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The Albatross

THE ALBATROSS

And through the drifts the snowy clifts
Did send a dismal sheen;
Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken—
The ice was all between.

- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

PART I: THE WAIT

Lying prone on an unforgiving bed of powdered ice, kneading his bad hip with one gloved hand as he squinted through a shifting curtain of CO2 sleet, Lawson reflected—not for the first time—that the environmental extremes weren’t the hardest part to deal with. Not the crushing pressure, nor the bone-deep ache of the relentless gravity, nor the stinging lash of the dry ice particles that was diminished

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Submitted: August 21, 2009
Image Size: 1.2 MB
Resolution: 2375×2879

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Placodireby *thomastapir

Traditional Art / Drawings / Sci-Fi

I've had this idea in mind for quite a while for a sea turtle analog based on a larval stomatopod (mantis shrimp), but it wasn't until tonight that I realized what it actually is: a placoderm converging on a placodont!

Could be an alternazoan or a panspermic transplant (don't blame me, I voted for "Fantasy/Mythological"). To me it has kind of a classically "spec bio" feel, so I guess I prefer to think of it as a denizen of a true alternate natural history. Could also be a planetbound and seagoing Larva of the Outer Gods, I guess, but then couldn't pretty much everything?

It could be either a pelagic consumer of jellyfish and soft-bodied mollusks, more like a sea turtle, or a coastal shellfish forager, more like a placodont--it's up to you.

Not much more to say about it. I've been in a pretty major slump lately, so frankly it feels good just to post something new. Hope you guys like it!

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~AJtheartmelder Aug 27, 2011 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

Shrimps have chitin plating placoderms have plates as armor.So a mix between??

~AJtheartmelder Aug 27, 2011 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

Wow!! Really amazing!! good job...

*thomastapir Aug 31, 2011

Thanks very much, I'm happy you like it!

~platypus12 Aug 2, 2010

Quite a unique and interesting creature.

~Clutch45 Jun 26, 2010

Oh, my, this is a wonderful design. Such an impressive creature, with so much thought put into it! I have to agree with the majority of the comments, those spindly jointed arms would be perfect for gathering shellfish to munch n crunch. That caraapace looks like it was made fo riding! Perhaps she has ridalongs, like many large fish do? A sort of community of helping fish that hover around her back and clean in return for safety. Or, depending on the size, this could be a perfect war horse for undersea humioids!

*thomastapir Jul 2, 2010

Thanks very much! I was intrigued that you collected this guy under "Dragons"--it's not an association I would have made myself but it seems entirely appropriate. I'm digging your thoughts on commensal relationships and their potential as mounts for "mermen cavalry"...That would be quite a sight to see!

Thanks for your fave and thoughtful comments, and my apologies for the delayed response!

~Clutch45 Jul 3, 2010

You're very welcome! While I know she's not rightly a 'dragon', it seemed the best place to put her! I think they would look so serene with a small community hovering about the face and in the general area of the protective spines. And yes, the
"cavalry" would indeed be quite a sight! Holding on either hands on each side like bicycle handle bars, or to the center with one hand and a weapon with onother... How majestic!

*thomastapir Jul 4, 2010

At the risk of spamming you, if you like the commensal relationships you might enjoy this one:
[link]
<Shameless plug!

~Clutch45 Jul 7, 2010

Not spamming at all! I'll certainly go check it out!

Shameless plus away!!

~Excalibur-T005 Mar 7, 2010

The way I look at it, those little scythe-like limbs, while thin, still have the bony structure of a vertebrate, with full musculature and everything. Once again, convergent evolution comes to bite you in the... whatever.

As for its niche, I would say pelagic jelly-muncher - those scythes look like wicked defensive weapons.

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