Question of life, an Alien race ( Or in-fact any form of intelligent life? )

~RustOxides Jun 29, 2012 Student General Artist

I am working on a race, specifically an Alien race.

Does anyone with experience in these matters have any tips?
Also, are there any guides, or walk-through's that anyone found useful?

The race I am working on is Arthropod in origin. (Crustaceans/Insects/Arachnids etc)
I Know that in reality ( on this earth) Insects are limited to the miniature size they are because of breathing through Spiracles* ( forget spelling) that go directly too the muscles and "Blood". Not efficient enough for larger organisms.

I plan to get around this by saying they have multiple respiratory systems working together to meet the requirement for oxygen etc, Does this sound reasonable?
It would be a combination of Spiracles, Gills, Respiratory pigment, Book lungs and Trachea.

They would also have an exoskeleton ( Annual moulting followed by rapid growth for 4 weeks), multiple antennae on the back of the head, Pheromone sensors/ detectors and emitters and etc.

I cannot decide on the eyes though..
I also am concerned that having an exoskeleton would inhibit facial expressions, I think I could show it in other forms. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for your time.
Rust.

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Devious Comments

*DamonWakes Jul 2, 2012 Writer

I'd be interested to know specifically what you mean by "Arthropod in origin." Are they literally descended from Earth's arthropods, or do they merely have the same sort of body?

If they've evolved independently, I don't see any biological reason why you couldn't give them a respiratory system suited to their larger size. The "buggy" body seems to turn up in a massive variety of ecological niches, so it seems reasonable that your aliens might look like that even if they're not at all related to the similar creatures on Earth. It would be like the difference between sharks and dolphins: they look awfully similar, but dolphins are more closely related to giraffes or shrews than they are to sharks.

~RustOxides Jul 2, 2012 Student General Artist

Well the Idea spawned from looking at Arthropods.

They have the same sort of body, with the exoskeleton, similar organs etc.
They did not originate on earth, as you said, evolved independently.

To comment on your 'dolphins related to giraffes or shrews', recently using DNA tracing and techniques, it has come to light that Whales are extremely closely related to hippos.

Amazing haha.

*DamonWakes Jul 2, 2012 Writer

Based on that, it sounds as though you could plausibly just give them lungs if you wanted to.

I hadn't heard that about whales. It would seem to make sense, though. Hippos spend an awful lot of their time in water, and thinking about it I'd be hard pressed to point to a mammal more likely to just start swimming full-time, except perhaps otters or beavers.

~RustOxides Jul 2, 2012 Student General Artist

I could, but I want to make them a little more alien than just humans with an exoskeleton. Although the end result no matter what respiratory system it has is the same, an organ to get oxygen. * or insert what ever gaseous element equivalent the race needs*

I agree, what about seals/ walruses? They pretty much ( from what I've seen, though I may be wrong) spend a lot of the time in the water.

*DamonWakes Jul 3, 2012 Writer

I didn't think of that, mostly because those animals have flippers.

It didn't really occur to me that they're not totally aquatic as they are.

~SomeNavySEALs Jul 1, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

I think a couple sit throughs of District 9'll solve a few of your questions.

~RustOxides Jul 2, 2012 Student General Artist

I love that film.

Its amazing. I kind of drew from that Idea of "What if my race, rather than herded into a refugee camp, but utilised as a mass working force."

This is because they a tougher, stronger, require less food and water, reproduce fairly quickly and can be trained easily.

~SomeNavySEALs Jul 2, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

There is one thing you never seem to see is aliens with oxygen/whatever gas concentrators as the likelihood of aliens using the exact same air mix with the same concentrations is highly unlikely.

~RustOxides Jul 2, 2012 Student General Artist

I see what you mean.

In the Halo franchise, The worker race called "Grunts" breathe methane, and their armour is mostly methane tanks and a re-breather. The side effect is they get squeaky voices, similar to helium.

Hmmm, I Know what you mean. Its something to ponder upon. I want them to be a "robust" race, in that they are like cockroaches, they are difficult to kill and can live in most conditions.

Do you think it would be to far fetched that they can breathe in a variety of gasses. Or at least in wider spread concentrations?

Either that or they have converters implanted in them.

~SomeNavySEALs Jul 2, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

They could operate at a wider spread within reason. As for implants that might be going a bit too far. Everyone just assumes because they're aliens 'ya gotta start implanting all their tech I don't know why.

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