Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Creatures of Avatar!

Have you seen that little movie that came out recently called Avatar?

You have? Oh good!

Did you know that there are active evolutionary biologists, xenobiologists and exobiologists dedicated to researching the flora and fauna of Pandora and the other moons of Polyphemus?

Yes, you are correct, Pandora and Polyphemus are not real places. And yes, it is true that most of these plants and animals do not exist... most of them...

Believe it or not, not all of these crazy creatures and fantastic plants are fake. I don't want to give away all the good stuff since Elements Science Magazine will be publishing a major feature article on the science behind these (mostly) fictional creatures, so here's my favorite:

The Great Leonopteryx. Or in the language of the Na'vi, Toruk



Actually, toruk is based on an ancient creature that once ruled the skies of our very planet. This flying dinosaur, called Tapejara, was a piscivorous giant with a 16-foot wingspan and a crest between 4 and 6 feet long!



Can you see the resemblance?


For more info on the flora and fauna of Pandora, check out this great Interactive Field Guide!

No comments:

Post a Comment