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Rigorous Science

Posts tagged evolution

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Q&A How can animals of various species organize themselves against a super-predator?

Cats in New York City are an invasive species that are a plague to the animal kingdom. It is well documented that these bloodthirsty psychopaths are responsible for the murder of billions of innoce...

7 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Incognito‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Incognito‭

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Q&A Anatomically Correct Pikachu

We all know Pikachu, fuzzy, small rodent, with the ability to discharge electrical energy as an attack. But could Pikachu ever evolve in our world, and how would it do so? What's required: Rod...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by tox123‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by tox123‭

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Q&A Would biological hydraulics be worth evolving in tetrapods?

I am working on an extraterrestrial class of tetrapod-like organisms. To give them an evolutionary advantage, I am considering biological hydraulics to supplement the muscles in the hind legs. Ev...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Roki‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Roki‭

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Q&A A society in which the "family system" is similar to those of lions or monkeys

I envisioned a world where people are not bounded by marriage and females are free to choose those who they deem "accomplished" and have offspring with him. The males "occasionally" interact with ...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by PiggyChu001‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by PiggyChu001‭

Question evolution family
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Q&A Types of life on a planet in a sun-synchronous orbit?

Basically, a sun-synchronous orbit is where one side of an object is always facing a star as it revolves around it (much like our Moon is, which is where the phrase 'dark side of the moon' originat...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Nathan Hopp‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Nathan Hopp‭

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Q&A What is the science of fairy flight?

Assume these homo super-dwarf aka fairy and homo sapiens come from a common ancestor, and somehow they evolved a pair of wings and can do vertical takeoff. The average adult is approximately the ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by user6760‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by user6760‭

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Q&A Humans under different suns

What would humans look like if they were genetically suited for life under a giant orange star like Iota Draconis ? These would be people who were genetically indistinguishable from humans from ear...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Geoff‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Geoff‭

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Q&A Given a Computer program that had self preservation and reproduction subroutines, how could it "evolve" into a self aware state?

Preface Evolution is great for trial and error over millennia. It creates wonderfully intelligent creatures that are suitable for a variety of habitats. All it needs to start with is a creature th...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Sidney‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Sidney‭

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Q&A How powerful is selective breeding?

Given there is no other species that can do the job better. How much can you change a species to fulfill a specific task. The evolution of horses was pretty extreme from what I remember. Are those...

5 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Armind‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Armind‭

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Q&A Plausible reason for gold-digging ant

Medieval bestiaries describe a creature, a type of desert-dwelling ant that digs for gold. It was also said to be the size of a fox, but I'll ignore that in this question. Why would ants unearth p...

13 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by SealBoi‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by SealBoi‭

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Q&A How do marine dragons evolve flight without any feathers and no hollow bones?

These dragons spend most of their lives in the ocean, however during the mating season they will migrate inland and gather together on a mountain top. Throughout the journey they will cease feeding...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by user6760‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by user6760‭

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Q&A Art Critics in the Stone Age

In the stone-age world that I am building, I don't just want one-dimensional characters who are either hunters or gatherers. I want a great quantity of people including those who would have become ...

6 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by chasly from UK‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by chasly from UK‭

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Q&A Could Gymnosperms Develop Fruits and Flowers Like Angiosperms?

Here is the scenario: A Paleo/Mesozoic mass extinction wiped out 96% of all terrestrial species, and the only plants that survived were as follows: One genus of conifer One genus of cycad One ge...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by JohnWDailey‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by JohnWDailey‭

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Q&A Evolution adapted to technology

...kill every protohuman who tries to leave the African continent. This comment made me think about one question. Suppose you have robot guards, like futuristic lasers, who just shoot at any ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Malkev‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Malkev‭

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Q&A Could a humanoid species exist with vastly different heights?

Many mythological humans vary in depictions. Let's use Trolls from Scandinavia as an example. Some are said to be giants compared to humans (I'd imagine twice the height), and some, like Danish Tro...

7 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by TGCF ‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by TGCF ‭

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Q&A What is the most plausible ancestor for tool-using, sentient, bipedal reptilians?

A classical trope of fantasy is lizardfolk, or a similar species by another name (see for instance the Argonians of Elder Scrolls fame). In general, though, we're dealing with: Bipedal, often pl...

6 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Shalvenay‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Shalvenay‭

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Q&A Anatomically Correct Typhon

Please avoid the obvious jokes. Now I know there are different versions of the Greek monster Typhon, so first I will try to describe its properties. Incredibly large roughly 50-100 feet tall, al...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by The Great Duck‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by The Great Duck‭

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Q&A Could an intelligent race of seals craft tools effectively?

A while ago, I asked a bunch of questions about my alternate Earth timeline, which contains plausible fantasy creatures. One of the concepts I've devised more recently is a solution for mermaids (M...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by SealBoi‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by SealBoi‭

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Q&A Anatomically Correct Cyclops

As a series of anatomically correct myths, here we have the Cyclops. One of the most similar creatures to man but with 'one' noticeable difference, one eye. It seems that land animals love their tw...

6 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Uncle Tres‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Uncle Tres‭

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Q&A Anatomically Correct Humbaba

In ancient Mesopotamian mythology, Humbaba was an evil giant slain by the hero Gilgamesh in the famous Epic of Gilgamesh. In the epic, there was only one Humbaba, but for the purposes of this quest...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by SealBoi‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by SealBoi‭

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Q&A Anatomically Correct Nuckelavee

As a series of anatomically correct myths, here we have the Nuckelavee. Is there a realistic way that Nuckelavee could evolve? Using Earth or near-Earth biology, how close could I get to the classi...

4 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Uncle Tres‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Uncle Tres‭

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Q&A Anatomically Correct Tomte

The tomte is a creature from scandinavian mythology. It's pretty small, humanoid and has clothes and a beard. They live on farms and in houses where they help out with farmwork and other labour, th...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Grollo‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Grollo‭

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Q&A What would the eyes of a cave-dwelling race be like?

So here's the deal: In a D&D-fantasy-style world, the continent of Archaon is inhabited by a wide variety of elves, whose physical characteristics vary based on their dwellings. The forest elv...

4 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by MutantOctopus‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by MutantOctopus‭

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Q&A Anatomically Correct Griffins

As a series of anatomically correct myths, here we have the griffin. Is there a realistic way that griffins could evolve? Using Earth or near-Earth biology, how close could I get to the classic gri...

7 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Uncle Tres‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Uncle Tres‭

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Q&A Evolution of a feline humanoid, specifically upright walking and fingers

I would like a realistic evolutionary path for non-hominid humanoids, but evolution is extremely complex and varied, so I will narrow the question to examining how evolution might occur in felines ...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Miles Engel‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Miles Engel‭

Question evolution humanoid
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Q&A What changes to the livestock industry would slowly evolve the animals to become a threat to humanity?

We, humans, hold a lot of livestock. 19 billion in chickens alone. Cattle, sheep and pigs each also number over 1 billion. Currently these animals cannot evolve freely; they are selected on certain...

6 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Herman‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Herman‭

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Q&A Anatomically Correct Nanaue

The Nanaue (there is no wiki link) is a Hawaiian creature of myth. It is a shark with arms and legs. It can live in both the ocean and on the land. So how do I create the monstrosity that is, the l...

4 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Uncle Tres‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Uncle Tres‭

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Q&A Is there a way for human-sized oviparous humanoid mammals to produce young in eggs without going the full marsupial route?

As per my last two questions asked, I still have a niggling query left regarding a humanoid species in production. To further support their matriarchal theme through evolution, I have decided to ma...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by McGerridae‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by McGerridae‭

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Rigorous Science Why would a male marsiupial agree to accept responsibility for carrying half of his mate's joeys?

I'm looking to create a species of marsupial that is heavily K select, which is to say they put significant effort into raising their young after birth (both of them :P ) in which both the male and...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by dsollen‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by dsollen‭

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Q&A Aliens selectively breed humans to be bigger. How big could they get and still look human?

Can we go from this: to this: Suppose over millennia (or as long as it takes) humans on Earth are artificially selected by aliens to be big and healthy. Is there any theoretical reason that ...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by chasly from UK‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by chasly from UK‭

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Q&A Is there a reason for a humanoid species to be 'biologically' matriarchal with females being slightly more dominant than the males?

Following my last question asked regarding oviparous humanoids, is there a way for evolution to 'regard' females as the more dominant gender without going down that road, forming a heavily matriarc...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by McGerridae‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by McGerridae‭

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Q&A Is it plausible for a being to possess a singular halo-shaped 'horn', while other members of the species possess two 'regular horns'?

I am currently working a humanoid roughly deer-like species in a sci-fi roleplay setting, and one of the developments I have had with such species has me stuck trying to explain it in a way that ma...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by McGerridae‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by McGerridae‭

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Q&A What alterations without drastically altering their humanoid shape nor horns, can I make to my species that lower the risk of neck snapping?

continuing from the question I had asked yesterday, I have had another query come to mind. For my humanoid alien species to possess horns, it would surely put forward the risk of being the shortcut...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by McGerridae‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by McGerridae‭

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Q&A Would humanity survive an empty Earth suddenly populated with young children?

Scenario: An Earth that is identical to our own (for the sake of being specific let's say the environment is the same as it was in 1 BCE) The planet is uninhabited by humans (and no there aren't...

8 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Sarah Burns‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Sarah Burns‭

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Q&A What are plausible reasons for aquatic axolotl-like animals to walk on land?

In my world the resident humanoids evolve from beaver sized aquatic axolotls.The only land on the planet can be considered mountainous terrain. Imagine a volcanic crater where only the rim surfaces...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by SlothsAndMe‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by SlothsAndMe‭

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Q&A Full-body bioluminescence

A creature I am imagining is a small mammal about the size of a domestic cat which - through symbiotic bacteria which live in its fur - is covered its whole body over in blue-white bioluminescence,...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by SealBoi‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by SealBoi‭

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Q&A What would the chemical make-up of a silicon based life-form be like?

I've recently become interested in the possibility of silicon based life. Assume these creatures developed on a planet with zero carbon (don't question, just accept it), so they have no carbon in t...

7 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Xandar The Zenon‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Xandar The Zenon‭

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Q&A How can I predict what the evolution of ants tends towards?

I want to add realistic elements to a futuristic environment I am working on. Realistically, the animals we know of today will change over time and it's more likely smaller ones would survive, so I...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Vane Voe‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Vane Voe‭

Question evolution insects
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Q&A What would birds look like if they used buoyancy to fight gravity?

What would birds look like if they did not have to fight gravity to fly? The question comes from the premise put forward by some that gravity is not real and that what holds us down is pressure ca...

6 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Matt W‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Matt W‭

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Q&A A reverse centaur walks into a bar - Why the long face?

A centaur as we all know is a horse with a human head (and torso). I would like to consider a reverse centaur, which, for the purposes of this question, I will define to be a human with a horse's ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by chasly from UK‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by chasly from UK‭

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Q&A What mechanisms need to be in place for an advanced, peaceful society to retain high testosterone levels?

While by no means a smoking gun, there is still a reasonable amount of empirical evidence on the notion that socialization and testosterone are negatively correlated. Archaeological Evidence Fro...

10 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Arash Howaida‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Arash Howaida‭

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Q&A 2 weeks day, 2 weeks night, how would the sleeping pattern of the planet's dominant species work with a 28 'day' Day?

Okay, so I have this binary planet system. The main planet a bit bigger than earth with a size appropriate moon-planet. Both are habitable and with a humanoid species that evolved there. But, I k...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by SKKennell‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by SKKennell‭

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Q&A Could elephants evolve into living railguns?

Say in a post nuclear holocaust world, elephants managed to survive and adapt. It can consume and digest iron and steel and grow two rows of metallic tusks. When threatened the elephant will lift u...

5 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by user6760‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by user6760‭

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Q&A Realistic Vampire Virus

For the purpose of this question (to make the idea more plausible) a vampire is not an undead creature. Rather: A vampire is a human, infected by a symbiotic virus; The virus is present in a vamp...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by gaazkam‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by gaazkam‭

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Q&A How would plants evolve with longer days?

(First post on StackExchange, hello world!) The project that I'm currently working on involves a Binary Planet system, both with life, although I'm only focusing on one. This planet has a climate ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Foosic17‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Foosic17‭

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Q&A What practical forms can a "branch-tailed" organism have?

So, I made the slight mistake of worldbuilding by starting off with just a planet's local sentient species and working from there. This species, the Trillek, have a more or less theropod appearanc...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Thesaurus Rex‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Thesaurus Rex‭

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Rigorous Science Could Multicellular Life Evolve Sans Cryogenian?

Prior to the Cambrian, there have been three separate ice ages--the Huronian, from 2.4 to 2.1 billion years ago; and the two Cryogenian ice ages, from 720 to 635 million years ago, split in such by...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by JohnWDailey‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by JohnWDailey‭

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Q&A Evolution in dragons

I'm currently working on a world where there are two groups of dragons, Continent dragons and island dragons. The basic story is that long ago there was one massive population of dragons that lived...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Muse‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Muse‭

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Q&A Is the Avian species from the game Starbound plausible?

I apologize if this question is not written up to standards, I am rather new to this site. I have been an avid fan of chucklefish's acclaimed sandbox title, Starbound, for a number of years now a...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by McGerridae‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by McGerridae‭

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Q&A Eusocial Humanoids?

How could a humanoid race and/or a human subspecies develop eusocial behavior? It's more common in insects like bees, but the naked mole rat is a eusocial mammal, so it's possible, any thoughts on ...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by The Literary Lord‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by The Literary Lord‭