u/MilezXC

(Before you ask, yes, V.3 exists, but it did not have substantial enough changes to warrant a post here).

Hoping to get some more feedback on Cetathora! I am planning to continue refining the design going into the actual Sea Hybrid War this fall, so this is the next big step in that direction. Skeleton/Skull Design, Metrics, Genome, and Introduction provided as images.

The big thing would be to effectively increase the strength of the sonar so it can be weaponized without Hanking myself. Otherwise, I generally feel pretty good about the genome and overall design, but as always, I am up for additional feedback there as well.

Link to previous design: Cetathora 2.0

Howdy Gang, to celebrate the submissions for the Practice Sea Hybrid War coming to an official close, I figured I'd share a fun joke creation I thought up while crafting my official submission, and wanted to throw together as extra practice/for fun. (BTW I got a tentative B+ on the Cetathora 2.0, so I'm pretty hyped about that given it's my first official submission lmao).

Meet the "Sharpenedmetalpoleasaurus" or the Acumetatrudis memeticus, the ultimate hybrid with the ultimate weapon that almost certainly solos everything ever ;)

Genome, stats, and introduction to this (semi-practical) meme hybrid are provided as screenshots! Lmk your thoughts.

Hello, fellow nerds! I am an amateur in both spec evo and, as is visually apparent, anatomical drawing and drawing in general.

As apart of a project of mine in a post-apocalyptic world, I wanted to design a clade terrestrial animals originating from Mudskippers (Oxudercidae) who decided to fully copy Tiktaalik’s homework and essentially create a ray-finned fish iteration of tetrapods, whom I’ve dubbed the “Oxupods.” I’ve attached some disorganized notes below on this basic Oxupod form I’ve sketched above (pencil paper sketch which was then scanned electronically and some body proportions were then electronically corrected)

If you all could provide some feedback on the realistic functionality of this anatomical design, I’d be greatly appreciative! I tried resolving many of the hurdles to a fully terrestrial transition specific to ray-finned fish, so hopefully I’m not making too many mistakes in the process!

Thanks for the constructive criticism, folks!
- MilezXC

Notes:
- Oxupods: Oxudercidae (Mudskippers) + -pods. Oxys- means sharp, so "blade footed" is actually quite succinct.

- Bipedal movement, four-boned femur-like "Mirosals" structure, ending with jointed "knee." Below knees, fused ray bones' shin-like "Fascitibiae" forming the connection points at the "ankle" for the "Oxungulae," a pseudo-hoof of cartillage, keratin/scale/chitin, and tendons which acts as a spring system similar to human running blade prosthetics. Balance while running compensated by tail.

- Retains amphibious lifestyle much like tetrapodal amphibians, wherein spawning and egg laying takes place in water. A thick mucus coat forms during extended periods out of water to aid in water retention and defense (foul taste). Skin is similar to that of a toad's. In water they gallop not swim, much like hippos. Blade width dependent on lifestyle; thinner for rush-down predators, wider for herbivores.

- "Eye stalks" forward facing for carnivores, outward and angled like a wildebeest for herbivores.

- Neck-Lungs, former gill pockets for water, protected by "neck cage" (former pelvic fins) doubling as a sort of diaphragm. Dual chambers, unfused pelvic fins, and four nostrils allow for a sort of circular breathing wherein one side inhales from front nostril while the other side exhales from back nostril.

- Food size limited by "hips" (scapula formed into pelvis-like structure), all food must pass through. Hyostylic jaw suspension may permit a great white shark/goblin shark type of feeding. Xiaphactinus-style bite with long teeth to tear chunks. Back of skull has attachment points for neck muscles.

- First four vertebrae lengthen to form a sort of cervical spine, allowing better reach on land and space for throat lung. Lumbar vetrebrae create links much like hero shrew spines. Neural spines locked like a hero shrew but more like S-shapes which act more as "hooks" for a suspension-bridge style reinforcement during rest, where lateral flexion and spinal extension is not impacted, but anterior flexion of certain vertabrae are limited by these hooks.

- Dorsal spines which were once dorsal fins now act as both thermoregulatory sails and displays for mating and intimidation. For some species, spines additionally act as thorny defence. "Shoulder hump" structure from "clavical-hip" allows for neck muscle attatchment sites for thrashing.

- Proper rib cage and hip-sternum forms. Last set of ribs become thick "pseudo-hips" for connection points for tail muscles, in some herbivorous species the former rays for tail fins have been repurposed as a thagomizer.