the Life on Zygroz

hello guys, like what the title says, this will focus on the life that is native to Zygroz, the titular exoplanet of the Speculative Biology project that is Project Zygroz, particularly all known Flora species and Fauna groups and lineages of Zygrozian fauna, but since microscopic organisms are also present here, they will also be covered here present in this blog post aswell. because of the known diversity on this fictional planet, i don't have time to cover each and every known species from the project.

Introduction[]

The Titular exoplanet of this project, Zygroz

Zygroz is a rocky planet and the only planet from an star system 5.7 lights years away from our solar system, and orbiting a K-Type main sequence (Orange dwarf) star with a Luminosity of 0.70 and a temperature of 4700 degrees °C. Zygroz is covered in a thick, dense atmosphere and has a noticably lower gravity than that of earth, but Zygtpz itself is still bigger than mars. while a year on Zygroz is about 350 earth days, a day on Zygroz is roughly 30.7 earth hours. Zygroz has two moons, named Russuka and Raimo respectively.

Geography and Locations[]

most of Zygroz's surface is covered in Water, surrounding it's only three landmasses (Dorsinakus, Latissims and Natafos). the 67% of what makes up Zygroz's dense atmosphere are a mix of H ₂S (Hydrogen Sulfide) and O₂ (Oxygen), N_{2 (}Nitrogen) making up 31% and other gases make up only 2%. while the majority of Zygroz's landmasses (mainly Dorsinakus) are often arid and dry, often experiencing strong winds and snow, the snow in question are not made up of the same stuff as that on earth, it's more like CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide) and CH₄ (Methane). there's still a diverse array of other enviroments like dense Forest, high and uneven mountains, vast grasslands, rivers and wetlands.

Dorsinakus[]

The mainland continent of Zygroz, making up 86% of of Zygroz's total landmass above sea level.

Red Plains[]

a large, mostly flat area consisting of very low lying red vegetation resembling grass, home to various creatures like Gigantopalavos, Prosecutiodron, Dromaeolitos, Venatorartifex, Argoperipates, Cristanodon, Dromaepascens and Obscurotitan. the Red Plains is also very vast, stretching up for kilometers, it's not just the red vegetation, some Anochotospina and Silvathamnos can also be found, and even several spores of Gyrihamillos, (a "plant" that is found in the lower altitudes of the Mountainous Glaciers) ended up in these Plains after being carried by the wind.

Erythro-forest[]

the Erythophytes and Crassuphyta are the only known trees of this forest, Erythro-forest itself is very dense and is home to a very diverse variety of species, if not more than the northern Kirinto forest, the Rhakhisodron are apex predators of this region. some Skotoraka grow in some parts, leading to what's called the Thorned woodlands, scattered areas within the Erythro-forest where some Skotoraka will grow close together.

Kirinto forest[]

this forest is much less dense than the Erythro-forest, and is also where The Flavudendros can be found, the Euripidevastus were also abundant in this forest, other "plants" like Semidentres and Plethopollinus and several Kairokodronts like Acuatisena, Gigatosa and Caeruspinus also reside here.

Mountainous glaciers[]

the area with the highest altitude towards Zygroz's skies, mostly made up with uneven cliffs, mountains, narrow valley and seasonal snow. even in these high altitudes, low-lying "plants" like Myketerogmes, Polsoria, Diplonodentros thrive here, and fauna like Loxacephalus, Tholagon, Vounageli, Sonoruselkihros have adapted to these regions, some Volanodromita like Ouranostempesta and Omadakynigos will also migrate to settle to nest there and raise their young.

Dull lands[]

the Euripidevastus make up this entire area, given how close they grow naturally to eachother something similar to earth's grass, and also their color which was something of a yellowish grey.

Sinnu Rivus[]

the longest known river on Zygroz, and where many freshwater creatures dwell, the river stretches from the coast near the Red Plains to past the Erythro-forest and both the edge of the Barren Plateau and Snow Cliffs.

Nectoro Caves[]

a series of large, interconnected ungerground caverns of Zygroz, these caverns are dark (obviously) with only very few specific areas where sunlight could past through, almost all species there either have poor eyesight (like Elatoramus) or are just outright blind (like Gatadens), using their sensitive whiskers to help aid in sensing their surroundings, within these caverns, there's also a large and wide subterranean river where water continuously flows in underground tunnels.

Snow Cliffs[]

the only place in Zygroz where there is snow year round, even in these cold conditions, Aunticaufyllos and Taperinomonus adapt to this, growing low to the ground and even enter a state of dormancy, some Obliquuseridus and Bervisarvus are often seen migrate in large groups to forage for food, and also as safety in large numbers from potential predators like Chioniodus and Actinoborealis.

Barren Plateau[]

a very barren place on Zygroz, hence it's name, and while it's mainly a plateau, it also has canyons formed within it, while arid-tolerant vegetation like Farangikounis, Agonoklados, Planofllae, Adynaphotys and Inarufucaris survive in these regions, the area is still very scarce, but still, some Vasikocephalia like Omadacus, Erythroleptodus, Voskicautes and Ageligyos were still able to survive, often, their metabolism is slow.

Eremos[]

probably the most barren and could even give the feeling that it is almost entirely empty, with nothing else but a flat seemingly empty surface, with small hills, basically what Eremos looks like, but there's still life here, entering the small, scattered burrows, the Adynatocephale feed anything they can find underground as they have small, almost minuscule claws to dig, resulting in small yet interconnected tunnels, but they are not safe from the Xergiosiceps, a distant relative species with a predatory and nocturnal lifestyle. when the Adynatocephale come out of it's burrow to find any available water in their enviroment, which oftens happen at nightime, the Xergiosiceps searches for them and waits for the perfect time to strike, they also hibernate during the colder seasons to conserve their energy.

Laissims[]

the larger of Zygroz's two islands, with rocky coast and arid grasslands, home to the largest Zygrozian animal, the Decorusagigas there are various strange "plants" from there like Vellumiskhos, Proceritabulbus, Herbegrames and Insolitophytes.

Natafos[]

the smaller of Zygroz's two Islands, a small yet strange place and home to more strange flora like Latafyllos, Solinofolium and Nisorophytes and fauna like Nisoromimikus, also home to Nyctothaumastis, Hupsilos, Elyoneps and Stylosyx.

Collosu Sea[]

the only known ocean in Zygroz, and home to a countless variety of aquatic Zygrozian species.

Sinnal Reefs[]

the Sinnal Reefs are vast scattered reefs from the Collosu Sea, and an ecosystem made up of various sessile species from the lineage, Statherasteria commonly nicknamed "Sinnals" forming when young Sinnals attach themselves to rocky surfaces, and when those Sinnals slowly mature, they form complex structures which in turn, form these reefs, becoming a home for a diverse array of species.

Abyssal depths[]

a dark and seemingly bottomless layer on the Collosu sea where sunlight can't reach, as a result, species living there evolved bioluminecense.

Flora[]

we just call them "plants" for simplicity, even tho these are obviously alien organisms and are not in any way related to earth's flora.

Proceritabulbus[]

a species of tall, medium-sized "plant" with a oval-shaped point that contain a numberous of what looks to be tiny spores. they are prolific and thrive on one of the two islands (the larger one, Latissims). Anakatevus are commonly seen nesting on these "plants".

Skotoraka[]

this "Plant" is found in the dense Erythro-forest within the southern part of Zygroz's mainland continent (Dorsinakus). they grow quickly and are tall and spiky, then a group of these "plants" grow close together, they form Thorned Woodlands, scattered areas within the Erythro-forest that can act like minature versions of said Ecosystem.

Erythophyte[]

the 2nd tallest known "plant" on Zygroz. Erythrophytes are massive, hardy "trees" that make up the majority of total plants on the Erythro-forest, their trunks are a dark grayish color, which helps adult Rhakhisodrons in camoflauge and ambush hunting. many creatures will make home on the cavity of these "trees" their seeds, which will obviously drop to become a new "plant" are small yet unusually needle-like.

Hebegrames[]

these low-lying, fast growing plants thrive on the plains of Latissims, the larger island, along with that, there's a smaller subspecies that grow on crevices of rocks.

Insolitophytes[]

Insolitophytes are one of the several "plants" native to Latissims, they have large, wide leaves that are arranged vertically to capture as much sunlight as possible, one will rarely see them as these "plants" are not that prolific.

Latafyllos[]

their stems are unusually bent and their leaves are less wide, with visible lines that look like veins. Latafyllos, which are only found in the smaller island (Natafos) are more prolific than it's larger Latissimian counterpart, Insolitophytes.

Aichophytos[]

a thorny, low lying plant closely related to Anochtospina, and one of the several species found within the Erythro-forest.

Semidentres[]

the 4rd tallest "plant" on Zygroz and mainly found within the Kirinto forest from the northern part of Dorsinakus. their branches contain bulbous structures that contain their spores, using wind-assisted pollination to disperse said spores, but sometimes, they will end up on open plains, leading to several Semidentres growing there which also leads to them being more widespread and also a certain subspecies.

Tresoprovoli[]

another low-lying "plant" found the Erythro-forest and are a forage for many hebivorous species that live within the forest.

Fuscunafos[]

these "plants" are larger than their close relative species, the Terosagkatia. they thrive on the narrow rivers within the Erythro-forest.

Terosagkatia[]

like their larger relative, they thrive near rivers and are fairly common there.

Kritinokendron[]

another "plant" from the northern Kirinto forest. they prefer wet but not damp surfaces.

Myketerogmes[]

the smallest known "plants" on Zygroz, Polysoria are common in mountainous regions, and are fed upon by Tholagons and Vounageli.

Polysoria[]

alongside the Myketerogmes, Solinofolium are also but less common on mountainous areas.

Solinofolium[]

another low-lying "plant" their stems were bulbous with long and narrow leaves that are arranged into a rossette shape, they are mainly found on Natafos.

Volvopanomeros[]

one of the several "plants" of the Erythro-forest, their small leaves contain numberous spores which will often get stuck onto creatures like Microvolaer or Caudaer upon contact, and so said spores will get transfered from one "plant" to another.

Hupsofolia[]

a large "plant" with modified leaves that act as passive traps that will stick onto any small flight creature upon contact, in which said creature can't get out and will fall prey and get digested.

Nisorophytes[]

another "plant" from Natafos. their spores are contained in the bristle-like structures of these "plants"

Telmanthos[]

this is obviously an aquatic "plant" with only it's leaves and seed stalk above the water surface while it's roots were anchored onto the underwater soil.

Gyrihamillos[]

these "plants" are mainly found in the lower parts of mountainous areas, near the vast plains.they also use wind-assisted pollination.

Diarophytum[]

Diarophytum are also found mainly on the Eryhro-forest but some are also found in nearby plains. they emit an unpleasant smell that for some reason attracted Grexinus and Sagittalata, given that these creatures go after decaying matter.

Euripidevastus[]

Euripidevastus are highly abundant and thrive on the forest floor of the Kirinto forest but for some reason, they also spread to outside the forest, forming what’s now known as the Dull lands. they also serve as a food source for some herbivous species dwelling there.

Hydronanthises[]

this aquatic plant are found in swamp-like enviroments, it's roots were not anchored, allowing it so drift freely around very slow-moving bodies of water.

Flavudendros[]

these "trees" occupy the Kirinto forest and the most abundant, though the forest itself are less dense and more open, because these trees grow farther from eachother, their seeds are slightly more rounded and hardy. they are the tallest Zygrozian "plant" reaching up to over 157 meters tall.

Ligosorhiza[]

a smaller relative of Polysoria, they live on higher altitudes.

Plethopollinus[]

another low-lying plant from the Kirinto forest.

Silvathamnos[]

this "plant" is mainly found in plains, their several stalks end in rounded structures which contain their seeds, not spores.

Anochtospina[]

a plains-dwelling relative of Aichophytos.

Diplonodentros[]

another "plant" fairly common on the lower parts of mountainous regions.

Vlastoptychoseis[]

one of the several "plants" that inhabit the Erythro-forest. the smell of this "plant" attracts potential so-called pollinators like Caudaer and Amvylobelone.

Loxikophyta[]

a relative of the Nisorophytes, the "trees" with slanted stems and instead of bristle-like structure like their relative speciess, they have large,dark colored, almost flat structure that appear almost black, they are modified leaves with a large surface area to capture as much sunlight.

Planofyllae[]

the rest of the "plant" except for it's one leaf are covered underground, they are one of the few "plants that were able to thrive in arid places like the Barren plateau.

Afratorophylla[]

these "plants" resemble small trees, are found in the most northern parts of the Erythro-forest.

Adynaphotys[]

found in the lower canyons of the Barren Plateau, one won't see them very often as these "plants" are rare.

Chamillofytes[]

a close relative of the Adynaphotys, but their leaves are much lower to the ground.

Crassuphyta[]

the 3rd tallest "plant" in Zygroz and thrive in the Erythro-forest. their trunks are thicker than the Erythophytes and are more resilient, they have no leaves but have a flat structure growing above it's stem with a large surface area, similar to that of the Loxikophyta that could serve the same or atleast similar function.

Farangikounis[]

another "plant" that's able to thrive in the Barren Plateau, they don't have any leaves.

Agonoklados[]

like it's relative, the Farangikounis, it's found in the deepest parts the Barren Plateau.

Inarufucaris[]

another "plant" from the Barren Plateau, it's another carnivorous plant with active traps located at it's modified leaves.

Aunticaufyllos[]

a tolerable low-lying "plant" from the Snow cliffs, they can go dormant throughout the colder seasons and will remain that way until the very start of the blossoming season.

Taperinomonus[]

Taperinomonus thrive in the most northern parts of Eremos and were also found in the Snow cliffs.

Vellumiskhos[]

a "plant" from latissims, they are the result of convergent evolution with their mainland counterpart, the Euripidevastus.

Fauna[]

Statherasteria[]

one of the oldest Zygrozian fauna, about 867 mya, and are compareble to earth's coral, sponges and tunicates in that all of them are sessile when reaching maturity, they are also highly abundant, forming scattered yet diverse enviroments on Zygroz's oceans that is home to many kinds of aquatic species, called the "Sinnal reefs". additionally, almost all species belonging to this lineages were nicknamed "Sinnals" and there's even few known species found in the seafloor of the Abyssal depths.

Kavusiks
Umbrasolinas
Dyspierakus
Morolithomiazos
Portokalitoseps
Obscuroleps
Skirokelys
Anasopafyis
Plokacheris
Elatostelechos
Titanospongari

Elongatochelatia[]

another lineage of fauna, the Elongatochelatia are known for their worm-like bodies, able to move through crevices in their enviroment. some species from this group inhabit the so-called Sinnal reefs, made up of various species of “sinnals” but some like Deichnocephalos, Argyroceps and Encheliodelear were adapted to live deep in the abyss, with Encheliodelear itself developing a lure to attract it's prey, the Segniserpon of the Sinnal reefs also developed some kind of lure, Skavochelis partially bury themselves onto the sand, similar to earth's garden eels and use the pointed protrusion on their heads to stab, either as some kind of defense or for catching their prey.

Epimekyxenos
Skavochelis
Segniserpon
Deichnocephalos
Argyroceps
Encheliodelear

Vasikocephalia[]

species belonging to the group that is Vasikocephalia all have six legs, used primarily for locomotion and still retain them, most of them also have a pair of elongated, sensory anttennae-like organs attached to their heads to help them sense their surroundings which can also be used as feeding arms, most species are found in the Barren plateau, Eremos and Snow cliffs though some have gone through rafting, which then resulting in species also inhabiting island and also influenced by the smaller island, Natafos, Nisoromimikus was one of those inhabitants resembles a Nisorophyte, so standing still, it could easily be mistaken for the Nisorophyte itself, Nisoromimikus uses this as a advantage to away from potential threats. Brevisartus and Obliquuseridus moved in small groups through the enviroment of the Snow cliffs while others like Seirosarcus, Omadadus, Erythroleptodus and Adynatocephale lived a more solitary life. this group is related to the much larger and more diverse group that is Triplousagoniformes. while most species belonging to this lineage are mainly herbivorous, the Xergiosiceps are the apex hunters of Eremos, the tips of their antennae-like organs are modified to become sharp and specialized for piercing onto their prey when hunting, Xergiosiceps are also solitary and mainly nocturnal, mostly seen sleeping during the day.

Brevisartus
Seirosarcus
Omadadus
Ageligyos
Erythroleptodus
Adynatocephale
Voskicautes
Microkatolous
Obliquuseridus
Xergiosiceps
Nisoromimikus

Kairokodronta[]

the Kairokodrons are the most abundant and widespread lineages of Zygrozian fauna to the point that there are some found in Zygroz's islands (Brevedus, Dyokampoures) with most species of this group having almost flat, round bodies with numberous slim legs which they used to move around by retracting and extending them. they are also opportunistic detritivores, feeding on dead and decaying organic matter that is lying on the ground using their circular mouths located below their bead, facing the ground. though some species will exhibit lower metabolism.

Gigatosa
Caeruspinus
Latamodum
Platoserpetos
Brevedus
Dyokampoures
Diaplanus
Kerasoria
Kabouruiadus
Acuatisena
Parvumikokkin
Aculeupedes
Dyoakan
Pyknodus

Tentumii[]

Some of the species from this group are no stranger to parasitism. these so-called "parasites" have serrated hooks around their mouths that help them cling onto what they find as a suitable host, making it very difficult to remove (but this will depend on the species,however) which they feed upon, they are adapted to live a endoparasitic lifestyle.

Ostracotentum
Vermitentum
Naevinatans

Argimenataniformes[]

the widely diverse lineage, they came over 60 million years before the first Triplousagoniformes, dominating the skies and oceans of Zygroz.

Sagitaeria[]

this includes the Sagittonids and Caudaerids, both have species that are small and streamlined, able to remain airborne for long periods of time, but they still need to rest, so they have Suction cups to help them latch onto trees. slightly larger species like the Grexinus and Sagittalata often travel in swarms in search of any decaying matter they can find. Caudaer and Amvylobelone will find "trees" to roost in, using suction cup-like structures under their wings.

Caudaer
Amvylobelone
Microvolaer
Grexinus
Sagittalata

Semihudoria[]

Semihudoria includes Xylocreptidae and Kolymonagthiidae is closely related to the larger group, Volanodromita and the species belong to the former group inhabit the forest (Xylovannus, Porphyrocaudus, Xyloinsidiator), the barren rock cliffs of what's now known as Eremos (Paraliahemi, Petramocrepitum), and deep abyssal waters (Pectoriabenthicus, Platodytis, Aduncustoma, Thoramata, Simeionatator, Perexivulgarii, Tachynatator, Spondipiso, Tenacignathus) of Zygroz's mainland. those of the Xylocrepid group have almost slanted heads, and two species of that smaller group, Porphyrocaudus and Xylovannus exhibit vividly bright colored tail fans for display, however... the ones on the females are slightly smaller. more predatory species like Aduncustoma travel far in small groups up to 4-6 individuals. the heads of Kolymonagthids are closer to the Volanodromita, having modified mouth parts except they have tiny serrated edges that act like teeth for catching their food, in the deep abyss, the Pectoriabenthicus were slow moving, and exhibit bioluminesence, along with Platodytis.

Xyloinsidiator
Petramocrepitum
Paralihemi
Thormata
Aduncustoma
Tenacignathus
Spondylipiso
Perexivulgarii
Simeionatator
Tachynatator
Porphyrocaudus
Xylovannus
Platodytis
Pectoriabenthicus

Onychorenedida[]

this group includes one of the larger aquatic species,but still dwarfed by Collosuthallavagus the Giganteperias which occupy niches comparable to filter feeders, with bristles running down it's jaws to catch additional much smaller creatures in the water, and the smaller, more closely related Saetalatui, living in the abyssal depths, males are much smaller than females. other species like Platonychis and Vermionychis swim close to the sea floor, close to the water surface, they first hide then wait for the perfect moment to strike (burying themselves to blend in for Platonychis, hiding in narrow rock crevices or nearby aquatic flora for Vermionychis) capturing prey using their specialized jaws.

Giganterpias
Saetalatui
Platonychis
Vermionychis

Volanodromita[]

the most diverse and widespread lineages of the Argimenataniformes that also comprises the majority the total of Zygrozian species capable of flight though some species lived a more aquatic lifestyle, with their wings turning into pectoral fins. all species of this group two appendages on their heads that are modified mouthparts covered in specialized teeth-like structures. there are also the presence of double slender tails (which are either greatly reduced, or absent in several species). some also independently developed claws (in species like Omadakynigos. Anakatevus Harmovenatus, they are clearly visible), either for attaching onto "trees" or for walking. while most Volanodromita are predatory, several have undergone a more omnivorous diet. species belonging to Volanodromita also exhibit parental care and the young will leave their home once they either are able to fly or have reached adolesence.

Caelugrus
Ervyus
Rotundius
Apoloinidus
Spiladus
Harmovenatus
Dyoappendicus
Lefkonakros
Haerekynios
Dentenatator
Glykounatator
Parvilevol
Velieferis
Volanoharpes
Mediusonatator
Brevisodens
Dektesodon
Eleosinus
Tachusinatator
Hudorodius
Malumidus
Anakatevus
Stenosala
Helkonis
Rupesovolans
Stylosyx
Omadakynigos
Geminusopterygus
Ouranostempesta
Collosuthallavagus
Urasvelvtofys

Triplousagoniformes[]

all creatures belonging to this lineage have three segments that form the head, one above forming the upper jaw, and two bottom ones forming the lower jaw, Triplousagoniformes are also nicknamed "Split jaws" because of one notable thing in their head anatomy, their lower jaw segments are not attached at all and are always seperate so when they open their jaws, it looks like the bottom jaw splits apart . the Triplousagoniformes are closely related to the lineage that is Vasikocephalia as both groups share a common six legged ancestor.

Gnathonatatia[]

all species belonging to this group are entirely aquatic, as a result of convergent evolution with the Onchorenedids and some aquatic Xylocreptids, which streamlined bodies and specialized fins. all species on this group are pelagic and only several live more near the abyssal depths, they still had to swim up to the surface to breathe.

Psammoskalafos
Celerivire
Nomasoris
Vathyenvedron
Terastinsidiastrix
Megatrichus
Stavlofinis

Keratohexodontia[]

one of the more smaller group of Triplousagoniformes. with crest above their one segmented upper jaw, six stubby limbs with strong claws for digging and burrowing so they mainly live in underground burrows and tunnels, the two species of this group both have a pair of additional segmented jaws on the sides of their heads that are used as cutting mandibles. the Tholoproroson is slightly longer than the Koryfokelafi, has a pointier crest and is darker in color to camoflauge with it's surroundings. when the young are born, they look almost legless with no crest and are ghostly white but will turn darker when they mature, so the adults will exhibit some kind of parental care, they are also somewhat social creatures, living in tight knit groups.

Koryfokelafi
Tholoproroson

Unguisotenerida[]

like the closely related group that is Obscurupecuatia, they desended from an small ancestral creature that is adapted to living in dark enviroments for almost their entire lives. the hind legs are vestigial but are still visible in Tenebrisunguis as opposed to Erpetoapodus in which the hind legs have greatly reduced and are completely absent. they both still retain their front legs which evolved large claws for burrowing onto the ground.

Erpetoapodus
Tenebrisunguis

Obscurupecuaria[]

many species of this group are herbivores though Oesorarkas and Cristanodon will scavange any carrion if available. like the Unguisotenerida, they desended from a cave-dwelling ancestor but then some individuals venture out onto the open, eventually adapting, but their diversity is still low when compared to the Ramopascenia that came before them. one species however continued to reside in said enviroments like Gatadens, using whiskers right near their segmented head to sense their surroundsings.

Obscurotitan
Arcticupygmaeus
Argoperipates
Cristanodon
Dromawpascens
Oesorarkas
Gatadens

Ramopascenia[]

comprising the majority of herbivorous Zygrozian species, the Ramopascenia are a fairly large group. the smallest species of this group, Mykitesorepens lived an almost arboreal lifestyle, crawling on the trunk or branch of the Erythophyte trees where it makes itself home. the Vounageli and Tholagon are adapted to live in high mountainous areas and feed on the low-lying vegatation like Myketerogmes and Polysoria there, they also evolved crest which they used during territorial fights,the Loxacephalus of the plains also evolved crest but are used for self-defense. voskodromeas live in tight knit groups up to more than 50 individuals, there are instances of them swimming from one area to another during events of a migration though this is risky, as there are Fallaxonathus inhabiting the rivers, including Sinnu rivus. Gigantopalavos have robust legs with bony and muscular structures to support it's large size, they are either seen alone or in pair.

Elatoramus
Onkodiderma
Mykitesorepens
Voskodromeas
Vounageli
Chionidromeas
Tholagon
Sonoruselkihro
Loxacephalus
Gigantopalavos

Spondlidronita[]

all Spondlidronits have only two legs which were modified into fins in aquatic species. some of the larger species, like Rhakhisodron and Notontopachyceps are solitary apex predators of their enviroment, with the former crouching down near the dense vegatation and stays there motionless, but when the Rhakhisodrons became fully-fledged adults, they loose the red coloration they once had as juveniles and are now a dull, dark grayish color, similar to the trunk of the Erythophyte trees of the forest it inhabits, but some of it's close relatives that live in more open areas are pursuit hunters and some are literally omnivores. the Spondlidronits also gave rise to a group of various aquatic species, thought more than half of them live in freshwater enviroments. semi-aquatic forms like Verusidorsumus and Vilevoldytis live in the lower parts of the rock cliffs which is where they spend the majority of their lives. this group is also known for the only known so-called sapient Zygrozian species... the Venatorartifex, because they don't have arms (obviously), Venatorartifex make their tools using one of their leg claws to hold them while their two segmented lower jaws do the work and modify anything available that they can find, so when it comes to tool making, they are more akin to earth's crows than anything. at this point (where the project takes place, basically), the Venatorartifex already developed their own version of ancient society and villages.

Chioniodus
Nidusiceps
Prosecutiodron
Fosodron
Drymusovenator
Actinoborealis
Vilevoldytis
Dromaeolitos
Venatorartifex
Griosnotons
Alatiptamai
Mauronis
Mularintus
Cristadon
Minutais
Rhakhisodron
Notontopachyceps
Fallaxognathus
Erosuceps
Oesotenuis
Verusidorsumus
Leptosodus
Faluxnatator
Syndeomis
Aequilas
Laturis
Orthoradustus
Makryskaftis
Natatus
Hyponis
Inermidus
Celerinus
Atrinodus
Nanodus
Dosuminus
Latunatans

Amissusopoda[]

The Amissusopods are the most basal lineage of Triplousagoniformes, first emerging about over 298 mya and is also the lineage that includes the largest of all Zygrozian fauna, Decorusagigas which are the result of insular gigantism. Amissusopoda was used to be widespread but since all Amissusopod species that lived on Dorsinakus are now extinct. The only extant species are those that were now remain isolated in a two seperated islands (Latissims and Natafos) like the Keratohexodontids, they have six legs but they are not stubby, Amissusopod legs are fairly robust and pillar-like, with skeletal muscular structures to help support their weight, exceptions include Elyoneps and Hupsilos, two very small Amissusopods with long, slender legs in compaision to their bodies which they used to escape from predatory species like Stylosyx, they also hide in the Bristle-like structures of the Nisorophytes for protection.

Elyoneps
Hupsilos
Nyctothumastis
Chamiloplekos
Decorusagigas
Neropezos
Thlibokadroms

Microscopic organisms[]

some of the microbes that inhabit Sinnu Rivus

none of the known Zygrozian Microorganisms were either fauna or flora. Sinnu Rivus and the Collosu Sea host a wide diversity of microscopic and unicelluar organisms, with some species that act as decomposers, and others form the base of the food web and are fed on by filter feeders, and while some move with the use of cilia that surround their bodies, others like the single celled organisms move around with the help of psuedopods, similar to earth's amoebas.

Planatodia
Katamicorpus
Kinisiordus
Ourakonidus
Markyoravis
Albuolisthainokus
Dysomacrosis
Agnostocella
Rinidastomadus
Tesserisomaus
Allazokinoa
Cerritulusarx
Stiximanodu
Multustillia
Gyrosinus
Airomasegmeta
Pentacepticus
Quattoranismus
Blemarineceps
Secarenodus
Declenangustus
Asafisofers
Naftiliramidus
Ciculariferus
Akamptoseptaidus
Grigoraskus
Brostanodus
Oguraneidocus
Ignotusoxenotis
Platytenuis
Dichalocellatus
Airomasegmeta

Trivia[]

Project Zygroz's biggest inspirations are C. M. Kosemen's Snaiad and Wayne barlowe's Darwin IV as stated by Shi (who is now Yamato-Shi, or simply Yamato) on her message wall.
- Along with that, Yamato also took inspiration from Cosmic Safari 1999.
Project Zygroz originally started out as just a series of drawings on her fictional aliens on a random fictional world, obviously, starting with one drawing posted on a certain off-topic thread on may/6th/2025 with the caption below it saying "i'm running out of ideas..." but she later turned it into a fully fledged speculative biology project a few days later.
the name of the titular fictional exoplanet, Zygroz is derived from the ancient greek word "Zygos (ζυγός)" for balancing scales
- additionally, the name for one of Zygroz's locations, Eremos directly comes from the greek word, "eremos (ἔρημος)" used to describe somewhere that is uninhabitated or desolated
during Project Zygroz's early phase, Diarophytum was originally going to be a carnivorous "plant" but that scrapped and the carnivorous plant role was later given to Hupsofolia.
Onkodiderma and Drymusovenator were the first creatures Yamato designed for the project.
Venatorartifex was the first creature to get its name revealed and that was on Yamato's message wall, it’s also the only sapient species on Zygroz, being inspired by the eosapiens from Wayne barlowe's Expedition.
- the Venatorartifex were also inspired by the Neotectons from Biblaridion's Alien Biosphere.
in one reply on july/6/2025 where Yamato posted her most up-to-date Phylogenetic tree, she stated that she feels like quitting Project Zygroz and will start a new speculative biology project that she hoped will be better, that alone could hint that Project Zygroz will likely be discontinued very soon...
- however, Yamato was able to somehow changed her mind later on.
Project Zygroz has always been a solo project, so all this is done by Yamato alone.
Yamato updated the map of the titular fictional exoplanet itself twice. one user even commented saying that Yamato's first attempt on the map (now outdated odviously) looks like a liver, even Yamato herself thinks of this.^[1]
- the same thing can be said for the logo of Project Zygroz, except it was updated once.

the Outdated Logo

as of now, Yamato decided that the project is complete.

References[]

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Author's note[]

Hey guys, it's Yamato (formerly Shi) again, and i'm the creator of this project, i would like to say, this is just my attempt at trying to make a fully-fleshed out info guide on my Speculative biology project... well i tried cuz i'm not really an expert at anything so any critism or advice on how i can make my project more lively would be greatly appreciated, btw i started this project when my interest towards Speculative biology in general is what led me to dive into some content on that genre and yet i was somewhat fan of Wayne Balowe's Expedition and it's Docufiction Adaptation, and C.M Kosemen's Snaiad at the time as their works (Including Biblaridion's Alien Biosphere) are what mainly what influenced my Project.

anyways, thanks for reading and have a good day.

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