Отправлено: 04.05.22 04:20. Заголовок: Fauna of Africa

I'm making this new topic after Биолог mentioned some interesting ideas for descendants of the tree hyraxes with more adaptations for an arboreal lifestyle. I was also thinking that they could be adapted to jump between branches and even trees.
Биолог, do you have more ideas about these animals?

 Отправлено: 05.07.25 02:02. Заголовок: Автор пишет: The ha..

Автор пишет:

цитата:

The hardest thing is "Adam's task" - the choosing of the common name for the invented species. Sometimes it is even harder, than to make a description.

According to the South African National Biodiversity Institute, the honey badger is called as xidzidzi (Xitsonga); tshiselele (TshiVenda); ulinda (Ndebele); matshwane, magôgô, magôgwê, magwagwê (Setswana); sere, tsere (Shona) and insele (siSwati, isiZulu) in South Africa. Maybe we could use one of these names? Bearatel could work too.

 Отправлено: 05.07.25 09:54. Заголовок: Maybe "insele..

Maybe "insele" is the best.

 Отправлено: 05.07.25 11:35. Заголовок: I like "magwagw&..

I like "magwagwê"

Apis mellifera scutellata could form huge colonies of up to 150,000 individuals in Zinj Land on Ziziphus spina-christi trees. It's flowering period: after the seasonal rains
Advantages of the tree:
1. One of the highest quality nectar sources in Africa
2. Produces thick, aromatic honey with high value
3. Can support large colonies, up to hundreds of thousands of individuals

🟩 Example scenario:
After the seasonal rains in central or southern Somalia, Ziziphus spina-christi trees forest blooms. Apis mellifera scutellata, due to its high fecundity, swarming activity and aggressive nest defense, quickly expands the nest. Colonies can reach more than 100-150 thousand individuals, especially in semi-wild conditions (e.g. in hollows or large hives).

🐝 Why scutellata?
1. High adaptation to drought
2. Rapid colony growth when resources are available
3. Ability to collect nectar at high temperatures
4. Rapid response to the onset of flowering
5. Aggressive defense against predators and competitors

"insele" or "magwagwê" can strengthen the armor of its muzzle and fur and destroy the nests of this bee, preventing it from spreading excessively, and at the same time he can eat the fruits of Ziziphus spina-christi. The symbiont of the bear honey badger ("insele" or "magwagwê") can be scaly-throated honeyguide (Indicator variegatus)

 Отправлено: 06.07.25 20:06. Заголовок: BTW these links aren..

BTW these links aren't working either:


https://sivatherium.narod.ru/bhutzamb.htm

https://sivatherium.narod.ru/terra/1trobast.htm

 Отправлено: 06.07.25 20:31. Заголовок: Monstrel пишет: htt..

Monstrel пишет:

цитата:

https://sivatherium.narod.ru/bhutzamb.htm

Fixed now, thank you for the note.
Monstrel пишет:

цитата:

https://sivatherium.narod.ru/terra/1trobast.htm

Incorrect link. Check this link for the chapter:
https://sivatherium.narod.ru/1trobast.htm

 Отправлено: 07.07.25 04:05. Заголовок: True but the latter ..

True but the latter link ain't working on this page https://sivatherium.narod.ru/terra/terra_en.htm

 Отправлено: 05.07.25 15:41. Заголовок: In general, the idea..

In general, the idea of a bear-like descendant of a honey badger is interesting, but why were there no bears in Africa (except for the Atlas subspecies that lived in the very north of the continent)? Maybe there are some reasons for this?

 Отправлено: 05.07.25 16:51. Заголовок: Agriotherium

There was Agriotherium that lived in South Africa until 2.5 million years ago. Its the only ursoid known to have colonised sub-Saharan Africa and could weigh up to 3/4 of a ton, so its not impossible.

 Отправлено: 05.07.25 18:31. Заголовок: As far as I remember..

As far as I remember the Saharan Desert did not exist back then. And this factor made it possible for bears to colonise South Africa.

 Отправлено: 05.07.25 18:57. Заголовок: Ah! But now the Saha..

Ah! But now the Sahara is now a savannah. History reapeats?

 Отправлено: 06.07.25 00:11. Заголовок: Monstrel пишет: Ah!..

Monstrel пишет:

цитата:

Ah! But now the Sahara is now a savannah. History reapeats?

Besides, the honey badger already lives in subsaharan Africa. The arid region would not be a barrier for a species that already lives here. I really believe that this species would evolve well in the savannas.

 Отправлено: 06.07.25 04:24. Заголовок: Cool! BTW I created ..

Cool! BTW I created a TV tropes page for the Neocene Project

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Website/NeoceneProject

 Отправлено: 06.07.25 10:21. Заголовок: Cool indeed!..

Cool indeed!

 Отправлено: 09.07.25 02:43. Заголовок: What do you think of..

What do you think of an aquatic descendant of the mongoose in Zinj Land? It would fill the niche of the otters. Was an animal like that already proposed?

 Отправлено: 09.07.25 10:50. Заголовок: THe marsh mongoose (..

THe marsh mongoose (Atilax paludinosus) could be the ancestor. It is already found in East Africa today.

 Отправлено: 09.07.25 13:48. Заголовок: медведь пишет: THe ..

медведь пишет:

цитата:

THe marsh mongoose (Atilax paludinosus) could be the ancestor. It is already found in East Africa today

Good idea! It would become even more adapted to aquatic lifestyle, especially after the extinction of the otters.

 Отправлено: 15.07.25 04:48. Заголовок: Could a pangolin bec..

Could a pangolin become as large as the extinct Manis paleojavanica? They could be large like a giant anteater.

 Отправлено: 17.07.25 01:39. Заголовок: I was thinking that ..

I was thinking that this species is a descendant of the Phataginus tetradactyla or Smutsia temmincki (both are the less endangered of the African pangolins, being vulnerable). This giant species would have a total body length of 182 to 217 cm, with a weight of 33 to 50 kg.

 Отправлено: 17.07.25 03:52. Заголовок: JOrnitho, it's a..

JOrnitho, it's an interesting idea, but will it be terrestrial or arboreal? If it is arboreal, it will not become too large, and if it becomes terrestrial, how will it avoid competition with aardvark? (I wonder how modern terrestrial pangolins coexist with aardvarks in general?)
By the way, could this giant pangolin have spikes or a mace for protection (like ankylosaurs)? I believe that it will be difficult for such a large animal to curl up into a ball, so it will look for other methods of protection.

 Отправлено: 17.07.25 14:49. Заголовок: Chmumrikk пишет: JO..

Chmumrikk пишет:

цитата:

JOrnitho, it's an interesting idea, but will it be terrestrial or arboreal? If it is arboreal, it will not become too large, and if it becomes terrestrial, how will it avoid competition with aardvark? (I wonder how modern terrestrial pangolins coexist with aardvarks in general?) By the way, could this giant pangolin have spikes or a mace for protection (like ankylosaurs)? I believe that it will be difficult for such a large animal to curl up into a ball, so it will look for other methods of protection.

I thought that it could terrestrial, living in forested areas in Central Africa. It could have spikes and armor like the Nodosauridae ankylosaurs rather than a mace. I'm not sure how the competition with the aardvark would be avoided, though. Other possibility is it evolving in Asia from the same lineage that gave rise to the two Neocene pangolins. What do you think of that possibility?