#biology reference

[courtingwonder]

Visual Comparison Of Bird Beaks And Their Uses

#ornithology #birds #beaks #evolution #darwinism #biology #zoology #interesting #chart #charts #reference #educational

[sparrowlucero]

The genus Silurian ("Person of the Silures", in reference to the historical territory of Wales in which they were first found) was initially known only from a single fossil, notable in part for the unusual object fossilized alongside it (1). Though this was generally accepted to simply be a large petrified stick, the "Silurian Artifact" was often a point of discussion in the topic of dinosaur intelligence and the theory of pre-human civilizations. It wasn't until large-scale mining operations began to impede on their extensive networks of stasis chambers that the Silurians themselves finally woke up and were able to meet humankind in person. To the surprise of many (and dismay of a few) the Silurians were not the scaled, humanoid "dinosauroids" so often depicted, but colorful, feathered, and relatively goose-shaped. Most Silurians who were present in the planet's underground represent the gentry and high ranking military, who were given priority in the earth-based shelters. Most others were evacuated on large, extensive spaceships, all of which are yet to return to Earth. Due to this, the varied mindsets and cultures of the Silurians are in shambles at best, largely replaced by the speciesism and real estate concerns of the upper classes. (1) Much later, the original type fossil was identified as Rohlik, a student who fell to his death after attempting to drunkenly pole vault over a ravine with a large petrified stick.

#in universe cow tools is a reference to this #doctor who #All The Strange Strange Creatures #thank you rachel for reminding me of the origin of the term silurian . my life in your hands #speculative biology

[jayrockin]

Centaur Aliens Lifespan: 80 years Adult weight: 500-1000 kg Adult height: 2.5-4 meters Visual range: near infrared to blue Diet: Obligate hypercarnivores Centaurs' evolutionary ancestors were savanna pack predators who used ambush to hunt prey, nomadically following prey animal herds as they traveled round the global continent every year. Modern centaurs emerged when they started to use tools to help with hunting and land management, eventually resulting in some groups settling down and becoming reliant on fishing, animal agriculture, and food preservation to survive. Centaurs remain obligate hypercarnivores, meaning approximately 70% of a healthy diet is meat and animal products, but they opportunistically supplement their diet with grain, starchy tubers, and small amounts of roughage and vegetation. Similar to humans, centaurs have a bisex reproductive system with an inseminator sex and gestator sex who gave birth to live young, but functionally are more akin to Earth's marsupials. Centaur’s distant ancestors had larvae that lived in the soil like grubs before pupating into adults, and their viviparous silk eating clade first emerged after parental care of the larval stage evolved. While other members of their clade have development and pupation both happen in-utero, centaur litters leave the womb early and feed on their parent’s nutritive silk until they are large enough to pupate, spinning a cocoon on their parent’s back. They emerge as an imago, resembling a miniature adult with the physical capacity of an six-week old kitten. Centaurs are pseudo-eusocial, with a social structure hierarchy somewhat similar to meerkats. At its most basic level a clan consists of one matriarch, a female who is responsible for bearing the clan's young; the entourage, who are the matriarch's partners and usually mostly male; and the clan's "workers," who are not involved in reproduction. These non-reproductive clan members are generally either the matriarch's children, childless relatives, or individuals married in for their skills or political purposes. Read more about centaur biology on my janky eternally work-in-progress website here, or look at the old centaur reference post here. PATREON | STORE | Runaway to the Stars

#rtts centaurs #speculative biology #jayart #runaway to the stars #yaaaay finally an update to the janky ass old reference post

[donelywell]

September 12 2023

Some Mobian Biology headcanons, and I doodled Tails when the Sonic Frontiers: Final Horizon Trailer dropped.

Hedgehogs when they are young, have pastel light quills that get darker as they age. Shadow too since he was originally born with pure white blobby quills that gradually turned into the black that we know today.

A Mobians eyes are a good indicator of how young they are. If they are younger than 13, they have dark eyes with only a hint of the true color underneath it. That's why it's a huge celebration when a Mobian turns 13, watching their eyes unveil it's true colors is a huge moment for a Mobian.

A Mobian can be born with or without powers, no one will really know until they are 5 years old, that's when the Chaos Energy inside of them has developed enough to turn into an ability. Most Mobians don't have Chaos Abilities, but it's not completely rare for someone to develop them at 5. The Chaos Ability is normally something that lets you bend Chaos Energy to your will, in the form of things like Pyrokinesis or Aquakinesis. A Chaos ability that lets you boost your physical body is extremely rare and unique, such as super speed or stretching your tail to a comedic length.

#sonic the hedgehog #tails the fox #miles tails prower #shadow the hedgehog #shadow the ultimate lifeform #Mobian Biology headcanons #The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog reference!

[total-convergence]

Xa ontogeny

The Xa and how they grow. The brown-feathered kiddos past age of 1,5 are already able to fly somewhat. Xa don't show any sexual dimorphism, so there's only one Xa image for each life stage. Here's more about this sophont: https://www.tumblr.com/total-convergence/726112557515128832/tcxa

#speculative evolution #creature design #artists on tumblr #digital art #spec bio #spec evo #worldbuilding #speculative fiction #artwork #my art #art #reference sheet #bird art #small artist #digital artist #oc artist #drawing #illustration #scifi #scifi worldbuilding #imagination #oc art #oc #original species #speculative biology #bird oc #corvidae #magpie

[hawkpartys]

every time i make a meme the intended audience shrinks. shoutout to all 3 people this is for

#inaturalist #naturalist #nature #ecology #zoology #biology #birds #bird #birdblr #birding #orinthology #hawk #hawks #sharp shinned hawk #those are all real field marks i just refuse to refer to them normally #hawk tourism

[filurig]

i decided to change a little bit about the bäckahäst humanoid form, and realised that they have some superficial similarities to skogsrå, so heres a thing ironing out their differences a little

#fantasy #huldra #bäckahäst #skogsrå #speculative biology #spec bio #pareidolia tag #bestiary #creature lore #lore #(huldras are referred to as skogsrå as well in pareidolia btw. or irl i guess LOL) #(skogsrå is just the regional term.... the huldra and skogsrå are very similar myths irl so its likely its the case there too) #in case ur ootl bäckahästar in pareidolia can turn into a humanoid... it has to do with the myth of näcken #(basically ppl think they are two different “creatures” but theyre actually the same just in different forms) #worldbuilding

[styllwaters]

351 / GAZI-MIAH

At last this monster of a ref is finished. Introducing the first canon Knight character for Vivere 44!

351 is a mountain Knight from Ferhaht, though their host is part Fejga; hence the brown fur and stocky build. They act as the secondary antagonist in parts 1 and 2 of the story. In part 3, the final 'season', they feature as a protagonist. 351 starts out as a ruthless, aggressive soldier working for Genizix, intent on completing the mission assigned to them. Under the direction of their officer, 909, 351 has been dispatched to quickly and efficiently eliminate targets who threaten to expose the company's activities in the Zhagaviit galaxy.

Eventually they come to realise that they are being manipulated by both the weapons company and their abusive superior, and in part 2 351 challenges 909. Their fight results in 351 gaining an array of scars and a terrifying near-death experience, and though they survive, they are permanently mentally separated. Unable to go into the Trance which binds the consciousnesses of the Helmet and the Host, they must learn how to work together as two people again. 351 escapes to their homeplanet of Ettera, surviving in the wild as they race against time to deliver an important message and rediscover who they are. During part 3, they discard their identification number and take on a new name, Gazi-miah.

More in-depth lore, facts, and extra art below the cut!

BACKSTORY

[cw: abuse, drug use, general dark themes]

351 was always told that they were born in Genizix like 909, though this is not the case at all. 351 had a life before they were turned into a killing machine, living on the Ihmna Stretch with their Ferhahti order. Their life was upturned on the day of their scouting Expedition, a journey that all Knight squires must take on before they can become full soldiers (More on Knight social structure here). They were tasked to deliver a message to an allied order along with two other temporary scouts. Upon arrival, however, instead of friendly greetings they were met with a chilling scene - the order was being attacked by another, the two groups set against each other in a fearsome battle. The fight was secretly orchestrated by Genizix in a plot to evaluate the strongest soldiers to recruit to their cause, unbeknownst to anyone but them. Feeling that it was necessary to aid their allies, 351 and their peers rushed into battle. They fought fiercely, but the young Knights were up against fully-fledged soldiers and 351's companions perished. 351 themselves was severely injured, and in the aftermath, blacked out - but not before catching a glimpse of strange figures.

When they awoke, they were not on Ettera any more; rather an unfamiliar place with black walls and machines. They could barely remember anything from the night before; and slowly the rest of their memories on their homeplanet receded as Genizix toxins that they were injected with took effect. Later, 351 would be introduced to 909, an experienced Knight officer with an extensive history of working for Genizix, and placed in their unit. They were assigned a number for a name and moulded into the perfect killing machine. 909 fed 351 a constant stream of lies about where they came from, and like all soldiers recruited into the system, promised that in fighting for the company they had a chance to participate in something greater than themselves; to see the real universe outside of Zhagaviit. But 351 was driven more by fear than the potential for glory. They had seen what happened to those who disobeyed the higher-ups, and what could happen to them if they did not complete the missions.

909 stripped 351 of their individuality and left nothing but brute force and a desire to please. What the agent feared more even than Genizix was invoking 909's anger, so they pushed themselves to do any dirty work asked of them. The organisation became their whole world, their 'family', and 909 made sure they could never leave their clutches - manipulating them, threatening them and twisting their worldview. The process was sped up by specialised toxins designed by Genizix intended to distort perception and slow brain activity, inducing a dreamlike state. On Knights, this had the effect of triggering and enhancing the Trance, making it incredibly difficult for one to mentally separate the helmet from the host. With time 351 came to believe that they were one person, and they had no reason to think otherwise as their exposure to information was carefully controlled. 351 was conditioned to see their targets as non-sophont and they were rewarded for using cruel tactics. The more time they spent with 909, the more they began to lose their sense of self entirely until they were nothing but a weapon. Such is the fate of most soldiers who have wound up working for Genizix.

Despite the deep emotional (and physical) scarring and conditioning, during the events of Vivere 44 seeds of doubt are planted in 351's minds. These would only germinate further as they gain more clarity of their situation. Standing up to 909 was the first step they took towards breaking free of their chains, although it came with a cost. 351's host was physically Separated from their helmet in the fight, an injury which in most cases is lethal. They were repaired by a scientist who stitched them back together and managed to salvage a sliver of the bond which connected their minds. 351 could never enter the Trance again, though the helmet and host could still exchange thoughts between each other. As they were two separate entities now, the helmet guides the blind host with directions.

Instructed by the scientist (an Arrow named Nimbus, who will be introduced later) 351 left the facility on a new mission - to deliver an urgent message to Jes-ren, a Kaata Plains Knight living on a Ranch on Ettera. They traversed the land they once called home, now unfamiliar to them, relearning how to work together as a pair that might as well be complete strangers to each other. They recover their memories; or at the very least parts of it, as they cannot remember their original name. However, they gain a new one; Gazitkaar-Miahlad [meaning: lost messenger / returned to us].

The road is long and tremendously difficult; Gazi-miah struggles to unlearn years of aggression, addiction and lies, all the while carrying immense trauma. They eventually find peace, and settle down with Jes-ren in Kaat following the climax.

PERSONALITY

During their time at Genizix, agent 351 picked up on a lot of nasty habits and traits from 909 who brought out their worst attributes. They became merciless, taught to discard feelings and remorse. 351 was not afraid to make a show of their strength, and at times was needlessly cruel and taunting. The toxins affecting their nervous system tended to spur on their host's prey drive to a concerning degree, and a part of them enjoyed the power trip they got from hunting down targets. Though everything they did, they did for 909's approval - and to avoid getting disposed of by Genizix.

When their host and helmet were Separated, and the effects of the toxins wore off, gradually their aggressive attributes took a backseat as they grappled with their new situation. With great effort they gain an understanding of both the horrors they went through and the atrocities they committed for the sake of a corrupted system.

Once they escape Genizix's hold, it becomes clear that 351 is incredibly socially inept and any interaction that isn't violence or taking orders is new territory for them. Freedom and agency are difficult concepts for them to grasp, but with the aid of others around them they begin to adjust to their new life.

The helmet, Miahlad (my-a-lad) is the more practical of the two. He has one goal in mind; keeping the both of them safe. Miah is resourceful and smart, though when it comes to social interaction he's just as clueless as his host. This doesn't stop him from offering advice via their mind-link. He is firm, distrustful, and judgemental, but cares deeply for Gazitkaar even if he won't say it. At first he is reluctant to uncover the truth in fear that it will harm them both, preferring to stick to familiar ground. Despite his realistic worldview, more than once he considers going back to Genizix due to the simple fact that it's all they've ever known - even if it hurt them. As a helmet he cannot speak out loud but relearns sign language to communicate with other knights.

The host, Gazitkaar (gaz-it-car) is constantly questioning everything. She is less focused on the personal safety and wellbeing of the Knight body and more concerned with the wider truth, always seeking to know more. Gazi is not one to back down from a challenge, whether it be traversing dangerous territory or mastering a new skill. But like Miah, she is averse to touch, and will bite if boundaries are pushed far enough. She is more open to listening than her helmet, and is a fast learner. Though she is more adaptable than Miah, her curiosity can sometimes go unchecked and lead them into trouble.

EXTRAS

They are 37 years old and tower over everyone, including other Knights. Their prescence could fill a whole room.

The engraved bone necklace was given to them by a Polar Knight commander from Ehtte Thannoeh where they first landed on Ettera. The carving depicts an Aikka deity whose horn always points northwards, and is said to watch over lost travelers from the northern lights.

Gazi-miah's piercings were put in by the scientist Nimbus, intended to firmly fix the helmet to the host.

As a Genizix agent their build is very toned and muscular due to their intense training and strength-enhancing substances which also speed up wound recovery. Such a lifestyle was placing immense stress on their body, and as they spent more time on Ettera they gained more weight and adopted a healthier diet.

Their build and design is inspired by bulls and rottweilers.

Their fur is spiky due to chemicals and unnatural cleaning products resulting in an unpleasant, rough texture. In the future it becomes softer thanks to proper grooming.

Here's some of the first concept art I have of them (and also showcases their pelt colours better)

Aaand a simplified version of the ref without all the notes for your viewing pleasure.

I'll stop here before this post gets insanely long but if you have any questions I shall be delighted to answer!! ;] Thanks for listening to my tedtalk

#a little later than anticipated but ITS HERE!! #my beloved #sorry for the infodump. can you tell ive been thinking about these guys a lot #vivere 44 #my art #knights #sophont #oc #original character #speculative biology #spec bio #speculative evolution #art #reference sheet #long post #abuse mention #drug mention #alien #character design #put them through the horrors but what else is new

[ingridskogstad]

First attempt at making concepts for one of my projects and presenting them in a visually appealing way. Maybe i'll edit in an english version of the text later, but for now, just plain text translation with some additions

Ysgrelian Boar - a semi-domesticated artiodactyl present in swamps and forests of Ysgrela. They are bred as an easy-to-keep, sturdy livestock, able to withstand harsh winters and find food at any time of the year. They use their showel-shaped lower incisors for digging up roots and cutting aquatic vegetation. Sexual dimorphism is represented in muzzle and tusk length. Despite their large size, they cannot be ridden, but are sometimes harnessed in carriages as status display. Ysgrelian people use not only their meat and hide, but also tusks, bones, bristles, fat, and even blood, which is sthe main ingredient of Ysgrela's national dish: black blood soup.

These boars are, in fact, closer related to hippopotamus than to actual pigs (suidae family) and cannot breed with pigs. Design is based on wild boars (main shape), tapirs (legs, snout and baby coloration), bisons (winter coat) and platybelodons (lower incisors)

Credit to Naira for helping me a lot with the sketch!

#concept art #concert #speculative biology #digital art #art #artists on tumblr #animal art #worldbuilding #reference sheet #boar #The Sun ov Man

[marinememes]

I am a proud supporter of whatever the hell those orcas are doing

#this is of course a reference to those orcas around Europe who are actively sinking boats #they are doing nothing wrong #aquarium #orcas #marine biology #orca #oceanposting #sea creatures #ocean #marine life #cetaceans

[cordyceps-sapiens]

In case you want some cool news, they were studying subglacial rivers in Antarctica and stuck a camera in there, and there were a bunch of little guys wriggling around!

Here they are, if you don’t want to read the rest of the article:

https://youtu.be/D_aoRYNnKCs

They are like 500 kilometers from the nearest daylight, way further than the animals in the deepest parts of the sea, but they’re still finding enough nutrients to get by!

#multimedia #life finds a way #science #amphipods #marine biology #antarctica #I anticipate The Thing references

[bonefall]

Something like this?

Yeah! Very close to that!

From the top view, the toes would still be pretty indistinguishable because the fur would still obscure where one ends and another begins, but that's about right.

At this point in their evolution, you'd be able to tell right away from the tool claw that they're not Felis Catus Domesticus anymore. I had a specbio project I worked on for a while where I called them something like Felis Narrans I think.

#It was a personal reference to an old college professor who was very inspiring to me #She overheard this theory once that humans shouldn't be called Homo Sapien but 'Homo Narrans' #Because of how storytelling and parables were more important to our species than individual intelligence #So she would put that into practice by. Instead of scolding us if we fucked up. She would find a parable to talk about #And after the parable was done she would state its moral lmao #I don't know if anyone else in that class appreciated it but my autistic ass did #Like one time we didn't clean up a space after we used it and she launched into the Tragedy of the Commons #With the exaspiration of an aging dramaturge #I loved her class #Bone babble #speculative biology

[charseraph]

Bong’s mom is a good mom

#my art #crowns #momg #Bongspider #speculative biology #‘Jewels’ means ‘humans’ in reference to their teeth and eyes.

[iamthepulta]

Here's the thing about geology as a science: 90% of what you learn in school is vocabulary. You aren't learning about things. Chemistry and physics and mathematics theoretically taught you The Tools and how to use them.

Geology is about being able to describe the world around you in shorthand. Chemists look at CuFeS2 and say "copper-iron (III) sulfide" and they'd be correct. I look at CuFeS2 and say Chalcopyrite because "copper-iron (III) sulfide" is a lot to say; but more importantly, Chalcopyrite can also be a copper-iron (II) sulfide. Bornite (Cu5FeS4) is also a "copper-iron (III) sulfide".

However, when you look at Chalcopyrite (Cpy) and Bornite (Bn) in the ground, they look very different and they behave differently too when you try to get the copper out. So geology shorthands their chemical formulas to names.

I really love this cuneiform diagram because it illustrates the fundamental need of geology: that back in 2000BC the Babylonians and Dilmuni had the same challenge creating words that described ore (desired rock coming out of the ground), copper (the element), and copper minerals (what would produce copper).

(Metallurgy in Antiquity, Forbes, 1950)

The same thing happens in structural geology and geomorphology. You can say, for example, that a "fault zone" is where the earth has fractured, but you immediately want to know how. "Normal fault" or "Thrust fault" can describe the direction of movement and relative angle into the earth. But if you say "Graben" to a geologist, they immediately know sense of shear, angle into the earth, and location you're referring to in that system.

#I sometimes find it heartbreaking talking to people who don't know geology when they can't find the words to describe #the world around them. The public system has failed us so badly we're unable to describe our universe outside of calculations #and physical art. THAT'S why geology and biology are such important classes. But of course they get shat on the most. #geophilosophy #geology #to reference

[raintailed]

FOURTEENTH FUNGUARY SILLY based on bleeding tooth fungus!!!

this is Soni (pronounced SAW-nee) (any pronouns, he/him preferred)! He was a regular northern highland slugcat until he was modified by Drowned Out Cry to be a slimecat "hybrid."

Something about slimecats and their hybrids is that they can only properly hybridize (form "true hybrids") with similar species such as rot or dark lichen.

Meanwhile, Soni is a "false hybrid;" since his original species isn't fully compatible with slimecat stuff, he has distinct slimecat patches instead of being an even mix. Since slimecats technically never stop growing, a false hybrid's patches won't either; eventually, Soni will be 100% slimecat (but still 100% Soni).

Sometimes it can be difficult to identify whether a slimecat hybrid is a true or false one. A simple method is to see if their slimepups are also hybrids; if so, it's a true hybrid. If the pups are just regular slimepups, then their parent is a false hybrid.

True slimecat hybrids can occur naturally or be made artificially (natural ones usually happen from pups living around and absorbing stuff like rot). False hybrids are always artificially made.

#raintailed's art #funguary #funguary2024 #rain world #rw #rain world oc #my ocs #soni (oc) #reference #tw body horror #haha!!! you get a crash course on slimecat hybrid biology!!! #weirdly enough doughcats (sketchcake creature) are candidates for true slimecat hybrids #queue

[zgasly]

Ayy I've finally made a ref for my Spore species!!

#myart #spore #spore galactic adventures #species #alien #alien species #original species #speculative biology #sci fi #raptor #creature #creature design #species reference sheet #reference sheet #science fiction #world building