The Skies of Anu | Alien Biology

Every form of life on our planet, from species that swim in water to those that fly through the air, from the largest land mammals to the smallest insects, all of these creatures and their life patterns are, in some way or form. another, determined by the same invisible force: gravity. The Earth's gravitational pull influences the parameters of animals' body plans, maximum size and behavior, often limiting the ways in which life can evolve. But an Earth-like level of gravity is not a constant throughout the universe. Imagine a planet where gravity is much, much weaker than on Earth. What kinds of fantastic extraterrestrial life forms could evolve?

This speculative hypothesis is the inspiration behind the fictional

alien

world of Anu, the brainchild of talented artist Sam Vilasboas. Anu's organisms have evolved into forms very different from those that could exist on our own planet. Vilasboas is an incredible world builder, often creating comprehensive diagrams addressing the hypothetical science behind the low-gravity life forms that populate the planet Anu, including a complete taxonomic chart showing how the various

alien

s we'll explore in this video are doing. related to each other. . If you want to see more of their work, as always I have links to them in the description of this video.

So for this archive entry, we'll delve documentary-style into this incredibly detailed low-gravity world. It's no surprise that the most fantastic shapes are in the air, but let's start where life usually begins: under the waves. The small, rocky planet of Anu doesn't have much water compared to Earth. But just like on our own planet, multicellular life probably began at these depths. Starting at the base of the Anu evolutionary tree, we have the very simple Necroviscera, jellyfish-like organisms with emaciated forms that swim at low-pressure depths. These lightweight organisms are small and relatively simple, but they are essential to many of the planet's other most fantastic life forms.

Moving up the evolutionary tree, we have these "fish-like" life forms present in most of Anu's bodies of water. Ingentriadix is ​​a basic example of such an organism. Thanks to the semi-universal nature of hydrodynamics, the artist imagines that these life forms are not much different from fish on our own planet, although they do not have to worry as much about water pressure at depth thanks to lower gravity. Feeding on organisms like Ingentriadix are species like Litzacrista, first predators the size of a tiger shark. They typically hunt alone, trapping prey in their four-part jaws, which the artist imagines most species on the planet Anu have due to a common ancestor.

This is another species that lives at low pressure depths, moving on silent fins. On Earth, organisms become more complicated and begin to take on truly unknown forms that take advantage of low gravity. This spindly group is the Flammanasus, organisms that probably couldn't stand on our planet, but move well in Anu's gravity. The artist imagines that they travel in herds, as can be seen here along one of Anu's many beaches. In this image, a young Flammanasus starts a meaningless fight with another member of the pack to show strength. And according to the artist, he loses a lot.

In another image, two Flammanasus walk along the muddy bank of a river, looking for a high place to warm themselves in the sun. Temperature regulation is essential for the survival of Flammanasus. The artist imagines that specialized organs throughout the body accumulate and burn fat, generating heat when necessary. Flammanasus use this adaptation in a specialized way: they can heat the air stored in the space of their upper jaw. At night, Flammanasus, which can see in infrared light, uses these flashes of heat to communicate with each other, as demonstrated in this image. A larger terrestrial organism is Dracocentaurus, a species with legs too thin to support a sizable body on our planet, but whose limbs are effective in its own low-gravity environment.

These omnivorous creatures have evolved two long, pointed limbs to attack their prey, which superficially resemble the insectoid claws of various types of mantises. Despite their fearsome appearance, large Dracocentaurus are a social species with some signs of early intelligence, and their packs exhibit significant social complexity. Even larger and less cunning are the gigantic Brachicornibus. These powerful herbivores make the most of low gravity and grow to more than three times the size of a land elephant. Their strange, antler-like front limbs are a powerful form of defense, making them essentially untouchable. But Brachicornibus are not the largest organisms on the planet Anu.

That distinction belongs to the Necrocampus Continentale, which at first glance looks like a field of savannah grasses, but is actually a single massive life form. A cross section reveals that these "grasses" are just the top of the enormous cell-like structures that make up these curious organisms. The artist imagines that some of these cellular networks form their own biomes and are so large that they can be seen from space. In places where two of these life forms meet, elevated areas form, making the organisms almost analogous to living tectonic plates. A genuinely unique speculative concept. But Earth is not the only place where Anu's low gravity is taken advantage of.

A truly unique ecosystem has formed in the vast

skies

of this small planet. The

skies

of Anu are like an aerial ocean, with lightweight organisms gliding on fins similar to how creatures move through Earth's seas. Near the bottom of this aerial oceanic food chain are Endocrura, lightweight organisms whose size allows them to be easily dispersed by winds. Most live in the equatorial forests of Anu and can display fascinating colors like the tropical birds of our own planet. Other Endocrura have adapted to the cold lands north of the equator, like this furry, elegant species whose color helps it blend in with the snow.

Often called "wolves" because of their pack-hunting behavior, these species can jump great distances to catch prey and scavenge on the ground, although they are not true fliers like their relatives. Higher in the atmosphere, larger organisms take flight. This is an example of Foliopalum, a brightly colored herbivore that navigates with three pairs of paddle-shaped wings. These colorful noodles eat leaves and giant spores that are sometimes released into the air by specific plants. The idea of ​​flying spores reminds me of dandelion seeds, which, as I'm sure you know, can also fly through the air with gusts of wind.

But where there are herbivores, there are carnivores. The Enodoptera are a group of large equatorial predators that the artist has nicknamed "aerial sharks." One specific species is the Orbualus, a high-altitude ambush predator that specializes in capturing low-flying prey. Their sharp eyes allow them to search for prey far below them, then descend at high speed and pierce their target with their forelimbs. Like birds on Earth, Enodoptera sometimes rest on the trunks of tall vegetation between periods of foraging, which can be a grueling ordeal. Here, a group takes a break after a fruitless hunt, looking for some shade where they can hopefully get some rest.

Another type of enodoptera are the Stellapulmo, snake-like predators that fly along the river banks of a region called Eden Valley, a biome surrounding the largest lakes on the planet Anu and one with the highest concentration of biomass. from any region. In this lush environment, Stellapulmo streamers bloom in large numbers - catching small creatures when spotted from above. A larger enodopter are the Bia-lavis-qualus, aerial predators the size of a lion that glide in packs through the skies of mountainous regions. They hunt and eat any terrestrial animal in the mountain ranges they can take down, which probably includes most species of the aforementioned Flammanasus.

But there are some organisms in the skies too big for most predators to consider hunting. The Abzulong, which actually fall under the classification of Enodoptera despite being herbivores, have long, narrow bodies that would not be able to fly in the air due to the Earth's gravity. In Anu, however, the Abzulong rule these clear skies. Or at least, mostly. In truth, even the enormous Abzulong are not completely safe. Not when the Crommus Rex is lurking: the largest flying creature in the skies of Anu. These giant organisms almost resemble small airplanes and consume anything they can fit in their mouths.

Which, as this diagram shows, is quite a bit: As the artist imagines, the Crommus Rex has not a four-part jaw, but a six-part jaw that can fit around almost anything. A true pinnacle of low-gravity ocean skies. The unique low-gravity life forms on the planet Anu are just a speculative interpretation of what life might be like on a planet with lower gravity than ours. If you like exploring this fictional world, consider supporting Sam Vilasboas by visiting the links below. There are other Anu species on their page that I didn't get to here, so check them out if you're interested.

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