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Description

It's been about a year since I did an update of my project Cambrian mars, and in spite of it and despite continuing to make sketches with short information, I had not done something major updates, mostly because I had no interest in this and I wanted to focus my attention on other projects. However, these days I have felt a little encouragement to start working again, or rather to re-do this project since some of the ideas that I had previously made do not seem convincing for my actual understand, including the first idea that I had about the evolution of one of the main groups that I had created, the terrestrial anomalocarids or Thyreocephala, a group of Pananthropods that would be prominent in the Martian landscape as megafaunal organisms (main original idea here ), being in a way convergent in aspect to vertebrates, although morphologically and anatomically they differ a lot.

At first my original idea for this group was to evolve like vertebrates, going through a stage of benthonic forms similar to early tetrapods that would colonize and adapt to life on land with the fins becoming limbs (link to the original concept ), however, and now in retrospect, it seems a rather simplistic and lazy idea, considering the number of times that life would colonize land without pass for the same Tetrapod-like path, would be more plausible if these organisms took a slightly different route, a more arthropod like one. Also at the same time I wanted to preserve some of the original concepts, some created by my old friend Carlos or better known as here (look here ), but making it properly plausible, and now I can say that I found a properly evolutionary path more or less plausible.

Even though I need to redesign some points of my timeline, major events, continental drift and probably some other concepts, for the moment I want to show the new redesign for the Thyreocephala evolutionary tree and diversity.

-------------------------------------

a) Early Anomalocarid (540 m.y.)
The first early forms that colonized a terraformed mars during the Cambrian, not so different from actual species.

b) Bethonic walker (470 m.y.)
After some millions of years of radiation, new anomalocarids groups started to colonize many benthonic niches around the coastal and shallow seas across the planet, being the Bethonic walker one of the early forms, redeveloping several pairs of legs under its body, in addition to modifying the arms into a comb-like shape to plow the seabed.

c) Tetradactilocaris (450 m.y.)
Some species of predatory habits over time changed the design of the arms, evolving into a limb-like “claw” composed of four appendages like fingers.

d) Flamboyant Brachiocara (430 m.y.)
The Flamboyant Brachiocara is perhaps the transitional key design in the evolution of the terrestrial dinocarids, since it has fully developed the limbs, being similar to some soft pananthropoda relatives in look, although with a strange characteristic, since internally it possesses a series of interlaced cartilaginous structures, almost similar as vertebrae, this being an adaptation to add a tough and flexible structure without the need for an external exoskeleton, in turn, each part of its body continues to change from their lifestyle as swimming creatures to being seafloor creatures, reducing several of their fins, changing the shape of their head, being more adapted to scratch and remove the silt, and its claws have changed, now being almost similar to some arthropod pincers.

e) "Decacarid" (390 m.y.)
This long-legged species had begun the transition to land, changing the morphology of the ancestral dinocarids even more, being now more compact, with more defined legs, some of the cartilage structures eventually merged, and now they are only articulated in two or 3 parts. The gills had changed and developed into book lungs, the body has begun not to depend on the exoskeleton to support itself, but on part of the cartilage endoskeleton under the legs that were connected at the base, becoming a kind of ribs.

Unlike the flamboyant, this form is mostly a coastal and fresh water dweller, being able to get out at low tide and even climb to high areas such as rocks or even trees.

Thyreocephala (380 m.y)

The only terrestrial Dinocarids descendants, they are the most prominent megafaunist groups on Mars in the next millions of years, their name refers to their armored head which is one of the few parts that still needs an exoskeleton, although in later species this changes and gradually the external part disappears.

f) Terrarchecara (370 m.y.)
Some of the first terrestrial species, they are mostly tree dwellers characterized by only using 3 of the 5 pairs of original limbs, the other two being used for purposes unrelated to locomotion. This still has part of the exoskeleton, however, it is almost vestigial and used for protection, its arms and part of the torso is now supported by "bones", however, being formed by cartilage.

The head has completely changed from its original shape, now with the remaining claws of the arms, converted into two pairs of mouthparts.

Arachnocorpua (350-230 m.y.)

The first prominent Thyreocephala group on land, these arachnid-like forms took the predatory and omnivorous niches for more than 60 million years thanks to their strong body armor which was used more for protection than body support, they were gradually replaced by their more graceful and unarmored cousins, being relegated to arboreal niches, their last lineages being gliding forms that became extinct during a major extinction event.

g) Deimucaracnids (350-290 m.y.)
The generic lineage of this clade, has some of the longest species, reaching more than 1.5 meters in length, are characterized by its 2 eyes on large eyestalk, its huge 4 pedipalps-like arms, 6 sturdy legs, and a very round and robust body divided in 2 segments. They were ferocious carnivores, capable of tearing down the 3 meters long amphibian “onychophorans”.

h) Hymenoscleria (330-230 m.y.)
These would be the first aerial forms to evolve in the Thyreocephala history, being creatures of completely arboreal habits, they were characterized by the development of long and rigid structures like wings in the hind legs, being long and that together with the body, it takes the shape of a round delta wing, which gave them the ability to glide long distances. This lifestyle probably saved them in the long term with the emergence of the flexible body Thyreocephala, although these gliders eventually became extinct with the loss of forested areas, being unable to survive an imminent mass extinction around 230 million years.

Chelitetrida (350 m.y.)

These are already a much more derived clade, being characterized by the loss of their exoskeleton and plates, most of the species of this clade is made up very small sized forms, although being at first inhabitants of the trees and forest ground, some would later give rise to new and larger forms in the following million years, and in turn this group will be able to survive in the long term.

Species example

i) Chromitodermus (340 m.y.)
This species of bright colors turns out to be a poisonous species, capable of producing biotoxins capable of killing any animal interested in digesting them.

j) Heretosquama (330 m.y.)
This species is one of the transitional forms to the first dominant groups of Thyreocephala, this for having lost the 2 pairs of atrophied legs that still possess primitive species of this group, at the same time of having developed eyelids that allows you to protect the eyes and presents a structure of the jaw quite unusual, which has a series of more elaborated muscles and ligaments connected between the bases of the mouthparts, being the precursors of the true jaws in posterior species.

They are inhabitants of semi-forested areas, being common in trees, however they are able to move on the ground.

Crassignatha (300 m.y,)

One of the first major megafauna’ herbivores and with the largest terrestrial species on land of its era, they were mainly formed by heavy herbivores with some minor omnivores, with robust and quite fat legs, compact and round bodies and long jaws with cheeks which mobilized and crushed the vegetable material around the jaw until entering the oral opening, and thus through large stomachs.

Species example

k) Lipothere (250 m.y.)
Lipotheres are the largest terrestrial species of its time, being large as an African elephant, bung weighting 4 tons, is a creature of small brain but voracious appetite, able to prune several trees and medium plants in a matter of hours, is able to feed on the variety of flora that grows in its territory thanks to its efficient jaw.

Asterodontia (270 m.y.)

First diverse group of they became a clade mainly formed by creatures that developed a fleshy jaw and formed by five mouthparts, two pairs being the original claws, and the last one that forms the upper jaw original part of the head.

l) Idipterans (270 m.y.)
These are the first Thyreocephala that developed true flight, this clade followed an almost convergent limb use with the gliders Hymenoscleria, using the hind legs as wing, however, instead of being formed by a rigid structure and only used to glide, in this lineage the wing is formed by a tissue membrane, which is sustained by three long phalanges, leaving a single finger free, while the 2 pairs of front limbs remain free. Its body has also adapted for such morphology, being the tail long and forming a small fluke, and the small head and with the upper jaw tipped, although the other four mouthparts doesn’t have the same shape, being in many species short and similar to beaks. Although this lineage has only species that reach a minimum of one meter in span, in the future it is likely that they will continue to grow, and perhaps at some point they will evolve into true titans.

m) Licaocaridids (270-220 m.y.)
They represent the largest and common predators of the first great age of the Asterodontians, being some species able to reach lengths of 3 meters, they became specialized hunters characterized by their robust jaw-shaped beaks, able to penetrate and cut the flesh of their victims , six agile and powerful legs with long claws in each one.

n) Corythorhynchid (270 m.y.)
Major herbivores with some omnivorous species, these are a very cosmopolitan medium to small sized animals, characterized by its rather structured digestive system able to better absorb nutrients, part of this excels in some species as a hump, and also by its strange ornaments derived from its upper jaw, varying in use and shape.

o) Hirsuticara (230 m.y)
Being early branch of the Corythorhynchids, Hirsuticarans are one of the best adapted Thyreocephala to cold climates, being able to maintain their temperature by themselves. Most are burrow dwellers, however, probably after first Asterodontia era, they are probably the possible heirs of a new world being able to survive the imminent mass extinction on Mars.

Description

It's been about a year since I did an update of my project Cambrian mars, and in spite of it and despite continuing to make sketches with short information, I had not done something major updates, mostly because I had no interest in this and I wanted to focus my attention on other projects. However, these days I have felt a little encouragement to start working again, or rather to re-do this project since some of the ideas that I had previously made do not seem convincing for my actual understand, including the first idea that I had about the evolution of one of the main groups that I had created, the terrestrial anomalocarids or Thyreocephala, a group of Pananthropods that would be prominent in the Martian landscape as megafaunal organisms (main original idea here ), being in a way convergent in aspect to vertebrates, although morphologically and anatomically they differ a lot.

At first my original idea for this group was to evolve like vertebrates, going through a stage of benthonic forms similar to early tetrapods that would colonize and adapt to life on land with the fins becoming limbs (link to the original concept ), however, and now in retrospect, it seems a rather simplistic and lazy idea, considering the number of times that life would colonize land without pass for the same Tetrapod-like path, would be more plausible if these organisms took a slightly different route, a more arthropod like one. Also at the same time I wanted to preserve some of the original concepts, some created by my old friend Carlos or better known as here (look here ), but making it properly plausible, and now I can say that I found a properly evolutionary path more or less plausible.

Even though I need to redesign some points of my timeline, major events, continental drift and probably some other concepts, for the moment I want to show the new redesign for the Thyreocephala evolutionary tree and diversity.

-------------------------------------

a) Early Anomalocarid (540 m.y.)
The first early forms that colonized a terraformed mars during the Cambrian, not so different from actual species.

b) Bethonic walker (470 m.y.)
After some millions of years of radiation, new anomalocarids groups started to colonize many benthonic niches around the coastal and shallow seas across the planet, being the Bethonic walker one of the early forms, redeveloping several pairs of legs under its body, in addition to modifying the arms into a comb-like shape to plow the seabed.

c) Tetradactilocaris (450 m.y.)
Some species of predatory habits over time changed the design of the arms, evolving into a limb-like “claw” composed of four appendages like fingers.

d) Flamboyant Brachiocara (430 m.y.)
The Flamboyant Brachiocara is perhaps the transitional key design in the evolution of the terrestrial dinocarids, since it has fully developed the limbs, being similar to some soft pananthropoda relatives in look, although with a strange characteristic, since internally it possesses a series of interlaced cartilaginous structures, almost similar as vertebrae, this being an adaptation to add a tough and flexible structure without the need for an external exoskeleton, in turn, each part of its body continues to change from their lifestyle as swimming creatures to being seafloor creatures, reducing several of their fins, changing the shape of their head, being more adapted to scratch and remove the silt, and its claws have changed, now being almost similar to some arthropod pincers.

e) "Decacarid" (390 m.y.)
This long-legged species had begun the transition to land, changing the morphology of the ancestral dinocarids even more, being now more compact, with more defined legs, some of the cartilage structures eventually merged, and now they are only articulated in two or 3 parts. The gills had changed and developed into book lungs, the body has begun not to depend on the exoskeleton to support itself, but on part of the cartilage endoskeleton under the legs that were connected at the base, becoming a kind of ribs.

Unlike the flamboyant, this form is mostly a coastal and fresh water dweller, being able to get out at low tide and even climb to high areas such as rocks or even trees.

Thyreocephala (380 m.y)

The only terrestrial Dinocarids descendants, they are the most prominent megafaunist groups on Mars in the next millions of years, their name refers to their armored head which is one of the few parts that still needs an exoskeleton, although in later species this changes and gradually the external part disappears.

f) Terrarchecara (370 m.y.)
Some of the first terrestrial species, they are mostly tree dwellers characterized by only using 3 of the 5 pairs of original limbs, the other two being used for purposes unrelated to locomotion. This still has part of the exoskeleton, however, it is almost vestigial and used for protection, its arms and part of the torso is now supported by "bones", however, being formed by cartilage.

The head has completely changed from its original shape, now with the remaining claws of the arms, converted into two pairs of mouthparts.

Arachnocorpua (350-230 m.y.)

The first prominent Thyreocephala group on land, these arachnid-like forms took the predatory and omnivorous niches for more than 60 million years thanks to their strong body armor which was used more for protection than body support, they were gradually replaced by their more graceful and unarmored cousins, being relegated to arboreal niches, their last lineages being gliding forms that became extinct during a major extinction event.

g) Deimucaracnids (350-290 m.y.)
The generic lineage of this clade, has some of the longest species, reaching more than 1.5 meters in length, are characterized by its 2 eyes on large eyestalk, its huge 4 pedipalps-like arms, 6 sturdy legs, and a very round and robust body divided in 2 segments. They were ferocious carnivores, capable of tearing down the 3 meters long amphibian “onychophorans”.

h) Hymenoscleria (330-230 m.y.)
These would be the first aerial forms to evolve in the Thyreocephala history, being creatures of completely arboreal habits, they were characterized by the development of long and rigid structures like wings in the hind legs, being long and that together with the body, it takes the shape of a round delta wing, which gave them the ability to glide long distances. This lifestyle probably saved them in the long term with the emergence of the flexible body Thyreocephala, although these gliders eventually became extinct with the loss of forested areas, being unable to survive an imminent mass extinction around 230 million years.

Chelitetrida (350 m.y.)

These are already a much more derived clade, being characterized by the loss of their exoskeleton and plates, most of the species of this clade is made up very small sized forms, although being at first inhabitants of the trees and forest ground, some would later give rise to new and larger forms in the following million years, and in turn this group will be able to survive in the long term.

Species example

i) Chromitodermus (340 m.y.)
This species of bright colors turns out to be a poisonous species, capable of producing biotoxins capable of killing any animal interested in digesting them.

j) Heretosquama (330 m.y.)
This species is one of the transitional forms to the first dominant groups of Thyreocephala, this for having lost the 2 pairs of atrophied legs that still possess primitive species of this group, at the same time of having developed eyelids that allows you to protect the eyes and presents a structure of the jaw quite unusual, which has a series of more elaborated muscles and ligaments connected between the bases of the mouthparts, being the precursors of the true jaws in posterior species.

They are inhabitants of semi-forested areas, being common in trees, however they are able to move on the ground.

Crassignatha (300 m.y,)

One of the first major megafauna’ herbivores and with the largest terrestrial species on land of its era, they were mainly formed by heavy herbivores with some minor omnivores, with robust and quite fat legs, compact and round bodies and long jaws with cheeks which mobilized and crushed the vegetable material around the jaw until entering the oral opening, and thus through large stomachs.

Species example

k) Lipothere (250 m.y.)
Lipotheres are the largest terrestrial species of its time, being large as an African elephant, bung weighting 4 tons, is a creature of small brain but voracious appetite, able to prune several trees and medium plants in a matter of hours, is able to feed on the variety of flora that grows in its territory thanks to its efficient jaw.

Asterodontia (270 m.y.)

First diverse group of they became a clade mainly formed by creatures that developed a fleshy jaw and formed by five mouthparts, two pairs being the original claws, and the last one that forms the upper jaw original part of the head.

l) Idipterans (270 m.y.)
These are the first Thyreocephala that developed true flight, this clade followed an almost convergent limb use with the gliders Hymenoscleria, using the hind legs as wing, however, instead of being formed by a rigid structure and only used to glide, in this lineage the wing is formed by a tissue membrane, which is sustained by three long phalanges, leaving a single finger free, while the 2 pairs of front limbs remain free. Its body has also adapted for such morphology, being the tail long and forming a small fluke, and the small head and with the upper jaw tipped, although the other four mouthparts doesn’t have the same shape, being in many species short and similar to beaks. Although this lineage has only species that reach a minimum of one meter in span, in the future it is likely that they will continue to grow, and perhaps at some point they will evolve into true titans.

m) Licaocaridids (270-220 m.y.)
They represent the largest and common predators of the first great age of the Asterodontians, being some species able to reach lengths of 3 meters, they became specialized hunters characterized by their robust jaw-shaped beaks, able to penetrate and cut the flesh of their victims , six agile and powerful legs with long claws in each one.

n) Corythorhynchid (270 m.y.)
Major herbivores with some omnivorous species, these are a very cosmopolitan medium to small sized animals, characterized by its rather structured digestive system able to better absorb nutrients, part of this excels in some species as a hump, and also by its strange ornaments derived from its upper jaw, varying in use and shape.

o) Hirsuticara (230 m.y)
Being early branch of the Corythorhynchids, Hirsuticarans are one of the best adapted Thyreocephala to cold climates, being able to maintain their temperature by themselves. Most are burrow dwellers, however, probably after first Asterodontia era, they are probably the possible heirs of a new world being able to survive the imminent mass extinction on Mars.