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105697 — Walking With Monsters: Episode 1, The Dawn Of Life

#cambrian #ediacara #fish #scorpions #sea #ordovician #walkingwithmonsters
Published: 2017-03-15 05:31:06 +0000 UTC; Views: 7069; Favourites: 46; Downloads: 8
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Description Earth was a barren planet that was littered with volcanoes and no atmosphere. One day however, the volcanoes pumped out so much smoke, that it created an atmosphere. Later, the planet cooled, and water formed on Earth thanks to the meteorites that crashed onto the planet. Later, life appeared on the planet as bacteria and prokaryotes. For most of the majority of life, it stayed this way. Then, about 2.1 billion years ago, something so unlikely happened that it has only happened once in the last 4 billion years life has been on this planet. One day, a prokaryote and a bacteria encountered each other, and the prokaryote swallowed the bacteria, but it didn't digest it. Instead, that bacteria became the first mitochondria, and started producing ATP, the substance that help our bodies run, and this was a game changer. This was the first eukaryote, and it gave rise to the fungues, protists, plants, and animals that are alive today. When animals appeared on the scene 670 million years ago, the Earth was up for grabs. But who would conquer this new world?

This series will take us through life before the dinosaurs. In an epic war of our planet, creatures evolved that would give rise to humans. Not only would their body plan ensure our survival, but every vertebrate alive today. This is a battle for our planet, a battle of monsters.

Now here are all the creatures that will be featured in the first episode of WWM. I changed some things from my previous list. One change is that the Cambrian Act will take place in China and not in Canada, and that the Ordivician Episode will take place in North-Eastern America and I removed one of the creatures in the Ordovician Act since it lived MUCH later.

Act 1 (Ediacara) Creatures
Time: 567,000,000 YBP
Location: Argentina
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Aspidella terranovica: This creature is one of the oldest animals on the planet, dating to a 567 million years ago. This odd, leaf like animal will feature in a short scene where it is waving in the ocean, absorbing any particles from the water.

Act 2 (Cambrian) Creatures
Time: 526,000,000 YBP
Location: China
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Anomalocaris soran: This almost 1 meter long radiodont is the largest creature in this act, and would have cruised the waters in search of prey. However, because of new studies taken on the biomechanics of anomalocariid jaws, it turns out that most of the species of Anomalocaris were, in fact, wormsuckers. Their jaws weren't capable of breaking through tough shells, and their jaws couldn't even close all the way. This means they were limited to using their jaws to suck up worms and other soft-bodied animals underneath the sand, using their two long appendages as sifters (There are exceptions though. Anomalocaris canadensis has clear evidence feasting on trilobites because of the marks it leaves in their heads. This means that at least it would have been able to hunt the larger, harder creatures of the time). The species you see here will be feasting on worms and other soft-bodied animals, but won't pass the oppurtunity of feasting on a young trilobite who's armor hasn't hardened yet. This reconstruction is based off the one from www.trilobites.info/species3.h…

Hallucigenia fortis: This small, 2 cm long member of onychophore, is one of the strangest creatures of the time. It has spikes studded across its back as a form of defence, and it has a long neck and small head with a little mouth at the end to suck up tiny animals. This species is the smallest of the genus, since most people usually depict its large cousin, H. sparsa, from the Burgess Shale. It will appear as feasting on the detritus and plankton in the water, and defending itself from attack from the hungry anomalocariid. This one is based off the reconstruction in the paper on the re-description of the head of the larger species

Opabinia regalis: This member of the radiodont family 5.5 cm in length, a very small animal that fed on even tinier worms. It has a long proboscis to sneak up on these worms, and it has five eyes to make sure that it can escape danger quickly. While not native to the Chinese fauna, it will appear as a large school is flowed in from the current. This school will make its residence in China before it quickly disbands. This reconstruction is based on the one from the Royal Society B.

Misszhouia longicaudata: This small, 6 cm long, armored animal is part of the family, Naraoiidea, a group of arthropods that lived in the ocean and became extinct at about the end of the Ordovician. This genus had spiny segments of its legs that would have been used to capture prey. It had a relatively short digestive system as well, which means that it prefers high, nutritional meat. It will appear as a hunter of the worms on the sea floor, and will be the only animal that is capable of breaking through the defenses of Hallucigenia fortis. This reconstruction is based off the one in Wikipedia.

Naraoia spinosa: This creature is also in the same family as the previously mentioned Misszhouia longicaudata. At about 3 cm in length, it was twice as small as its cousin, and unlike its cousin, it was a deposition feeder, feeding on rotting corpses and the detritus on the sea floor. To escape from predators, like its much larger cousin, it digs burrows under the sand, to hide its presence from any predators nearby. This reconstruction if based off the one in Wikipedia.

Myllokunmingia fengjiaoa: One of the first chordates, this 2.8 cm long creature has a big future ahead. It will give rise to all known vertebrates, living and extinct. It is so primitive, it has no jaw, but instead just a simple opening. It feeds on the plankton around it and will also feed on the carcasses of larger Cambrian animals, It will be featured at the end of Act 1, feasting on the corpse of a dead Anomalocaris soran and picking up the small pieces of debris stirred up by another while its sifting through the sand. This reconstruction is based off the one in Wikipedia.

Act 3 (Ordovician) Creatures
Time: 460,000,000 YBO
Location: New York
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Astraspis desiderata: This jawless fish is still small compared to its contemporary creatures, but it is massive compared to its ancestors. At about 20 cm long, it is a scum-feeder, eating anything small on the ocean floor, as well as sucking up any small particles drifting from the surface. It will be seen darting around the bottom and one pair laying eggs before being interrupted by a large eurypterid. The recostruction is based on the one Sebastian Meyer made.

Megalograptus welchi: Once again, the arthropods have evolved, and they are now ready for Round Two. This medium-sized eurypterid is a deadly predator in its own right. At 1.2 meters in length, it exceeds the radiodonts before it and is armed with even deadlier weapons. It has a pair of chelicera that can be used to crunch through and rip apart prey, which it grab a hold of with its massive arms that are armed with many spines. They can be used as a sifter as well, and it is a powerful swimmer, ungulating its body in an up and down motion, as well as using its paddle-like feet. It will be seen as a large predator feasting on anything it can find. This reconstruction is based off of the one seen here. palaeos.com/metazoa/arthropoda…

Cameroceras sp.: An extremely massive, mollusk, this relative of modern squid and octopus can grow up to 6 meters in length, from its tentacles to the tip of its shell. Despite its size, it was a normally peaceful animal, feeding on small animals as well as regularly visiting carcasses to eat. It lacks the powerful suckers of its cousins and is also relatively slow and not very agile thanks to its massive shell, meaning it captures relatively small prey, and is not the top predator of the time, though adults are usually predator-proof. They will be seen cruising through the water after small prey and feeding on dead carcasses of other creatures that fall to the ocean floor. The reconstruction is based off of 's Endoceras.

Pentecopterus decorahensis: While the Megalograptus was an extremely effective predator, it wasn't the top of the food chain at the time. That title belonged to this massive carnivore, Pentacopterus. At 1.83 meters in length, it is the largest predator of its time, and the second largest eurypterid, only being surpassed by the freshwater Jaekelopterus rhenaniae. It is also one of the oldest sea scorpions, with the oldest remains dating back to almost 470 million years ago. Here, it will be shown attacking a young Cameroceras, olurking on the bottom to feed on trilobites, coming ashore to lay its eggs, and interrupting a pair of Astraspis, and eating the male. The reconstruction seen here is based off the one here. www.newsweek.com/scientists-fi…

Isotelus rex: This large trilobite was one of the largest of its kind, and was incidentally named I. rex. At 72 cm in length for the largest individuals, it was certainly the largest trilobite, but it was fair game for any of the larger carnivores. It is mostly a bottom dweller, feeding on anything that falls from the surface of the water. It will be seen crawling on the sea floor eating rotting flesh, and a pair of males fighting over a female for the right to mate. This reconstruction is based off the actual fossil. www.trilobites.info/lgtrilos.h…

Hope you enjoy this chart of my WWB remake/reboot.

UPDATE: Changed the Anomalocaris sil. I was using the wrong species as a base. I shortened H. fortis spines and also darkened the markings on the Nairoiids.
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Comments: 14

Kaijufanatic19 [2019-03-21 21:27:11 +0000 UTC]

Will you ever continue this?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

105697 In reply to Kaijufanatic19 [2019-03-21 22:57:43 +0000 UTC]

Probably not.

If I'm reinterested in making a WW remake though, then maybe.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Kaijufanatic19 In reply to 105697 [2019-03-21 22:58:12 +0000 UTC]

Sounds like a bummer.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

awesomeelephant [2017-03-20 14:42:24 +0000 UTC]

I love your drawings!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

105697 In reply to awesomeelephant [2017-03-20 22:56:31 +0000 UTC]

thank you.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Philoceratops [2017-03-18 12:58:59 +0000 UTC]

Yay, you fixed it! By the way I look forward to the entire series.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

105697 In reply to Philoceratops [2017-03-18 15:22:15 +0000 UTC]

thank you.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

PCAwesomeness [2017-03-15 22:33:51 +0000 UTC]

Amazing!

I covet your ability to draw small pictures so amazingly; please tell me how to do it!

Also, where's A.saron's tails?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

105697 In reply to PCAwesomeness [2017-03-15 23:10:58 +0000 UTC]

Dang it.

Well, now I'm lucky that I drew it in pencil. That way I can correct any mistakes I made.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

PCAwesomeness In reply to 105697 [2017-03-16 01:18:12 +0000 UTC]

You fixed it; yay!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

105697 In reply to PCAwesomeness [2017-03-16 02:24:39 +0000 UTC]

yes I did.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

PCAwesomeness In reply to 105697 [2017-03-18 00:39:22 +0000 UTC]

Thumbs up!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Philoceratops [2017-03-15 17:54:08 +0000 UTC]

Anomalocaris saron had two long and slender furca near its tail, like this: spinops.blogspot.com/2017/02/a…

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

105697 In reply to Philoceratops [2017-03-15 23:11:02 +0000 UTC]

Crud.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0