Evolution of life on Roshar

[ReadAndFindOut]

We know that the continent of Roshar (Cosmic address: Roshar, Roshar, Greater Roshar, The Knight, The Cosmere) was originally created by Adonalsium, and that Shinovar, at least after the arrival of humanity from Ashyn, is the only place on the planet that has "normal" flora and fauna - no spren, plants growing in soil, similar plants and animals to what we see on Earth/other planets. Did Shinovar always exist as this bastion of normalcy, or was the entire continent of Roshar created with "typical" life forms on it, and then just got scraped clean by the highstorms, leaving it open for other life to evolve? 

[king of nowhere]

No idea, but I think adonalsium would be smart enough to figure out "normal" life would not survive on roshar. Making an ecosystem that goes extinct shortly thereafter doesn't seem the kind of thing a god would make.

Not only, but I think many animals and plants from our planet would manage to survive the highstorms. Moss and lichens can grow on bare rock and are hardy enough to not be affected by the wind. Mice and other small animals could wheater highstorms by hiding on the leeward side of trees. beavers would be able to chew trees and make their own shelters. Also, we should see whales and dolphins in the oceans. The complete absence of mammals except those of shin derivation is a clear sign that mammals were never made.

Thinking about it, mice did manage to spread, when shallan first comes in karbranth she sees a skyheel eating hunting a mice. But mice as so hardy, they could have easily spread out of shinovar.

If we assume life evolved normally, I suppose roshar landmass was colonized by plants first and later crustaceans. Some plants living in shallow pools (already adapted to be partialy exposed to highstorms) would gradually shift towards land, because they'd find no predators there. And once plants are growin on the land, some shallow-water crustaceans would learn to go on the land to eat them.

[Singer she/her]

I've got two random theories that may be total garbage. Also they don't work together so it is kind of a one or the other kind of thing, but here they are anyway!

Theory #1: I postulate that animals like the Ryshadium must be native to Shinovar area. They don't have a carapace, they are just horses that are stronger, smarter, and faster than regular horses. I am guessing once more characters spend time in Shinovar we'll see more creatures like that; creatures that are a little more similar to what we'd see in our world with a bit of Rosharan twist.

Theory #2: I've also wondered if Honor and Cultivation tempered the environment of Shinovar when the humans arrived. It sounds like it was already milder, but maybe they changed it even more to suite the new refugees? The plants and animals brought from Ashyn are the "normal" ones we see and there hasn't been enough intervening time for evolution to take its course to alter those to be more "Roshar-y".

[StanLemon]

3 hours ago, Singer said:

Theory #2: I've also wondered if Honor and Cultivation tempered the environment of Shinovar when the humans arrived. It sounds like it was already milder, but maybe they changed it even more to suite the new refugees? The plants and animals brought from Ashyn are the "normal" ones we see and there hasn't been enough intervening time for evolution to take its course to alter those to be more "Roshar-y".

This is how I always interpreted it

[king of nowhere]

I think there are WOBs that ryshadium are originally normal horses that bonded spren, thus becoming more akin other rosharan life

[Ripheus23]

21 hours ago, ReadAndFindOut said:

the continent of Roshar (Cosmic address: Roshar, Roshar, Greater Roshar, The Knight, The Cosmere)

Honor and Cultivation the Shards

10 Roshar Ct.

Roshar, GR-TK 101010

[+Invocation]

@king of nowhere is right.

Quote

Questioner

The Ryshadium mounts. Are they actually-- Is there an actual bond, like the Nahel bond?

Brandon Sanderson

They are slightly Invested through a symbiotic relationship on Roshar that gives them better-than-average animal intelligence.

source

Quote

Questioner #1 (in Mistborn cosplay) (paraphrased)

Do Ryshadium exist because of a spren bond, like greatshells?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yea, they evolved symbiotically with spren, unlike other horses. They can still mate will other horses, but they are genetically distinct.

source

Quote

Questioner [PENDING REVIEW]

I'm really curious about Ryshadium. Is there something bigger about them?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

It's not super-huge. They are non-native species who have started to form spren bonds like native species do. So, a symbiotic bond with a spren has started happening. Ryshadium are horses that have done that, basically. You could say that humans have done the same thing. Non-native species that have started to form spren bonds. The Ryshadium are the only other non-native species that that has started happening. Like the chasmfiends have a symbiotic relationship with the spren that they have, the Ryshadium have a spren.

It's not as visible, but it is there.

source

 

[Singer she/her]

Thanks for the WoBs, ya'll. Nothing like going straight to the source . I retract my totally debunked theory.

[Calderis he/him]

Fairly sure that answers the OP question as well. Horses are a non-native species. Which implies that earthlike species are foreign. 

[Spoolofwhool]

The nature of Shinovar with its protective mountains does imply that it was intentionally made to be a bastion for non-Rosharan life to thrive.