Chapter 7: Alien World
Earth 338 million years ago, it is now a time known as the Carboniferous. Life has struggled to recover from the Hangenberg Extinction Event, the cooling effect that caused the extinction has left ice caps at the southern pole of Gondwanna. Gondwana has also drifted Northward on a collision course with Euramerica, soon they will become a singular supercontinent called Pangea. Despite the presence of ice caps, however, the rest of the Earth has remained relatively warm, allowing life to recuperate more easily. In the oceans, life has slowly begun to recover, the Hangenberg Event was particularly nasty in the ocean, with many animals seeing massive losses.
The extinction of the placoderms and the decline of lobe finned fish has left many roles open. Among the first to take advantage of this, have been the chondrichthyans, their cartilaginous skeletons allow them to outmaneuver most types of bony fish and the lack of placoderms to compete with them has allowed them to become apex predators. Ray finned fish have also become more common. This will set the basis for our modern oceans, where the chondrichthyans and ray finned fish reign supreme as the most successful families. Ammonites have also recovered mostly from the extinction and have become common once again in the seas; some survivors have not been so lucky, however.
The once mighty trilobites are now barely hanging on, now only a fraction of their original diversity, the once dominant group now reduced to a shadow of their former glory.
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On dry land meanwhile, life was less affected by the Hangenberg event and as a result has recovered more quickly. In what is now Scotland, one can see the enormous diversity of life. Towering above the ground are massive Lepidodendrons growing up to 164 feet with 6 foot wide trunks; these are among the largest organisms on land at this time. Despite their tree-like appearance, Lepidodendrons are actually close relatives of quillworts. Just below the Lepidodendrons, making up the understory are ancient relatives of horsetails called Calamites.
Beneath all of these towering giants, are ground plants like ferns, all of these plants make up a unique ecosystem known as coal forests. These forests can be found all over the continents, the lack of large herbivores to feed on them, combined with a wet climate make the perfect environment for these ecosystems to thrive. As these plants thrive, they breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen allowing oxygen levels to rise, something that in time will make the land more hospitable for animals. As these plants die they store up carbon dioxide, in time as they collapse and break down they will eventually become coal hence the name of these forests and we humans will use this coal to power our great cities and vehicles, however, this won't be for another 338 million years.
The wet environment of our planet has also allowed great lakes and swamps to form in these forests and these environments are a breeding ground for all sorts of life. At one of these lakes, we find a creature resting on the bank, the creature in question is a type of tetrapod, known as a temnospondyl. Temnospondyls are an order of tetrapods that have only recently evolved and yet they have already begun to become more diverse, with many different types of all shapes and sizes evolving, this particular genus is the size of a man. As the sun rises in the air, the Temnospondyl begins to rise to its feet, while it can move on land, it is a slow and cumbersome process, however, the moment it enters the water it becomes a different story. As soon as the water goes past its legs the Temnospondyl begins to swim effortlessly through the water, perfectly at home.
Tetrapods as a whole were hit hard by the Hangenberg Event and the more primitive genera like Hynerpeton, were unable to adapt to the changing world around them, some tetrapods, however, made it through including some of the first true amphibians, tetrapods are now more diverse than ever and many different types call the swamps and lakes that cut through the forests home. Temnospondyls like this one are just one of many different tetrapods that roam the waterways. The Temnospondyl is currently on the hunt, luckily there are plenty of fish that call these waters home, including some ray finned fish. The temnospondyl swims towards a small group of them slowly but surely, once in range it suddenly lurches forward snatching up one of the helpless fish. With one quick flick of its head the fish disappears down its throat.
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There are other amphibians that also call this lake home, meet Crassigyrinus, a very distinct type of amphibian. The most notable feature of Crassigyrinus is its small forelimbs, these small forelimbs mean that Crassigyrinus cannot really move around on dry land, while this may seem like a disadvantage it actually has some advantages. The smaller limbs create less drag allowing Crassigyrinus to move more quickly through the water than the Temnospondyl that it shares this lake with, allowing it to be an efficient pursuit predator. This Crassigyrinus has its sights set on some ray finned fish. With a burst of speed, it swims towards the unsuspecting fish, who quickly attempt to evade the hungry amphibian.
In spite of their best efforts, however, the Crassigyrinus is able to catch up to one of the fish. With one quick bite it snatches up it's unfortunate victim. Finishing its meal the Crassigyrinus is content to swim off to somewhere else, leaving the hapless fish in peace for now.
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Not all fish live in fear of the amphibians, in fact one type of fish is the apex predator of these waters, meet Rhizodus hibberti, at 20 feet long, it is as long as a Nile crocodile and it is just as vicious. Rhizodus is a lobe finned fish, while the family may have lost their role as apex predator in the seas, they have remained the kings of the freshwater ecosystems and Rhizodus is the biggest and deadliest of them all. The jaws of Rhizodus are filled with massive teeth, including a pair of 8.7 inch fangs perfect for skewering any unlucky victims. The powerful fins allow it to move effortlessly through thick vegetation and a powerful tail makes it quite quick in more open water. Despite its fearsome appearance Rhizodus as with most animals is content to relax most of the time, but make no mistake, when the time comes anything unlucky enough to get in its way is potential prey.
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Back on the shoreline of the lake we find the Temnospondyl hauling itself onto land. Like its earlier relatives the Temnospondyl does this to hide from potential predators. After dragging itself the short distance the Temnospondyl lies down and begins to rest underneath a Lepidodendron, the shade of the giant plant will protect its moist skin from the rays of the sun.
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The lakes and ponds are not the only place where animal life has grown in diversity, for the land has also seen an explosion of new creatures as the Carboniferous has continued on. Arthropods like scorpions and millipedes have remained common and they have been joined by land snails which slide around looking for plants to feed on. The invertebrates, however, no longer have the land completely to themselves, for some amphibians are beginning to take steps towards a fully terrestrial lifestyle and scurrying through the underbrush is one such creature. Meet Westlothiana, a creature that is a new type of tetrapod, for it has embraced a fully land based life. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Westlothiana is the fact that it looks more like a lizard than an amphibian, despite its appearance it is not actually a full on reptile, rather it is a missing link with features of both amphibians and reptiles.
Notably to spend all of its time on land it has had to develop two vital features, first are the scales which keep it from drying out in the sun, secondly are its limbs which have become even stronger allowing it to run at quick speeds to both catch prey and evade danger. In spite of its importance to life from an evolutionary sense, Westlothiana spends most of its time scurrying around, at only 7.8 inches in length it is quite a small creature and by extension low on the food chain. The teeth of Westlothiana are small and perfectly adapted to grab small arthropods. This Westlothiana has spotted a small millipede. With a swift burst of speed, it grabs the millipede and begins to eat it.
Its feeding is about to be interrupted, however, the Westlothiana suddenly hears something moving through the brush and with a burst of speed it takes off attempting to find a place to hide. The creature that spooked it emerges from the ferns, however, the animal in question is nothing to be afraid of. Meet Hibbertopterus scouleri, a genus of eurypterid. At upwards of 6 feet in length Hibbertopterus seems quite intimidating, however, it is actually quite a gentle creature its small mouthparts and chelicerae leave it unable to hunt large animals, with it instead sweeping through the sediments of lake and riverbeds snatching up small creatures like worms. It is rather unusual to see Hibbertopterus on dry land, as it spends most of its time in the water, it is likely that this one's old home was in some way affected negatively forcing it to find a new one. It moves at a snail's pace leaving trackways on the ground.
Eurypterids as a whole were greatly affected by the Hangenberg Event, with the family having already been in decline even before then, carnivorous varieties like Pterygotus and Jaekelopterus are now a thing of the past and only bottom feeders like Hibbertopterus remain, on the brightside Hibbertopterus seems to do quite well for itself living a calm and easy going lifestyle. The Hibbertopterus finally finds the lake and slowly crawls in, disappearing beneath the water line. Immediately it begins sifting through the sediment looking for food, content to get back to its carefree lifestyle.
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Hibbertopterus is not the only creature that lives a benthic lifestyle in this lake, for some fish also live in such a manner. Take Tristhychius, a type of chondrichthyan. Tristychius spends its time lying flat in the mud, its patterned body perfectly blending in with the lake bottom, it then waits for unsuspecting fish to swim by. As it waits a ray finned fish begins to swim right above it. The fish is completely unaware that it is being watched, as it swims towards the Tristychius the hungry predator prepares itself.
With a quick burst of speed, the Tristychius snatches up the small fish swallowing it whole. Having eaten its fill, Tristychius begins to look for a good place to rest. While it is a fearsome predator in its own right, at only about 2 feet long Tristychius is quite small compared to other animals in the lake, like the Temnospondyl and Crassigyrinus, as a result it relies on its excellent camouflage to avoid detection, if that fails the spines on its back make an excellent back up deterrent.
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Meanwhile on the shoreline we find a bizarre creature emerging from the lake, meet Ophiderpeton, a truly bizarre creature. At first glance Ophiderpeton almost looks like a snake, however, snakes won't evolve for another 200 million years. Ophiderpeton is part of a unique order of amphibians called astiopods. Astipods evolved their snake-like bodies just a few million years earlier and now they are very common throughout the Carboniferous swamps. The advantage of this body plan is that it allows astiopods to be more manuverable allowing them access to tight crevices and burrows where they can hide from predators.
On top of their similar appearance astiopods also take up the same ecological niches as snakes. This Ophiderpeton is currently looking for food, snails in particular are a favorite of theirs. The Ophiderpeton slithers across the ground till it finds a snail. The forward facing eyes of Ophiderpeton allow it to easily find prey. The snail is doomed the moment it is found, with one quick snap the Ophiderpeton grabs the snail, unlike snakes who have relatively weak bite forces thanks to their hinged jaws, Ophiderpeton has powerful jaws perfect for cracking open a snail shell.
After eating the snail, the Ophiderpeton slithers into its burrow where it will rest for the time being.
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Elsewhere we find the Westlothiana from before exploring its home. Westlothiana males have strict territorial boundaries and any intruder that is found must be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Unknown to the Westlothiana, it is about to find something a bit larger than another member of its kind. The Westlothiana suddenly runs out of the way of a massive pair of claws aimed right at it, then with a sudden burst of speed it flees as fast as it can. Emerging from its hiding spot is a female Pulmonoscorpius, at 2.4 feet long it is the top land predator in this swamp.
Pulmonoscorpius is the biggest terrestrial scorpion to have ever lived and its large size can be attributed to a lack of competition, in the absence of other large land animals arthropods can get to truly impressive sizes. The Pulmonoscorpius begins to patrol its territory, its small eyes are a feature that it shares with most scorpions, however, it makes up for it with fine hairs that can pick up the faintest of vibrations on the ground. Suddenly out of the forest emerges another Pulmonscorpius. Pulmonoscorpius are mostly solitary animals and as a result they do not tolerate others of their kind in their territory, a fight is inevitable. The two scorpions immediately tangle up and proceed to grapple with one another. The powerful claws of the Pulmonoscorpius are built to grab and crush prey, however, the pair are both large enough to shrug these off.
The second weapon begins to come into play as they try to sting each other and release their toxic venom in their tails. The thick carapace of the Pulmonscorpius, however, prevents their stingers from penetrating. The pair then begin to hunt for chinks in each others armor, these will be the only places where they can release the venomous payload. The resident Pulmonscorpious begins to overpower her rival. The intruder begins to tire as the resident Pulmonoscorpious probes for an opening.
It finally finds what it is looking for as it delivers the coup de grace. The venom begins to seep into the rival Pulmonoscorpious body. The resident Pulmonoscorpious begins to feed on its rival, finally having gotten a meal. On top of killing its prey the venom of the Pulmonoscorpious also helps to break down its meal, allowing the victor to suck its rival dry. By the time it is done feeding all that is left is an empty husk of a once powerful predator.
After finishing its meal the Pulmonoscorpius walks off, heading to a different part of the forest.
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Back in the lake, we find the Temnospondyl looking for food. His search leads him to find a Tristychius swimming at the bottom of the lake. The 2 foot long Tristychius is a perfect size for the Temnospondyl to feed on and so the amphibian moves in closer. The Tristychius camouflage has failed it in this instance, now it must rely on its other defenses, luckily for the little chondrichthyan, it's got a few more tricks up its sleeve. The Temnospondyl moves in closer, causing the Tristychius to use its back up defense, its spines.
The Tristychius lashes out with its sharp spines catching the Temnospondyl right on its jaw, causing the amphibian to recoil in pain. Realizing that the Tristychius isn't worth the effort the Temnospondyl swims off, leaving the Tristychius to its own devices.
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In a different part of the lake, we find the Crassigyrinus also looking for food, however, the hunter is about to become the hunted. Watching from the cover of a clump of dead vegetation is the Rhizodus from earlier. The massive fish watches the amphibian closely waiting for the perfect moment to strike. After waiting for a few minutes, the Rhizodus prepares to strike, a quick swing of its tail propels it forward, right towards the hapless Crassigyrinus. The Crassigyrinus at the last second notices, as it veers out of the way narrowly evading the powerful jaws of the Rhizodus.
The Crassigyrinus then swims off as quickly as possible, followed closely by the Rhizodus. The Rhizodus doesn't keep up the chase for long, its large size means that it can only keep up its top speed for a short period. Having failed its attempt, the Rhizodus swims off.
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Back on dry land we find the Westlothiana once again exploring its territory. He is about to find out, however, that he is not alone. As he explores he enters a small clearing and finds another Westlothiana. The pair look at each other curiously, Westlothiana are normally territorial and will not tolerate each other's presence, however, the pair show no aggression towards one another. The reason for this is because the intruder is a female and the male is more interested in mating than driving her off.
The male immediately begins to do a strange dance where he bobs his head up and down, the female seems receptive. After a short time the female invites the male to mate with her. The pairs mating is short and the female leaves soon after, luck is on his side, the male's offspring will soon begin to develop inside of the female and he will be able to pass on his genes, but only time will tell.
The Westlothiana are not the only ones in a loving mood, for nearby we find a male Pulmoscorpious also looking for a mate. After a short search, he finds the female that we met earlier. A tense standoff begins, for the male must avoid getting eaten by his potential mate. Luckily the female seems receptive to advances and the pair begin to lock claws as they start to dance. The male gently caresses the female's mouthparts with his own, as he does this the female attempts to pull him, she does this to test his physical strength.
After a short struggle the female becomes fully receptive, as the male deposits his sperm on the ground, he then gently pulls the female over it. His work done, the male Pulmonoscorpious lets go of the female as he walks off leaving the female by herself. In a few months the female will give birth to young scorpions, but for now it will be business as usual.
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A few days later we find the Temnospondyl waking up and preparing itself for another day. The amphibian slowly enters the water. The Temnospondyl then begins to swim around patrolling its territory, little does it know, it is being watched. The Rhizodus has set its sights on the Temnospondyl. As the Temnospondyl swims, it suddenly spots the giant fish.
Immediately the Temnospondyl swims off heading straight for the shore, the Rhizodus in hot pursuit. The Temnosponyl swiftly reaches the shore and it begins to crawl out, normally it would already be out of danger, but the Rhizodus will not so easily be cheated out of a meal. The Rhizodus burst out of the water and onto the bank. Unlike most fish, Rhizodus powerful fins mean that it can jump on the bank for a short period of time and snatch animals from the shoreline much like a crocodile. The Temnospondyl attempts to get out of reach of the giant fish, when suddenly it is grabbed by the tail.
The Temnospondyl desperately attempts to free itself, as the Rhizodus drags it back into the water. The Temnospondyl bites at the Rhizodus defiantly, attempting to make the fish let go, but it is already too late. The Rhizodus repositions the Temnospondyl in its jaws and clamps down on its rib cage piercing deep into its body. The Temnospondyl quickly goes limp as the Rhizodus begins to tear into its prey.
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A few months later, we find ourselves back on dry land. Walking through the forest is the female Pulmonoscorpious and she isn't alone. Riding on her back are multiple young Pulmonoscorpious, believe it or not scorpions despite their vicious demeanor are great parents and she will defend her brood with her life. After a few months the young will leave their mothers side and strike out on their own, but for now they lie in the protection of a truly deadly mother.
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Elsewhere we find a nest sheltered in some vegetation. The nest is full of eggs and it was laid by a Westlothiana. Another adaptation that Westlothiana has developed is a protective layer for the developing young in the eggs called an amniotic layer. In time other animals, known as amniotes, will adopt this protective layer and as the Carboniferous goes on they will only become more diverse. For now at least the eggs will develop and in time they will hatch out the young Westlothiana developing inside.
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As the Early Carboniferous begins to give way for the latter half of the period, the great coal forests will continue to expand and as they expand so will the multitude of early reptiliomorphs of these forests, but they will not be alone for other strange new creatures will be there to join them.
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We are now in the Late Carboniferous period 306 million years ago in what is now Nova Scotia. As the Carboniferous has continued minor global changes have occurred. About 29 million years earlier Gondwana finally collided with Euramerica forming a new supercontinent, Pangea. On land meanwhile, the great Coal Forests have continued to expand and as they do so they continue to pump out Oxygen into the atmosphere, while taking in carbon dioxide. Oxygen levels are now at an impressive 35%, the highest concentration they have been in Earth's history. The low amounts of carbon dioxide meanwhile have caused temperatures to drop and at the poles this has caused the glaciers to slowly expand in size.
The expanding glaciers have not had much of an effect on life yet, however, and many strange new creatures are beginning to call the coal forests and swamps home. One notable advancement that has occurred is that life has finally conquered the last frontier, the sky. Zipping through the Lepidodendrons, is a small group of flying insects called Mazothairos. Mazothairos are part of an extinct order of flying insects known as the palaeodictyopterans and with a wingspan of almost 2 feet Mazothairos is the largest of them all. Despite their intimidating appearance Mazothairos are actually herbivores, they use their sharp mouthparts to cut into the vegetation, allowing them to then suck out the liquid nutrients of said plant.
The Mazothairos find one such plant and begin to give a physical demonstration. The strong mouthparts of the Mazothairos allow them to easily cut right into a Lepidodendron and they then proceed to suck up the liquids they desire. Unfortunately for the Mazothairos they are not the only creatures to have taken to the air and some of their aerial neighbors are not very friendly. Watching the swarm intently is a hungry Meganeura. Meganeura is a close relative of modern dragonflies, but with a wingspan of 2.4 feet it would dwarf even the largest of its modern relatives.
The Meganeura watches closely its compound eyes, allowing it to easily scan the group for a potential meal. After a brief look the Meganeura finally eyes its target and it begins to take off towards its prey. The Mazothairos take notice and begin to scatter attempting to evade the Meganeura, however, they lack the great speed and agility of the Meganeura and the giant predator quickly locks onto its target. The Meganeura then grabs its target midair with its arms. The Mazothairos struggles, but it is already too late the Meganeura has it locked down tight.
The Meganeura then lands as it tears into its prey. As with its modern relatives Meganerua has an unusually high success rate when hunting with upwards of 95% of its hunts ending in success. The presence of giant flying insects like Mazothairos and Meganeura can be attributed to a lack of competition, since vertebrates have yet to take to the skies, there isn't much to challenge these giant flying insects.
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While giant insects rule the skies, below them life on the ground has not remained stagnant, for the past 32 million years the reptilomorphs have begun to explode in diversity leading to the rise of some of the first true reptiles. Scurrying through the brush is one such reptile, meet Petrolacosaurus. Petrolacosaurus at first glance closely resembles Westlothiana, however, it is more derived than its earlier relative being a true reptile, more specifically it is part of the clade of animals known as sauropsids, a clade which includes all living reptiles. Petrolacosaurus itself lives a relatively mundane lifestyle, it spends most of its time running around hunting for small insects which are abundant in the underbrush, its great speed doubling as a way to escape predators. Sauropsids like Petrolacosaurus, are not the only amniotes who have become successful in these forests, for another clade has also risen in prominence.
Watching the Petrolacosaurus from the cover of the ferns is an animal known as an Archaeothryis. Despite its similar physical appearance, Archaeothryis is part of a different clade of amniotes known as the synapsids. Synapsids evolved alongside sauropsids and at this point in time they dont look much different, despite this these two clades are destined to go off in two very different directions, for while sauropsids will evolve into reptiles, some synapsids will eventually evolve into mammals, for every mammal lineage including us humans can trace our roots back to small reptile look a likes such as Archaeothryis. The easiest way at this time to distinguish a sauropsid or a synapsid is to look at their skulls for behind the skull of synapsids there is a single hole known as an orbital fenestrae, sauropsids meanwhile have either one or two orbital fenestra in their skull. Another difference is that sauropsids like Petrolacosaurus have teeth that are all the same general size and shape while synapsids like Archaeothryis have different types of teeth, Archaeothryis for example comes equipped with canine teeth perfect for cutting into flesh.
The Archaeothyris teeth allow it to hunt larger prey than the insectivorous Petrolacosaurus, and the small sauropsid itself is one such animal that is on the menu. The Archaeothryis watches from the cover of the ferns, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. After a short wait it burst from the ferns, as the Petrolacosaurus takes off. The Petrolacosaurus speed is its main defense and yet the Archaeothyris is fast enough to keep up with its prey. After a short chase the Archaeothryis catches up with the Petrolacosaurus and it leaps on the sauropsid's back.
The Archaeothryis then delivers a swift bite to the neck of the Petrolacosaurus. The Petrolacosaurus squirms for a short time afterward as its open wound bleeds profusely, before finally the Petrolacosaurus quits moving and it breathes its last breath. With its prey dead the Archaeothryis swiftly drags it into the brush so it can feed in peace. The Archaeothryis tears off pieces of flesh as it begins to gulp them down, the Petrolacosaurus should keep it fed for the time being. After finishing its meal the Archaeothryis begins to head for the nearby swamp so it can get a drink.
After a short stroll it arrives at the local swamp and it begins to slurp up the water. The apex predators of the late Carboniferous swamps are different from the ones who dominated the earlier half of the period, for giant freshwater fish like Rhizodus, were unable to cope with the ever changing world around them, instead an order of amphibious predators called embolomeres have taken over and at up to 10 feet in length, Neopteroplax is one of the largest of its kind. Despite their close resemblance to the contemporary temnospondyls, embolomeres like Neopteroplax are actually reptiliomorphs that split off early on before they could become true reptiles, instead they became adapted to a semi aquatic lifestyle wherein they hunt prey that lives both in the water and on the land, this mode of life will be copied by many future unrelated animals including crocodiles. Luckily for our Archaeothryis, it is too small for the adult Neopteroplax to pay it any mind for they are content to relax on the bank. Juveniles are a potential threat, but luckily, none seem to be out and about currently.
After quenching its thirst, the Archaeothryis moves off back into the forest, likely seeking a place to rest while it digests its meal.
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A few days pass and we find ourselves back in the forest. It is the very beginning of the day and as the Sun's rays crack through the Lepidodendron, a thick layer of fog fills the ground. As the morning drags on, the fog slowly vanishes as visibility returns to the forest and we can now spot the largest terrestrial denizen in the forest, meet Arthropleura armata, an enormous millipede capable of growing 8.8 feet in length and the largest fully terrestrial arthropod of all time and one of the largest arthropods period only giant eurypterids like Jaekelopterus can rival it. Despite its fearsome appearance, Arthropleura is actually a gentle herbivore, its mouthparts are perfectly designed to crop up vegetation like ferns, in fact Arthropleura itself is one of the first large terrestrial herbivores to walk the Earth, in the future more familiar animals like deer and buffalo will take up the same ecological role. Unlike many of its swamp based contemporaries, Arthropleura actually prefer the drier highlands of the coal forests, this allows them to avoid semi aquatic predators like Neopteroplax which are among the only animals that pose any threat to the giant millipedes.
As the Arthropleura feeds, it suddenly stops, as a scent fills the air. Due to their poor eyesight, Arthropleura primarily rely on their other senses to guide them through their world. The scent seems to get this male Arthropleura's attention, as he quickly heads off to find the source of the scent. After a short walk he finally finds what he is looking for in a small clearing, a female Arthropleura. This female Arthropleura is a truly impressive sight, she is quite a bit bigger than the male for one thing.
The male is unintimidated by this fact and he moves in closer, his intentions are clear he wants to mate with her. He begins to try and woo her by rubbing his body creating a gentle vibrating sound. The female seems receptive and the pair begin to embrace, this is a delicate and carefully done affair. The mating itself is done swiftly and the pair separate not long after, nevertheless, the male has done his job and the female is likely pregnant with his young.
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A few weeks later, we find the female Arthropleura on the move, she is due to lay her eggs soon, but first she must find a suitable location, one where her young will be safe from egg thieves. After a short search, she finds a crevice in a log and she prepares to lay her eggs. She gently deposits the eggs into the log and soon afterwards leaves them to their own devices. In due time the eggs will hatch and her brood will soon emerge, provided nothing goes wrong of course.
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Elsewhere at the nearby lake, we find an interesting sight. A massive swarm of Meganeura have all congregated around the lake and they are here to mate and give birth. Like modern day dragonflies, Meganeura start out their lives in the water and they spend most their lives there hunting small fish and other animals, then in the last few weeks they take to the skies becoming fearsome aerial predators. As the Meganeura congregate, the males begin to compete for the females. The males begin to engage in dogfights with one another, they are fighting for the best patches of territory in the swamp, those with the best spots will attract the most females.
The lake itself soon becomes a cacophony of buzzing, as the Meganeura duel with one another, as some of the males acquire the best spots, they begin to mate with the females. As they mate, however, they must stay just above the water and this can put them in danger from some of the lake's inhabitants. Watching one of the mating pairs from the water, is a Neopteroplax, normally Meganeura are hard to catch thanks to their great speed and agility while in the air, but with the pair occupied, the Neopteroplax can now make a move. The hungry amphibian slowly swims towards the Meganeura pair and then with surprising speed grabs the male from off of the female. The female quickly takes off in surprise, as the Neopteroplax vanishes under the water.
Despite the pressures from the Neopteroplax, most of the Meganeura succeed in mating, however, they die soon after this, leaving their young to develop in the still water of the swamps. In time the young will hatch and be fearsome predators of the water, before they ultimately develop into their adult forms and thus the cycle of life will continue.
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A few days later, as the days drag on, something is about to happen, something that could spell disaster for this part of the forest. In the distance a lightning storm is brewing, forest fires are a frequent concern and at this time in Earth's history they are particularly dangerous thanks to the high oxygen levels causing them to burn hotter and longer than they do today. It remains to be seen whether or not the storm will blow this way.
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Meanwhile in the underbrush, we find our Archaeothryis patrolling his territory, like most animals at this time, Archaeothryis are extremely territorial and they will not tolerate rivals in their territory. As the male searches, he runs into another Archeothryis. Immediately he reacts aggressively and he hisses at his rival. The rival male hisses, as they begin to size one another up. Archaeothryis will avoid violence whenever possible, however, when two evenly matched males meet there can usually be only one outcome. The pair charge right at one another, as they start to wrestle.
The pair begin to roll around, looking to gain a dominant position frequently biting one another as they go. Blood begins to drip from open wounds, as the pair seem evenly matched. As the pair continue to grapple, the resident male gains a dominant position and delivers a powerful bite to his opponent's midsection. The rival male hisses in pain as he pushes the resident male off and flees knowing he has been bested. Having won the fight, the resident male begins to look for a spot to rest, so he can recover from his wounds.
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Elsewhere, we find the female Arthropleura from earlier heading down to the swamp for a drink. This is the most dangerous time for the giant millipede, for the swamp is home to its only natural predator. She arrives at the water's edge and as she does so, a hungry Neopteroplax resting on a bank across from her takes notice. The hungry amphibian immediately slips into the water and swims towards the Arthropleura. As the Arthropleura sips the water, she fails to notice the Neopteroplax slowly swimming towards her.
The Neopteroplax slowly gets into range and then it bursts from the water catching the Arthropleura by surprise. Luckily for the Arthropleura, the Neopteroplax narrowly misses the head, instead it clamps down on one of the front plates of the Arthropleura. Unfortunately for the Neopteroplax, the Arthropleura is heavily armored and even its powerful jaws can't punch through. The Arthropleura pulls back, breaking free of the Neopteroplax's jaws. The Arthropleura then turns and attempts to flee, however, the Neopteroplax refuses to be cheated so easily of a meal.
The Neopteroplax pounces on the Arthropleura's back, the Arthropleura attempts to pull itself out from under its attacker, but the Neopteroplax refuses to yield. All hope is not lost for the Arthropleura, however, for it has one more trick up its sleeve. The Arthropleura begins to secrete a burning liquid from tiny holes in its body burning the mouth of the Neopteroplax. Finally the Neopteroplax relents, shaking its head in irritation, giving the Arthropleura enough time to crawl away. As the Arthropleura scurries away, it leaves behind distinctive tracks in the mud.
The Neopteroplax looks almost disappointed as it slinks away back into the water, it will have to go hungry for the time being.
...
Later that day as the sun begins to set, a loud boom suddenly echos through the forest, the sound of thunder. Above the tree line one can see the lightning storm already underway. It isn't long before lightning strikes a Lepidoendron igniting the start of a forest fire. Soon smoke begins to fill the air, the smell of it is enough to cause many animals to panic. Flying insects like Mazothairos and Meganeura take to the air, while on the ground we find a Petrolacosaurus scurrying attempting to flee the area.
The massive female Arthropleura also flees as fast as her legs can take her. Our Archaeothryis also flees for his life like the Petrolacosaurus he has speed on his side. The smoke alone will kill many animals and that is just the beginning. Soon the fire begins to spread, consuming anything in its way. The female Arthropleura's eggs are among those in the path of the fire and they are swiftly consumed by the flames.
In the sky one can see the forest now covered in flames, which tear through destroying enormous amounts of vegetation in their wake. The fire can't last forever, however, soon the flames begin to recede as the fire burns itself out. In the wake of the fire is a charred black forest, many animals unable to escape the flames have been cooked alive, as have many hapless plants. Despite the devastation, however, fires like these are ultimately healthy for the forest, for while they do leave devastation in their wake they also clear our old growth paving the way for new growth to form. Ferns are among the first to recolonize and they quickly sprout from the ground and soon the ground goes from a charred black to a lush green.
As the vegetation returns, so do the animals who are quick to take advantage of the new growth, Arthropleura is among those who benefit from new plants to feed on. Soon many more creatures such as Petrolacosaurus and Archaeothryis also return and begin to repopulate the forest. As the dust settles one thing is clear, life will go on for now in the Carboniferous forest and thrive as it always has.
...
The Carboniferous was truly a time of innovation for terrestrial life and by 305 million years ago the great coal forest had hit their peak, but ultimately after this would come their fall. The oxygen pumping of the plants in these forests had ultimately made an unsustainable cycle and by about 305 million years ago, the Gondwannan Glaciers began to expand rapidly as the global temperature dropped. This drop in temperature would be followed by aridification of the land, as the climate became drier and cooler. Soon the forests would recede in size with the great Lepidodendrons in many places being replaced by the tree ferns. Ultimately while the coal forests wouldn't completely vanish they would now be limited to small pockets leading to many animal populations being isolated.
This would ultimately be a blessing in disguise for the amniotes, their level of speciation would rapidly increase as they became more and more isolated from each other by the end of the period they had begun to greatly increase in size and diversity, with many taking up new ecological niches. Other families like the labyrinthodonts and embolomeres would not be so lucky, their water dependent lifestyles would lead them to struggle as the world became drier, while they would ultimately survive their prime time was no more and they were now a fraction of their original diversity. Initially the giant arthropods would do alright many like Arthropleura and Meganeura lived lifestyles that were not dependent on the forests, however, as the aridification continued soon even they couldn't survive and ultimately they would slowly fade into extinction. By about 298.9 million years ago the Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse would finally end as the Permian began and coming into this period much had changed and new creatures were poised to take over. In particular the synapsids were left without much competition and they were destined to take control as the final chapter of the Paleozoic era was set to begin.
Trivia
The first half of this episode was primarily based on the East Kirkton Quarry in Scotland.
The second half is based on a number of North American and Western European Formations, unfortunately the Late Carboniferous is another time period that lacks a definitive formation, forcing me to use this approach, luckily the creatures are all found in about the same time periods and any gaps are small enough to where I feel justified in making some speculation.
Crassigyrinus and Rhizodus are not actually known from the East Kirkton Quarry, but Crassigyrinus is known from Scotland and Rhizodus is a common find across Europe so I felt justified in both genera being included.
Originally I was going to use Balenerpeton instead of the unnamed Temnospondyl, but I decided against this as Balenerpeton was too small for my planned storyline with the Rhizodus hence the change of species.
I was originally going to use the unnamed Rhizodont found in the East Kirkton Quarry, but I decided against this as I didn't want two unnamed genera.
I wanted to depict the Carboniferous arthropods doing stuff that many of their modern relatives do to show some more depth to their lives as in most docs they are simply there to oppose out Amniote relatives and are given the prehistoric monster treatment in the process (Shoutout to Prehistoric Park for averting this trope).
The Arthropleura secreting the burning substance, is based on similar defense utilized by modern day millipedes.
The Arthropleura mating scene was inspired by Life On Our Planet (One of the few good things to come from that travesty).
The Arthropleura and Neopteroplax fight was a shoutout to WWM fights. Of course here I aimed to be more realistic (No random spikes this go around XD).
That should about cover this chapter, sorry for the long wait everyone writer's block was kicking my ass again. The next chapter should come out pretty soon as I already have everything plotted out for that one stay tuned.