[Music]
on what planets are we most likely to
find life
our instinct might be to search for
earth-like worlds when shifting through
the vastness of the cosmos but what if
that instinct is mistaken
perhaps life in its unrelenting
stubbornness can also be found in the
churning atmosphere above gas giants or
the oven-like temperatures of a
sun-scorched world such incredible forms
of life are explored in project c a
speculative biology epic by the
incredible artist charlotte veldhuzen
whom you can follow and support in the
links below
the project is set within a vast
congregation of stars known as the
cluster where life has emerged upon
numerous extreme worlds
so for this entry into the archive we
can embark together on a journey across
the cosmos and explore just some of the
worlds that wait within the cluster
traveling into the cluster the first
world on our voyage is a gas giant from
space the swirling currents of the
planet's outer atmosphere make it
impossible to predict what lies below
the clouds
descending into the atmosphere one of
the strangest ecosystems in the cluster
comes into view life on undriell has
evolved to steer through the cloudscape
using gas-filled organs in chemical jet
propulsion like fish within an aerial
ocean life on this planet has
diversified into a vast array of unique
niches
furthest from our position giant
gargantua lilies float above the layers
of the clouds collecting sunlight with
their castle-sized discs
these floating flora are so big they
could be considered entire ecosystems of
their own and in the foreground a hunter
ambushes its prey
this curious organism possesses an
exceptionally wide field of vision
thanks to eyes that sit at the tip of
long maneuverable stalks like the stalks
of snails these eye stalks are
retractable and can be pulled in towards
the organism's body during hazardous
situations the aerial hunter's prey is
surprised by the sudden attack but this
equally strange life form has a trick of
their own a spiked barb that poses a
serious threat to the thin membrane of
the predator's floating bell like any
ecosystem this sky is a stage for moves
and counter moves in the great game of
life
the higher layers of ondrill's
atmosphere are rich in aerial algae an
abundant food source that sustains a
population of true giants various
whale-sized cylindrical organisms spend
their lives enjoying this bountiful
feast feeding by maneuvering their
gaping mouth analogs through clouds of
floating algae from a biological
perspective these life forms are most
comparable to the tube-shaped tunicates
of earth sessile life-forms that feed by
filtering planktonic particles through
their bodies the filter feeders of
ondriel go a step further however by
being both heterotrophs and autotrophs
meaning they are capable of both
digestion and photosynthesis to reach
their colossal sizes
yet all environments have some form of
apex predator in the deeper parts of
andrea's sky the menacing abyss okay lid
reigns supreme one of the largest
hunters anywhere in the cluster this
living dreadnought feeds on all manner
of floating organisms in the stormy
depths at risk of lightning strikes the
abyss okay lid possesses organs that
redirect electrical charge away from the
vitals but these organic lightning rods
are not always effective sometimes when
lightning strikes in just the right spot
the volatile gases and the floating bell
ignite the resulting explosion spills
the end for the individual yet
ingeniously such eruptions also send the
creature's spores into the air currents
ensuring their lineage will live on
and like the deep sea the most extreme
life of all dwells in the dark sky many
layers below andriel's surface here the
bristly multi-pronged wind spears
contend with more lightning than the
abyss okay lids but the electrosynthetic
windspears have become one with the
storm having evolved to resist the
immense burst of energy in a lightning
strike and can even use some of the
deferred energy to grow and reproduce
exactly when such a life-form first
emerged remains a mystery due to the gas
giant's lack of a fossil record it's
tough to tell how the planet's
evolutionary tree fits together although
its biodiversity suggests its roots
reach deep into time
andreal is a fascinating and extreme
world but we must return to the stars
once again and seek out other incredible
biospheres
the next planet on our voyage lies
within a trinary star system meaning it
has three suns as a result the planet
called terminus receives an extreme
amount of uv radiation a tidally locked
world one side of terminus exists in
perpetual day and the other in perpetual
night yet life endures nonetheless
touching down near the sun pole of
terminus we find a colony of tree-like
organisms stretching up towards the sky
in this blistering region the direct
solar radiation eliminates anything but
the hardiest life forms analysis
suggests that these organisms are
similar to earth sponges this makes
sense as experiments have shown that
certain sea sponges can survive massive
amounts of radiation among the highest
of any multicellular animal
under the eternal summer not much else
can survive to find more complex life
will have to journey further from the
pole
due to an abundance of suspended water
in the atmosphere permanent storms
ravage much of terminus's sun side yet
on the rocky surface below the clouds an
unusual assembly clings to life these
are wind gaspers creatures whose tough
clam-like shell helps keep them safe
from the unforgiving weather while they
might appear simple wind gaspers can
survive many human lifetimes under the
eternal overhead gaze of the red sun
on earth certain species of giant clams
can live for a similar length of time
with many exceeding 100 years
wind gaspers forged by the planet's many
extinction cycles are resilient enough
to withstand terminus's harsh winds
indeed these clever life forms have even
learned to use these winds to their
advantage
feeding off the nutrient-rich material
that the permastorm whips up to survive
on terminus one has to be resourceful
within the equatorial zone of terminus
one life form uses the winds for a
different purpose
thunder shadows are titanic hunters who
soar above the equator in search of prey
surprisingly lightweight their sail-like
wings catch the thermals of the storms
allowing them to cover vast distances
each day small-shelled animals graze on
the ground below feeding on thick mats
of bacteria clustered around volcanic
hot spots a flash of overhead lightning
illuminates the circling thundershadow
while passing through the equatorial
zone we'll be keeping one eye turned
upwards
yet not all of terminus is so brutal at
some points of the season certain
regions of the tidally locked planet are
downright picturesque and a welcome
reprieve from the wind and dust within
terminus's liquid oceans a stunning
array of biodiversity has emerged in
response to the balmy weather and gentle
currents here segmented life forms
splash near the surface of the shallows
pursuing tiny yule-like prey animals
while much of terminus could be
considered a dreary planet scenes like
this one reveal that even on an
unpredictable world incredible sights
can emerge it is tempting to stay longer
but it's time to continue our voyage
the next planet on our voyage is more
temperate and possesses a weaker
gravitational pull compared to earth as
we might imagine the lesser gravity has
a fascinating impact on the planet's
native life
stepping out onto the surface we find a
startling scene with a great splash a
long-necked hunter pulls a squid-like
organism from the water this scaly
specimen is a tani croc and they are a
unique looking creature indeed a
shoreline ambush predator the tanecroc
has converged on a niche similar to a
crocodile's just with an absurdly long
neck planet fellora's lower gravity
relative to earth means that such a
lanky body plan is quite effective a
precise plunge into the water can make
short work of any unlucky prey in
crystal clear waters like these nothing
evades the tanycrock's reach
in the fallorin mangroves the clear
water becomes murkier yet this dimness
offers little anonymity for the species
who swim amongst the roots
above the water's surface two canide
predators are on patrol
in the foreground a jeweled thorny kite
carefully chooses a target these rare
specialists catch their prey by
ambushing it from above a strategy
convergent with earth seabirds like
gannets
in the background the large build basket
mouth scoops its beak full of
plankton-filled water flamingos feed in
a similar way scooping up small
organisms from the water and straining
them through comb-like filaments with
these two specialists watching the murky
depths there's no place to hide
out in deeper waters prey animals have
more room to maneuver but have to
compete with larger low gravity
predators and a terror rules over the
depths of the outer swamp
like many life forms on folora at a
glance the titanic ichthyo serpens
resemble an aquatic reptile yet the
ichthyoserpent strangeness is betrayed
by their insides like the cold water
hagfish of earth the ichthyoserpens
possess multiple hearts to pump their
blood with six alternating hearts two
more than the hagfish the ichthyoserpens
has incredible stamina and can catch
most anything that enters their shadowy
domain
but not all of fallora is gloomy
swampland in a sunny region further
inland a stunning landscape has emerged
these tree analogs are called mega
cherries named for the giant fruits that
sprout from the top of their trunk these
fruits take full advantage of planet
fellora's low gravity possessing a
lightweight internal structure to help
them reach gargantuan sizes while these
fruits once served an evolutionary
purpose their pollinator species has
long gone extinct as a result despite
the megacherry's ability to reproduce
asexually the species is slowly
disappearing
yet most species of trees on fellora are
thriving at the point where the low
gravity forests of phalora are the
densest and the trees are the tallest
very little light reaches the forest
floor
here various bottom dwellers feast on
the detritus floating in from above
the native life in this forest of ghosts
have become almost fully transparent
mirroring the denizens of the deep sea
it's a haunting site but even more
fantastical organisms might be waiting
on the next leg of our journey
at the edge of the cluster we enter into
the orbit of a lonely f-class star
compared to our sun this star is hotter
brighter and considerably more massive
one wouldn't expect to find complex life
on the sun-scorched planets in this
system yet upon the dry surface of a
world called white rain life has found a
foothold nonetheless flocking near the
rare sources of water primitive
crustacean-like creatures in bizarre
sprawls of tangling worms eek out in
existence under the punishing white
sunlight hollow pipe-like organisms make
up the base of this food web feeding on
algae that sprouts from the moisture
mollusk-like organisms are more complex
and epitomize some of the first land
dwellers among the most active species
are the swirling blue worms hunters with
a flexible keratin-like exoskeleton that
prey on smaller creatures although life
on white rain is relatively new taken as
a whole this ecosystem is rich with
early promise
on white rain shade is life the desert
sands of the planet bleach under the
white summer sun despite adaptations
against harsh uv radiation not much
survives the direct daylight many
organisms choose to burrow in the rock
and only come out at night
in other extreme regions of white rain
temperatures reach such heights that
many creatures must seek shelter in the
shade provided by the cracks in the
landscape within these canyons critters
like the multi-limbed crowned and blue
max hunt for the snake worms that feed
on the fungal mats that grow here in
turn the amblymax are preyed upon by
stealthy ambush predators like the
fearsome stellaflorex a voracious
starfish-like hunter that is in essence
a walking stomach above this unfolding
drama tall tangle blossom stocks are the
only life forms that dare reach for the
daylight for photosynthesis due to the
isolated nature of these ravines the
crag ecosystems are incredibly varied
with no single nook or cranny exactly
the same
while heading towards our final
destination a few other worlds in the
cluster demand a brief visit
the small world of monas is our first
mostly composed of deserts and sparse
forests monas isn't a particularly
enviable planet to survive on bizarre
sail trees have evolved to take up as
much light from the weak sun as possible
before the planet's dim second sun which
has grown so inactive it is almost a gas
giant plunges the surface into the
darkness of mid-year on a world like
monas only a scarce few organisms can
survive
the old planet of spawn is our second
short stop
here we can see a pale triped fail to
pull off an ambush on a weary spring
spore
this fungoid escapes threats by
launching up into the atmosphere through
a biological mechanism that involves
ejecting part of their body they will
drift easily in the thick atmosphere and
grow a new foot in a safer spot
no trees sway in the wind of this planet
instead gigantic colonies of microbes
have taken over the tree niche on the
unique world of spawn
and our third short visit is to the
planet karashma despite the intense rays
of karashma's sun ancient organisms
called dish trees grow to huge sizes on
the surface their secret is a highly
reflective coating that reduces the
star's harmful radiation but allows
specific wavelengths to be used for
remarkable growth these living landmarks
provide invaluable cover to life forms
incapable of surviving the bright
daylight who spend their lives in the
shade of these helpful giants
at the end of our journey across the
cosmos we descend at last upon the
planet hollows perhaps the most extreme
realm in the cluster another tidally
locked world much of the ice planet
hollows is blanketed in eternal darkness
on the surface the only sunlight comes
in the form of reflected light from the
planet's moon yet periodically
illuminating the glacial landscape are
the vivid colors of bioluminescent
organisms while most species exposed to
the open atmosphere quickly freeze solid
under the layers of ice a mysterious
underworld is hiding
burrowing under the ice we find the
water is surprisingly warm thanks to
currents from the sun side transporting
heat towards these moonlit shallows
here glowing aquatic lifeforms find
shelter amongst the skeletal remains of
a crashed vessel of unknown origins
while we can only speculate as to the
history of this vessel it stands as a
reminder that when exploring deep space
one must always navigate with caution
respect and care
deeper in the depths of hollows in the
soft glow of volcanic vents
simple organisms float in the abyss
through metabolizing the chemicals that
seep from the ocean floor they can
thrive even in the total absence of
sunlight on our planet life itself might
have begun in the extreme heat and
pressure of hydrothermal vents
likewise these unforgiving vents are
speculated to be where life on hollows
first emerged so while these organisms
might be simple they are perhaps the
purest example of nature's unending
struggle to endure
we've seen much on our long expedition
through the cluster yet there are many
more worlds that charlotte veldhuzen has
illustrated if you enjoyed exploring
these realms you can follow and support
the artist using the links in this
video's description
and as always thanks for watching
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