Chalicothere Bat By WSnyder Watch

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The first fauna concept from my new spec evo project!



As Antarctica moved northward from its modern polar position, the landmass became increasingly hospitable for terrestrial lifeforms. The burgeoning forests of the southern continent were slowly populated by vegetation, with forests springing up where polar deserts once stood. These forests were prime real estate for new arrivals like marine birds, but also a population of African fruit bats. These fruit bats would, in these new surroundings, evolve new flighted forms, as well as flightless forms. Some arboreal forms would then proceed to become ground-dwellers, eventually filling a niche akin to prehistoric chalicotheres and giant ground sloths. When South America and Antarctica fused along a land bridge, these giant lumbering bat descendants were among a few unique Antarctic taxa to survive the series of regional extinctions resulting from the influx of South American forms. Additional members of the 'sloth bat' group also persist just to the north of Antarctica in the islands of Huxleyia, where, for the time being, they have a safe haven from invasive species.

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