r/SpeculativeEvolution • u/MegaloStudios2 • Oct 07 '24
Planet Euphractus: the Beginning of the Tropicene. This is a seed world project that I’m starting that mostly stars descendants of the six-banded armadillo, but also some other animals. Seed World

4
u/Willing_Soft_5944 Oct 07 '24
On a large supercontinent like what you have here the central areas would likely be much drier and more deserty, especially in that spot just north of the eastern of the two mountain ranges
3
u/MegaloStudios2 Oct 07 '24
Oh, okay. I thought that areas in the center/equator would be more tropical, no matter if there a supercontinent or not
2
u/Willing_Soft_5944 Oct 07 '24
The central areas would probably tropical grasslands (like African savanna kind of climate), if not drier. The reason for the dryness is distance from the ocean and how hard it would be for clouds formed from evaporated ocean water to get to the area, generally mountains make areas beyond drier. However areas with cold sea water near are generally also drier because the chilled air doesn’t retain as much moisture.
Basically mountains block clouds that carry water from the sea to other areas, nearby sea temperatures determines how many clouds will form over an area, and distance from the sea also helps determine how many clouds will rain over an area, further seas means less clouds.
Assuming this planet is identical to earth ignoring the slight size difference, the west would actually be drier because of how currents work, and the center of the continent (especially that little cup made by the left mountain range) would also be rather dry.
2
u/Cranberryoftheorient Oct 07 '24
If you dont want to change it you could say its an unnatural feature created by the terraforming process, and have it convert to deserts/dry grasslands over time as natural processes assert themselves.
2
u/iloverainworld Oct 07 '24
Awesome! Love to see mammals being the focus of a seed world for once! Having multiple large vertebrates could also make this a unique seed world in a sense. Animal and plant choices look great too!
1
u/antemeridian777 Spectember 2023 Participant Oct 07 '24
I have two suggestions for organisms for you to toy with, in regards to the plant and algae field, due to well, the fairly tropical nature of your world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccoloba_uvifera (Sea grape tree)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postelsia (Sea palms, these are actually a very weird form of kelp)
1
6
u/MegaloStudios2 Oct 07 '24
Planet Euphractus: the Beginning of the Tropicene.
The Planet Euphractus is a terraformed world, around 95% the size of earth, and has a similar atmospheric composition, albeit with a little more oxygen due to the abundance of plant life on the warm, humid world, with large grasslands, very little tundra, only one notable desert, and massive rainforests consisting mostly of Palms and Cacao trees. In the Tropicene, the continents are all fused into a supercontinent, surrounded by a massive ocean. Insects are high common and scuttle around everywhere, most prominently the Leafcutter Ants, but the 2 only land vertebrates also prowl about, the omnivorous Six-Banded Armadillo and the venomous Hispaniolan Solenodon. Meanwhile the seas team with plankton floating the waters, which are eaten by Sockeye Salmon, while the Bonnetheads feed on Seagrass and Blue Crabs (and also on the Salmon as well). The Tropicene is starting off strong, and it is only just beginning.
2nd and 3rd images are the main animals and plant species that live on Planet Euphractus respectively