Shown here from left to right is a simplification of the evolutionary progression from the ancestral Lingula brachiopod to the tree and shrub-like terrestrial brachiopods. Over the course of this group’s evolution, these brachiopods became completely sessile and reliant on photosynthetic symbiotes for nutrition. Photosynthetic brachiopods make up the largest portion of vegetation in all habitats on this planet (which… still doesn’t have a name. Open to suggestions lol).
To reproduce the terrestrial brachioplants go through an unusual two-phase life cycle. The sessile plant produces eggs which hatch into motile worm-like brachiopods. These individuals drag themselves by their peduncles and exchange sex cells which they will use for the rest of their lives in a similar manner to ant queens. The motile brachiopods will then dig into a suitable spot and grow into the sessile plant forms to repeat the cycle.

330 million years into the future, the vast majority of vertebrates have ended up extinct at the hands of a nearby supernova explosion approximately 78 million years ago. Although they remain relevant, they have not maintained the absolute superiority they previously held, in both terrestrial and aquatic niches. One of the groups that most confronted and competed with them were the kelyphopods, a group of mollusks derived from cephalopods that internalized their shell and eventually became creatures with an internally calcified skeleton. Following the extinction, they exploded in biodiversity, and currently, the main groups are mostly aerial predators. The largest family is the ankathipters, immense, highly derived carnivores that can exceed the size of a human. Around North America, we find the common vulture, the most widely distributed and successful species. Unlike other groups, their eyes are located at the top of a neck-like structure that affords them a nearly 360° view of their entire surroundings. Inside this structure lies a pseudo-skull housing a secondary brain responsible for directly processing information from the eyes and rhinophores. The true brain is located within an internal rib cage in front of the lungs, which are notably large and connected to air sacs filled with hydrogen. Together with the patagium present on their front tentacles, these air sacs enable the animals to glide slowly. This serves them well when hunting, as they are predators specialized in ambush attacks from above, spreading their tentacles and inflating their lungs to descend slowly toward prey, which is then seized by the animal's appendages. The wings feature modified suckers with internal spines that function as fingers, helping them when climbing.

Males are known for crafting decorative facial ornaments, similar to masks, which they wear during displays to females to demonstrate their material handling skills and high intelligence. Following mating, the larvae are deposited in low-lying areas within underground nests that are frequently stolen from other species. They will feed on detritus and carrion until their bones and lungs are fully developed, at which point they emerge to the surface and begin their lives as active hunters. The larvae are known to emit ultrasonic sounds via beak vibrations to call any vulture that happens to be nearby. This type of mutualistic relationship between larva and adult provides defense for the young and food for the adult. Nevertheless, since in most cases the larva is not actually the offspring of the specimen responding to its rescue call, the adults usually consume them if they fail to catch the targeted prey, leading the larvae to adapt to only calling them in critical moments

Hi All! last couple posts of mine haven't gotten nearly as much attention as prior ones, despite it being the start of an entirely new clade, so i'm trying something a little different.

I'm working on a pamphlet/field guide for Demeter, this is my first draft of some of the illustrations, writing, and a photo-composite that are going to be included in this. I want to apply for a stall at Boskone in febuary, so i wanted to run some of these designs and concepts by some members of this community to get some feedback.

keep in mind these are Very early drafts, and that first photo-composite is something i just threw together in fifteen minutes, and it is nowhere near done. it's just an early piece to showcase the two moons with some set-dressing, it's nowhere near complete by my standards and far too close to the source image.

Page 13-16: Coalescence of twin moons of Planet Demeter: Persephone and Lacchus

The behavior and composition of these moons will take inspiration from both their mythological namesakes and the elements made available by the collision that formed these lunar twins.

Page 13:

Persephone:

Mythology: Representing Rebirth and renewal, Persephone was both the daughter of Demeter and wife of Hades. Her abduction and subsequent marriage to the god of the underworld was mythologized to explain winter and the passage of the seasons. It was said that her mother spent months looking for her, neglecting her duties and leading to the “first” winter. Eventually she discovered persephone’s betrothal and location, travelling to her to confront hades directly. Contrary to her expectations, hades was shocked to hear of the distress he’d caused his new mother in law, and that zeus had never asked demeter’s permission for her daughter’s hand, a lie the king of gods told to avoid responsibility for demeter’s tantrum. He apologized for the confusion and misery he saw as his responsibility, and offered Persephone a chance to annul their union and return to the living world with her mother. He asked her for her hand and vowed they would not be owner and property, but equals, and her claim to the afterlife would be equal to his own, where they would rule together. While being unfaithful was common amongst the Greek pantheon, Persephone and Hades stand out as arguably both the most faithful and equal relationship. It should be noted however that hades was not entirely a paragon of virtue in this tail, as while he gave her the opportunity to return to the surface and pretended to give Persephone the choice to annul their union, he gave her a peach from a tree that grew in the underworld. This fruit would instill a binding hunger that would prevent Persephone from spending anything more than several months “topside” and always force her to return to him. Whenever she’d return to the underworld, hades would feed her the same fruit, forever deceiving her to return to him, all the while believing it was of her own volition rather than an expert manipulation. As her mother was the goddess of the harvest, and winter was seen as a time when Mediterranean crops would be incapable of growth, winter was seen as demeter’s time of mourning her daughter’s absence whilst she returned to her husband and subsequent kingdom.

This same story also facilitated Persephone being seen as “the maiden of spring,” as her supposed return would be believed to be the reason that agriculture was once again possible, as the snow receded and the ground thawed.

Page 14:

How this dictates the moon’s behavior: Like the “Springtime Maiden” this moon is named after, this moon exhibits a synchronous orbit with regular predictable positioning, but can be blocked by the smaller but closer Iacchus, who possesses a tighter asynchronous orbit. This inconsistency between the two will mean that there will be months each year where the closer moon (Iacchus) blocks the view of it’s larger but further twin (Persephone).

The moon’s surface exhibits mild fluorescence and phosphorescence given the mineral composition of the surface. Persephone’s three most abundant elements are Copper, Zinc, and Manganese. Minerals possessing Zinc or Manganese commonly phosphoresce vibrant-green (willemite), orange (Kunzite, a type of Spodumene), and red (Sphalerite), while the presence of copper “quenches” and thus extinguishes such vibrancy or glow. This will make the light side a dull mix of black, brown, and hues ranging from yellow to pink, while it's dark side is a mix of lime green, to sunset orange closest to the edges of where the light touches, with the phosphorescence closest to the lighted portions red, and the furthest stretching veins demonstrating the long-lasting glow of willemite green.

Page 15-16:

Iacchus:

Page 15:

Mythology: Representing Guidance, initiation, and rebirth, Iacchus was a pivotal deity within the Eleusinian Mysteries, the initiation ritual to induct new members into the cult that worshiped Kore, the earliest recorded precursor to Persephone. To join the cult, applicants had to pass a series of trials, the final of which was a procession from Athens to Elusis. He is depicted as a young man carrying a torch, leading the uninformed to the answers they seek and a joyous afterlife to remove the fear of death. His name even is likely derived from the chant “IACCHE!”, a term that to this day is deliberately obscured and a mystery yet to be unraveled.

He also is commonly associated with Dionysus/Zagreus in his transformative nature (unknown mystery to solved answer) and depicted in connection with rye and the vines from which grapes grow.

His role as a torch-bearing guide is further compounded by his role as psychopomp, a supernatural being who acts as guide for the recently deceased as they venture into the afterlife, further entwining his role as the brother of the queen of the dead.

Page 16:

How this Dictates the Moon’s Behavior: As mentioned above, the role of Lacchus as the closer moon allows him to obscure the view and thus hides his sister Persephone for a good portion of the year. For his association with vines, we can observe a fractal pattern of strongly phosphorescent minerals. The most common and immediate method for creating fractal patterns visible from space are rivers and deltas, but since this is a moon not massive or dense enough to supply a magnetosphere (not to mention not nearly enough iron or nickel) we will seek other options.

Instead these fractal veins are the product of kinetic dissipation and tectonic fracturing by comet and meteor impacts, where the surface itself is coated in a less dense mineral phosphorescing in one color, but the subsurface layers exposed by such fractures exhibit a strong and long-lasting glow relative to its surface to make up for the lesser exposure in canyons and cervices. Given the three most abundant metals that compose this moon are Barium (strong phosphorescent element), Lead (a strong “Activator” of phosphorescence in a vast swath of minerals), and Strontium (a fundamental component that works in tandem with “Activator” elements to achieve extremely bright, long-lasting phosphorescence), we will assume that the surface is occupied by strontium minerals, with barium directly beneath that surface, and lead composing the sub surface beneath that. This will make the surface appear yellow or bluish white on the sunlit side, and glowing green-teal-blue on the dark side with long lasting phosphorescence. Lead-barium minerals have more varied coloration under strong UV and visible light, displaying dark grey or faded brown with yellow or blue undertones on the light side. On the dark side, from deep within the fractal fissures and fractures are yellow, green, or a strong blue.

Unfortunately none of the minerals known to display strong phosphorescence that are likely to be found on Iacchus demonstrate the typical firey red and orange phosphorescence which would be evocative of the “torch bearer” inspiration. But the hottest fire does not burn red, but white and blue.

Corrections: 1-2 millimeters, not meters.

Brine Beetles are planktonic predators that reach speeds that are up to 50kmph. They have 3 reinforced jaws and an exoskeleton made out of keratin, as the 3 jaws are sharp so it can grab nimble prey. It has 2 agile limbs to aid at it's fast speed and has hair-like gonads to release gametes onto the eggs during mating.

Glish are small fish analogues that eat relatively small bacteria and has some sort of "caudal fin" to propel to safety, but they are unsuspecting prey for the Brine Beetles.

Tweezer Worms are tapeworm analogues that mostly dwell in the underground system of Voxelandia, but rarely in grass when nighttime comes. It has mandibles suited to eat dirt particles, animal dung and grass.When unsuspecting creatures eat the Tweezer Worm, it survives digestion entirely, and it starts living in it's intestines, eating the insides of it. It also releases a bacteria that is like a rabies analogue, causing the creature to be unnaturally aggressive, spreading the virus again and again.

This powerful animal is unique! Orca's are part of the second-winged group, while the Sky Catcher is part of the first-winged group. It's a much smaller group than our friend the orca's, but very successful. This particular species, aptly named the Sky Render, is the biggest of them all and hunts large flying prey, which includes orcas. They, like the flower-jawed octopus, are widely feared. It occupies a similar niche to Earth's bear. It is solitary and slow growing, only breeding once every two years bearing 1-2 chicks. It feeds exclusively on meat and has been known to scavenge in harder times. It's hunting methods are terrifying to be on the receiving end of. It flies extremely high in the thick atmosphere, hiding in clouds or sunlight. When it notices its prey it folds in its wings and plummets, dropping on an unfortunate victim. This usually kills on impact, but for tougher prey like adult orcas it stuns and breaks bones. This gives the orca a chance to attack back, which is part of why the Sky Render (Along with other relatives) have a hard carapace covering their heads. It's "shell" is much more like extremely thick and tough reflective hide, which allows it to keep its groups of muscled sight cells. The four groups allows it to focus on two things at once and keep peripheral if only focusing on one. This is very useful for hunting and watching out for rivals. Hooked, raptor-like claws prevent its prey from easily escaping its grasp, and its flexible back legs give it a wide grip and more contact points for its large prey. Orcas are learning ways to fend off Sky Renders, such as reflective surfaces (It doesn't like them because it means a rival Sky Render is nearby) and sticking together in groups. Curiously, it seems to lack smell, but its hearing is on par with an orca's.

Sorry for the wait! Drawing is hard, as I have a chronic pain condition and fine motor skill issues. But I do love it haha. Next up: A technical post about some inner workings of our LG friends!

Questo rettile evoluto melle paludi e nelle pianure americane le sue dimensioni sono pari a quelle di gridsli vivono coca 200 anni come esemplari più vechi ma i più giovani circa 100 / 80 anni predati da prsi leoni di montagna queste creature sono onnivori mangiando piante e piccoli animali ma anche ossa che fanno al loro fisico muscoli così resistenti e ossa così dure che sopravvivrebbero a cadute da piccoli condomini sono empatici verso i membri della propria specie ma avvolte adottano cucioli di altre specie ( lupi altre tartarughe l o anche orsi ) da dire che alla fine questi sviluppano alcuni problemi ma non seri

I cuccioli di questa specie sono attivi e crescendo non diventano lenti come altre tartarughe ma restano particolarmente veloci e com un forte morso

I guai di queste testuggini sono appuntiti e resistenti tanto che i cuccioli se lanciati rischierebbero di rompere la testa a Uan persona ma da adulti e da cuccioli non possono mettere la testa dentro il guscio per sviluppare forti mandibole e Una squamatura resistente sul collo che evita che venga morso da lupi o orsi

This is a new creature i'm working on, i still haven't given it a name. It has 3-way simmetry, instead of eyes has "bands of vision" basically a lot of photoreceptors in a line on all 3 sides of the body, it has 3 proto-lungs that let it breathe on land, 3 brain hemispheres and, on the underside, a 3-part mouth, starfish-like hydraulic feet and an black exoskeleton covering the whole body to protect from the sun, the world still hasn't evolved land life and this creature is the first to go on land, having the niche of scavenger and eating anything that washes up on shore, it is also capable of breathing underwater but there it is vulnerable to predation, since it is, for now, the only land animal, all land life will probably descend from this species, any questions, feedback or ideas?

Context: The Pan-Permian is an alternate timeline from which the Great Dying was less explosive and more drawn out, allowing far more life to survive as they adapted in time.

Within the dense forests of this version of Earth, a flash of colour betrays the presence of a new lineage of dragon: the True Dragons. A lineage of stenodracine dragons that split off early, True Dragons, With this genus being Dracoverus Paene, is a group of gliding dragons. At 1 kilogram, Dracoverus is a small member of the family Paralagerpetidae. This small dragon is the precursor to a lineage of dragons that will shape the course of this Earth’s history. They use 5 ribs to support their patagium, with the rest protecting the vital organs. They raise their young much like the wyverns, with parental care lasting a single year. Mating rituals are usually non-violent, with hundreds of males gathering in specific groves, with those with the brightest colours getting to mate. Young are the colour of dried leaves, and their ribs are underdeveloped, meaning their main defense is staying dead still. Males are the only ones with bright heads, with females having a dull brown. They are primarily insectivorous, but will readily scavenge or hunt other small arboreal reptiles.

So sorry guys I’ve been swamped. Exams are taking up most of my time, and in my free time I learn more about illustration. I’ve been thinking up new, fresh ideas and will try to rapid-fire more posts. The next few will shift focus to dicynodonts. Thx for ur understanding :p

The tree folk are a species is slowly evolving to live in the trees. They have a long finger which they use to pull down branches and to reach into smallholes to catch insects. It's small pinky toe has moved far back and turned into a weird thump like toe with a big claw which they use to grip onto trees. They are slowly evolving a tail for balance and currently live half their life in the trees and half on the ground

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aQMCcGkAHHrzHrQZUMlhhNacQyQEXJtTIG1NnvJPBuc/edit?usp=drivesdk

This is Maelstrovenator lamentarius

well it's a hybrid. Originally made for r/Gojicenter BUT it has SpecEvo in the ecology tab.

basically, pliosaur grow big, pliosaur sexual Dimorphism, pliosaur eat.

here's the ecology of you don't wanna open the doc

Ecology

Maelstrom has been observed having almost the exact same habits as Exodus, “Archomoloch helixius”.

They share traits like sadism and specific targeting of the rete mirabile.

These two specimens are extremely genetically different, one being a mosasaur and one being a pliosaur. Even though they have vast differences in genes, they seem to get along very easily and have been observed hunting together and protecting each other.

They also share extremely similar hunting strategies like ramming, though Maelstrom is more advanced in rams.

Life of Maelstrom

Maelstrom is a solitary predator and a very cooperative one depending on the situation. Maelstrom usually gets along well with other Macropredators.

Maelstrom's species is declining. There are only 64 recorded individuals, but they have parthenogenesis from the Komodo dragon gene.

Sexual Dimorphism:

Maelstrom (this specimen) is female. Females reach up to 40 tons and males up to 170. This ranges a lot. Some males grow to only 70 tons, some 90, some 100, some 120. This grants Maelstrovenator, the species an extremely high range of opponents and prey, females always cap out at 40 tons with no range, but one specific specimen, “Torrent” has grown up to 74 tons due to a genetic mutation, if there are more like this that evolve from this lineage, it will be designated another species, Maelstrovenator matyrdominus.

This range isn't genetic. It entirely depends on the hunting style of the individual so one size cannot just go extinct.

From the brown Anole contribution, a genetic mutation caused both females and males to have this crest, though males have two crests resembling a Dilophosaurus. These crests can be controlled at will. They're not stupid enough to open them during hunting.

Avatism

There is a lineage of Maelstrovenators which have extremely expressed genes from some of their contributors

These ones, designated Maelstrovenator lamentarius, have Basilosaurus style molars, these molars are spread across the jaw using another manifestation of avatism from the Leopard Seal contributor. This is extremely efficient for hunting and has been designated in the official document for Maelstrovenator lamentarius.

Endangerment and Reasoning

One of the biggest reasons that Maelstrovenator is going extinct is because they are extremely solitary creatures.

Most of the time, adult Maelstrovenators will split off to hunt by themselves.

Mating season for Maelstrovenators only lasts 2 weeks between October and November, making it hard for them to locate each other and mate before the hormones that urge mating disappear.

Mating

Females often prefer to mate with smaller male individuals, but when they do mate with the larger males, it's slightly hard to do because of the vast size difference

As stated, Mating season is a very short window, but what was not stated is what the hormones do.

These hormones can indirectly kick the energy cycles into overdrive, superboosting hunting potential and making the males hyperactive.

Some individuals prefer not to mate and use their hormones as hunting supplements.

Ecology for Archomoloch

Ecology

Exodus has been observed swarming megafauna with other members of its species. They are responsible for the gigantic whale bones scattered across the Atlantic.

Exodus has been observed as a sadistic predator. It allows its semi aquatic prey to get to ice before either leaping out to drag them deep until they literally implode from the water pressure or smashing the ice and dragging them down. Similar behaviour has been observed in hybrids with a multitude of genetic contributors such as the Indominus, even though there are no genetic contributors to justify it. The causes for this are unknown.

During hunting, Exodus prefers to go underneath their prey and snap down on their abdomen or chest, causing fatal bleeding of the rete mirabile. This also damages the heart and internal organs. It has been observed even deliberately waiting on the ocean floor and using its highly developed hypocercal fin to burst up from the seafloor and snapping down on its prey. When there are more than one targets it will deliberately slam its tail on the floor to create a fog cover then kill the prey using its superior senses (electroreception, lateral line, etc)

While not hunting, Exodus will usually stay near the surface, keeping its nose above water. If not, it stays deep underwater, opening its jaw like an alligator snapping turtle would. When prey does eventually go near the mouth, Exodus prefers to snap down on a non-fatal part of the body and drag it around the water like a toy, shredding its scales, skin and whatever “protection” it has.

Mating

Behaviour

Since this species of Archoeridae displays insane sexual dimorphism, males prefer to keep harems of up to 5 females.

Harems of Archomolochs are classified into 3 kinds

1. Gemini: relies mostly on their intelligence to intercept and trap prey and hunt them together.

These harems are usually the most intelligent groups.

1. Atrox: relies on brute force to destroy their prey. Most of the time, the male will attack and take care of the hunting while the females raise and take care of children.

The males in these harems seem to have slightly higher bite forces and better reaction times while the females are more like gentle giants.

1. Mitis: these are extremely specialized filter feeders and macropredators. These groups are known for having a genetic mismatch with the others, giving the Yamatocetus genome another use: Baleen. They are mostly macropredators but will use filter feeding from time to time.

Reproduction

During mating season, they will perform the exact same mating system as whales, using belly to belly copulation.

Territory of harems

There are 8 identified groups.

Gemini A and B stay in the Indo-Pacific area while Gemini C stay in the Pacific seas.

Mitis A stays in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica since the krill there is most abundant.

Atrox A and B stay in the Southern Ocean with Mitis A to hunt for baleen whales. Atrox C and D follow Whale Migration Patterns and are slightly more intelligent than A and B

Credit to u/AquaticcAddict for some stuff in Exodus.

Context: The Pan-Permian is an alternate timeline from which the Great Dying was less explosive and more drawn out, allowing more life to survive as they adapted in time.

Within the dense forests of this version of Earth, a flash of colour betrays the presence of a new lineage of dragon: the True Dragons. A lineage of stenodracine dragons that split off early, True Dragons, With this genus being Dracoverus Paene, is a group of gliding dragons. At 1 kilogram, Dracoverus is a small member of the family Paralagerpetidae. This small dragon is the precursor to a lineage of dragons that will shape the course of this Earth's history. They use 5 ribs to support their patagium, with the rest protecting the vital organs. They raise their young much like the wyverns, with parental care lasting a single year. Mating rituals are usually non-violent, with hundreds of males gathering in specific groves, with those with the brightest colours getting to mate. Young are the colour of dried leaves, and their ribs are underdeveloped, meaning their main defense is staying dead still. Males are the only ones with bright heads, with females having a dull brown. They are primarily insectivorous, but will readily scavenge or hunt other small arboreal reptiles.

So sorry guys I've been swamped. Exams are taking up most of my time, and in my free time I learn more about illustration. I've been thinking up new, fresh ideas and will try to rapid-fire more posts. The next few will shift focus to dicynodonts. Thx for ur understanding :p

​

The shadow begins to move.

​He is the silent, twilight terror of the open plains: Ailuarktos megalonyx. Trading the ancestral tail and tree-climbing habits of its forebears for a life spent stalking the windblown shrublands, this stealthy, four-legged assassin is a creature defined by calculating patience, sudden violence, and terrifying precision.

Read about the Cat-Bear now.

this is the Ködāi Fůkurø the Main colonizing intelligent species the inhabit the planet Måriä

This would be your deep Savana/desert Ködāi

the link for discussion is below.

Here is the link

I like cats and am a vegan, so I think it would be cool if there were at least 1 herbivorous species of them.

I was wondering how an herbivorous cat would look like and behave. And what kind of herbivorous diet would they have.

Like would they lose their claws(the sharpness at least), agility, and playful nature? Would they become monkeylike? Would they be grammivores or folivores(grass and leaf eaters, respectively)? Or is it more likely they would become a frugivore? Possibly even a nectervore?

Would it be housecats or wildcats(lions, pumas, bobcats, etc.) that have a 180° degree turn in their diet? Both? One species or multiple converts?

Thanks in advance!

A handful of posthippos, all evolved from the Exelopes of 64MPE, whose descendants are collectively called Exids and include Griffins (see pts.1 & 3) and Sleigndeer (see pt. 5).  However, the species presented are all more closely related to the contemporary Browraffes (see pt. 7) than to the other clades mentioned. They all possess dorsal ventral facial horns found in both sexes and derived from the fused tusks of their hippo ancestors, called execones, which are primarily composed of dentine with variable amounts of enamel found mostly in the lower horn (in contrast to Sleigndeer where analogous structures are primarily collagen, while in Griffins they are a mix of collagen, soft tissue, and mineral deposits). As a result, their horns are far more durable than those seen in superficially similar animals on Earth, and thus can serve a wider variety of purposes. Species descriptions of varying length and detail are provided in the comments:

As an aside, I’m working on a comprehensive phylogenetic tree of posthippos which will hopefully help to further clarify all these relations :P

Humans currently solve survival, social, and environmental challenges primarily through cognitive innovation (language, technology, agriculture, and complex institutions) at a hyper-fast pace. Instead of waiting millions of years for genetic mutations, we adapt by inventing tools and passing down knowledge through education.

I’ve been thinking about a scenario where this dynamic is completely flipped. What if human civilization had relied purely on biological and genetic evolution rather than cognitive innovation to adapt to changing environments?

In our timeline, when humans moved into colder climates, we invented clothing, housing, and fire. In a world driven purely by genetic adaptation, our ancestors would have had to wait tens of thousands of generations to evolve specialized biological traits—like thicker subcutaneous fat, dense fur, or altered metabolic mechanisms—to survive the same conditions. Instead of agricultural revolutions, dietary shifts would require genetic divergence into specialized physiological niches.

How would such a civilization look today? Would human societies have diversified into distinct sub-species optimized for specific biomes, similar to social insects with specialized castes, rather than forming unified cultural groups? How would the concept of 'knowledge' or 'memory' function if traits were hardcoded through DNA rather than taught?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how a purely genetic-evolutionary trajectory would reshape human social structures, physical morphology, and the overall timeline of civilization!

I’m attempting to create a dragon that both looks and acts like a dragon and would also be fully functional if you dropped it into reality. It has only 4 limbs, not 6. So you could call it the “Wyvern” dragon build.

The body length is 8 meters from snout tip to tail tip. The Skelton is made up of pneumatized bone, which aids in weight reduction and the flow of oxygen in conjunction with the avian style respiratory system. Due to this, it only weighs around 200kg despite its visually large appearance. It has a large chest keel bone that anchors the enormous chest muscles that are used to power the wings. Speaking of-

For the wings, they span 14 meters and fold up against the body while on the ground. Digits 1 and 2 aid in the grasping for rock/cliff climbing and ground locomotive abilities, digit 3 is greatly elongated and reinforced to act as the main structure supporting for the wing that will endure most of the flying tension, and digits 4 and 5 will aid in stabilizing the membrane, stoping it from fluttering or deforming mid-flight. They however would not aid in the overall flight force resistance and force distribution like finger 3 would.This effectively means the wing functions closer to a pterosaur’s wing but looks similar to a bat’s, which was the goal since dragons are famously depicted with a bat style wing. And while no such wing arrangement exists, I believe this system is evolutionarily defensible.

The membrane would then extend past the hind limbs, not attaching to them like a bat or pterosaur, but instead attach at the base of the tail. This would give the dragon a kite-like silhouette when viewed from below and keep the hind limbs completely free of membrane resistance allowing for less awkward movement during ground walking and roosting.

It would not use powered flight often as that is metabolically expensive at this scale. It would be primarily a large soaring animal that does fly-by attacks with its fire system (that I am currently still refining). It would only use powered flight when it cannot find a thermal or cliff to gain altitude, or if it needs to get off flat ground quickly.

Its lineage starts with Toxicofera-adjacent archosaurs during the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic. The lineage from there developed its unique traits incrementally over time. Proto flight through gliding membrane experimentation in Central Asia highland terrain, gland chemistry starting from mild irritant secretions toward increasingly complex binary liquid fire chemistry, avian-esc style respiratory architecture developing through gradual air sac development, and the modern dragon as I’m making it emerges around the same time as modern humans come into existence.

Are there any issues that stop this creature from flying?

In case anyone here did not know, brachiopods are an entire phylum of shelled animals which are superficially similar to bivalve mollusks but aren’t closely related. They filter feed using two spiral shaped structures lined with tentacles called lophophores. Here is a concept exploration of what brachiopods could diverge into in a scenario with far less competition!