Also notice the spike protruding from the top of each organism. This is used as a food gathering extension. It is plunged into the side of a tree, like a common pushpin into cork, and gathers nutrients for the organism.
| Subsisting
primarily on a diet of woodpulp, the Zeerocksians
had evolved to this stage on their own home planet.
On the left is an example of a Zeerocksian child, the right is an adult.
While the child is larger than its parent, it is weaker. Therefore it is
camoflaged by skin the color and texture of wood so as to blend in more
effectively with its surroundings.
Also notice the spike protruding from the top of each organism. This is used as a food gathering extension. It is plunged into the side of a tree, like a common pushpin into cork, and gathers nutrients for the organism. |
|
|
To
the left you'll see a descendant of the Zeerocksian Refugees, 600 generations
later. With 10 generations giving birth and dying in 3 months, 40 generations
would exist in a year. Over a span of 15 years, approximately 600 generations
have used time and mutation to evolve.
The original group of refugees numbered only 20. Inevitable cross breeding during the "Time of Trouble and Famine" aboard the ship gave rise to myriad mutations quite quickly. The famine served to keep the population in check while they prepared for future generations. The arms seen here developed during the time on the spaceship to aid with the necessary production and maintenance of the transport devices. Note the large bulging eyes that have developed so that the Zeerocksians are able to see during long periods of disuse in the copier, both at night and during the summer months. However, the copier gives off a very bright light when in use. The Zeerocksians had to develop a kind of "sunglass eyelid" to protect them from the glare but still allow them to descend upon their moving prey (copy machine paper). Large Teeth and a powerful jaw became necessary for the digestion of the new form of woodpulp (copy machine paper). And as you can see, the spikes have greatly decreased in size, a sacrifice to divergent evolution. Being no longer needed, they are slowly decreasing in size. Socially, the creatures with shorter spikes are seen as more "attractive". |
