Sunday, January 30, 2011
airtel 3g manual settings
Friday, January 28, 2011
Manasina Matu moview review, story,ratings, starcast
Rating: 2/5
Banner: Manasa Movies
Cast: Ajay Rao, Aindrirta Ray, Avinash, Thara, Lohith, Lohitashva, Padma Vasanthi, Sharan, Satyajith, Harish Rai, Suresh Mangalore and others.
Producer: DK Ramakrishna (Praveen Kumar)
Screenplay, Direction: R Anantharaju
Music: Neeladhri
Cineamtography: MR Seenu
Story:
It is the sacrifice of the protagonist in the film ‘Ajay’ (Ajay Rao) for the sake of his friend. Ajay gives up his love and protects it for his friend return from foreign country. But the mother Saraswathi (played by Thara) takes the final decision when things go out of control. When Sahana (Aindrita Ray) was about to board the plan to New Delhi for the job she has secured in the penultimate scenes opens up the inbuilt aspirations (Manasina Mathu) of Ajay via mother as she wants her son to be happy in life.
The 2002 ‘Roja Kootam’ (directed by Sasi starring Srikanth and Bhumika Chawla) Tamil film is ‘Manasina Mathu’ in Kannada. The careless son Ajay instead of completing his studies goes behind the charming Sahana. After three dream songs he is about to announce his intentions to his friend Krishna (Lohith) but he is in for a shock. Krishna and Sahana are lovers. Ajay keeps his aspirations and starts sacrificing for his best friend. Krishna with three sisters in the family has ailing one. He leaves to USA for a job and promise his friend Ajay and lover Sahana that he would return. In the gap of Krishna coming back some developments takes place. Ajay and Sahana are made to live together separately. In the eyes of the society they are couples but both are waiting for Krishna to return.
When Krishna returns he comes with a proposal of give and take set up. That leads Sahana very pitiable. But once again Ajay comes to the rescue. Ajay comes forward to marry the forced match of his friend Krishna. In the marriage hall the cop who is watching Ajay and Sahana unveil the recent past. Krishna goes back in his proposal of give and take set up.
Sahana decide to leave to New Delhi but in the airport Rs.50 note brings more changes for the good.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Ranjitha nityananda back to acting
Life hasn't been easy for Ranjitha after being accused of being involved in the Nityanand Swami sex scandal.
However, the actress who is still battling to safeguard her reputation is on an agenda of putting all ugly things behind her and resurrecting her acting career.
While Ranjitha admitted in a recent chat that she is in no hurry to foray into films again, it seems that the lady has now changed her mind. Sources from the industry reveal that the actress has been visiting filmmakers to explore opportunities. We also hear that she has landed an important role in a noted filmmaker's film.
The actress, who is currently looking forward to the release of one of her Malayalam films, has been reportedly approached by Bharathiraja for a pivotal role in his upcoming film 'Appan Aatha'. Sources say that Bharathiraja, who had introduced the actress to filmdom, is very keen on roping her in as he is sure only Rangitha can do justice to the character.
Shashank directing punith movie
Powerstar Puneet Rajkumar is the hottest actor of the Sandalwood. From debutant to senior director, everyone wants direct him, but very few have got this chance. Latest filmmaker to get this opportunity is none other than Moggina Manasu fame director Shashank.
Currently, Shashank is busy with the shooting of Duniya Vijay-Aindrita Ray starrer movie Jarasandha. He will start writing a story for Puneet only after completing his latest movie. Sources say that he has planned to take lot of interest in writing the story of his film with the Powerstar.
Meanwhile, Puneet Rajkumar is also busy with the filming for his tentatively titled movie Hudugru. Besides this film, he has another two projects. After completing Hudugru, he will shoot for director Yogaraj Bhat’s next film Paramathma and Suri’s Anna Bond. Puneet will work for Shashank directed film only after these two.
Puneet-Radhika starrer movie titled Hudugru,Punith upoming movie, review,story,details
The title of Puneet Rajkumar's forthcoming movie had created lot of curiosity among the his fans. Even the producers of the film had big confusion about it. Finally, putting an end to all the tensions, the bosses have titled it Hudugru, which is a remake of hit Tamil film Nadodigal.
Hudugru was launched at the Kanteerava Studio in Bangalore on 18th October, just four days after the release of his movie Jackie. The film is being directed by Gaja and Raam fame K Madesha and produced under the banner Vajreshwari Combines. Currently, it is being shot in different parts of Bangalore.
Besides Puneet Rajkumar, Loose Mada a.k.a. Yogish, Srinagar Kitty and Radhika Pandit are playing the lead roles in Hudugru and all of them will get equal footage in it. Guruprasad is doing a cameo in it. Dumb actress Abhinaya, Ramya Barna, Sreenivasa Prabhu, Sudha Belawadi, Rangayana Raghu and Vanitha Vasu are in other important roles.
However, V Harikrishna is the music director of Hudugru. Sathya Hegde is handling the camera and Guruprasad has penned the dialogue for it. According to the producer, the shooting of the film will take place in Mysore, Chikkade, Chitradurga and other places and it will be completed within another 70 days.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Yograj Bhat is directing Punith rajkumars film PARAMATMA movie detail, review
Paramathma Movie Plot.
Kannada movie Director Yograj Bhat announced his new project doing with Puneeth Rajkumar. In the 2010 Yograj Bhat planned do on film with Puneeth Rajkumar named Lagori and for so many controversies movie stopped in Pre-Production stage only. After that Puneeth Rajkumar did Jakie with Director Suri. Now Puneeth Rajkumar is in shooting of the Director K.Madesh new movie Hudugru Remake of Tamil Movie Nadodigal.
Yograj Bhat now titled Paramathma for his new film and Puneeth Rajkumar is in lead and as usual Ananth Nag and Rangayana Raghu are in lead. Yograj Bhat Himself producing the movie and searching for female role. Director now writing screenplay , movie may be release in the month of August . V. Hari Krishna scoring music and Yograj Bhat writing Lyrics, As usual Yograj Bhat will creates the new era in Kannada Film Industry…
Paramathma Movie Cast.
Puneeth Rajkumar
Ananth Nag
Rangayana Raghu
Paramathma Movie Crew.
DIRECTOR—————Yograj Bhat
LYRICS——————-Yograj Bhat
DIALOGGED————-Yograj Bhat
MUSIC——————–V. Hari Krishna
PRODUCERS————-Yograj Bhat, Jayanna
LANGUAGE————–Kannada
RELEASE DATE———–May Be in August
Shruti hassan dating with siddarth soha ali
If sources are to be believed, Kamal Haasan's daughter Shruti, who has returned to her hometown Chennai after the failure of her debut movie Luck to concentrate on her singing career, is painting the town red with Rang De Basanti actor Siddharth.
"Shruti and Siddharth have been spotted together many times," said a source. "They look very comfortable with each other. Sid and Shruti have had many lunch and dinner meetings and have even been arriving at parties to dance the night away."
Apparently papa Kamal knows about his daughter's love interest and has no problem with her relationship despite the fact that she is still trying to make it big in movies and her affair might damage her career prospects. "Kamal likes Siddharth a lot and adores his acting," says the source.
Siddharth has clearly got over his failed romance with Hindi film actress Soha Ali Khan. "Siddharth and Soha had a relationship for around a year and when their affair ended, Siddharth was heartbroken. He took around a year to recover. Soha has moved on and is said to be dating Kunal Khemu. Siddharth has also got Soha out of his system. Shruti and Siddharth were introduced at some filmi party down South and now they are quite the talk of the town."
While Siddharth could not be contacted for comment, Shruti Haasan denied that she was romantically involved with the RDB star.
Nayanatara romancing with diff actors, sexy look
Nayanatara showing her boobs in cheetah dress
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Nayanatara romance with venkatesh
Nayanatara's New love story,Hosa love story with prabhu
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Suvarna channel 4th reality show HOSA LUV STORY
suvarna channels reality show called hosa luv story airing from 17th jan-11
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Some of Bollywood’s Big Debuts pictures gallery
Whether a record box office collection or a memorable performance, these are the magicians who made it big in their first shot.
If the star dust stayed, is a different story. Here's a look at some of the larger-than-life Bollywood's debut.
If the star dust stayed, is a different story. Here's a look at some of the larger-than-life Bollywood's debut.
Didn't use daughter's name to win Bigg Boss: Shweta Tiwari
Shweta Tiwari, the first woman to bag the Bigg Boss title, says people feel she had got sympathy votes for being a single mother, but she never used her daughter to win the show.
Many of Shweta's fellow contestants felt that she kept talking about her daughter on the show and that would have led her to win, but the popular television actress completely refutes such claims.
"I never said it, everyone in the house used to say that Shweta is a single mother and she needs this money. I'm not so weak that I will use my daughter to win. I am capable enough that even if I would have not won this, I would have been able to take good care of her," the 30-year-old told IANS in an interview.
The actress has daughter Palak from her estranged husband Raja Choudhary who had also participated in the season two of Bigg Boss, which was won by Ashutosh Kaushik.
Shweta pipped other finalists - Dolly Bindra, Ashmit Patel and Khali - to bag the top honour and says the win was unexpected.
"I never thought that I could win. I had thought that the top two contestants would be Khaliji and Ashmit because even in the earlier seasons no girl had won. When Ashmit got evicted, both of us were left. Khaliji is an international superstar and there is no comparison to the kind of fan following he has, so I thought that I won't win, I was convinced about that," said Shweta who became a household name after her stint on the long running show Kasautii Zindagii Kay.
"But finally when Salmanbhai announced my name, I was blank for a few minutes. I just couldn't believe it. It's only after few minutes that the feeling sunk in and I realised that I have actually won. It felt great," she added.
The actress won Rs.1 crore after being in the house for 14 weeks.
What does she plan to do with the money?
"To run my house, I earn money and I'll keep doing that but with this money I know that even if I don't work for a little while, my next two years are secure.
"I want to invest the money in a place which will help me in taking care of my daughter's future because I am in a very unpredictable line where you don't know what will happen tomorrow," said Shweta, who gives the credit for her win to Palak.
"I think wherever I am in my profession today, I give entire credit to my daughter. Earlier I used to do small character roles. My daughter was born in October and February I got a call from Balaji and I became Prerna of Kasautii Zindagii Kay. She brought luck for me and this time too," said the doting mother.
When asked who she disliked the most in the house, the actress refrained from taking any names saying: "I am very diplomatic and I don't want to take any names."
Bigg Boss 4 started with 14 contestants, and had two wild card entries in subsequent weeks, with a three-day guest appearance by Hollywood actress Pamela Anderson. The show was full of controversies throughout its run, but entertained the audiences thoroughly.
List of Players sold on IPL bidding 2011 by whom
Here is our interactive auction list to help you keep a track of the action unfolding in Bengaluru. Sort this list to suit your demand by clicking on column headers.
| Players | Country | Type | Franchise | Sold At ($) | Base Price ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Gilchrist | Australia | Wk/Batsman | Kings XI Punjab | 900000 | 400000 |
| Shaun Marsh | Australia | Batsman | Kings XI Punjab | 400000 | 400000 |
| Kevin Pietersen | England | Batsman | Deccan Chargers | 650000 | 400000 |
| Stuart Broad | England | All rounder | Kings XI Punjab | 400000 | 400000 |
| Rahul Dravid | India | Batsman | Rajasthan Royals | 500000 | 400000 |
| Yuvraj Singh | India | Batsman | Sahara Pune Warriors | 1800000 | 400000 |
| Daniel Vettori | New Zealand | Bowler | Bangalore | 550000 | 400000 |
| Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | Wk/Batsman | Kochi | 475000 | 400000 |
| Ross Taylor | New Zealand | Batsman | Rajasthan Royals | 1000000 | 400000 |
| Graeme Smith | South Africa | Batsman | Sahara Pune Warriors | 500000 | 400000 |
| AB De Villiers | South Africa | Batsman/Wk | Bangalore | 1100000 | 400000 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | Batsman | Kochi | 1500000 | 400000 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | Sri Lanka | Batsman | Bangalore | 650000 | 400000 |
| VVS Laxman | India | Batsman | Kochi | 400000 | 400000 |
| Andrew Symonds | Australia | All rounder | Mumbai Indians | 850000 | 300000 |
| Cameron White | Australia | Batsman | Deccan Chargers | 1100000 | 300000 |
| David Hussey | Australia | Batsman | Kings XI Punjab | 1400000 | 300000 |
| Zaheer Khan | India | Bowler | Bangalore | 900000 | 300000 |
| Yusuf Pathan | India | Batsman | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2100000 | 300000 |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | All rounder | Kolkata Knight Riders | 1100000 | 300000 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | Wk/Batsman | Deccan Chargers | 700000 | 300000 |
| Angelo Mathews | Sri Lanka | All rounder | Sahara Pune Warriors | 950000 | 300000 |
| Michael Hussey | Australia | Batsman | Chennai Super Kings | 425000 | 200000 |
| James Hopes | Australia | All rounder | Delhi Daredevils | 350000 | 200000 |
| Brad Haddin | Australia | Wk/Batsman | Kolkata Knight Riders | 325000 | 200000 |
| David Warner | Australia | Batsman | Delhi Daredevils | 750000 | 200000 |
| Steven Smith | Australia | All rounder | Kochi | 200000 | 200000 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | All rounder | Kolkata Knight Riders | 425000 | 200000 |
| Irfan Pathan | India | All rounder | Delhi Daredevils | 1900000 | 200000 |
| Gautam Gambhir | India | Batsman | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2400000 | 200000 |
| Rudra Pratap Singh | India | Bowler | Kochi | 500000 | 200000 |
| Rohit Sharma | India | Batsman | Mumbai Indians | 2000000 | 200000 |
| Dinesh Karthik | India | Wk/Batsman | Kings XI Punjab | 900000 | 200000 |
| S Sreesanth | India | Bowler | Kochi | 900000 | 200000 |
| Robin Uthappa | India | Batsman | Sahara Pune Warriors | 2100000 | 200000 |
| JP Duminy | South Africa | Batsman | Deccan Chargers | 300000 | 200000 |
| Johan Botha | South Africa | Bowler | Rajasthan Royals | 950000 | 200000 |
| Dwayne Bravo | West Indies | All rounder | Chennai Super Kings | 200000 | 200000 |
| Tim Paine | Australia | Wk/Batsman | Sahara Pune Warriors | 270000 | 100000 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | All rounder | Kochi | 950000 | 100000 |
| Parthiv Patel | India | WK/Batsman | Kochi | 290000 | 100000 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | India | Batsman | Deccan Chargers | 300000 | 100000 |
| Naman Ojha | India | WK/Batsman | Delhi Daredevils | 270000 | 100000 |
| Saurabh Tiwary | India | Batsman | Bangalore | 1600000 | 100000 |
| Wriddhiman Saha | India | Wk/Batsman | Chennai Super Kings | 100000 | 100000 |
| James Franklin | New Zealand | All rounder | Mumbai Indians | 100000 | 100000 |
| Nathan McCullum | New Zealand | Bowler | Sahara Pune Warriors | 100000 | 100000 |
| Abhishek Nayar | India | All rounder | Kings XI Punjab | 800000 | 50000 |
| David Johan Jacobs | South Africa | Wicket Keeper | Mumbai Indians | 190000 | 20000 |
| Albie Morkel (retained) | South Africa | Bowler | Chennai Super Kings | 500000 | |
| Sachin Tendulkar (retained) | India | Batsman | Mumbai Indians | 1800000 | |
| Harbhajan Singh (retained) | India | Bowler | Mumbai Indians | 1300000 | |
| MS Dhoni (retained) | India | Wicket Keeper | Chennai Super Kings | 1800000 | |
| Suresh Raina (retained) | India | Batsman | Chennai Super Kings | 1300000 | |
| M Vijay (retained) | India | Batsman | Chennai Super Kings | 900000 | |
| Virender Sehwag (retained) | India | Batsman | Delhi Daredevils | 1800000 | |
| Virat Kohli (retained) | India | Batsman | Bangalore | 1800000 | |
| Kieron Pollard (retained) | West Indies | Batsman | Mumbai Indians | 900000 | |
| Lasith Malinga (retained) | Sri Lanka | Bowler | Mumbai Indians | 500000 | |
| Shane Warne (retained) | Australia | Bowler | Rajasthan Royals | 1800000 | |
| Shane Watson (retained) | Australia | All rounder | Rajasthan Royals | 1300000 | |
| Ishant Sharma | India | Bowler | Deccan Chargers | 450000 | 200000 |
| Praveen Kumar | India | Bowler | Kings XI Punjab | 800000 | 200000 |
| Ashish Nehra | India | Bowler | Sahara Pune Warriors | 850000 | 200000 |
| Brett Lee | Australia | Bowler | Kolkata Knight Riders | 400000 | 400000 |
| Morne Morkel | South Africa | Bowler | Delhi Daredevils | 475000 | 100000 |
| Dale Steyn | South Africa | Bowler | Deccan Chargers | 1200000 | 200000 |
| Ryan Harris | Australia | Bowler | Kings XI Punjab | 325000 | 200000 |
| Dirk Nannes | Australia | Bowler | Bangalore | 650000 | 200000 |
| Doug Bollinger | Australia | Bowler | Chennai Super Kings | 700000 | 200000 |
| Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | Bowler | Kochi | 1100000 | 300000 |
| Piyush Chawla | India | Bowler | Kings XI Punjab | 900000 | 100000 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | India | Bowler | Chennai Super Kings | 850000 | 100000 |
| Pragyan Ojha | India | Bowler | Deccan Chargers | 500000 | 200000 |
| Amit Mishra | India | Bowler | Deccan Chargers | 300000 | 100000 |
| Ramesh Powar | India | Bowler | Kochi | 180000 | 100000 |
| Aaron Finch | Australia | Batsman | Delhi Daredevils | 300000 | 100000 |
| Eoin Morgan | England | Batsman | Kolkata Knight Riders | 350000 | 200000 |
| Brad Hodge | Australia | Batsman | Kochi | 425000 | 200000 |
| Callum Ferguson | Australia | Batsman | Sahara Pune Warriors | 300000 | 200000 |
| Manoj Tiwary | India | Batsman | Kolkata Knight Riders | 475000 | 100000 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | India | Batsman | Bangalore | 700000 | 100000 |
| Subramaniam Badrinath | India | Batsman | Chennai Super Kings | 800000 | 100000 |
| Paul Collingwood | England | Batsman | Rajasthan Royals | 250000 | 200000 |
| Matthew Scott Wade | Australia | Wicket Keeper | Delhi Daredevils | 100000 | 100000 |
| Daniel Christian | Australia | All rounder | Deccan Chargers | 900000 | 50000 |
| Thisara Perera | Sri Lanka | All rounder | Kochi | 80000 | 50000 |
| Ajit Agarkar | India | Bowler | Delhi Daredevils | 210000 | 100000 |
| Charl Langeveldt | South Africa | Bowler | Bangalore | 140000 | 100000 |
| Ranganath Vinay Kumar | India | Bowler | Kochi | 475000 | 100000 |
| Ashok Dinda | India | Bowler | Delhi Daredevils | 375000 | 100000 |
| Munaf Patel | India | Bowler | Mumbai Indians | 700000 | 100000 |
| Shaun Tait | Australia | Bowler | Rajasthan Royals | 300000 | 300000 |
| Umesh Yadav | India | Bowler | Delhi Daredevils | 750000 | 50000 |
| Clint McKay | Australia | Bowler | Mumbai Indians | 110000 | 100000 |
| Lakshmipathy Balaji | India | Bowler | Kolkata Knight Riders | 500000 | 100000 |
| Roelof van der Merwe | South Africa | Bowler | Delhi Daredevils | 50000 | 50000 |
| Stephen O'Keefe | Australia | Bowler | Kochi | 20000 | 20000 |
| Luke Pomersbach | Australia | Batsman | Bangalore | 50000 | 20000 |
| Venugopal Rao | India | Batsman | Delhi Daredevils | 700000 | 100000 |
| Scott Styris | New Zealand | All rounder | Chennai Super Kings | 200000 | 100000 |
| Ben Hilfenhaus | Australia | Bowler | Chennai Super Kings | 100000 | 100000 |
| Jaidev Unadkat | India | Bowler | Kolkata Knight Riders | 250000 | 50000 |
| Manpreet Gony | India | Bowler | Deccan Chargers | 290000 | 50000 |
| Joginder Sharma | India | Bowler | Chennai Super Kings | 150000 | 100000 |
| Wayne Parnell | South Africa | Bowler | Sahara Pune Warriors | 160000 | 100000 |
| Abhmanyu Mithun | India | All rounder | Bangalore | 260000 | 100000 |
| Nuwan Kulasekara | Sri Lanka | Bowler | Chennai Super Kings | 100000 | 100000 |
| Sudeep Tyagi | India | Bowler | Chennai Super Kings | 240000 | 50000 |
| Suraj Randiv | Sri Lanka | All rounder | Chennai Super Kings | 80000 | 50000 |
| Owais Shah | England | Batsman | Kochi | 200000 | 200000 |
| Michael Klinger | Australia | Batsman | Kochi | 75000 | 20000 |
| Ryan ten Doeschate | Netherlands | All rounder | Kolkata Knight Riders | 150000 | 50000 |
| Mitchell Marsh | Australia | All rounder | Sahara Pune Warriors | 290000 | 100000 |
| Andrew McDonald | Australia | All rounder | Delhi Daredevils | 80000 | 50000 |
| John Hastings | Australia | All rounder | Kochi | 20000 | 20000 |
| Pankaj Singh | India | Bowler | Rajasthan Royals | 95000 | 50000 |
| Johan van der Wath | South Africa | Bowler | Bangalore | 50000 | 50000 |
| Jerome Taylor | West Indies | Bowler | Sahara Pune Warriors | 100000 | 100000 |
| James Pattison | Australia | Bowler | Kolkata Knight Riders | 100000 | 100000 |
| Alfonso Thomas | South Africa | Bowler | Sahara Pune Warriors | 100000 | 50000 |
| George Bailey | Australia | Batsman | Chennai Super Kings | 50000 | 50000 |
| Rilee Rossouw | South Africa | Batsman | Bangalore | 20000 | 20000 |
| Nuwan Pradeep | Sri Lanka | Bowler | Bangalore | 20000 | 20000 |
| Chris Lynn | Australia | Batsman | Deccan Chargers | 20000 | 20000 |
| Francois Du Plessis | South Africa | All rounder | Chennai Super Kings | 120000 | 20000 |
| Jesse Ryder | New Zealand | Batsman | Sahara Pune Warriors | 150000 | 100000 |
| Murali Kartik | India | Bowler | Sahara Pune Warriors | 400000 | 200000 |
| Juan Theron | South Africa | Bowler | Deccan Chargers | 85000 | 50000 |
| Travis Birt | Australia | Batsman | Delhi Daredevils | 20000 | 20000 |
| Dimitri Mascarenhas | England | All rounder | Kings XI Punjab | 100000 | 100000 |
| Jonathan David Vandiar | South Africa | Batsman | Bangalore | 20000 | 20000 |
| Moises Henriques | Australia | All rounder | Mumbai Indians | 50000 | 50000 |
| Colin Ingram | South Africa | Batsman | Delhi Daredevils | 100000 | 100000 |
| Michael Lumb | England | Batsman | Deccan Chargers | 80000 | 50000 |
| Nathan Rimmington | Australia | Bowler | Kings XI Punjab | 20000 | 20000 |
| Aiden Blizzard | Australia | Batsman | Mumbai Indians | 20000 | 20000 |
| Robert Frylinck | South Africa | Batsman | Delhi Daredevils | 20000 | 20000 |
| Mohammad Kaif | India | Batsman | Bangalore | 130000 | 100000 |
Saturday, January 8, 2011
List of players sold on IPL bidding 2011
Here is a list of players, their new teams and the amount spent.
Gautam Gambhir - Kolkata Knight Riders - $2.4 million
Yusuf Pathan - Kolkata Knight Riders - $2.1 million
Robin Uthappa - Pune - $2.1 million
Rohit Sharma - Mumbai Indians - $2 million
Irfan Pathan - Delhi Daredevils - $1.9 million
Yuvraj Singh - Pune - $1.8 million
Saurabh Tiwary - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $1.6 million
Mahela Jayawardene - Kochi - $1.5 million
David Hussey - Kings XI Punjab - $1.4 million
Dale Steyn - Deccan Chargers - $1.2 million
Muttiah Muralitharan - Kochi - $1.1 million
AB de Villiers - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $1.1 million
Cameron White - Deccan Chargers - $1.1 million
Jacques Kallis - Kolkata Knight Riders - $1.1 million
Ross Taylor - Rajasthan Royals - $1 million
Angelo Mathews - Pune - $950,000
Ravindra Jadeja - Kochi - $950,000
Johan Botha - Rajasthan Royals - $950,000
Dinesh Karthik - Kings XI Punjab - $900,000
Piyush Chawla - Kings XI Punjab - $900,000
Sreesanth - Kochi - $900,000
Adam Gilchrist - Kings XI Punjab - $900,000
Zaheer Khan - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $900,000
R Ashwin - Chennai Super Kings - $850,000
Ashish Nehra - Pune - $850,000
Andrew Symonds - Mumbai Indians - $850,000
S Badrinath - Chennai Super Kings - $800,000
Praveen Kumar - Kings XI Punjab - $800,000
Abhishek Nayar - Kings XI Punjab - $800,000
David Warner - Delhi - $750,000
Cheteswar Pujara - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $700,000
Doug Bollinger - Chennai Super Kings - $700,000
Kumar Sangakkara - Deccan Chargers - $700,000
Dirk Nannes - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $650,000
Tillakaratne Dilshan - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $650,000
Kevin Pietersen - Deccan Chargers - $650,000
Daniel Vettori - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $550,000
Pragyan Ojha - Deccan Chargers - $500,000
Rahul Dravid - Rajasthan Royals - $500,000
Graeme Smith - Pune - $500,000
RP Singh - Kochi - $500,000
Manoj Tiwary - Kolkata Knight Riders - $475,000
Morne Morkel - Delhi Daredevils - $475,000
Brendon McCullum - Kochi - $475,000
Ishant Sharma - Deccan Chargers - $450,000
Brad Hodge - Kochi - $425,000
Shakib al Hasan - Kolkata Knight Riders - $425,000
Michael Hussey - Chennai - $425,000
Brett Lee - Kolkata Knight Riders - $400,000
Stuart Broad - Kings XI Punjab - $400,000
VVS Laxman - Kochi - $400,000
Eoin Morgan - Kolkata Knight Riders - $350,000
James Hopes - Delhi Daredevils - $350,000
Ryan Harris - Kings XI Punjab - $325,000
Brad Haddin - Kolkata Knight Riders - $325,000
Callum Ferguson - Pune - $300,000
Aaron Finch - Delhi Daredevils - $300,000
Amit Mishra - Deccan Chargers - $300,000
Shikhar Dhawan - Deccan Chargers - $300,000
JP Duminy - Deccan Chargers - $300,000
Parthiv Patel - Kochi - $290,000
Naman Ojha - Delhi Daredevils - $270,000
Tim Paine - Pune - $270,000
Paul Collingwood - Rajasthan Royals - $250,000
Steven Smith - Kochi - $200,000
Dwayne Bravo - Chennai Super Kings at $200,000
Davy Jacobs - Mumbai Indians - $190,000
Ramesh Powar - Kochi - $180,000
Nathan McCullum - Pune - $100,000
James Franklin - Mumbai Indians - $100,000
Wriddhiman Saha - Chennai - $100,000
Unsold: Tamim Iqbal, Chamara Kapugedera, Murali Kartik, Ajantha Mendis, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Dilhara Fernando, Luke Wright, Matt Prior, Mark Boucher, Graeme Manou, Brian Lara, Herschelle Gibbs, Jesse Ryder, Sourav Ganguly and Chris Gayle.
Darwin IV is a fictional planet that was the subject of Wayne Barlowe's book Expedition and the television special, Alien Planet, based on Expedition. Although the details of the discovery and exploration of Darwin IV differ in the two presentations, both are essentially the same in their depiction of the planetary environment and its native life-forms, whose abundance and variety prompt the name Darwin.
Contents [hide]
1 Introduction
1.1 Television
2 Geography and Evolution
3 Senses
4 List of species
4.1 Animals
4.2 Animals (morphology)
4.3 Plants
5 The Expedition
5.1 Expedition members
5.2 Technology
6 External links
[edit]Introduction
[edit]Television
In Alien Planet, a more basic scenario is presented where a ship called the Von Braun is sent to explore an alien world outside the solar system. The Von Braun is sent to a binary star system about six and half light years from Earth. At 20% of the speed of light (0.2c), it takes over 40 years to travel to this system. Upon arrival it goes into orbit around Darwin IV, the Von Braun deployed the Darwin Reconnaissance Orbiter to scan the planet from orbit. The Von Braun also dispatches three identically shaped lighter-than-air probes to the planet surface. These three probes are:
Leonardo da Vinci (nicknamed "Leo" and colored blue).
Isaac Newton (nicknamed "Ike" and colored yellow).
Balboa (named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa and coloured red). Balboa did not survive entry into the Darwin IV atmosphere, because one wing of its lifting body transport failed to unfold. (Balboa was evidently doomed from the start — the screenwriters of Alien Planet never proposed a nickname for it, and it wasn't named in full name.)
In both stories the low gravity and dense atmosphere allow for aerial organisms that would be impossible on Earth.
[edit]Geography and Evolution
File:Darwin IV.jpg
Darwin IV.
It seems likely that Darwin IV was covered with large oceans a few million years ago, just like Earth. But because of important climatic changes, the oceans evaporated and most of the ocean water became part of the atmosphere of the planet. The continents are now mountain chains and plateaus, while the ocean floor has become a large, open plain of deserts and savannah. Thus, most of the creatures who now inhabit Darwin IV are descendants of land-dwelling animals
The dense atmosphere is full of clouds and meteorologic activity and the plains sometimes resemble "weather oceans". Most of the water is found in the atmosphere, but there are also millions of tons of frozen water in the regions of the poles, and big lakes and rivers where the 'pocket-forests' reside.
In the deepest part of the evaporated ocean basins, there is a "lake", the Amoebic Sea, composed of tons of microscopic creatures who have evolved to conserve the last of the remaining sea water inside their bodies in order to survive.
The continental plates are still moving, and the areas where they collide are full of earthquakes and volcanic activity, phenomena that remain mostly unseen on Earth since there they occur under the surface of the oceans.
[edit]Senses
The species on Darwin have all evolved sonar, echo-location using a variety of sounds as their primary sense, rather than perceiving light, as most animals on Earth do. Many have complicated cephalons[1] to aid in this sense. The majority have also evolved biolights; but rather than communicating information in the visible light spectrum, biolights on Darwin IV function in the infrared range, as all Darwinian animals are quite sensitive to that spectrum. It is important to note that their sensory organs to detect light in the infrared spectrum are more comparable to thermoreceptors found in pit vipers or rattlesnakes. The Rimerunner still has one bizarre, retractable, atrophying eye, a remnant from a time when sight-based organisms still had a place on Darwin IV. Also, most species are hermaphrodites.
[edit]List of species
Below is a list of the species found on Darwin IV. NOTE: Species marked with a "*" are featured in both the Alien Planet TV special and the book Expedition. Unmarked species are found exclusively in the book.
All species in Alien Planet were mentioned or depicted in Expedition; however, it should be noted that the Electrophyte was only briefly depicted in the book and was only fully explained in Alien Planet.
[edit]Animals
Amoebic Sea* - The Amoebic Sea is a gelatinous sea of single-celled organisms. All the water in the Amoebic Sea is absorbed and sealed within the gelatinous mass to prevent further evaporation, as the planet is slowly losing water over the eons. It is home to Emperor Sea Striders and Sac-backs. Littoralopes often visit the Amoebic Sea, eating the organisms. Tentacles come out of the surface of the Amoebic Sea and trap Emperor Sea Strider Nymphs, then consume them alive.
Arctic Sedge Slider - A ten-meter-tall biped, the Arctic Sedge Slider is adapted for life in the cold. The Arctic Sedge Slider's name comes from the furrows it leaves in its wake. This creature has an adaptation for the cold. When temperatures drop, or when a fierce Arctic storm approaches, the Arctic Sedge Slider has the ability to retract its head deep into its warm body cavity. When conditions are favorable again, its head reemerges again and it resumes its activities. The Arctic Sedge Slider has what may be the biggest sonar bulge of any animal on Darwin IV. This massive organ produces sonar pings in, not one, but multiple frequencies. Since the bulge is located on the Arctic Sedge Slider's back, it gives the animal the ability to "see" in 360 degrees. This makes it much more difficult for a predator to catch an Arctic Sedge Slider by surprise. A pair of Arctic Sedge Sliders with Ice Darts.
Arctic-Strider - An Arctic bipedalien that stores fat in its legs.
Arrowtongue* - A bipedalien with black coloration and red spotted biolights. Averaging about eight meters tall, an Arrowtongue impales its prey with a 3 meter-long, serrated, arrow-tipped proboscis. Like many spiders on Earth (and like most predators on Darwin IV), Arrowtongues are liquivores, injecting digestive juices into their prey and then sucking out the liquefied organs. They are fierce, solitary hunters found on the grasslands of Darwin IV. Like most of Darwin IV's animals, their pointed, spade-like heads contain no true jaws. They use sonar in order to find other species and food. The A picture of a rather threatening looking Arrowtongue
Beach-loper - The Beach Loper is a biped with a trunk vaguely reminiscent of an elephant's. It is a distant peripheral cousin of the immense Emperor Sea Strider. A Beach Loper being attacked by a swarm of Beach Quills
Beachquill* - Beach Quills are short-range attack hunters and are some of the smallest creatures on Darwin IV. They attack in colonies and kill their prey with a neurotoxin. In Alien Planet a large colony kills a Groveback. They can propel themselves by means of a folded muscular "foot". The beach quills in Expedition were one meter in length as opposed to the 3-inch (76 mm) long beach quills in Alien Planet. An image of a Beach Quill.
Beach-Runner - A bipedalien with long legs that sprints along the shore of the Amoebic Sea.
Beach-Dweller - A tripedalien with long legs that lives along the littoral zone of the Amoebic sea.
Belly-Thrower - A monopedal animal which has an eating habit similar to that of a starfish on Earth; it inverts its stomach outside the body and catches prey in it.
Bladderhorn* - This creature is a bright blue, rather comical-looking bipedal animal, with two "antlers" extending out of the sides of its head and have red biolight markings on them. The antlers are actually sacs designed to inflate and make it look much larger than it truly is. Bladderhorns make bellowing sounds by deflating the air sacs. The Bladderhorn uses its "antlers" for communication, which, in Alien Planet, causes Leo to conclude it is a good candidate for communication. Leo shows the Bladderhorn a symbol puzzle, but the Bladderhorn becomes apparently agitated, bellowing at him, and then runs away. Ike sees the same Bladderhorn near the conclusion of the exploration. Bladderhorns fight with their bladders like antlers, using bioluminescent light shows and their bladders to scare away predators and rivals. Image of a Bladderhorn with its proboscis drinking from a pond.
Bolt-Tongue - A polar cousin of the Arrowtongue, the Bolt-tongue is a Darwinian predator which uses a large arrow-tipped appendage to kill its prey. The bolt-tongue possesses a sonar bulge in the form of an arc running down its head.Like all predators on Darwin IV, it has no eyes.The head of a Bolt-tongue.
Butchertree* - Many species prey on the numerous, fast breeding Prismalope, but the Butchertree is the only species that actually lures the Prismalope instead of chasing it. Dotting the plains of the northern hemisphere, the Butchertree kills anything that comes within range of its four branch-daggers. They have a bizarre relationship with an unnamed flying organism, which is the primary food source of Prismalopes. The Butchertree grows underground roots that resemble these fliers, allowing the "tree" to lure Prismalopes close enough to try to kill and eat them. It is unknown just how this species reproduces. One possibility is that the small flier it associates with transfers eggs and sperm between individuals. Another possibility is that the flier itself is the second gender of the species, an extreme form of sexual dimorphism. Either way, young Butchertrees are found close to their "parent", and are connected to them through an umbilical cord similar to that of the "growths" that mimic the fliers. The cord disappears once the young are capable of nourishing themselves. In Alien Planet the Butchertree is one of only two species shown to prey on Skewers. A sketch of a butchertree.
Carver Wing - An extremely aggressive ectoparasitoid flyer that lays its eggs on the dorsal survases of large animals. Once the eggs hatch, the Carver wings will devour their host.
Cragspringer - A wingless cousin of the Springwing that is also a mountain-dweller but is more of a leaper than a glider, as it lacks the gliding wings of a Springwing.
Daggerwrist* - The Daggerwrist is a human-sized tree-dwelling carnivore. It glides from tree to tree with the assistance of thin membranes, or patagia, similar to those of a flying squirrel. Its forelimbs are large daggers designed for clinging to plaque-bark trees and killing prey, mainly Trunk-suckers. Unlike most of Darwin IV's predators, the Daggerwrist has what could be a jaw, but it is actually part of the skull that detaches to stab its prey and inject the needed digestive enzymes. This organ is connected to the chest of the Daggerwrist by a chord and is often tucked under the head, giving the jaw illusion. A Daggerwrist perched on a tree, a sketch of a Daggerwrist gliding, a sketch of a Daggerwrist's head.
Diskflyer - Diskflyers live around the Amoebic Sea and operate within very distinct four square kilometer territories. It is not known whether young Diskflyers stay within the territories in which they were born or if they leave to establish new territories of their own. Diskflyers are hermaphroditic, like most of Darwin IV's fauna, and mating impregnates both partners. It is not known whether diskflyers give birth to live young or eggs, but it is probably the latter.
Ebony Blister-wing - An immense flier, the Ebony Blister-wing can sometimes attain wingspans in excess of 1,000 feet (300 m).
Emperor Sea-strider* - The Emperor Sea-strider is the largest known creatures on Darwin IV. In Alien Planet, the Emperor Sea-strider is 70 feet (21 m) tall, but it is much more massive in the book Expedition. Though their exact size is unknown, if Mr. Barlowe's account is correct, they would be 620.1 feet (189.0 m) tall. Emperor Sea-striders walk on the surface of the Amoebic Sea with their two massive feet. Emperor Sea-striders are found only on the Amoebic Sea because the sea is the only source of food in numbers large enough to support such creatures, much like krill is for baleen whales on Earth. When Emperor Sea-striders are born they are capable of flight, but as adults they are bipedal. Hatched from eggs, the tiny Sea Strider Nymphs are attracted to an energy source located beneath the adult's mouthless head. Hollow, light-weight creatures, they cannot yet walk, but they fly about Darwin IV on their short wings, like Earth's hummingbirds [2]. They have an unusual method of feeding; their mouths are located on their feet, so it eats the organisms by stepping on them. The identifying traits they have are a mouthless crested head, two very large orange biolights (which are cavities in the book), two large tails (which is actually a tail and a phallus according to the book), and smaller blue biolights accenting their crests and tails. The emperor sea strider has become a rather obscure 4 Chan meme.Painting of adult and nymph Striders.
Eosapien* - Eosapiens are the sentient natives of Darwin IV in both Alien Planet and Expedition. The Eosapiens appear to be highly mobile, airborne, and semi-sentient. They possess limbs with tentacle-like fingers as well as claws, navigate with organic rudders, and use large sacs of methane to provide lift. Eosapiens have rudimentary intelligence roughly equivalent to that of our own early ancestors like Homo erectus. They carry spears and clubs for hunting. In the book, they dropped these weapons to make a cage around prey and then lift them away. They also seem to harvest the floating balls of gel the Amoebic Sea produces. The Eosapiens seemed to have gathered stones and arranged them in a circular pattern around Leo, like prehistoric monuments such as Stonehenge. Their name means "Dawn Thinker" in Latin because of the time when Barlowe first encountered them. In Alien Planet they were one of only two species able to prey on Skewers, but they most often feed on Gill-heads. Leo was assaulted by an Eosapien shortly after trying to communicate with a Bladderhorn. A group of Eosapiens apparently interpreted a camera disk launched by Ike as a threat; the last image from the camera disk showed the Eosapiens flying away, carrying a limp Ike. The floating balloon probe resembles the floating Eosapiens, and the launch of the video disc was probably interpreted as throwing a weapon. This species differs in appearance in the book compared to Alien Planet. In Alien Planet, the Eosapiens fingers were made more tentacle-like and longer, and they increased the size of its bladders, had spears instead of clubs, their skin color (reddish-pink instead of blue-green, both had yellow biolights) and hunting strategies also differ from what is found in the book. Barlowe's version of an Eosapien with a club.
Fin Leg - Small, silver, barrel-shaped herbivores with two fin-like limbs, hence the name. Even though it only has two fins, it walks on four points, two on each fin. They feed on the semi-liquid membrane of the jelly-bladder plants.Small colony of Fin Legs (bottom-left corner).
Finned Snapper - A carnivore with 2 front legs and an airfoil like hind quarters that lifts it when it runs. They feed on Jetdarters by flicking their agile and dexterous hunting arm located on the head. They are very light weight and have very delicate bones. The individual encountered by Barlowe was injured when the hovercone's engine tossed the animal, where it was later assaulted by jetdarters.
Flipstick - Flipsticks are tall, cylindrical creatures. The Flipstick's signature form of locomotion involves leaping into the air and flipping 180° to land on its opposite end. These 60-meter-tall creatures feed on microflyers by jamming their sonar with an oscillating tone, then scoop them up in feeding scoops. An ecosystem showing Flipsticks, Fin legs, jelly-bladder plants, and Gelsuckers.
Follow-wing - Small blue flyers that usually follow Skewers to scavenge from their kills. They are related to the Skewer, but they are only 2 meters long.
Forest Gulper - A large creature that lures animals into its mouth by scent, then slowly digests them alive. They resemble a gigantic green barrel with a thick snake-like tail, and a pair of atrophied beating wings. These wings are used for flight in the Gulper's larval stage, but become vestigial as the animal matures. A Forest Gulper about to devour a Spade-nose
Forest Slider - Forest Sliders are bipedal animals that are born with four limbs, but as their rear skid hardens and matures, their hind limbs shrivel and eventually fall off. A Forest Slider drinking from a stream in a forest with Hooked-tailed Flyers, a young Forest Slider with one of its hind limbs shriveling away.
Gelsucker - The Gelsucker is a quadruped, but also has a pair of clawed arms, giving it a total of six limbs. Gelsuckers are so called because they feast on the flesh of the Jelly Bladder plant, which grows in small groves on the outskirts of pocket forests. They use their clawed arms to rip the Jelly Bladders open, and then use their extendible proboscis to suck out the semi-solid flesh. Two Gelsuckers in an area with Flipsticks, Fin legs, and jelly-bladder plants.
Gill-Head - A biped with a spike on its chest to support it, almost like a third leg. They are one of the last remaining terrestrial air-sifters, such as the Rime-Runner. The Eosapiens prey upon it.
Groveback* - In Alien Planet the Groveback is one of the largest creatures native to Darwin IV. When fully mature, they are large enough to have entire stands of trees grow on their backs during the long periods of dormancy spent buried in the ground. Once mobile, they travel on two large front legs and a rear appendage shaped much like a boat rudder. The feeding habits of the Groveback differ between the book and the film. In Alien Planet, the Groveback feeds by absorbing nutrients from the soil through the skin of its underbody. In the Expedition, the Groveback is a filter feeder, feeding on the microscopic plants and animals that number in the millions in Darwin IV's air currents. Considering the Groveback's size and speed, the first mentioned lifestyle may sound more realistic, but when considering the multitude of slow filter feeders and a many nostril-like orifices covering the Groveback's head, the latter lifestyle is just as possible. Picture of Groveback, another view of a Groveback from Alien Planet.
Gyrosprinter* - The "antelope" of Darwin IV. However, unlike the antelopes of Earth, the Gyrosprinter has just two legs arranged in a rather unconventional manner - one right behind the other. The legs appear to have evolved to become fused from two forelegs and two hind legs over millions of years; the Gyrosprinter's ancestors were probably once quadrupeds like Earth's quadrupeds. Unfortunately, such a placement of legs can be a problem for balance. The Gyrosprinter has solved this by having two balance organs (similar to the inner ear of a human) located in two thick prongs protruding from either side of its body. It has two hearts, a two meter long tongue, and its nostrils are located on its shoulders. The Gyrosprinter is able to run at speeds of up of up to 80 km/h and has a running stride of up to 15 meters.A Gyrosprinter resting.
Hammerheaded Veldwing - A grassland flyer that is on the Rayback menu.
Hook-tailed Flyer - A yellow, medium-sized flyer with a hooked tail and a single float bladder.
Hopper-Cone - Small animals that steal scraps of Jelly-bladder plants ripped open by Gelsuckers.
Ice Crawler - Quadrupeds that resemble pillbugs are nearly motionless and make comically flatulent noises when emerging from their "sleep sack". Ice Crawlers on a beach with Rime-runner
Ice Dart - A small flying animal that has three pointed tubes for feeding and drinking, one on its face, another on its bottom sides, and a third one on its rear. It also pokes itself on ice during snow storms.
Jetdarter* - One of Darwin IV's more bizarre aerial life forms. The Jetdarter is a scavenger whose compact body assumes a dart-like shape. It has no wings to aid in flight. Instead, it has a biological version of a ramjet engine - complete with a turbine of bone and gristle. It has two legs which fold up during flight, although on Alien Planet, they do not appear to have legs at all. The Jetdarter forms nests in the pocket-forests and fears many predators, such as Electrophyte plants and Finned Snappers. Anatomical sketch of a Jetdarter, Image of a Jetdarter.
Keeled Slider - The Keeled Slider is a large brown animal with kneeled arms. It builds special egg chambers to keep eggs and young. It slides down muddy mountains. It is not hermaphroditic. Two Keeled Sliders.
Littoralope* - The Littoralope are the creatures that use huge Sea-Strider skulls for shelter in Expedition. In Alien Planet, the Littoralopes are described as placid, slow-moving quadrupeds with little evidence of intelligence. They also have tails resembling their heads, similar to Symets, which did not appear in Alien Planet. This feature probably evolved to confuse predators. Photo with Littoralopes living inside of a Sea Strider's skull, Alien Planet version.
Mummy-nest Flyer - They are black flyers, with a tail that bends back to meet the front of the body (like scorpions, except the tail is curled under the body, not above). Unlike some flyers, they are not jet propelled, so they have to flap their wings to fly. Barlowe hypothesizes that the flyer was once part of the Mummy-nest and, as it matured, broke off from it and used its former body as a home.
Mummy-nest - This animal has sphincter-like orifices on its body. It is later invaded by Mummy-nest Flyers (though they may have once been one and the same).
Prairie-ram - Prairie-rams are ubiquitous liquivores that impale their prey's chest to suck out bodily juices. Picture of a Prairie-ram.
Prismalope - A tripedalien of Darwin's plains, Prismalopes often travel in herds. The first thing one notices about this creature is its massive prism-shaped head. Though it appears ungainly, it houses the Prismalope's grasping tentacles, which it uses to capture small prey. This fast-breeding creature is preyed upon by a multitude of predators, both terrestrial and airborne. The Prismalope hunts a flyer that is "protected" by the Butchertree. Prismalopes with Butchertrees in the background.
Prongheads* - Prongheads are bipedal plains predators that feed on Gyrosprinters, Symets and Littoralopes. They are named for the three hollow prongs protruding from their faces that act as tubes to siphon liquids from their prey, since they use their feet to inject their digestive fluids into prey. They hunt in pack in a similar manner to wolves on Earth. A Pronghead surveying the plains in search of prey, Image of Pronghead in Alien Planet.
Rayback - An agile and aggressive predator of Darwin IV's grasslands. This creature gets its name for the four tall ridges that project from its back. Apart from its ridges, the Rayback does not appear to have any specialized features. Its only weapons are its lightning-fast speed and a dagger-like tongue. It is fierce and attacks anything that moves. It was the first animal encountered by Barlowe, and apparently, his sudden appearance caused it to start attacking him and his vehicle. A biped, it bears a general resemblance to the Bolt-Tongue and Arrowtongue. Picture of Rayback.
Rimerunner - The Rimerunner is a one-legged animal from the polar regions of Darwin IV. Supported by only one leg, the Rimerunner hops across its Arctic home like a kangaroo. It eats only aerophytes and other microscopic airborne organisms. At the front of its head, the Rimerunner sports an umbrella-like organ. This organ, suspended by thin neural cables, is a sophisticated sonar system along with a simple and atrophying eye. Picture of a Rimerunner.
Rugose Floater - Rugose Floaters are heavily wrinkled, fish-like aliens that float in the air. During spawning season, they have eggs trailing behind their "fins" and reduce to their crescent shape when spawning is complete. This is the creature seen on the front cover of Expedition and at the top of this web page. Larger image.
Sac-back - The Sac-back lives at the edge of the Amoebic Sea. The Sac-back gets its name from the sac on the male's back. The sac is used to store pre-digested food from the "sea", which is later fed to the females. Male and female Sac-backs live completely different lives. Males live on the surface, walking around on their three legs. Female Sac-backs dig "tombs" in which they bury themselves. Once buried, the only part of the female that sees the light of day is her mouth and tentacle. Two Sac-backs mating.
Scavengewing - Scavengewings are flying animals that have a special digestive system suitable for eating carcasses. The animal completely separates it from its body, dropping it on carrion, then swallows the feeding module.
Siphon Floater - The large floating creature around the waterhole
Siphonsnout - The small purple creature around the water hole.
Skewer* - The largest aerial predator of Darwin IV. It is an enormous flying creature, with a wingspan of 50 feet (over 15 m). Not even the largest pterosaurs (like Quetzalcoatlus, with its 40-foot (12 m) wingspan) from Earth have a wingspan even approaching that size. Its wings do not flap but squeeze, shifting shape to shift flight. It is actually propelled by combusting methane gas in four jet-pods on its wings. This allows the Skewer to travel at speeds of 200 miles per hour. Its killing tool is a hollow lance that impales its prey, injects digestive enzymes, and sucks the corpse dry. The Skewer also hunt in groups, each Skewer dropping the spoils and another swoops in to feast. No large animal on darwin IV is safe from the skewer. Barlowe mentions an eyewittness attack on a sea strider by skewers, but the way this was done is never mentioned.A pair of Skewers in flight with some Follow-Wings.
Spade-nose - A quadruped that lives in forests and has a blue spade-like nose, hence the name. It is a common prey of the Gulper. Image of a Gulper about to devour a Spade-nose.
Springwing - The Springwing is a winged animal with forelimbs somewhat like those of a horse's. The appearance of a Springwing is similar to that of a mountain goat. It springs itself off cliffs, gliding with the alpine updrafts to reach its destination Photo of a Springwing.
Stonemime - An oval-shaped animal with many legs. It can mimic a rock.
Stripewing - The Stripewing is an odd flying creature with stripes on its wings that breaks into a hopping frenzy each night. Stripewings will fold themselves into compact shapes. They can often be seen, in massive colonies, sleeping on the surface of the Amoebic Sea.
Symet - Symets are bipedal herbivores named for their protective symmetry. In Expedition, Barlowe observes a herd of Symets in a desert in bordering the Vallis Przewalski. The symmetry may have evolved to confuse predators. Image of a Symet.
Thornback - The Thornback is an herbivore that walks on its three-legged gait. It has a large "thorn" on its back shaped like a shark fin. Its head vaguely resembles that of a rhino's. Image of a Thornback, Thornbacks pursued by an Arrowtongue.
Tiger bull - One of the creatures around the water hole, The orange stipy one
Transalpine Floater - A gray floater that resides in the mountains.
Trunksucker* - The Trunksucker is a small animal that glides through Darwin IV's forests and clings to Plaque Bark Trees, sucking their sap. The first dead creature that the probes find on Darwin IV is in fact a Trunksucker, most likely killed by a Daggerwrist. Image of a Trunksucker from Alien Planet.
Tundra-Plow - An animal that digs part of its body in the ground. It gets food from its underground proboscis, pulling plants from underneath as well as filtering soil for food.
Tundra-Roamers - Animals that have a male and female variants. Males have a crest on the back of their heads.
Tundra-Slider - An animal that resembles the Arctic Sedge-Slider with a few different variants.
Unth* - The Unth is a tundra creature with asymmetrical tusks. Unths are named for the sound they make when they take a step. Unths live in herds. The Unths of Alien Planet are first encountered by Leo, but Ike meets up with this peaceful herbivore near the end of his journey. The Unth herd was apparently spooked by either the Bladderhorn duel nearby, or the mystery creature (which turned out to be an Eosapien), which deactivated Leo. Two Unths fighting in a snowstorm, a sketch of an Unth.
Unnamed Flyer - As of yet, this species has no common name. This flying creature is the main food source of the Prismalope in the northern plains. This species has developed an intriguing relationship with the Butchertree. Within a 15 ft (4.6 m) or so radius of a Butchertree are a dozen or so small growths. The growths are actually part of the Butchertree, connected to it by underground tentacles. These growths are physically identical in appearance to the small unnamed flyers and are used to lure the Prismalopes and other prey. This camouflage is also able to deceive prey into coming inside the Butchertree's attack range, where they then find themselves skewered and drained of fluids. Two Prismalopes unwittingly getting too close to a large Butchertree while investigating unnamed flyers (or the Butchertree's decoys).
Veldt Wing - A hooded flying animal that has a crescent-shaped head at the end of a skinny neck.Hammer-Head Veldt Wing being chased by a hungry Rayback.
Wedgehead - One of the creatures around the water hole, the blue one which may have the same kind of symmetry of the littoralope
[edit]Animals (morphology)
In his Expedition, Barlowe clearly states that he wanted to represent the most impressive, most appealing animals of the planet. There are millions of species who are not represented in detail, even though they have to be an essential part of Darwin IV's ecosystem. Barlowe refers to them as the 'microflyers', tiny animals and plants living in the atmosphere of the planet like plankton lives in the oceans of Earth. Most animals represented in both the book and the movie belong to one of two essential groups: the floaters and the ground-dwelling species. However, there is a great variety inside the landdweller family. While on Earth animals are classified by characteristics such as mode of reproduction and metabolism, the large Darwinian animals are classified by their number of limbs. There are four classes: quadrupedalians, tripedalians, bipedalians and monopedalians. However, sometimes it is difficult to say to which group an animal belongs. In fact many animals lose some of their limbs when they grow up, and thus "change" their classification. The forest slider, for instance, has four legs as a juvenile, but only two legs in its adult form. Most Floaters appear to have no limbs, but eosapiens seem to have evolved from bipedal ancestors for they still have two arms. However, these could as well be highly evolved appendages. Many unnamed creatures appear only in sketches.
[edit]Plants
Plaque-bark Tree* - These trees are tall with straight trunks, regular side branches, and sparse leaves. The Trunk Suckers feed on them. Daggerwrists can often be found clinging to the branches.
Tube Grass* - Long grass which is hollow like a tube giving the plant its name. It is striped.
Aerophyte - Microscopic vegetative organisms that float on Darwin IV's air currents and constitute a major source of food for several species on the planet.
Fodderball Weed - The Fodderball Weed produces football-like fruits called zimns. These weeds have a lightweight construction that puts them at the mercy of every wind.
Jelly-bladder Plant - These are plants with jelly-like forms on their stems. The Gelsuckers eat these.
Float Ball - These are bushes with stems so small they look like they're floating.
Stickball Plant* - The Stickball Plant is part sponge and part virus. The only creatures that eat them are the Gyrosprinters.
Darwin Moss* - These are the plants that are usually seen in grasslands. They resemble green moss on Earth.
Darwin Tomato* - Darwin Tomatoes are giant molds that grow in the pocket forests. They can grow to be three feet tall.
Beachfinger - These are grass-like plants that thrive near the Amoebic Sea.
Hillvine - Hillvines are long plants that grow in the hills.
Cliff-polyp - These are red grass like plants that are only eaten by Springwings and Bladderhorns.
Red Mountain-spike - These are spiked plants that are eaten by Bladderhorns. They grow in mountain streams.
Arctic Polar-vane A red plant that lives in the tundra. It rotates, feeding of the energy generated by the two suns.
Snow-bulb - Snow-bulbs are large white bulbs that live in Darwin IV's icecaps.
Electrophyte* - These red, mushroom-like plants electrocute animals that stray into their fields, and then consume them alive.
Gourd Tree/Steeple Gourd* -15-story tall plants that are supported by root-like stilts. Gourd Trees are either hollow or spongy inside. They have to be for the stilts to support them. In Alien Planet they are encountered by Leo and Ike, comprising the trees surround the landing site of the probes. In Expedition, the Gourd Trees are called Steeple Gourds. A couple of Gourd Trees (see left in image).
Grenade Vine - a plant with explosive pollen sacks.
Blue whipweed - a plant that lives in the polar regions of Darwin IV
Polardots - A plant with small blue flowers that lives in the polar regions of Darwin IV
Contents [hide]
1 Introduction
1.1 Television
2 Geography and Evolution
3 Senses
4 List of species
4.1 Animals
4.2 Animals (morphology)
4.3 Plants
5 The Expedition
5.1 Expedition members
5.2 Technology
6 External links
[edit]Introduction
[edit]Television
In Alien Planet, a more basic scenario is presented where a ship called the Von Braun is sent to explore an alien world outside the solar system. The Von Braun is sent to a binary star system about six and half light years from Earth. At 20% of the speed of light (0.2c), it takes over 40 years to travel to this system. Upon arrival it goes into orbit around Darwin IV, the Von Braun deployed the Darwin Reconnaissance Orbiter to scan the planet from orbit. The Von Braun also dispatches three identically shaped lighter-than-air probes to the planet surface. These three probes are:
Leonardo da Vinci (nicknamed "Leo" and colored blue).
Isaac Newton (nicknamed "Ike" and colored yellow).
Balboa (named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa and coloured red). Balboa did not survive entry into the Darwin IV atmosphere, because one wing of its lifting body transport failed to unfold. (Balboa was evidently doomed from the start — the screenwriters of Alien Planet never proposed a nickname for it, and it wasn't named in full name.)
In both stories the low gravity and dense atmosphere allow for aerial organisms that would be impossible on Earth.
[edit]Geography and Evolution
File:Darwin IV.jpg
Darwin IV.
It seems likely that Darwin IV was covered with large oceans a few million years ago, just like Earth. But because of important climatic changes, the oceans evaporated and most of the ocean water became part of the atmosphere of the planet. The continents are now mountain chains and plateaus, while the ocean floor has become a large, open plain of deserts and savannah. Thus, most of the creatures who now inhabit Darwin IV are descendants of land-dwelling animals
The dense atmosphere is full of clouds and meteorologic activity and the plains sometimes resemble "weather oceans". Most of the water is found in the atmosphere, but there are also millions of tons of frozen water in the regions of the poles, and big lakes and rivers where the 'pocket-forests' reside.
In the deepest part of the evaporated ocean basins, there is a "lake", the Amoebic Sea, composed of tons of microscopic creatures who have evolved to conserve the last of the remaining sea water inside their bodies in order to survive.
The continental plates are still moving, and the areas where they collide are full of earthquakes and volcanic activity, phenomena that remain mostly unseen on Earth since there they occur under the surface of the oceans.
[edit]Senses
The species on Darwin have all evolved sonar, echo-location using a variety of sounds as their primary sense, rather than perceiving light, as most animals on Earth do. Many have complicated cephalons[1] to aid in this sense. The majority have also evolved biolights; but rather than communicating information in the visible light spectrum, biolights on Darwin IV function in the infrared range, as all Darwinian animals are quite sensitive to that spectrum. It is important to note that their sensory organs to detect light in the infrared spectrum are more comparable to thermoreceptors found in pit vipers or rattlesnakes. The Rimerunner still has one bizarre, retractable, atrophying eye, a remnant from a time when sight-based organisms still had a place on Darwin IV. Also, most species are hermaphrodites.
[edit]List of species
Below is a list of the species found on Darwin IV. NOTE: Species marked with a "*" are featured in both the Alien Planet TV special and the book Expedition. Unmarked species are found exclusively in the book.
All species in Alien Planet were mentioned or depicted in Expedition; however, it should be noted that the Electrophyte was only briefly depicted in the book and was only fully explained in Alien Planet.
[edit]Animals
Amoebic Sea* - The Amoebic Sea is a gelatinous sea of single-celled organisms. All the water in the Amoebic Sea is absorbed and sealed within the gelatinous mass to prevent further evaporation, as the planet is slowly losing water over the eons. It is home to Emperor Sea Striders and Sac-backs. Littoralopes often visit the Amoebic Sea, eating the organisms. Tentacles come out of the surface of the Amoebic Sea and trap Emperor Sea Strider Nymphs, then consume them alive.
Arctic Sedge Slider - A ten-meter-tall biped, the Arctic Sedge Slider is adapted for life in the cold. The Arctic Sedge Slider's name comes from the furrows it leaves in its wake. This creature has an adaptation for the cold. When temperatures drop, or when a fierce Arctic storm approaches, the Arctic Sedge Slider has the ability to retract its head deep into its warm body cavity. When conditions are favorable again, its head reemerges again and it resumes its activities. The Arctic Sedge Slider has what may be the biggest sonar bulge of any animal on Darwin IV. This massive organ produces sonar pings in, not one, but multiple frequencies. Since the bulge is located on the Arctic Sedge Slider's back, it gives the animal the ability to "see" in 360 degrees. This makes it much more difficult for a predator to catch an Arctic Sedge Slider by surprise. A pair of Arctic Sedge Sliders with Ice Darts.
Arctic-Strider - An Arctic bipedalien that stores fat in its legs.
Arrowtongue* - A bipedalien with black coloration and red spotted biolights. Averaging about eight meters tall, an Arrowtongue impales its prey with a 3 meter-long, serrated, arrow-tipped proboscis. Like many spiders on Earth (and like most predators on Darwin IV), Arrowtongues are liquivores, injecting digestive juices into their prey and then sucking out the liquefied organs. They are fierce, solitary hunters found on the grasslands of Darwin IV. Like most of Darwin IV's animals, their pointed, spade-like heads contain no true jaws. They use sonar in order to find other species and food. The A picture of a rather threatening looking Arrowtongue
Beach-loper - The Beach Loper is a biped with a trunk vaguely reminiscent of an elephant's. It is a distant peripheral cousin of the immense Emperor Sea Strider. A Beach Loper being attacked by a swarm of Beach Quills
Beachquill* - Beach Quills are short-range attack hunters and are some of the smallest creatures on Darwin IV. They attack in colonies and kill their prey with a neurotoxin. In Alien Planet a large colony kills a Groveback. They can propel themselves by means of a folded muscular "foot". The beach quills in Expedition were one meter in length as opposed to the 3-inch (76 mm) long beach quills in Alien Planet. An image of a Beach Quill.
Beach-Runner - A bipedalien with long legs that sprints along the shore of the Amoebic Sea.
Beach-Dweller - A tripedalien with long legs that lives along the littoral zone of the Amoebic sea.
Belly-Thrower - A monopedal animal which has an eating habit similar to that of a starfish on Earth; it inverts its stomach outside the body and catches prey in it.
Bladderhorn* - This creature is a bright blue, rather comical-looking bipedal animal, with two "antlers" extending out of the sides of its head and have red biolight markings on them. The antlers are actually sacs designed to inflate and make it look much larger than it truly is. Bladderhorns make bellowing sounds by deflating the air sacs. The Bladderhorn uses its "antlers" for communication, which, in Alien Planet, causes Leo to conclude it is a good candidate for communication. Leo shows the Bladderhorn a symbol puzzle, but the Bladderhorn becomes apparently agitated, bellowing at him, and then runs away. Ike sees the same Bladderhorn near the conclusion of the exploration. Bladderhorns fight with their bladders like antlers, using bioluminescent light shows and their bladders to scare away predators and rivals. Image of a Bladderhorn with its proboscis drinking from a pond.
Bolt-Tongue - A polar cousin of the Arrowtongue, the Bolt-tongue is a Darwinian predator which uses a large arrow-tipped appendage to kill its prey. The bolt-tongue possesses a sonar bulge in the form of an arc running down its head.Like all predators on Darwin IV, it has no eyes.The head of a Bolt-tongue.
Butchertree* - Many species prey on the numerous, fast breeding Prismalope, but the Butchertree is the only species that actually lures the Prismalope instead of chasing it. Dotting the plains of the northern hemisphere, the Butchertree kills anything that comes within range of its four branch-daggers. They have a bizarre relationship with an unnamed flying organism, which is the primary food source of Prismalopes. The Butchertree grows underground roots that resemble these fliers, allowing the "tree" to lure Prismalopes close enough to try to kill and eat them. It is unknown just how this species reproduces. One possibility is that the small flier it associates with transfers eggs and sperm between individuals. Another possibility is that the flier itself is the second gender of the species, an extreme form of sexual dimorphism. Either way, young Butchertrees are found close to their "parent", and are connected to them through an umbilical cord similar to that of the "growths" that mimic the fliers. The cord disappears once the young are capable of nourishing themselves. In Alien Planet the Butchertree is one of only two species shown to prey on Skewers. A sketch of a butchertree.
Carver Wing - An extremely aggressive ectoparasitoid flyer that lays its eggs on the dorsal survases of large animals. Once the eggs hatch, the Carver wings will devour their host.
Cragspringer - A wingless cousin of the Springwing that is also a mountain-dweller but is more of a leaper than a glider, as it lacks the gliding wings of a Springwing.
Daggerwrist* - The Daggerwrist is a human-sized tree-dwelling carnivore. It glides from tree to tree with the assistance of thin membranes, or patagia, similar to those of a flying squirrel. Its forelimbs are large daggers designed for clinging to plaque-bark trees and killing prey, mainly Trunk-suckers. Unlike most of Darwin IV's predators, the Daggerwrist has what could be a jaw, but it is actually part of the skull that detaches to stab its prey and inject the needed digestive enzymes. This organ is connected to the chest of the Daggerwrist by a chord and is often tucked under the head, giving the jaw illusion. A Daggerwrist perched on a tree, a sketch of a Daggerwrist gliding, a sketch of a Daggerwrist's head.
Diskflyer - Diskflyers live around the Amoebic Sea and operate within very distinct four square kilometer territories. It is not known whether young Diskflyers stay within the territories in which they were born or if they leave to establish new territories of their own. Diskflyers are hermaphroditic, like most of Darwin IV's fauna, and mating impregnates both partners. It is not known whether diskflyers give birth to live young or eggs, but it is probably the latter.
Ebony Blister-wing - An immense flier, the Ebony Blister-wing can sometimes attain wingspans in excess of 1,000 feet (300 m).
Emperor Sea-strider* - The Emperor Sea-strider is the largest known creatures on Darwin IV. In Alien Planet, the Emperor Sea-strider is 70 feet (21 m) tall, but it is much more massive in the book Expedition. Though their exact size is unknown, if Mr. Barlowe's account is correct, they would be 620.1 feet (189.0 m) tall. Emperor Sea-striders walk on the surface of the Amoebic Sea with their two massive feet. Emperor Sea-striders are found only on the Amoebic Sea because the sea is the only source of food in numbers large enough to support such creatures, much like krill is for baleen whales on Earth. When Emperor Sea-striders are born they are capable of flight, but as adults they are bipedal. Hatched from eggs, the tiny Sea Strider Nymphs are attracted to an energy source located beneath the adult's mouthless head. Hollow, light-weight creatures, they cannot yet walk, but they fly about Darwin IV on their short wings, like Earth's hummingbirds [2]. They have an unusual method of feeding; their mouths are located on their feet, so it eats the organisms by stepping on them. The identifying traits they have are a mouthless crested head, two very large orange biolights (which are cavities in the book), two large tails (which is actually a tail and a phallus according to the book), and smaller blue biolights accenting their crests and tails. The emperor sea strider has become a rather obscure 4 Chan meme.Painting of adult and nymph Striders.
Eosapien* - Eosapiens are the sentient natives of Darwin IV in both Alien Planet and Expedition. The Eosapiens appear to be highly mobile, airborne, and semi-sentient. They possess limbs with tentacle-like fingers as well as claws, navigate with organic rudders, and use large sacs of methane to provide lift. Eosapiens have rudimentary intelligence roughly equivalent to that of our own early ancestors like Homo erectus. They carry spears and clubs for hunting. In the book, they dropped these weapons to make a cage around prey and then lift them away. They also seem to harvest the floating balls of gel the Amoebic Sea produces. The Eosapiens seemed to have gathered stones and arranged them in a circular pattern around Leo, like prehistoric monuments such as Stonehenge. Their name means "Dawn Thinker" in Latin because of the time when Barlowe first encountered them. In Alien Planet they were one of only two species able to prey on Skewers, but they most often feed on Gill-heads. Leo was assaulted by an Eosapien shortly after trying to communicate with a Bladderhorn. A group of Eosapiens apparently interpreted a camera disk launched by Ike as a threat; the last image from the camera disk showed the Eosapiens flying away, carrying a limp Ike. The floating balloon probe resembles the floating Eosapiens, and the launch of the video disc was probably interpreted as throwing a weapon. This species differs in appearance in the book compared to Alien Planet. In Alien Planet, the Eosapiens fingers were made more tentacle-like and longer, and they increased the size of its bladders, had spears instead of clubs, their skin color (reddish-pink instead of blue-green, both had yellow biolights) and hunting strategies also differ from what is found in the book. Barlowe's version of an Eosapien with a club.
Fin Leg - Small, silver, barrel-shaped herbivores with two fin-like limbs, hence the name. Even though it only has two fins, it walks on four points, two on each fin. They feed on the semi-liquid membrane of the jelly-bladder plants.Small colony of Fin Legs (bottom-left corner).
Finned Snapper - A carnivore with 2 front legs and an airfoil like hind quarters that lifts it when it runs. They feed on Jetdarters by flicking their agile and dexterous hunting arm located on the head. They are very light weight and have very delicate bones. The individual encountered by Barlowe was injured when the hovercone's engine tossed the animal, where it was later assaulted by jetdarters.
Flipstick - Flipsticks are tall, cylindrical creatures. The Flipstick's signature form of locomotion involves leaping into the air and flipping 180° to land on its opposite end. These 60-meter-tall creatures feed on microflyers by jamming their sonar with an oscillating tone, then scoop them up in feeding scoops. An ecosystem showing Flipsticks, Fin legs, jelly-bladder plants, and Gelsuckers.
Follow-wing - Small blue flyers that usually follow Skewers to scavenge from their kills. They are related to the Skewer, but they are only 2 meters long.
Forest Gulper - A large creature that lures animals into its mouth by scent, then slowly digests them alive. They resemble a gigantic green barrel with a thick snake-like tail, and a pair of atrophied beating wings. These wings are used for flight in the Gulper's larval stage, but become vestigial as the animal matures. A Forest Gulper about to devour a Spade-nose
Forest Slider - Forest Sliders are bipedal animals that are born with four limbs, but as their rear skid hardens and matures, their hind limbs shrivel and eventually fall off. A Forest Slider drinking from a stream in a forest with Hooked-tailed Flyers, a young Forest Slider with one of its hind limbs shriveling away.
Gelsucker - The Gelsucker is a quadruped, but also has a pair of clawed arms, giving it a total of six limbs. Gelsuckers are so called because they feast on the flesh of the Jelly Bladder plant, which grows in small groves on the outskirts of pocket forests. They use their clawed arms to rip the Jelly Bladders open, and then use their extendible proboscis to suck out the semi-solid flesh. Two Gelsuckers in an area with Flipsticks, Fin legs, and jelly-bladder plants.
Gill-Head - A biped with a spike on its chest to support it, almost like a third leg. They are one of the last remaining terrestrial air-sifters, such as the Rime-Runner. The Eosapiens prey upon it.
Groveback* - In Alien Planet the Groveback is one of the largest creatures native to Darwin IV. When fully mature, they are large enough to have entire stands of trees grow on their backs during the long periods of dormancy spent buried in the ground. Once mobile, they travel on two large front legs and a rear appendage shaped much like a boat rudder. The feeding habits of the Groveback differ between the book and the film. In Alien Planet, the Groveback feeds by absorbing nutrients from the soil through the skin of its underbody. In the Expedition, the Groveback is a filter feeder, feeding on the microscopic plants and animals that number in the millions in Darwin IV's air currents. Considering the Groveback's size and speed, the first mentioned lifestyle may sound more realistic, but when considering the multitude of slow filter feeders and a many nostril-like orifices covering the Groveback's head, the latter lifestyle is just as possible. Picture of Groveback, another view of a Groveback from Alien Planet.
Gyrosprinter* - The "antelope" of Darwin IV. However, unlike the antelopes of Earth, the Gyrosprinter has just two legs arranged in a rather unconventional manner - one right behind the other. The legs appear to have evolved to become fused from two forelegs and two hind legs over millions of years; the Gyrosprinter's ancestors were probably once quadrupeds like Earth's quadrupeds. Unfortunately, such a placement of legs can be a problem for balance. The Gyrosprinter has solved this by having two balance organs (similar to the inner ear of a human) located in two thick prongs protruding from either side of its body. It has two hearts, a two meter long tongue, and its nostrils are located on its shoulders. The Gyrosprinter is able to run at speeds of up of up to 80 km/h and has a running stride of up to 15 meters.A Gyrosprinter resting.
Hammerheaded Veldwing - A grassland flyer that is on the Rayback menu.
Hook-tailed Flyer - A yellow, medium-sized flyer with a hooked tail and a single float bladder.
Hopper-Cone - Small animals that steal scraps of Jelly-bladder plants ripped open by Gelsuckers.
Ice Crawler - Quadrupeds that resemble pillbugs are nearly motionless and make comically flatulent noises when emerging from their "sleep sack". Ice Crawlers on a beach with Rime-runner
Ice Dart - A small flying animal that has three pointed tubes for feeding and drinking, one on its face, another on its bottom sides, and a third one on its rear. It also pokes itself on ice during snow storms.
Jetdarter* - One of Darwin IV's more bizarre aerial life forms. The Jetdarter is a scavenger whose compact body assumes a dart-like shape. It has no wings to aid in flight. Instead, it has a biological version of a ramjet engine - complete with a turbine of bone and gristle. It has two legs which fold up during flight, although on Alien Planet, they do not appear to have legs at all. The Jetdarter forms nests in the pocket-forests and fears many predators, such as Electrophyte plants and Finned Snappers. Anatomical sketch of a Jetdarter, Image of a Jetdarter.
Keeled Slider - The Keeled Slider is a large brown animal with kneeled arms. It builds special egg chambers to keep eggs and young. It slides down muddy mountains. It is not hermaphroditic. Two Keeled Sliders.
Littoralope* - The Littoralope are the creatures that use huge Sea-Strider skulls for shelter in Expedition. In Alien Planet, the Littoralopes are described as placid, slow-moving quadrupeds with little evidence of intelligence. They also have tails resembling their heads, similar to Symets, which did not appear in Alien Planet. This feature probably evolved to confuse predators. Photo with Littoralopes living inside of a Sea Strider's skull, Alien Planet version.
Mummy-nest Flyer - They are black flyers, with a tail that bends back to meet the front of the body (like scorpions, except the tail is curled under the body, not above). Unlike some flyers, they are not jet propelled, so they have to flap their wings to fly. Barlowe hypothesizes that the flyer was once part of the Mummy-nest and, as it matured, broke off from it and used its former body as a home.
Mummy-nest - This animal has sphincter-like orifices on its body. It is later invaded by Mummy-nest Flyers (though they may have once been one and the same).
Prairie-ram - Prairie-rams are ubiquitous liquivores that impale their prey's chest to suck out bodily juices. Picture of a Prairie-ram.
Prismalope - A tripedalien of Darwin's plains, Prismalopes often travel in herds. The first thing one notices about this creature is its massive prism-shaped head. Though it appears ungainly, it houses the Prismalope's grasping tentacles, which it uses to capture small prey. This fast-breeding creature is preyed upon by a multitude of predators, both terrestrial and airborne. The Prismalope hunts a flyer that is "protected" by the Butchertree. Prismalopes with Butchertrees in the background.
Prongheads* - Prongheads are bipedal plains predators that feed on Gyrosprinters, Symets and Littoralopes. They are named for the three hollow prongs protruding from their faces that act as tubes to siphon liquids from their prey, since they use their feet to inject their digestive fluids into prey. They hunt in pack in a similar manner to wolves on Earth. A Pronghead surveying the plains in search of prey, Image of Pronghead in Alien Planet.
Rayback - An agile and aggressive predator of Darwin IV's grasslands. This creature gets its name for the four tall ridges that project from its back. Apart from its ridges, the Rayback does not appear to have any specialized features. Its only weapons are its lightning-fast speed and a dagger-like tongue. It is fierce and attacks anything that moves. It was the first animal encountered by Barlowe, and apparently, his sudden appearance caused it to start attacking him and his vehicle. A biped, it bears a general resemblance to the Bolt-Tongue and Arrowtongue. Picture of Rayback.
Rimerunner - The Rimerunner is a one-legged animal from the polar regions of Darwin IV. Supported by only one leg, the Rimerunner hops across its Arctic home like a kangaroo. It eats only aerophytes and other microscopic airborne organisms. At the front of its head, the Rimerunner sports an umbrella-like organ. This organ, suspended by thin neural cables, is a sophisticated sonar system along with a simple and atrophying eye. Picture of a Rimerunner.
Rugose Floater - Rugose Floaters are heavily wrinkled, fish-like aliens that float in the air. During spawning season, they have eggs trailing behind their "fins" and reduce to their crescent shape when spawning is complete. This is the creature seen on the front cover of Expedition and at the top of this web page. Larger image.
Sac-back - The Sac-back lives at the edge of the Amoebic Sea. The Sac-back gets its name from the sac on the male's back. The sac is used to store pre-digested food from the "sea", which is later fed to the females. Male and female Sac-backs live completely different lives. Males live on the surface, walking around on their three legs. Female Sac-backs dig "tombs" in which they bury themselves. Once buried, the only part of the female that sees the light of day is her mouth and tentacle. Two Sac-backs mating.
Scavengewing - Scavengewings are flying animals that have a special digestive system suitable for eating carcasses. The animal completely separates it from its body, dropping it on carrion, then swallows the feeding module.
Siphon Floater - The large floating creature around the waterhole
Siphonsnout - The small purple creature around the water hole.
Skewer* - The largest aerial predator of Darwin IV. It is an enormous flying creature, with a wingspan of 50 feet (over 15 m). Not even the largest pterosaurs (like Quetzalcoatlus, with its 40-foot (12 m) wingspan) from Earth have a wingspan even approaching that size. Its wings do not flap but squeeze, shifting shape to shift flight. It is actually propelled by combusting methane gas in four jet-pods on its wings. This allows the Skewer to travel at speeds of 200 miles per hour. Its killing tool is a hollow lance that impales its prey, injects digestive enzymes, and sucks the corpse dry. The Skewer also hunt in groups, each Skewer dropping the spoils and another swoops in to feast. No large animal on darwin IV is safe from the skewer. Barlowe mentions an eyewittness attack on a sea strider by skewers, but the way this was done is never mentioned.A pair of Skewers in flight with some Follow-Wings.
Spade-nose - A quadruped that lives in forests and has a blue spade-like nose, hence the name. It is a common prey of the Gulper. Image of a Gulper about to devour a Spade-nose.
Springwing - The Springwing is a winged animal with forelimbs somewhat like those of a horse's. The appearance of a Springwing is similar to that of a mountain goat. It springs itself off cliffs, gliding with the alpine updrafts to reach its destination Photo of a Springwing.
Stonemime - An oval-shaped animal with many legs. It can mimic a rock.
Stripewing - The Stripewing is an odd flying creature with stripes on its wings that breaks into a hopping frenzy each night. Stripewings will fold themselves into compact shapes. They can often be seen, in massive colonies, sleeping on the surface of the Amoebic Sea.
Symet - Symets are bipedal herbivores named for their protective symmetry. In Expedition, Barlowe observes a herd of Symets in a desert in bordering the Vallis Przewalski. The symmetry may have evolved to confuse predators. Image of a Symet.
Thornback - The Thornback is an herbivore that walks on its three-legged gait. It has a large "thorn" on its back shaped like a shark fin. Its head vaguely resembles that of a rhino's. Image of a Thornback, Thornbacks pursued by an Arrowtongue.
Tiger bull - One of the creatures around the water hole, The orange stipy one
Transalpine Floater - A gray floater that resides in the mountains.
Trunksucker* - The Trunksucker is a small animal that glides through Darwin IV's forests and clings to Plaque Bark Trees, sucking their sap. The first dead creature that the probes find on Darwin IV is in fact a Trunksucker, most likely killed by a Daggerwrist. Image of a Trunksucker from Alien Planet.
Tundra-Plow - An animal that digs part of its body in the ground. It gets food from its underground proboscis, pulling plants from underneath as well as filtering soil for food.
Tundra-Roamers - Animals that have a male and female variants. Males have a crest on the back of their heads.
Tundra-Slider - An animal that resembles the Arctic Sedge-Slider with a few different variants.
Unth* - The Unth is a tundra creature with asymmetrical tusks. Unths are named for the sound they make when they take a step. Unths live in herds. The Unths of Alien Planet are first encountered by Leo, but Ike meets up with this peaceful herbivore near the end of his journey. The Unth herd was apparently spooked by either the Bladderhorn duel nearby, or the mystery creature (which turned out to be an Eosapien), which deactivated Leo. Two Unths fighting in a snowstorm, a sketch of an Unth.
Unnamed Flyer - As of yet, this species has no common name. This flying creature is the main food source of the Prismalope in the northern plains. This species has developed an intriguing relationship with the Butchertree. Within a 15 ft (4.6 m) or so radius of a Butchertree are a dozen or so small growths. The growths are actually part of the Butchertree, connected to it by underground tentacles. These growths are physically identical in appearance to the small unnamed flyers and are used to lure the Prismalopes and other prey. This camouflage is also able to deceive prey into coming inside the Butchertree's attack range, where they then find themselves skewered and drained of fluids. Two Prismalopes unwittingly getting too close to a large Butchertree while investigating unnamed flyers (or the Butchertree's decoys).
Veldt Wing - A hooded flying animal that has a crescent-shaped head at the end of a skinny neck.Hammer-Head Veldt Wing being chased by a hungry Rayback.
Wedgehead - One of the creatures around the water hole, the blue one which may have the same kind of symmetry of the littoralope
[edit]Animals (morphology)
In his Expedition, Barlowe clearly states that he wanted to represent the most impressive, most appealing animals of the planet. There are millions of species who are not represented in detail, even though they have to be an essential part of Darwin IV's ecosystem. Barlowe refers to them as the 'microflyers', tiny animals and plants living in the atmosphere of the planet like plankton lives in the oceans of Earth. Most animals represented in both the book and the movie belong to one of two essential groups: the floaters and the ground-dwelling species. However, there is a great variety inside the landdweller family. While on Earth animals are classified by characteristics such as mode of reproduction and metabolism, the large Darwinian animals are classified by their number of limbs. There are four classes: quadrupedalians, tripedalians, bipedalians and monopedalians. However, sometimes it is difficult to say to which group an animal belongs. In fact many animals lose some of their limbs when they grow up, and thus "change" their classification. The forest slider, for instance, has four legs as a juvenile, but only two legs in its adult form. Most Floaters appear to have no limbs, but eosapiens seem to have evolved from bipedal ancestors for they still have two arms. However, these could as well be highly evolved appendages. Many unnamed creatures appear only in sketches.
[edit]Plants
Plaque-bark Tree* - These trees are tall with straight trunks, regular side branches, and sparse leaves. The Trunk Suckers feed on them. Daggerwrists can often be found clinging to the branches.
Tube Grass* - Long grass which is hollow like a tube giving the plant its name. It is striped.
Aerophyte - Microscopic vegetative organisms that float on Darwin IV's air currents and constitute a major source of food for several species on the planet.
Fodderball Weed - The Fodderball Weed produces football-like fruits called zimns. These weeds have a lightweight construction that puts them at the mercy of every wind.
Jelly-bladder Plant - These are plants with jelly-like forms on their stems. The Gelsuckers eat these.
Float Ball - These are bushes with stems so small they look like they're floating.
Stickball Plant* - The Stickball Plant is part sponge and part virus. The only creatures that eat them are the Gyrosprinters.
Darwin Moss* - These are the plants that are usually seen in grasslands. They resemble green moss on Earth.
Darwin Tomato* - Darwin Tomatoes are giant molds that grow in the pocket forests. They can grow to be three feet tall.
Beachfinger - These are grass-like plants that thrive near the Amoebic Sea.
Hillvine - Hillvines are long plants that grow in the hills.
Cliff-polyp - These are red grass like plants that are only eaten by Springwings and Bladderhorns.
Red Mountain-spike - These are spiked plants that are eaten by Bladderhorns. They grow in mountain streams.
Arctic Polar-vane A red plant that lives in the tundra. It rotates, feeding of the energy generated by the two suns.
Snow-bulb - Snow-bulbs are large white bulbs that live in Darwin IV's icecaps.
Electrophyte* - These red, mushroom-like plants electrocute animals that stray into their fields, and then consume them alive.
Gourd Tree/Steeple Gourd* -15-story tall plants that are supported by root-like stilts. Gourd Trees are either hollow or spongy inside. They have to be for the stilts to support them. In Alien Planet they are encountered by Leo and Ike, comprising the trees surround the landing site of the probes. In Expedition, the Gourd Trees are called Steeple Gourds. A couple of Gourd Trees (see left in image).
Grenade Vine - a plant with explosive pollen sacks.
Blue whipweed - a plant that lives in the polar regions of Darwin IV
Polardots - A plant with small blue flowers that lives in the polar regions of Darwin IV
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