| Distant Future Animal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Binomen | N/A | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Vertebrate | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Unknown | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Place of origin | Future Earth | ||
| Diet | Herbivorous | ||
| Locomotion | Bipedal | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | After Man | ||
| Created by | Dougal Dixon | ||
| Designed by | Dougal Dixon | ||
This is a hypothetical distant future animal, presented as a speculative prediction of how life might evolve in the distant future, way beyond 50 million years AD.
Biology[]
According to the author, the evolution of terrestrial animals is often linked to new developments of the plant kingdom (for instance: social insects evolving in response to the emergence of flowering plants). In this case too, this future beast also has a symbiotic relationship with the distant future plant, whose seeds do not drop to the ground like in modern plants, but grow alongside the parent. The seedlings are then carefully removed by this animal, which places them under sunlight so they can take root on the ground and grow.
This animal is described as a herbivore, and illustrated as a long-necked biped with no arms, no tail, and apparently covered in shaggy fur or feathers. It has large eyes. In spite of its herbivorous diet, its teeth appear to be quite sharp. Its evolutionary affinities are unknown, although the author does suggest that small generalists such as crows or insectivorous mammals are among the most likely candidates to produce the next dominant species on Earth. He also postulates the ideas that future animals may develop superior senses and a higher intellect, compared to most modern groups.
Appearances[]
- After Man: A Zoology of the Future, by Dougal Dixon (1981)