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Description
I've been thinking about the evolution of my Altamaran species for some time now, but there's still a lot to decide before I can completely draw out an evolutionary tree/diagram for them.

In the meantime here's a possible design for their close ancestors:

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These would be something very close to the Modern Altamaran species, but still distinct enough in skeletal structure to be something else entirely... In comapartive terms, something like H. rhodesiensis would be to modern humans. (the closest known species before H. sapiens)

Design choice-wise, I originally designed a very primitive related species with a lower jaw completely split down the middle, creating a wide hinge for swallowing insect prey.
[link]
As they evolved into larger creatures with higher calorie requirements, a fused jaw to allow a stronger bite- and thus allow larger prey- seemed like the right way to go... So this early altamaran has a lovely cleft palate where the bone of the lower jaw is fused, but the flesh permitting prehensile lips has not yet evolved fully. Subsequently, their capacity for complex language would still be limited.

The hands and feet still have hulking talons for latching onto bark and branches in the trees, so fine motor skills are lacking in the hands, and walking on the ground would be very possible, but awkward due to their splayed toes over long distances or at high speeds. I imagine a bounding gait something like a lemurs would be more comfortable than a run.

These fellows would have tools, and fire, by this point, and some maybe even attempted making clothing and jewellery... but they'd still very much rely on their natural dappled appearance to aid their stealth in hunting. After weapons and traps become the main focus of hunting, the genes for distinct markings would become less important compared to the genes for intelligence. Modern Altamarans now have little more than a disorganised splatter of freckles compared to the complex symmetrical patterns their ancestors displayed on their skins.

designs © me.

Description
I've been thinking about the evolution of my Altamaran species for some time now, but there's still a lot to decide before I can completely draw out an evolutionary tree/diagram for them.

In the meantime here's a possible design for their close ancestors:

---

These would be something very close to the Modern Altamaran species, but still distinct enough in skeletal structure to be something else entirely... In comapartive terms, something like H. rhodesiensis would be to modern humans. (the closest known species before H. sapiens)

Design choice-wise, I originally designed a very primitive related species with a lower jaw completely split down the middle, creating a wide hinge for swallowing insect prey.
[link]
As they evolved into larger creatures with higher calorie requirements, a fused jaw to allow a stronger bite- and thus allow larger prey- seemed like the right way to go... So this early altamaran has a lovely cleft palate where the bone of the lower jaw is fused, but the flesh permitting prehensile lips has not yet evolved fully. Subsequently, their capacity for complex language would still be limited.

The hands and feet still have hulking talons for latching onto bark and branches in the trees, so fine motor skills are lacking in the hands, and walking on the ground would be very possible, but awkward due to their splayed toes over long distances or at high speeds. I imagine a bounding gait something like a lemurs would be more comfortable than a run.

These fellows would have tools, and fire, by this point, and some maybe even attempted making clothing and jewellery... but they'd still very much rely on their natural dappled appearance to aid their stealth in hunting. After weapons and traps become the main focus of hunting, the genes for distinct markings would become less important compared to the genes for intelligence. Modern Altamarans now have little more than a disorganised splatter of freckles compared to the complex symmetrical patterns their ancestors displayed on their skins.

designs © me.