The New World
The composition of the founding succession was relatively simple, a multitude of the ecologically stabilizing lower life-forms, some plant species, and only 3 main animal species.
Many decomposers, such as nematodes, amoeba and bacteria, were brought in order to help create fertile soil. Growing upon this soil were a selection of plants brought from earth, most of these were leafy kinds descended from herbaceous plants, including some related to sorghum. Algae and seaweed were also used. Various phytoplankton, zooplankton and microbes were introduced into the water to create a stable ecosystem for the founding animals.
At this time, 620 million years after man, the 2 main continents are joined by a large land bridge, and have been so for some 10 million years. As a result, the ecology and faunal composition is relatively homogenous and stable. The most variation occurs between climatic zones, from temperate to tropical to arid, and none of the continents approach the poles. It is assumed that this was the intention of the aliens all along, a stable ecosystem that fosters the evolution of new groups of animals.
The undergrowth was eventually colonized and infested by many “invertebrates”, most of which would be unfamiliar to an earth man. Large terrestrial and burrowing nematodes are common, processing soil or chewing through the stems of plants, and most “insects” here are crawling arthropods, descended from zooplankton such as tiny crustaceans. In the soil, giant testate amoeba can be found slowly creeping around in their calcified shells, absorbing nutrients.
In the oceans too, these lowly invertebrates eventually diversified into somewhat larger forms. Arthropods resembling shrimp and isopods are relatively common, and sediment-dwelling nematodes of various sizes can be found in and on the ocean floor. Amoebas have diversified into testate forms which resemble foraminifera, some of which form small reefs, others being fist-sized folded shapes which are buoyed up, floating in the open ocean.
However, it seems to have been the intention of the terraforming aliens, that vertebrates take the dominant roles on land and in the sea. And thus three vertebrate colonists were brought from the aging earth, to found new dynasties of creatures.
Many decomposers, such as nematodes, amoeba and bacteria, were brought in order to help create fertile soil. Growing upon this soil were a selection of plants brought from earth, most of these were leafy kinds descended from herbaceous plants, including some related to sorghum. Algae and seaweed were also used. Various phytoplankton, zooplankton and microbes were introduced into the water to create a stable ecosystem for the founding animals.
At this time, 620 million years after man, the 2 main continents are joined by a large land bridge, and have been so for some 10 million years. As a result, the ecology and faunal composition is relatively homogenous and stable. The most variation occurs between climatic zones, from temperate to tropical to arid, and none of the continents approach the poles. It is assumed that this was the intention of the aliens all along, a stable ecosystem that fosters the evolution of new groups of animals.
The undergrowth was eventually colonized and infested by many “invertebrates”, most of which would be unfamiliar to an earth man. Large terrestrial and burrowing nematodes are common, processing soil or chewing through the stems of plants, and most “insects” here are crawling arthropods, descended from zooplankton such as tiny crustaceans. In the soil, giant testate amoeba can be found slowly creeping around in their calcified shells, absorbing nutrients.
In the oceans too, these lowly invertebrates eventually diversified into somewhat larger forms. Arthropods resembling shrimp and isopods are relatively common, and sediment-dwelling nematodes of various sizes can be found in and on the ocean floor. Amoebas have diversified into testate forms which resemble foraminifera, some of which form small reefs, others being fist-sized folded shapes which are buoyed up, floating in the open ocean.
However, it seems to have been the intention of the terraforming aliens, that vertebrates take the dominant roles on land and in the sea. And thus three vertebrate colonists were brought from the aging earth, to found new dynasties of creatures.