The+Metalope+(Future+Animal)




 * <<<Greater Kudu(Modern Animal) **

** __Future Animal ( The Metalope__) ** After 500million years, humans will be wiped off from the face of Earth; due to the drastic climate change, the Sun will become much more closer to the world which made it too hot for humans to survive in. Surprisingly, animals somehow could adapt much more quickly than humans throughout the years, this explains the existence of The Greater Kudu which experienced a great evolution. The great evolution includes drastic changes towards it’s behavioral and structural adaptations. The name of the evolved animal is the combination of Metal and Antelope, due to the fact that one of their adaptations are the muscles, becoming as hard as metal.


 * Kingdom: ** Animalia
 * Phylum: ** Chordata
 * Subphylum: ** Vertebrata
 * Class: ** Mammalia
 * Order: ** Artiodactyla
 * Family: ** Bovidae
 * Subfamily: ** Bovinae
 * Genus: ** //Tragelaphus //
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Species: ** <span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Tragelaphus strepsiceros //

=__ **Habitat/Diet** __=

As previously mentioned, after many years the Earth has experienced significant changes. The continents will once again shift back towards the original form; somehow forming one major continent, like the Pangaea. Since all continents are formed, the Metalope will be able to travel around the world, this shows that they will be found in many places such as former Asia and Australia and other former continents, unlike The Greater Kudu where it is only found in South Africa. Their habitats will be much different to their modern species; because of the climate change, the temperature will increase drastically, it might reach to 45-56 degrees Celsius during summer and 28-34 degrees Celsius during winter. Metalopes won’t be living in dry grasslands or woodland area due to the heat, instead, they will live in caves which are moist and wet. Their neighborhood animals will be lions, giraffes,Womoala,Wallion, giraffes, pandas, kangaroos,Beaverine etc since they are now located in former continents such as South Africa, Asia and Australia where all these animals existThere will also be changes in their diet, as a result of the heat, many plants will die out, forcing the Metalope to change their diet in order to survive. Now it will become Omnivores like the Wallion, eventually turning into one of the deadliest predators roaming the earth, its prey will be cows, wild dogs, hyenas, birds or sometimes lions, the animals who were once The Greater Kudu’s predator. However, they still tend to eat plants if it’s good quality since they were once picky eaters. In consequence of the evolution, the Metalopes will be very common as they can travel a long distance; moreover, by becoming Omnivores, their diet consists of plants and meat.



=__ **Structural Adaptations** __= = 1.Since the Metalopes are now omnivores, they will eat meat; therefore, the form of their teeth will have to change in order to masticate. Their teeth structure will consist of the upper and lower canine tooth, upper and lower incisors, molars and premolars. However each set of these teeth will sharpen, similar to sharks’ teeth. By having these new set of teeth, it will help the Metalopes survive as they attack their opponents with their sharp horns and then biting them fiercely, until they die. Their new teeth structure will also help them properly masticate or chew, which further improves their digestive system. =
 * Environmental Pressure:** After the change in their diet, it isn’t like modern times anymore where they are only required to chew leaves and grass, therefore there has to be a change in their teeth structure in order to masticate their new diet which is meat. I think resulting them to acquire this new adaptation.

2.The muscle mass of the Metalopes will increase unrealisticly, in order for them to hunt and survive, the main improved muscles are their legs and necks. The benefit of having improved muscles will allow them to run as fast as 100 kilometers per hour, along with its strengthened neck muscles, it helps the Metalope strike its prey or opponent with its horns, this will cause much more striking force which will be able to kill in an instant. Due to this structural adaption, it will help this animal hunt, kill and defend itself in the wild much easier; which also prevents them from starving or being targeted as a prey.
 * Environmental Pressure:** Personally I think throughout the years in the future they weren’t immediately listed as the deadliest predators, they will still be hunted, however because the alter in their diet, they now intake large amount of meat, therefore making them gain weight, as they hunt or flee their weight will turn into muscle mass, which will help them hunt their prey more efficiently, causing them to become one of the deadliest predators in the future.

3.The Metalope will possess yellow beaming eyes, it will improve their eyesight and it allows them to obtain night vision. The structural adaptions mentioned above, will improve the Metalopes’ hunting and defending skills As they can seek for predators or prey from a distance. They will also make Metalopes become crepuscular animals, meaning they could hunt at either day or night. Moreover, due to these improvements as a result of their structural adaptions, it will decrease the chance of Metalopes being targeted as preys and increases the chance of longer life spans for this specie.
 * Environmental Pressure:** As the Metalope get more dependent on it’s meat source, it will start hunting for more, because as they were once herbivores they would not need amazing eye sight since their diet back then wouldn’t move, or attempt to flee, however now they would require amazing eyesight to hunt, and night vision for activity at night and for defending itself if attacked at night.

= __**Behavioral Adaptation**__ = = 1.As a result of its new structural adaptations, the behavior of the Greater Kudu and the Metalope will not be the same. One of the most obvious changes in behaviour will be the fact that Metalopes are more independent. These creatures will no longer have to form groups in order to survive in the wild by keeping each other safe and alert from predators; instead, it will roam the wild by itself, hunt by itself and live by itself. The only exception when Metalopes will not be alone is during the mating season. By not forming groups like modern times, the Metalopes won’t have to prove dominance towards one another, there will be no need to fight for mating rights and finally they do not have to share food with the group, allowing the Metalopes to rarely starve. =
 * Environmental Pressure:** In the future as Metalopes starts becoming the most deadliest predators they will start to realize that being in packs will be useless, as they had less and less predators to worry about, they won’t have to be in groups to keep others safe. Apprehending that they will have to fight over food, as well as fighting for mating rights, slowly the Metalopes will start to separate from each other not getting into each other’s way, surviving independently.

2.Another behavioral feature of Metalopes can be evident when they hunt, they will firstly stare down their prey or opponents with their deadly yellow eyes making its opponent to stand in fear, this is similar to hypnotizing it. However, this feature may not work on all animals. The Metalope will let its prey snap out of the hypnosis, once they have their prey fleeing, the antelope will chase its prey in excitement giving the Metalope a thrill from killing. By having this behavior it will make other animals fear the Metalope even more, this will lead to the Metalope being relatively top of the food chain, causing less predators which allows them to live in a safe environment.
 * Environmental Pressure:** Throughout the years Metalopes will start to think that hunting for them is too easy, there will not be any challenge at all, no urge to kill. This is why they let their prey flee first giving them a chance of survival. By doing this the Metalopes will find this exciting giving themselves that thrill to kill again.

= __Metalope Diagram__ = = = = __Selection Pressure__ =

After The Metalope developes new adaptations, they are required to survive through many years, however that does not mean they will not face extinction. There are many aspects that could contribute to the extinction of the Metalopes.

Despite the fact that The Metalopes, will have lost one of their major predators the humans. Also becoming one of the deadliest predators by developing many structural and behavioral adaptations. That does not mean animals will not develop new adaptation, they might just develop them later than the Metalopes. Therefore sooner or later its former predators such as Tigers, Lions and Hyenas will somehow adapt. In result of this the Metalopes will once again become prey to many new and stronger causing mass numbers of Metalopes to die, finally leading to Extinction.
 * 1.New Predators**

Meteor Showers might be another factor of Metalopes facing extinction, not only for them but for a majority of future animals. It was suggested that Meteor showers 65million years ago led dinosaurs to extinction, so it could happen again. These meteor showers could last for years giving the Metalopes no chance of survival which might ending up wiping out every single one of them.
 * 2. Meteor Showers**

As years pass during the future, and the all the Metalopes have fully adapted. There might be yet again another climate change, since the Sun will approach closer and closer to earth, causing temperatures to rise again. The rise in the temperature will cause many remaining plants and animals to die off, disturbing the food chain affecting the diet of the Metalopes, eventually making them starve to death. Possibly the Metalopes could not adapt quick enough to the climate change, causing a majority of them to overheat and die. Forcing Metalopes to face extinction.
 * 3.Another climate change**

=Bibliography=

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//Continental Drift and Evolution//. (2005, March 25). Retrieved June 26, 2011, from http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio303/contdrift.htm

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//Oracle//. (N/A, N/A N/A). Retrieved June 19, 2011, from The Pangaea Theory: http://library.thinkquest.org/17701/high/pangaea/