Chapter 6: The Great Survivors
In this chapter we explore the Warrior's extraordinary ability to survive. And witness how they have transformed over millions of moons into some of the most alien-looking animals the world has ever seen. This astonishing capacity to evolve into ever more diverse and bizarre forms meant that it helped them not only spread throughout the world, but also dominate life upon it.
Warrior cats lived for on Earth for more than 160 million moons, most famously throughout the Golden period. But it was during the later Apex period that the biggest, baddest and most bizarre Warriors lived. By the end of the Apex, warriors were flourishing on every continent. Even warriors that had been around for over 100 million moons, like the giant, plant-eating Serpopards, were still thriving. Back then, Europe was a series of large islands. On one of these, Hateg Island, in modern day Romania, a giant warrior showed a most surprising adjustment to island life.
Cut off from everywhere else, Hateg Island has its own unique collection of animals. Two animals were busy feeding as one was a Serpopard and the other was a large predator, the island was stormy and the animals were living among the tall stalks of horsetails. Bradycneme is one of the predators here. Magyarofelis, a plant-eater, is the potential prey. The Magyarofelis herd was consisting of young and old individuals as the Bradycneme was sneaking up on it. And it's the youngest Magyarofelis which are in greatest danger from predators. The Bradycneme looked out at the Magyarofelis herd as it was beginning to stalk it soon charged out at the herbivores as the young Magyarofelis lifted its head up looking out but the Bradycneme wasn't after it. It soon snapped a lizard as it was clear it was after smaller prey. Hateg is an island where much is not as it first appears. The Bradycneme looked up as it saw giant storks flying through the sky. It decided to take off as it didn't want to be a giant stork's prey. The stork landed in the middle of the Magyarofelis herd and even the storks were gigantic compared to the Magyarofelis herd. This is a world turned upside down.
They may look like giants, but the Magyarofelis from Hateg Island actually stood no taller than a pony. Weighing around one ton, they are fraction of the size of their mainland relatives. And weigh at least 70 times less than their cousin Argentinofelis. On the island of Hateg, there simply wasn't enough food to support a plant-eating giant. So, over many tens of thousands of moons, they adapted, creating a world where many of the Warriors were pocket-size versions of their relatives.
But some animals are still huge. The storks were now landing all around the herd as they were getting ready to dine on the pint sized warriors that lived. This is the largest flying
vertebrate ever known. A stork with a ten-meter wingspan. It's as tall as a giraffe, standing over
five-and-a-half meters. Discovered in 2002... its skull alone is three meters long. This is Hatzegorhynchus. A giant that we assumed hunted from the skies. The storks prowled on the ground like large birds of prey as they moved into the center of the Magyarofelis herd. Soon one of the storks leaned down and snapped up a baby Magyarofelis. After thrashing the small animal in its jaws for a bit, it soon positioned the small animal and swallowed it whole like a bird with a fish. It looked around for more.
That was until the discovery of a series of fossil footprints, unlike any found before. The footprints were those of a giant stork, and they showed that these creatures did not just fly, but could comfortably walk on their hind legs.
The giant storks prowled around as they heard the noise of what seemed to be a baby Magyarofelis. It seems these monsters actually hunt on the ground. The two babies were busy feeding as the storks decided to ignore them as they continued to hunt in the open. Hunting with impunity, Hatzegorhynchus are the top predators. A baby Magyarofelis was wandering around the area as it was lost. The storks soon noticed this as they decided to go after the baby serpopard. The storks continued to wander to where the noise was coming from as it wanted to snap up this animal. The giant storks waited until the moment was just right to snap up the youngster for consumption. It continued to look through the stalks of horsetails as it soon spotted it. With one swift snap of its beak, it grabbed hold of something and lifted it head up, it had the baby Magyarofelis by the tail. The baby serpopard was helpless but all giant storks were greedy. Soon another Hatzegorhynchus appeared as it began to challenge the other one for the morsel of food. The other one screeched before tearing at the young serpopard taking the animal away from the other hunter. The one who caught it screeched as it began to chase after it. It soon bit the opponent on the neck which caused it to drop the baby Magyarofelis as the young animal fell to the ground unharmed. The two storks continued to snap at each other as they wanted the ownership of the meal but the baby Magyarofelis sensed the opportunity as it decided to make a run for it. The storks continued to snap unaware their prey fled making an escape. Soon one had enough and took off for the skies as the feathered wing flapped away. The other one decided to go after it. Able to fly from island to island, this is their kingdom. The Magyarofelis looked up relieved to see the hunters are finally leaving.
Hateg island is one example of the strange paths evolution can take. But all over the world, bizarre-shaped warriors continually evolved throughout their long reign. Perhaps the strangest of all warriors is one particularly weird group, Therizinomeleagris. And the best exampleof these peculiar animals was announced in 2009. The skeleton revealed the secrets of this strange creature that lived in New Mexico 92 million moons ago.
The area that the warrior lived in was warm and swampy covered in thick forests. A cat got up from looking at a pile of bones as it was getting ready to hunt. These swamps are home to Suskifelis, a mid-sized tyrannofelidae. The cat turned its head as it began to move deeper into the swamp looking for its next meal. And they're also home to this weird creature, Nothromeleagris. The large turkey like creature had 18 inch claws as it wandered through the swamps. It soon found a tree as it began to feed. It's actually a close relative of the tyrannofelidae, but with one major difference. Nothromeleagris has given up eating meat. The Suskifelis looked out as it soon spotted the herbivores as it was getting ready to attack. The large Nothromeleagris was busy feeding on some tree ferns as it was keeping a lookout for predators. Here, the tyrannofeli
is the top predator. The Suskifelis soon approached as the Nothromeleagris turned around seeing the Suskifelis approach. It soon bleated as it flashed its long claws at the predator as a warning to not get close. But the Suskifelis wasn't getting the message as it charged in as the Nothromelegris soon flashed the 18 inch claws it had as the predator got within biting distance. It soon flicked its claws as it slashed a deep cut into the attacker's face before bleating again.
Therizinomeleagri's had been a mystery for decades, known only from tantalizing fragments. That all changed with the discovery of Nothromelegris. It gave us our clearest look at this strange group of warriors. It walked upright on short, stocky legs. It had wide hips,and a long neck. Its teeth showed that these weren't the teeth of a killer. Far from its ferocious Tyrannofeli cousins, this pot-bellied warrior had evolved into a strict vegetarian. But armed with viciously long claws on its forearms, it was by no means defenseless.
Another Nothromeleagris was waiting nearby as it wandered over to its friend spotting the ferocious hunter. The Suskifelis turned away as it went to go scavenge on the nearby carcass as it left the long clawed herbivores alone. By becoming a plant eater, Nothromeleagris has easy access to food. And because it walks on two legs, it can use its claws to pull down branches to reach leaves. One of the herd members soon used its long claws as it bulled down the braches as it was reaching for food. Nothromeleagris thrives here because it doesn't compete with the tyrannofeli for food. One of the herd members even began to drink from the swampy water as it was clear and refreshing. But just because you're not competing for food doesn't mean you're not seen AS food. A pack of 3 Suskifelis were approaching as they were going to hunt together as a coordinated team. The 2 Nothromeleagris looked out as they knew they were in trouble. The pack soon passed a dead Suskifelis but this one didn't die from its injuries. The Nothromeleagris began bleating warning the predators not to get close. Two of them were visible while the third one was going to flank around and attack from behind. These are dangerous places to be at the bottom of the food chain. Unable to run, Nothromeleagris relies on brute strength. The 3rd Suskifelis appeared from nowhere as it ran from behind to attack the herbivores. One of the Nothromeleagris turned around as it tried slashing the hunter down with its long claws. The predator maneuvered its way to the front as it tried leaning in for a bite as the Nothromeleagris swiped its long claws, slashing the predator open. Two more Suskifelis attacked another Nothromeleagris as one managed to bite the base of the neck of the herbivore. The Nothromeleagris soon raked its claws along the face of the biting predator as the predator released its grip as the Nothromeleagris soon responded to the second one by raking a deep wound into the predator's skull. The two herbivores roared as the predators decided now was the time to back off. The Nothromeleagris neck wound wasn't that serious as the herbivore would make a full recovery but the Suskifelis were hungry and taking on the huge turkey like creatures wasn't worth it. The Nothromeleagris went back to feed as their hunters went looking for food. They soon spotted a dead Suskifelis as they decided to feed on that instead.
Tyrannofeli are predators that will eat anything, even one of their own, whether they've killed it or not. And a discovery found in Montana of a number of meat-eating warriors, appeared to show that being such an unfussy eater could have dramatic consequences. It seems scavenging
can hold hidden dangers.
The Suskifelis continued for feed on the carcass unaware of the danger that tainted meat held. This tyrannofeli wasn't killed by Nothromeleagris. There's a more deadly killer at work here. The Nothromeleagris' wounds were healing as it continued feeding alongside its herd mates it soon smelled something foul as it went to go investigate. It soon spotted a Suskifelis but the predator laid motionless. It was clear it was dead. A lizard ran along the skull as the animal didn't respond.
All the predator's bones were found alongside the edge of an ancient stagnant lake. And all of them died at the same time. Similar mass killings have been found today among birds. And the killer - a fast-acting, naturally occurring deadly disease. Botulism. Botulism is caused by bacteria that can thrive in rotting carcasses. We think that the Warriors too might have been victims of this lethal and invisible killer. Once a carcass is poisoned, it is quickly passed on to any animal that eats it. With lethal results. It turned out the Botulism had wiped out the entire pack of Suskifelis as they had fed on the poisoned carcass. But plant-eaters, like Nothromeleagris, are usually safe from such deadly killers. By completely changing its diet, Nothromeleagris shows the extraordinary adaptability of the group known as the non-cat like warriors.
These two-legged warriors were the most diverse of all the warrior groups. From predators like Mapufelis and Majungafelis to the bizarre Therizinomeleagri's... the extraordinary
tree-living Microfeltor, to the weird Gigantofeltor. They evolved into an incredible range of shapes and sizes. The tyrannofeli's were the most successful of the two legged predators. And once tyrannofeli's dominated in an area, many other meat-eating warriors simply disappeared. But those that had changed their diets flourished.
Mongolia, 85 millions moons ago. One group of warriors thrives here despite the fact that they live in the shadow of a deadly tyrannofeli. The small warriors looked up to see a predator approach, they soon scattered as they went to go find other animals to feed on. These are Ovafelids, omnivores that eat animals and plants, and so don't compete directly for food with the biggest of killers. And the benefits are clear, because some of these creatures become huge, like the eight-meter Gigantofeltor. This individual was a large female sitting on a nest full of kits as she looked up to her smaller family members as she waved her feather like arms to scare them away. But this group has another trick to help them survive, the way they nest.
In Mongolia in 1994, a nest of very large Warrior kits was discovered. An array of more than 20 kits arranged in pairs around the edge of a shallow pit. They were the biggest warrior kits ever found. When an embryo was found preserved within the nest, it proved that the nest, kits and embryo were almost certainly those of Gigantofeltor.
The female's mate a large male came over as he had returned from foraging. He nuzzled his mate affectionately as their bond was strong. But nesting makes an animal vulnerable. A tyrannofeli appeared as it was clear it had been eyeing the pair. Alectrofelis. The male Gigantofeltor spotted the predator as it began flapping its feather like arms to try to drive the predator away. The huge animal bleated as the Alectrofelis wasn't that easily intimidated as the predator stood its ground the male tried to kick the predator away but the Alectrofelis roared back. Soon the female Gigantofeltor got up as she decided to assist her mate with driving the predator away. The Alectrofelis decided to get up and run away. But against a pair of Gigantofeltors, a five-meter tyrannofeli has little chance of success. The Gigantofeltors continued to chase the predator off until it was out of their sights. They soon turned back to attend their nest full of kits. The male decided to sit on the nest as it was his turn to take up watch against the predators and give his mate the chance to find food for herself.
As Mongolia has given up it secrets, we have learnt more and more about these extraordinary creatures. In 2005, one particular finding was found to contain two kits within its body cavity, ready to be laid. Even more amazing were a number of other finds that revealed the nesting behavior of these warriors. Three warriors were discovered, all sitting on top of nests of kits... the warriors sitting in the center of the nest with their long arms spread out to protect the pairs of kits arranged around them. These warriors were brooding.
The Male Gigantofeltor shook some dust off of him as he got up as to tend the condition of the nest. He soon scraped some dust onto the side to make sure nothing would dig it out when he was gone. Looking after their kits increases the chance of them walking much more effectively. And having large kits means the walking kit is more developed, making it less vulnerable to predators. But it takes longer for the kits to walk, up to 80 days for Gigantofeltor. A time when both kit and the brooding parent are permanently at risk. The male looked around as he knew it was his duty to protect the kits from any and all sorts of danger, if he succeeded, he and his mate would be rewarded. A heavy downpour enveloped the area as the Male Gignatofeltor was keeping the nest covered so no moisture would come in and harm the kits. He looked up as he knew that the female would be returning sometime soon to relieve him. Getting hungrier as the time wore on, the male knew he needed to wait for the female to return so she can relieve him. The rain eventually passed as some Ovafelid's were approaching the nest. The Gigantofeltor got up and flapped his arms in a show of intimidation to protect his nest. Smaller Ovafelid's are no more than a nuisance. Larger predators are a different story. The male kept a lookout as it knew these small Ovafelids were nothing to him but he looked to his right to see the Alectrofelis was back and this time it brought a friend along with it to hunt. Unwilling to leave the nest, the adult protects its offspring, first, by hiding... the Alectrofelis looked over as it quickly spots the Gigantofeltor trying to blend itself into the ground. The predators continued to advance. And if that fails, it goes on the offensive. The male Gigantofeltor got up as it began to charge at the Alectrofelis, flapping its arms as it charged hoping it would be enough to drive them away but the predators were presistant and would most likely stick around for dinner. Running between the two Alectrofelis, the Gigantofeltor realized its mistake as both predators had lured it out into the open away from the nest. The Gigantofeltor soon leaped up roaring, trying to kick one of the Alectrofelis in the face so it wouldn't bother with it. An Ovafelid spotted the nest as it began to work its way to the nest. It was going to get at one of the kits. While the male Gigantofeltor had to contest with the predators, the Ovafelid began digging away at the nest wanting to get to the sleeping kits. One of the Alectrofelis spotted an opportunity as it bit into the tail of the Gigantofeltor. The Gigantofeltor turned its head and used its back paw and kicked the Alectrofelis to the ground, as the predator released the tail from its jaws. The male roared at it trying to get it to stop as it went to deal with the other one. The male roared at the Alectrofelis as he flapped his arms. The Alectrofelis decided to back off as the male turned to the other one doing much the same thing, the predator had lost its nerve and fled. The digging Ovafelid spotted something as it turned to see the female Gigantofeltor returned as she flapped her arms driving the Ovafelid away. The male went to greet his mate. The female decided to fix up the nest seeing how an intruder tried getting at the kits. Protecting the nest means Gigantofeltors' young are more likely to survive. The female decided to rest on the eggs seeing it was her turn to look after them but the male knew he wanted to stick around.
It now seems clear that the instinct to nurture and care for a nest of kits had its origins with the warriors. It's a behavior that was so successful; it's still widespread today
with modern housecats. But the findings show something else. These animals all died sitting on their nests. The male and female Gigantofeltor looked at each other unaware their lives were about to come to an abrupt end.
It seems that the threats don't always come from predators. Sometimes the real danger comes from the most unlikely places. The Gigantofeltor pair were huddled down as they were trying their best to brave the sandstorm that had swept over the area. Their main priority was to make sure the kits were safe. The nearby sand dune was loose as the sandstorm had winds howling at the highest of speed. The dune soon gave away as the sand was now piling down towards the awaiting family. The Gignatofeltor were busy shielding themselves from the elements but the elements had something much deadlier. Soon the pair looked up as the sand from the dune suddenly swept over them as they were gone within an instant. When the storm ended, it revealed the dead bodies of the Gigantofeltor pair. These warriors were all buried alive.
Planet Warrior Cats was an incredibly diverse and varied place, with these creatures able to colonize every continent on Earth. Continually evolving and changing, their dominance of life on Earth was absolute. Yet, they were doomed. A space rock about the size of Mount Everest was streaking through space heading towards the earth. It was the Warriors death sentence. Their downfall was caused by an asteroid smashing into the Earth. Travelling 20 times faster than
a speeding bullet, 15 kilometers across, it slammed into The Gulf of Mexico. The impact released more energy than a billion atomic bombs. The initial impact triggered wild fires, massive earthquakes and tsunamis. But most devastating was the debris blasted high into the atmosphere. This shrouded the planet in a cloak of darkness that lasted for months, cutting off sunlight. The Earth was thrown into almost permanent night.
Animals that survived the blast were now faced with their greatest ordeal, as a devastating chain of events was set in motion.
Hateg Island: 4 Months After Impact
The island what was the home of the dwarf warriors was now dead and rotting away, the landscape was bleak and gray unlike the storms that once swept the island before it. Deprived of light, many plants died. Plant-eaters like this Magyarofelis are the first to be affected. With no food, the biggest succumb first. The baby Magyarofelis were still struggling to hang on as they were looking for food seeing how all their parents died. Fresh growth of plants offers a glimmer of hope, allowing smaller plant-eaters to scratch out a living. But these aren't enough to sustain anything for long. A Hatzegorhynchus flew by as it too was on an endless quest to find food. The Bradycneme was feeding on a dead Magyarofelis as it was having a much easier time finding food. The Hatzegorhynchus landed as it saw the carcass was fair game and decided to take advantage of it. The Bradycneme didn't want to compete for food with a giant stork so it decided to leave and just in time too, more Hatzegorhynchus were arriving as they were now getting at the dead Magyarofelis carcass. Scavengers initially have an easier time of it. As the plant-eaters succumb to starvation, there is a glut of food. The Bradycneme spotted a dead baby Magyarofelis as it decided to feed off of it. But this surplus is an illusion. The Hatzegorhynchus came up behind it as it began to eat the carcass of the dead animal whole as it was clear that it too wouldn't let anything go to waste but the scavengers too were on their last legs. Once gone, scavengers will starve, too.
The impact resulted in the collapse of whole food chains, and the extinction didn't just affect Warriors. Virtually all life on Earth was affected. More than 60% of all species were wiped out. Yet the extinction wasn't a lottery. One factor more than any other determined the Warrior Cat's fate. Size. On land, no animal weighing more than 25 kilograms survived. There just isn't enough food to sustain large animals. A lizard crawled along the bones of a Magyarofelis as the Bradycneme was waiting for it. It soon seized the lizard in its jaws before eating it. Ironically, it's the very thing that make Warrior's so iconic that condemns them to extinction. The Bradycneme wandered away to an unknown fate.
The finds and discoveries of recent years have painted a staggering picture. Warriors were incredibly adaptable, with an astonishing capacity for survival. Enduring the break-up of continents, sea-level rises and countless changes in climate, they continued to diversify and thrive. On land, in water, among the trees and even in the skies. They conquered every continent, dominating life on Earth for more than 150 million moons. The most successful animals the world has ever known. It was only with an unprecedented extraterrestrial impact that finally saw the end of Planet Warrior Cats.
[A/N]: That's a wrap. This chapter was a lot quicker to make than I had anticipated. Seeing something like this would make any of our hearts smile as I feel like life would continue to go on and get even stranger with or without us. Whether creating storks the size of giraffes, dogs running on their hind legs to avoid predators or cats adapting feathers to glide. The keys to the past are the driving force to imagine what life can make. And we should continue guessing what life will come after us twolegs are gone. How would these cats evolve and survive? There should be no stories of cats saving the world with their powers but more into how these animals would adapt to survive and we should continue guessing on how these cats continue to evolve.
If any of you would like to see the ending of the clans, I am praying an asteroid the size of Mount Everest would slam into the Gulf of Mexico in the hopes that it would destroy the clans completely but even I ask the question: Would the average house cat survive against months of food denervation and constant darkness to simply make it through? I wouldn't have a proper answer and would leave that all up to you to decide. And I will see you in the next story since I am switching the gears up a bit and would wait for something exciting to happen in the community.