Beyond a Billion
Stop twelve – 1 billion years hence – Early Mortizoic era
Almost all of earth’s water forms a swirling vapour that circles the skies, as it is too hot for water to condense and fall as rain, except at the poles, where patches of moisture harbour microlife. The land has degraded and been worn away, so much of it has become dust and debris, caught in a global maelstrom amid the swirling muddy hot vapour. No multicellular life remains, as no breathable atmosphere, and almost no surface water, remains. The only life is various unicellular creatures, some of which were here at the beginning. These loose colonies, some predatory, some photosynthetic, are called "living mist", which are suspended in the airborne vapour and mud. Sand-grain sized amoeba-like creatures, covered in long cilia, are the only remaining macrolife. They sail on the storm winds, catching the air with their cilia, as they endeavour to be blown into the living mists, on which they feed.
Almost all of earth’s water forms a swirling vapour that circles the skies, as it is too hot for water to condense and fall as rain, except at the poles, where patches of moisture harbour microlife. The land has degraded and been worn away, so much of it has become dust and debris, caught in a global maelstrom amid the swirling muddy hot vapour. No multicellular life remains, as no breathable atmosphere, and almost no surface water, remains. The only life is various unicellular creatures, some of which were here at the beginning. These loose colonies, some predatory, some photosynthetic, are called "living mist", which are suspended in the airborne vapour and mud. Sand-grain sized amoeba-like creatures, covered in long cilia, are the only remaining macrolife. They sail on the storm winds, catching the air with their cilia, as they endeavour to be blown into the living mists, on which they feed.
life
Photosynthetic Mist (Chloronebula sp)
Ancestor: Cyanobacteria incertae sedis
The swirling muddy maelstrom of the earths atmosphere at this time is very hot and inhospitable, but even here life survives. This mist is a kind of cyanobacteria that blows about in large clouds, suspended in the masses of water vapour swirling in the atmosphere. It gains nutrients by photosynthesizing light from the sun, which has of course grown larger than in our time. When they occur in large numbers, clouds of vapour can appear bright bluish green.
Predatory Mist (Nebulavora sp)
Ancestor: Choanoflagellatea incertae sedis
The predatory mist consists of clouds or masses of choanoflagellates suspended in the swirling atmospheric vapour. These creatures lend no colour to the clouds that they are suspended in. Swirling about in loose masses, they feed on other mists which they are blown into, and individuals will even consume each other, as heir rate of division is fairly high.
Hairy Mote (Hirsutamoeba sp)
Ancestor: Amoebidae incertae sedis
One of the few non-colonial protists of this time is the hairy mote. As large as a coarse grain of sand, this amoeba is covered in long cilia which can be deployed in order to steer amongst the windy vapour, “drinking” droplets in search of prey Possessing sensory organelles at one end, it is able to follow scent trails in order to find the mist creatures which form its main source of food.
“Slime”
Ancestor: Cyanobacteria incertae sedis
At the poles, various kinds of cyanobacteria form a clinging slimy film over the bare rock. Here they collect vapour and photosynthesize, large slicks take on a bright green appearance.
Ancestor: Cyanobacteria incertae sedis
The swirling muddy maelstrom of the earths atmosphere at this time is very hot and inhospitable, but even here life survives. This mist is a kind of cyanobacteria that blows about in large clouds, suspended in the masses of water vapour swirling in the atmosphere. It gains nutrients by photosynthesizing light from the sun, which has of course grown larger than in our time. When they occur in large numbers, clouds of vapour can appear bright bluish green.
Predatory Mist (Nebulavora sp)
Ancestor: Choanoflagellatea incertae sedis
The predatory mist consists of clouds or masses of choanoflagellates suspended in the swirling atmospheric vapour. These creatures lend no colour to the clouds that they are suspended in. Swirling about in loose masses, they feed on other mists which they are blown into, and individuals will even consume each other, as heir rate of division is fairly high.
Hairy Mote (Hirsutamoeba sp)
Ancestor: Amoebidae incertae sedis
One of the few non-colonial protists of this time is the hairy mote. As large as a coarse grain of sand, this amoeba is covered in long cilia which can be deployed in order to steer amongst the windy vapour, “drinking” droplets in search of prey Possessing sensory organelles at one end, it is able to follow scent trails in order to find the mist creatures which form its main source of food.
“Slime”
Ancestor: Cyanobacteria incertae sedis
At the poles, various kinds of cyanobacteria form a clinging slimy film over the bare rock. Here they collect vapour and photosynthesize, large slicks take on a bright green appearance.
Stop thirteen – 2 billion years hence – Late Mortizoic era
The only life forms remaining are prokaryotes that dwell deep underground or in high-altitude lakes, beyond these the earth is devoid of life. The surface is barren and over 100 degrees Celsius air temperature. All life is descended from the protists that have remained at the moister poles, in the lakes atop the highest mountains some are still there. The flying atmospheric mists have apparently left no descendants.
The only life forms remaining are prokaryotes that dwell deep underground or in high-altitude lakes, beyond these the earth is devoid of life. The surface is barren and over 100 degrees Celsius air temperature. All life is descended from the protists that have remained at the moister poles, in the lakes atop the highest mountains some are still there. The flying atmospheric mists have apparently left no descendants.
life
Lake Crust (Stromatoloides lacustris)
Ancestor: Cyanobacteria incertae sedis.
The warm hyper saline lakes at higher altitudes are one of the few bastions of unicellular life at this time. Resembling an aquatic stromatolite, this cyanobacterial colony forms a living layer that constantly secretes calcium around it, forming a crust. Generally only found in deeper parts of these warm lakes, they resemble bracket-like fractals forming atop one another.
Crust-eater (Crustavora pseudograda)
Ancestor: Chemotrophic Bacteria (incertae sedis)
The lakes are also home to predatory colonies of micro-organisms. This slime-mold-like protist colony moves long the lakebed, feeding on the calcium crusts left behind by the lake crust. It has relatively well-organised constituents, so that it can crawl about slowly in search of food. They divide relatively quickly when they encounter large deposits of food.
Lake Slime (Lacustralimus sp)
Ancestor: Cyanobacteria incertae sedis
Large slicks of cyanobacteria occur in patches in the sunlit parts of the lake; these will often attempt to grow on other photosynthesizers like lake crust.
Slime Eater (Limuvora chlorophilus)
Ancestor: Chemotrophic Bacteria (incertae sedis)
This ovular, swimming, mote-like creature is a colony of bacteria, which are organised to move around, more advanced than any modern prokaryote. An individual colony can reach the size of a grain of sand. Via large flagella on the rearmost members, and sensory organelles on the foremost, it swims around lazily in search of slime to settle on and feed. Given enough time, a colony like this could evolve into new forms of multicellular life, but they will not get the chance. Reproduction is achieved when an individual colony becomes too large, and splits in two.
Rock-Eater (Geovora ceres)
Ancestor Chemotrophic Bacteria (incertae sedis)
This extremophilic colonial prokaryote forms a congealed smear that is wet and acidic on its underside, to feed on minerals in cave rocks deep underground. It forms a waxy crust on its outer side to prevent desiccation, but this can also allow it to feed underwater. To the naked eye it appears as a thin pale smear. They divide fairly quickly and a single individual colony can form a slick up to 40 centimetres across.
Wax-eater (Cerevora cilliata)
Ancestor: Chemotrophic bacteria (incertae sedis)
These solitary bacteria often congregate around rock-eaters that have taken root in caves underwater, as well as cyanobacterial slime. They swim around in water using their cilia and a large flagellum, and will move towards food sources to eat. Though they are not visible to the naked eye, they are large as far as protists go.
Ancestor: Cyanobacteria incertae sedis.
The warm hyper saline lakes at higher altitudes are one of the few bastions of unicellular life at this time. Resembling an aquatic stromatolite, this cyanobacterial colony forms a living layer that constantly secretes calcium around it, forming a crust. Generally only found in deeper parts of these warm lakes, they resemble bracket-like fractals forming atop one another.
Crust-eater (Crustavora pseudograda)
Ancestor: Chemotrophic Bacteria (incertae sedis)
The lakes are also home to predatory colonies of micro-organisms. This slime-mold-like protist colony moves long the lakebed, feeding on the calcium crusts left behind by the lake crust. It has relatively well-organised constituents, so that it can crawl about slowly in search of food. They divide relatively quickly when they encounter large deposits of food.
Lake Slime (Lacustralimus sp)
Ancestor: Cyanobacteria incertae sedis
Large slicks of cyanobacteria occur in patches in the sunlit parts of the lake; these will often attempt to grow on other photosynthesizers like lake crust.
Slime Eater (Limuvora chlorophilus)
Ancestor: Chemotrophic Bacteria (incertae sedis)
This ovular, swimming, mote-like creature is a colony of bacteria, which are organised to move around, more advanced than any modern prokaryote. An individual colony can reach the size of a grain of sand. Via large flagella on the rearmost members, and sensory organelles on the foremost, it swims around lazily in search of slime to settle on and feed. Given enough time, a colony like this could evolve into new forms of multicellular life, but they will not get the chance. Reproduction is achieved when an individual colony becomes too large, and splits in two.
Rock-Eater (Geovora ceres)
Ancestor Chemotrophic Bacteria (incertae sedis)
This extremophilic colonial prokaryote forms a congealed smear that is wet and acidic on its underside, to feed on minerals in cave rocks deep underground. It forms a waxy crust on its outer side to prevent desiccation, but this can also allow it to feed underwater. To the naked eye it appears as a thin pale smear. They divide fairly quickly and a single individual colony can form a slick up to 40 centimetres across.
Wax-eater (Cerevora cilliata)
Ancestor: Chemotrophic bacteria (incertae sedis)
These solitary bacteria often congregate around rock-eaters that have taken root in caves underwater, as well as cyanobacterial slime. They swim around in water using their cilia and a large flagellum, and will move towards food sources to eat. Though they are not visible to the naked eye, they are large as far as protists go.
final extinction
Extinction of all life on Earth – 2.8 billion years hence – close of the Mortizoic era
The Earth’ surface has reached a scorching and inhospitable 149 degrees Celsius on average. As such all life, even the hardy protists, have died out. The only remaining possibility, is that any organic particles have drifted out into space, and may settle on other planets or moons and seed the next chapter in the history of life.
The Earth’ surface has reached a scorching and inhospitable 149 degrees Celsius on average. As such all life, even the hardy protists, have died out. The only remaining possibility, is that any organic particles have drifted out into space, and may settle on other planets or moons and seed the next chapter in the history of life.