own. And indeed, one grovemaster’s abdomen was larger than the other’s – about a month from birth. After she gave birth, the parents would separate, and the mother would go on to raise on her own. But for now, the two stayed connected.
Their further adventures were of little concern to the Siberogekko, who watched the pair from above. Back in the relative safety of the trees, she had a meal to eat.
The common name for Tyrannosorex ultimus is now the grovemaster
Neomilvus pyromaniacus
In the time of humans, wildfires were prevalent in Australia. The dry conditions fueled the growth of massive fires. While these fires may have been started or exaggerated by human activity, humans were not the only species to influence fire spread. Several species of birds of prey were reported to spread fires into unburned areas, to prey on small animals attempting to escape. By ten million years in the future, these birds have taken the next step - they light the fires themselves.
The Australian phoenix has longer legs than the kites it is descended from, making it more adept at terrestrial locomotion next to burning outback. Although not all prey is caught at the edge of a fire, starting fires to flush out small mammals and rodents is not an uncommon practice in this species. Populations that more frequently hunt with fire have developed more ecologically sustainable burning practices, and this knowledge appears to be picked up by every bird in the area. The frequency of phoenix-started burns actually reduces the prevalence of catastrophic megafires within its range, by clearing out dry underbrush before too much of it accumulates.
id be so scared LOL
@on-beyond-holocene wild Eustolas spotted!
Peru, 50 million years in the future
In the time of humans, guano was a valuable resource. These accumulations of excrement built over thousands of years were valued as fertilizer, as guano is rich in phosphates, nitrogen, and potassium. The deposits on this island, off the western coast of South America, were harvested first by indigenous Americans, then Spanish colonists. Industrial mining processes had destroyed the habitat of millions of seabirds, decimating their populations. Furthermore, guano miners had hunted birds and their eggs for food. On this stretch of coast, over 90% of the resident seabird populations were destroyed.
After 50 million years, both the birds and the guano accumulations have recovered. Seabird diversity was impacted both by the Holocene extinction and the later Angelean turnover event. Many seabird lineages managed to survive, however, and these survivors have radiated into the rich colonies that cover the rocks now. In the time of humans, the guano on these islands was primarily produced by cormorants, boobies, and pelicans. Now, the dominant seabirds here are petrels, bladewings, and diving-vultures. The composition of the guano, therefore, is slightly different than those 50 million years ago. It still retains its feracious value, but the last guano mine shut down ages ago.
But the guano wasn’t what this ottercat cared about. Swimming through the waters just offshore, she was more interested in the birds themselves, and the eggs they were sitting on. It was the middle of summer, peak breeding season for these birds. The majority inhabitants of this island were black-capped bladewings, streaked bladewings, yellow-headed diving-vultures, and South American lean-petrels. The ottercat’s ancestors, feral cats that lived in the urban parks of Lima, had preyed upon birds all the time, as part of their broad diets. After 50 million years, however, her lineage had adapted to a semiaquatic lifestyle. No longer were they the adept predators of small prey their ancestors were. A healthy bladewing would be too swift to ambush, and the diving-vultures and petrels could defend themselves. Instead, her goal was the eggs of the bladewings.
She leapt out of the water onto the rocky shore of the island and began climing her way up the rocks. Although most of the colonies nested on a near-vertical cliff face on the other side of the island, there were still many birds on this somewhat shallower slope. The footholds were still precarious, but this was nothing the ottercat couldn’t handle. Her paws had surprisingly strong grips, and she had successfully carried out egg raids on this island before. The lower edge of the colony area was occupied by bladewings, while diving-vultures claimed the top of the island. As she further ascended the island, one of the bladewings noted her presence. It let out a shrill alarm chirp, which set off the other bladewings. Many of the breeding pairs promptly deserted their nests, taking to the sky to save their own lives. A bird that flies away may nest another day. As an incessantly chirping flurry of the black-and-white birds ascended from the rock, they left behind hundreds of nests. Each nest was, at most, a simple depression in the guano, bearing two eggs each. All these eggs could be a feast for the industrious ottercat, who had the entire rock face to herself. Climbing up to a flatter rock face, she approached the closest of the nests. Her powerful jaws made short work of each of the eggs, which she ate whole. She could crush mollusks with her powerful jaws, eggs were no issue. Although bird eggs were not a staple of the average ottercat’s diet, the developing embryos inside were still a potential source of valuable protein. And with this many nests, the cost-benefit ratio could potentially be much higher than catching fish.
But the thing about climbing on guano-covered rocks is that one misplaced foot can upset your entire balance.
The ottercat placed her right front paw on a more loosely compacted ridge of guano. The ridge destabilized. Her reflexes could not grab onto more stable rocks in time. A number of bladewing nests crumbled with it and began sliding down the side of the islands with her. The guanoslide continued halfway down the side of the island until the ottercat slipped over a ledge and entered a brief freefall.
Ksplash! She slammed into the surface of the ocean water below. Amazingly, the fall wasn’t enough to kill her. Having inherited a self-righting reflex from her ancestors, she landed belly-first; this helped reduce injuries from the fall, as her limbs absorbed some of the shock. After making sense of what happened, she returned to the surface to take a breath. The impact had hurt, for sure, but nothing felt broken. She descended into the water, heading away from the islands and back out to sea. So the egg raid had failed, but at least she was still alive. She could hunt again. Maybe fish would be a wiser choice this time.
The well-developed wings of dragons, such as this blue-winged mo'o, convey remarkable aerial ability, but they are somewhat awkward to deal with on the ground, or especially in trees.
South Dakotan Forest, 1 million years hence
We begin our journey one million years in the future. Humans are long gone from the planet, but while they have left little evidence of their existence on the surface, their legacy is still felt. Although temperatures have started to decline after the disappearance of humans and coincident decrease in carbon outgassing, North America is still warmer than it was in the Holocene. Now, the central United States, such as South Dakota is covered by alternating grasslands and deciduous forests.
The native North American megafauna from the Holocene are all but extinct; now, the main inhabitants are descendants of creatures that lived alongside humans. Herbivorous animals that have survived from the Holocene include rabbits, wild horses, and deer. A new face is a descendant of domesticated cattle from more southern regions. The region's predators are descended from coyotes and feral dogs and cats. In the trees live squirrels, rats, crows, pigeons, sparrows, and blackbirds.
Inhabitants of the South Dakotan Forest include:
Beefalo
Coydog
Sunset-winged blackbird
Notocamelus latimeri
Dromedary camels were introduced to the continent of Australia in the time of humans. Originally imported for transport and construction, a large feral population quickly gained a foothold and grew rapidly. Although many culls were undertaken, the population failed to be exterminated from the continent. Ten million years in the future, the camels have now completely assimilated with the ecology of Australia.
Latimer’s camel is the largest herbivorous animal on the continent of Australia; large individuals have heads held 3.5 meters off the ground. It is leaner and taller than its ancestors, and has lost the fatty hump they bore. Latimer’s camel is equally at home in high outback and slightly wetter grassland habitats, and has a broad diet of grasses and xeric shrubs. It is a social animal, and can often be found in mixed herds with kangaroos, emus, and lagomorphs.
Agelaius congregator
Some birds have done better than others in the immediate wake of humanity. A few species of new world blackbirds, particularly red-winged blackbirds, have done amazingly well. Their omnivorous diet, large population size, flexible habitat preference, and ability to live in close proximity to humans has ensured their survival. One million years in the future, they are still highly abundant throughout the Americas.
The sunset-winged blackbird has physically changed little from its immediate ancestors. Flocks are significantly larger on average, however, and can reach well over a million individuals per flock. The very largest flocks can clear a field of everything edible before moving on to pastures anew. Sunset-winged blackbird populations are controlled by feral cats, corvids, snakes, and surviving birds of prey. Factoring in migration ranges, sunset-winged blackbirds can be found from northern Canada to northernmost South America.
Siberia, 200 million years hence
Although Avititan is considered prey of Tyrannosorex, it is rare for fully-grown adults to be successfully hunted. Greatest hunting success occurs when the giant shrews hunt in groups, and even then a meal is not guaranteed. The sheer bulk of a healthy adult Avititan allows individuals to survive even extensive blood loss and envenomation, at least long enough for the predators to be driven away. Tyrannosorex primarily prey on on juvenile individuals and, as pictured here, carcasses.
