Sheathbills, the most terrestrial of Antarctica's vertebrates, have the chance to fully exploit the many new and empty niches that will appear on the continent. Millennia of speciation lead to new genera such as the crane-like Maudisae and Palithikisae 🐤 #spec-evo #specevo #digitalart #worldbuilding

A quick little scene: As insects proliferate, others will subsist on them- at first by generalists opportunistically feeding, and later by more specialized species. Below is an early specialiser, 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘴, whose thin, elongated beak probes muddy soils. #worldbuilding #specevo #spec-evo

On the Western archipelago, the retreating ice will leave behind rocky fjords and crags, with teeming wetlands serving as nurseries for plant diversification. These wetlands are a pressure-zone for coastal fish species to slowly adapt to and then colonize freshwater bodies. #spec-evo #worldbuilding

While the melting ice will inevitably enrich Antarctic biodiversity, the short-term effects are devastating: Algae and krill populations, reliant on sea-ice, will plummet - and the foodchain will follow. Until new producers arrive, a Dying will scour life at sea. #spec-evo
#digitalart #worldbuilding

While melting sea-ice will assuredly devastate her marine life, Antarctica will come to foster pockets of life amid void swathes: Kelp from nearby coasts is swept to her shores. The hardy will survive to pioneer new lifestyles in marine forests.
#spec-evo #digitalart #worldbuilding #specevo

Did a quick, somewhat sloppy scene for an old spec-evo project based on an alien world. Needs touching up but it's nice to spice things up, especially when most of the planning and drawing for Magellanica is various birds! #worldbuilding #digitalart #speculativeevolution #specevo #spec_evo

As Antarctica warms and plants spread, native invertebrates - once isolated in the desolate dry mountainsides and sparse greenery - now spread rapidly throughout the rejuvenating landscapes. The many empty niches have created the perfect conditions for an explosive diversification event. #specoevo

As the barren soil is rejuvenated by spreading mosses, it creates a land devoid of large plant life. Antarctica's native species will be given a unique chance to fill the void, and her native grasses rapidly diversify, filling most niches ~10 million years on
#specevo #art #worldbuilding #digitalart

Fueled by mighty tectonics, Antarctica journeys northwards over millions of years into the Atlantic ocean. The landmass impedes the circumpolar current, exposing the coasts to warmer seas. As the ice shelves and glaciers retreat, lichens and mosses advance to colonise the barren soil.
#specevo #art

Antarctica is cold, lifeless and with so few land animals that you can count them on one hand. Or at least, it is for now...
Magellanica is a speculative evolution project, a creative work exploring an ice-free Antarctica and the animals that call it home.
#specevo #art #worldbuilding #digitalart