SkunkyArt | electreel — Ideas and concepts for the Allocene Project

Antarctic freshwater ecosystems were colonized by diadromous fishes, including amphidromous (galaxiids, gobies and sandperches) and anadromous (salmonids and anguilids), as well as icefish and euryhaline fishes (ambassids, ariid catfishes, gobies, eleotrids, mugilids, etc.)

Great diversity of amphibious galaxiids in Antarctica. Mouth cavity and part of the digestive tract are heavily vascularized, which allows them to breathe air. Increased irrigation to skin in order to maximize oxygen absorption. Burrowing forms living in damp soil, sometimes far from freshwater reserves (see swamp eels like Monopterus rongsaw for inspiration). Tunnels are covered with slime. Detritivore forms with comb-like mouths. Also blind troglobitic forms.

Increased diversity and endemism of North American herbivores as climate becomes warmer and wetter. Migratory species disappear.

Descendants of carangids (or other perciform fishes) filling an ecological niche similar to that of tunas.

Leaf-mimicking flounder living in mangroves or freshwater environments.

Small, predatory, tree-dwelling varanids with stereoscopic vision.

Water-walking spiders with elongated legs (Aggressive mimicry with gerrids?)

Endoparasitic plants growing inside trees that lack chlorophyll and a vascular system. They sprout inflorescences that attract phytophagous arthropods.

Fungi or unicellular algae that lead a similar lifestyle.

“Hermit” insect larvae (fireflies) or staphylinids using empty land snail shells as mobile protective structures.

Giant flatfish filling the role of carpet sharks in the shores of the northern Atlantic Ocean.

Parasitic snails with ventral suckers and well-developed radula.

Scorpion-mimicking chamaeleon.

Large, intertidal, algae-grazing blenny or goby.

Geographical expansion and diversification of characoid fishes?

Galeacornid named after the Egyptian goddess Hathor.

Burrowing worm-like tadpoles living in moist soil (see Micrixalus herrei)

Bird with keratinous filaments or spikes not derived from feathers (see Anhima cornuta’s spike and Meleagris pavo’s beard).

North American slug moths (Limacodidae) whose caterpillars mimic the shape of spiders.

Once widespread groups of marine organisms now restricted to abyssopelagic or hadopelagic zones (see this )

Aquatic turtle that mimics highly-dangerous stingrays.

Spider-mimicking winged insect; patterns on wings resemble the front legs of a spider.

Benthic cephalopod living in coastal areas that creates striking eyespots when disturbed by predators.

Benthic cuttlefish that lurks buried in the sand. Its eyes rest upon long stalks, and the frontal part of the body is curved upwards.

Cave-dwelling insect (cockroach?) with extreme sexual dimorphism: male individuals are very small and have atrophied organs, a short abdomen and rather long legs, and become attached to their female counterparts upon copulation.

Species of mammals with a fruit-rich diet using carotenoids for skin pigmentation (bright yellow, red...). See this

Great diversity of terrestrial amphipods in Antarctica.

Parasite that replaces a functional part of its host (see tongue-eating louse or Macrocheles rettenmeyeri).

A symbiotic relationship deriving from the above situation, in which the replacement or enhancement of a functional part of an organism by another is actually beneficial to both.

Jumping crabs resembling raninid crabs. They use their middle legs to propel forward to escape from predators. They are rather widespread and diverse.

New group of pitcher plants that look very similar to modern ones but are actually unrelated to them.

Burrowing varanids with large, shovel-like heads, spade-like forepaws, and short, muscular tails.

Tarsier-like rodents with large, stereoscopic eyes, prehensile toes and hook-like incisors.

Medium-sized social birds that hunt in large numbers.

Haematophagous ants that live in reduced colonies.

New group of land snails with a new type of locomotion (pulmonate snails move by means of foot sole ondulations, pomatiid snails move by alternating each side of the foot sole), perhaps using the foot sole and a bifurcated peduncle under the head as limbs.

Insect larvae that gather together and move like a singular creature, even trapping and devouring animals significantly larger than them. See this

Crab spider whose first two pair of legs is fused and covered with with hook-like setae, acting like a grasping organ

New types of aquatic plants living in the Antarctic wetlands. (lacking cutin and stomata, great S/V ratio, air cavities, reduced xylem).

Brisingid starfish that trap larger prey (crustaceans, fishes, etc.)

Large brittle star that mimics venomous sea snakes or eels (dark-light stripes on arms)

Cheirasteridae: predatory starfish with a large ambulatory arm and smaller grasping arms. Some of them vaguely resemble a human hand, hence the family name.

Shelled animal that incorporates foreign objects during the development of its shell (see Xenophora ).

Completely terrestrial mammal with amphibian ancestors (see echidnas )

Medium-sized, insect-eating bird (anatid?) living in Antarctica. Long tongue covered with small, stiff papillae. Well-developed hyoid apparatus (see this )

Large, grazing Antarctic geese with highly specialized buccolingual anatomy.

Large-beaked bird that feeds on terrestrial crustaceans living in Antarctica.

Plant-boring insects that retain a grub-like form throughout most of their life cycle.

Tiny, insectivorous mongooses, civets or mustelids with adaptations to arboreal life (prehensile fingers and tail, compact body, large forward-looking eyes, etc.), living in Eurasia and Africa.

Small insectivorous and frugivorous opossums with adaptations to arboreal life, living in North America.

Small flatfish that are able to crawl in a centipede-like fashion using their dorsal and anal fin rays. See this

Brightly-colored rainforest pigeons with intricately folded facial skin wattles (see this )

Great diversity of beak types in rainforest pigeons (see this ) Nectarivorous species similar to the long-faced tumbler. Frugivorous species similar to the scandaroon or beauty homer breeds.

Nothopsittacus: a genus of rainforest pigeons that look very similar to parrots and parakeets.

Antarctic flightless bats named after the Japanese yokai Yamachichi or Momonjii.

Flying spiders (Muscarachne): giant robber flies that mostly resemble winged spiders.

Mountain-dwelling descendants of dromedaries in Australia.

Insects (moths?) mimicking poisonous frogs.

Fern-mimicking centipede

Ramulopavus sp. - Great-sized, tree-dwelling rails living in Eurasia.

Infestovespa pullocida - Parasitoid wasp that uses bird nestlings as hosts (Iceland? Azores?).

Giant species of shark living in the Antarctic Ocean; preys on large-sized seabirds and mammals.

Spiny/armored terrestrial species of chameleon living in Madagascar.

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