Metazoica back-up

The Metazoic family of seals, known as the Paraphocidae, are not really descended from modern seals. Rather, they come from weasel relatives, like otters. They somewhat resemble modern phocid seals, the external ears are not completely gone, but drastically reduced in size. The tail is either of medium length or very short. The nostrils close tightly shut to keep the water out, as can the ears. These seals have a third, clear, nictitating membrane that covers the eyes when they are underwater. The legs have been reduced to mere flippers. When landed, they move somewhat like turtles or crocodiles. Some are highly social species, living in groups of up to 100 individuals. While some are solitary, such as Monachitus . The eyes are large and round, the body is long, though it is somewhat longer in the species of Eufoedes than in any other seal. These seals also have the longest foreflippers in proportion to it's body than any other seal. They range in size from the 4-foot long-finned ...

I have been asked about this, since this is my project, I think it'd be important to come up with a sort of ending to the Metazoic era. Some imaginary scenario if you will. It's a sad subject to think about. We all know by now what killed off the dinosaurs. Well, we seem to have some pretty accurate speculations. So what happens at the end of the Metazoic? Well, we need a beginning. Imagine a world in which we are missing. Humans have killed themselves off by cutting down forests, overpopulation, overuse of natural resources. Face it, our extinction is pretty much inevitable! Humans don't know it. Unfortunately nowadays, people are getting paid good money to overpopulate. People on welfare have more and more kids because it means getting more money from the government. People like the Duggars (19 kids and counting) get paid a lot of money because they keep on having kids and TV stations like TLC will always pay them well to bring cameras into their home and film these big f...

The family Cynovulpidae, is actually an extension of the modern day dog family (Canidae). Only unlike modern dogs, most of these animals are plantigrade walkers. That is they walk on their soles, like bears, rather than on their toes, like modern dogs. The only real throw-back to modern dog locomotion is Velocitherium . These animals are mostly fox-like in the head and face. The tail is usually long, sometimes as long as the head and body. The body is slender, in most species the legs are short. The eyes are almond-shaped, in most species, the ears are triangular. Some have large ears and some have small ears. The largest ears belong to the genus Orealopex . Much like modern canines, this is a widely varied family. Some are runners, some are surprise hunters. Some live in the tropics, and some live in the arctic. Some are tree-dwellers, some are most at home in the water. They range in size from Vulpella , which is less than 2 feet long in total length, to Daspletarctos , which is more...

According to this article, it's true! Florida, the warmest and most humid state in the USA, is freezing over and it is causing a tremendous strain on the native wildlife that evolved solely for warm climates. Manatees are among the hardest hit. Florida has been experiencing record numbers of colder days, and manatees with very little in the way of warming blubber and no fur, are dying off due to shock. Fish are also suffering. This is just plain terrible because it could cause a mass extinction. Manatees, American crocodiles and several species of turtles rely on the warm, humid climate to keep them going. When they get too cold for too long, they go into shock and it kills them. Well, this article explains all. http://news.discovery.com/animals/florida-wildlife-cold-weather.html Florida's Wildlife Freezing to Death Manatees, sea turtles and fish in the Sunshine State are dying in record numbers because of the unusually long cold snap.   By Jennifer Viegas Thu Feb 1...

As you all may know, I have been working on my checklist. I am still trying to reach that 5000 species goal. I have just over 1800 more species to go. The 5000 mark is my "half-way" point. I set my goal to a shorter route. Once I reach that goal, I will then set my ambitions to reach a goal of 10,000 species of mammals for the Metazoic. I've enlarged some families in the process, and added a couple of new families as well. I am mostly working on the rat and mouse family (until I reach a higher number of species than is recognized today), the bats (namely pteropods), and any trelatebrates because they are a group specific to the after era. But I have also been changing some of the names. For instance, now I have renamed the bushbabies. Originally I was going to go with the genus Galago . But I figured since this is a different era and a different family, I should go with a whole new genus for these little animals. Actually, I have them separated into 2 new genera. They are...

The hedgehogs are pretty widespread in the old world Metazoic. I have retained the modern day family name, Erinaceidae, and even have a few modern genera stretch into the Metazoic era. Some species take dramatic turns. There are still several spiny species that walk along the ground and curl up into a spiky ball when they are threatened. However, there are spineless species that seek their safety in the treetops or in underground burrows. They range in size from the tiny, mouse-sized  Neotetracus , to Pithecurus , which can measure about 3 feet including the tail. They still retain the same dental features of their modern counterparts. The elongated incisors seem to be what separates them from other insectivores, and is present even in exclusively Metazoic species. Most species are active only at night, with the exception of Echinosorex , Hylomys , Neotetracus , and Neohylomys . At night, these animals recover to their underground burrows, or ground-level tree hollows. Some species...

Today, the family Dasyuridae is a family of small, carnivorous marsupials. Most of them are mongoose-like in appearance. Some resemble small shrews or mice. During the Metazoic, this family has little time to change before the land is taken over by carnivorous kangaroos, which outcompete the dasyures for the title of top predator. A few species have been added, but the Metazoic only sees the emergence of one new dasyure genus, Spilotigris . This animal is the size of a bengal tiger and just as ferocious. In today's world, it could bring down a cow very easily. Metazoic dasyures are not too much different than they are today. They range in size from the tiny Antechinus to the Spilotigris . Antechinus and most other species resemble rats, with the lifestyle more akin to shrews. Dasyurus , Dasyuroides , Spilotigris and Myoictis resemble mongooses, and in some cases, even cats. The body is covered in soft fur, the ears are mostly small and triangular in shape. The eyes are large an...