Speculative biology is a field of study that makes predictions and hypotheses on the evolution of life in a wide variety of scenarios. This is a form of science fiction to an extent, but it uses scientific principles and laws to create a speculative world.
Speculative biology can be broken down into several sub-genres. These include:
Bestiaries
The speculative biology genre is a literary genre dedicated to the study of the world, which, from the point of view of its authors, is not really real. It is guided by the theoretical base of biology and other natural sciences, however, this factual basis is transferred to another one – partly or completely invented.
The main characteristic of speculative biology is the use of graphic technique in the representation of a fictitious world. This genre of literature is popular among fans of science fiction and fantasy, as the resulting works tend to represent invented worlds in a more natural way than those depicted in hard science fiction.
This genre of literature is usually devoted to subjects of evolution, though it may cover other topics as well. In addition to that, speculative biology literature is also a useful way to popularize evolutionary ideas from the pedagogical point of view.
In some cases speculative biology is applied to solve practical problems, for example, the search for extraterrestrial live organisms, research of global catastrophes and the like. However, this genre is not as common as the hard science fiction or the fantasy genres.
Bestiaries are the most common type of speculative biology works. They consist of various combinations of myths, stories of travel and attendance from daily life that are incorporated in freakish forms. These stories are not only absorbing, but they also help to represent the essence of speculative biological ideas.
Despite the lack of verifiable facts, some authors still claim that dragons were known to people centuries ago. These creatures have got the same biology as other living animals, and up to a certain stage of development of science people did not doubt their existence.
Many of these creatures have a special feature: they get energy from another source – they breathe fire, for example. This is not only a very speculative idea, but also a very creative one. The authors of these books, based on the description of expanded nasal bones of duck-billed dinosaurs (and sometimes other kinds), claim that they possess fire-producing apparatus and try to reconstruct the mechanism of this process.
Cryptopaleontology
Cryptopaleontology is a subfield of speculative biology that involves attempting to create a believable fossil record. It also involves looking into the future to see what life may be like if certain things happened. This field is very theoretical and creative, and often includes a lot of speculation.
Speculative biology is an area of science that makes predictions about the evolution of animals in a variety of scenarios. It is a form of science fiction and can be highly entertaining. It can be a fun way to learn about the history of creatures and their evolutionary past.
Many speculative biology projects focus on mammals, but there are also those that are about aliens. These projects are often based on theories about alternative evolution and the development of new species.
Another subfield of speculative biology is xenobiology, which explores how animals can adapt to harsh environments and extreme conditions. These topics are generally a dime a dozen, but some of them are original and intriguing. Some of these projects feature terraformers, which can modify the Earth to suit their needs.
There is a large community of speculative biology enthusiasts who love reading these sorts of projects. These projects are usually written by people who work in science, but they are also read by people outside the genre.
Some speculative biology projects are based on real-life creatures and events. For instance, there is a project about a species of dinosaur that grew wings to fly. It is called the Snouters and was written by Gerolf Steiner.
Other speculative biology books and articles focus on the origins of life. These books and articles are often aimed at children. They are also popular with sci-fi writers.
One of the most interesting speculative biology books is “The Martian,” which focuses on a world where the fossil record has been destroyed, which allows for life to thrive on the surface of the planet. This book is considered to be a classic in the genre and has been very influential.
Speculative biology is a very important part of the field of science, as it can be used to make many predictions about how life might evolve in the future. It is also a great source of creativity, as it can be used to create an entirely different world.
Future Evolution
Future Evolution is a speculative biology topic that explores life on Earth in the future. It aims to imagine what it would be like if a mass extinction had not occurred, and what creatures might live on the planet. It’s a popular genre and has inspired many works, from films to books.
The theme of speculative evolution has been explored in many forms, with the most notable being in the form of movies and books. However, the earliest speculative evolution pieces were published by science fiction authors before it became a genre in its own right.
These early speculative pieces were usually small in scope, often focusing on one or two speculative creatures that may have evolved on other worlds, or in different timelines. This was a popular trope in science fiction from the early 20th century onwards, starting with H. G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs, who often depicted imaginary products of evolution in their work.
In a number of these works, the premise was that humans could go back in time and create new creatures or even find out how they evolved. These kinds of works are often called “alternative evolution” but they don’t represent the entire spectrum of speculative biology.
Other types of speculative biology, such as “alternative biology” or “alternative ecology”, take an entirely different approach to this theme. They explore the idea that humankind might be able to change the course of evolution in order to survive.
This type of speculative biology can be useful in teaching, as it allows students to see the relationship between principles and processes of evolution. In particular, it allows students to see how they can apply the principles of evolution to a situation that doesn’t match those that they are used to seeing in textbooks or even in their own lives.
Another potential application of speculative biology is its use as a means to teach about the Earth’s history. This is done by analyzing the fossil record and imagining what the world might have looked like if certain extinction events had not occurred.
Project Perditus
Speculative biology is an artistic and scientific movement that draws inspiration from astronomy, biomechanics, ecology, and many more areas. It also tries to answer the question, “what if?” through a series of wildly imaginative scenarios.
Among its numerous sub-genres, speculative biology includes alternative evolution, fictional exobiology, and future evolution. It also includes worldbuilding and a large number of scientific papers that seek to depict creatures that are plausible and visually appealing.
One of the most impressive speculative biology topics is Project Perditus, which strives to simulate a futuristic planet that resembles Earth. The project is a collaboration of researchers and artists who create scientifically plausible organisms that could exist on this hypothetical world.
The best way to learn more about this project is to follow the project’s Instagram account. The account features a weekly post and occasionally hosts contests to promote other speculative biology artists in the community.
As mentioned earlier, speculative biology is a very popular topic and there are a number of online communities dedicated to it. For example, Astrovitae is a free online magazine that highlights speculative biology authors and enthusiasts around the globe.
Among its numerous sub-genres, alternative evolution is the most notable. The field is a long one and requires extensive research to develop convincing alternative organisms that are plausible and visually appealing. In fact, if it were not for the work of a few pioneers such as Dougal Dixon, we might not have an entire list of alternate life forms to study.