Speculative Evolution

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

I'll be glad if even one person knows what Spec. Evo. is. I guess one of the most famous examples is the 'Alien Biospheres' series on YouTube. I you're going to watch it, I'd recommend at least finishing episode 3, or preferably 5. 

So, who's ready to create a Spec. Evo. world? Here are my ideas:

The star has maybe ~1.1 Solar masses

The planet has one major moon, with a similar origin story to Earth's, and also a minor asteroid-sized one. It is one slightly less massive than Earth and has a bit less iron in its core, leading to a lower density and surface gravity. It has a similar temperature and atmospheric composition to Proterozoic Earth. It's tilt is 22 degrees, giving it slightly less seasonal variation. A day is 18 hours and this planet will probably have different Hadley cells (I need to rewatch those Artifexian videos).

Any more ideas for the planet?

Once we get to the actual Spec. Evo, I don't want to start from the phylum like Biblaridian did. I wish to start from the very beginning, or as close to it as possible, which means beginning with the first animals that begin to leave the plankton swarm. So while Biblaridian began after things settled down from the Cambrian, most likely an Ordivician equivalent, I'm starting from the Ediacran and before. Will there be a mass extinction when predators evolve? Probably.

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

50 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

I'll be glad if even one person knows what Spec. Evo. is. I guess one of the most famous examples is the 'Alien Biospheres' series on YouTube. I you're going to watch it, I'd recommend at least finishing episode 3, or preferably 5. 

So, who's ready to create a Spec. Evo. world? Here are my ideas:

The star has maybe ~1.1 Solar masses

The planet has one major moon, with a similar origin story to Earth's, and also a minor asteroid-sized one. It is one slightly less massive than Earth and has a bit less iron in its core, leading to a lower density and surface gravity. It has a similar temperature and atmospheric composition to Proterozoic Earth. It's tilt is 22 degrees, giving it slightly less seasonal variation. A day is 18 hours and this planet will probably have different Hadley cells (I need to rewatch those Artifexian videos).

Any more ideas for the planet?

Once we get to the actual Spec. Evo, I don't want to start from the phylum like Biblaridian did. I wish to start from the very beginning, or as close to it as possible, which means beginning with the first animals that begin to leave the plankton swarm. So while Biblaridian began after things settled down from the Cambrian, most likely an Ordivician equivalent, I'm starting from the Ediacran and before. Will there be a mass extinction when predators evolve? Probably.

I have an idea: The planet has an unusually metal-rich crust due to heavy asteroid impacts in (relatively (200 M- 1 B years ago) recent history. 

[Through The Living Glass She/They]

AHHHHH I LOVE THIS HANG ON LEMME-

@The Wandering Wizard

-THERE WE GO :D:D

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

3 hours ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

I have an idea: The planet has an unusually metal-rich crust due to heavy asteroid impacts in (relatively (200 M- 1 B years ago) recent history. 

What exactly do you mean by recent history? Recent relative to when? The emergence of life?

Well, the late heavy bombardment was within the first 500 million years of Earth's history, so we can say that at least early life evolved alongside high concentration of metal. It will probably remain for a while as Earth didn't get true plate tectonics until the Archeaon Eon and this planet will probably be even slower form the smaller core. The metal can allow for some interesting things, like more efficient oxygen-carrying molecules than haemoglobin and bones and armour made from partly metal.

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

8 hours ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

What exactly do you mean by recent history? Recent relative to when? The emergence of life?

Well, the late heavy bombardment was within the first 500 million years of Earth's history, so we can say that at least early life evolved alongside high concentration of metal. It will probably remain for a while as Earth didn't get true plate tectonics until the Archeaon Eon and this planet will probably be even slower form the smaller core. The metal can allow for some interesting things, like more efficient oxygen-carrying molecules than haemoglobin and bones and armour made from partly metal.

Relatively recent in the timescale of the lifespan of the planet

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

21 hours ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

Once we get to the actual Spec. Evo, I don't want to start from the phylum like Biblaridian did. I wish to start from the very beginning, or as close to it as possible, which means beginning with the first animals that begin to leave the plankton swarm. So while Biblaridian began after things settled down from the Cambrian, most likely an Ordivician equivalent, I'm starting from the Ediacran and before. Will there be a mass extinction when predators evolve? Probably.

I’m more familiar with post Cambrian - pre mesozoic evolution but I’d love to join in this.

 

what elements are you picturing in the atmosphere? Artifrexian has a whole Video on how it effects plants and atmosphere color 

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

9 minutes ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

I’m more familiar with post Cambrian - pre mesozoic evolution but I’d love to join in this.

 

what elements are you picturing in the atmosphere? Artifrexian has a whole Video on how it effects plants and atmosphere color 

Well, I was thinking nitrogen, methane and carbon-dioxide early on, until photosynthesis evolves and then CO2 and CH4 go down while oxygen goes up.

The plants, because the star is slightly bigger, will most likely be either teal-ish or orange-ish.

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

3 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

Well, I was thinking nitrogen, methane and carbon-dioxide early on, until photosynthesis evolves and then CO2 and CH4 go down while oxygen goes up.

The plants, because the star is slightly bigger, will most likely be either teal-ish or orange-ish.

Purple Earth Hypothesis

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

Just now, IcedOutPenguin said:

Purple Earth Hypothesis

Yes. It's pure chance that most plants are green and not purple nowadays.

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

8 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

Yes. It's pure chance that most plants are green and not purple nowadays.

No. Its actually probible

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

Just now, IcedOutPenguin said:

No. Its actually probible

Uhh... chlorophil is more efficient?

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

1 minute ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

Uhh... chlorophil is more efficient?

Maybe

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

1 minute ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

Maybe

Alright. Should we start the actual Spec Evo?

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

1 minute ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

Alright. Should we start the actual Spec Evo?

Sure

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18vI5qjNBTaVnIZDOUI_ffDL3YyGYtiz9m-uMiaR1Nbo/edit?usp=sharing

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

2 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18vI5qjNBTaVnIZDOUI_ffDL3YyGYtiz9m-uMiaR1Nbo/edit?usp=sharing

Are you going to be managing the google doc?

Also is there some way to view google docs without using a google account associated with my real name?

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

1 minute ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

Are you going to be managing the google doc?

Also is there some way to view google docs without using a google account associated with my real name?

Yes.

I don't know, maybe see if [email protected] isn't taken

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

Just now, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

Yes.

I don't know, maybe see if [email protected] isn't taken

I'll check

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

10 minutes ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

I'll check

Have you played any of the Bios: Earth trilogy?

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

Just now, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

Have you played any of the Bios: Earth trilogy?

Nope!

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

8 hours ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

Nope!

I highly recommend you look it up. Do you play non-ttrpg board games?

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

23 hours ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

Well, I was thinking nitrogen, methane and carbon-dioxide early on, until photosynthesis evolves and then CO2 and CH4 go down while oxygen goes up.

The plants, because the star is slightly bigger, will most likely be either teal-ish or orange-ish.

Noted. So basically earth then

23 hours ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

Have you played any of the Bios: Earth trilogy?

Are they any good

[NerdyAarakocra They/Them]

With a higher metal content in the crust, it's possible that plants have metal armor instead of bark.

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

On 5/7/2025 at 8:45 AM, RoyalBeeMage said:

Are they any good

Hmm... Read the Bios: Genesis rulebook And Find Out.

https://cdn.webshopapp.com/shops/251354/files/251177663/rulebook-bios-genesis-170515.pdf

They're more like simulations than actual games, but I still think they're fun.

Also, to be clear, they're board games. On your first play-through, expect 6 hours.

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

16 hours ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren said:

Hmm... Read the Bios: Genesis rulebook And Find Out.

https://cdn.webshopapp.com/shops/251354/files/251177663/rulebook-bios-genesis-170515.pdf

They're more like simulations than actual games, but I still think they're fun.

Also, to be clear, they're board games. On your first play-through, expect 6 hours.

6 hours! That’s a bit of a time commitment. I could spread it out over a few days or weeks