COWS EVOLVING TO BE SMALL? - Cattle Seedworld

My Patreon: / alienevolution
On Earth, specialized animals usually don't become generalists, probably because there's already generalists after most extinction events. But on a planet of cattle, where invertebrates are the only competition, perhaps large herbivores could evolve into smaller, less specialized lifeforms?
This is part of my seedworld series, Project Apollo. Seed worlds are planets that were 'seeded' with earth lifeforms, that are then left to evolve independent of earth in this new context. This can result in extreme diversification, reminiscent of Darwin's Finches, mammals post K-T Extinction Impact, or when vertebrates first came onto land. Serina, a natural history of the world of birds by Sheather888/Dylan Bajda and Tales of Kaimere by Keenan Taylor are two examples of popular seedworlds.
Sorry, this video was pretty short. I probably could've gone into more detail about the evolution of specific groups, like arboreal or burrowing cattle, but I think I'll leave that for future episodes.
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To quote wikipedia: "With an average length of 45 cm (18 in) and an average height of 30 cm (12 in), the Java mouse-deer is the smallest surviving ungulate (hoofed) mammal, as well as the smallest artiodactyl (even-toed ungulate). Despite their common name of "mouse deer", they are not closely related to true deer."
I imagine ungulates could get a lot smaller if competition weren't present, although something cattle sized would have to make a lot of changes if it got that small. It's a very interesting concept and I'm not sure how well I explored it in this episode, but I was looking forward to doing so.
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If you've got fanart you'd like shown in this series, post it in the r/speculativeevolution subreddit ( / speculativeevolution ) and I'll probably see it. But don't flood the sub of course, and I can't guarantee it'll be in the vid.
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Original concept by reddit user Bteatesthighlander1
Credit to those who drew their respective images in the video, such as Keenan Taylor and Dylan Bajda. Most other images were drawn by myself, can be found on Wikipedia, or are protected by fair use. Some have been modified/edited.
/ flying_cow
♫Music is from KZbin's Creator Music and does not belong to me.

[@mckinzieloomis3303]

if you see this comment, i'd suggest naming the small predatory cattle something like "Minitaurus" or "microtaurus" as a pun on "minotaur".

[@Granad784]

You do know that means little cattle right

[@sizanogreen9900]

You literally walked right past "Minitaur":P

[@frowner_and_co]

Agree

[@frowner_and_co]

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[@thepancakewizard]

I have an idea you could call it minovulpis after foxes as mentioned in the video

[@henrykkeszenowicz4664]

Suggestion: Hooved animals can actually get arboreal without evolving fingers. Goats are some of the best climbers capable of moving in extreme terrain and climbing some types of trees. Since there are no goats on Appolo, their niche is vacant and cows may be way closer to becoming goat-like climbers rather than bovine monkeys.

[@kathleenwoods8416]

yep, the selection towards small body size would mostly cover that.

[@ivanclark2275]

I’m picturing a sort of sharp, two pronged hoof on a small animal that can climb up thin stalks of this planet’s bamboo grass.

[@lithunoisan]

I thought for a second you meant avian, can we get a flying cow?

[@sleipnirthe8th339]

I’d could imagine some living like Elephant Shrews or rabbits, Hiding and running through the long high grass with high speed. Or some climbing like goats, being able to stand and walk even in the steepest areas with ease

[@scioregis6381]

"And if anything cataclysmic ever happens" that's definitely foreshadowing.

[@chasingcheetahs5017]

I'd name the carnivorous cattle Cynotaurida "Dog Bulls" and the herbivorous ones Elaphrunguliformes "Swift Hoof Forms" The porcupine-like animals could be named Nothohystrica "False Porcupines" while tree climbers could be named Hylobovida "Forest Cattle" and burrowers might be named Oryctungulata "digging hooves"

[@PhilosoShysGameChannel]

We CANNOT get enough of this series! No... We mean actually! We can't get enough! Please make more, longer episodes xD Great work! Keep it up xD

[@LotBFOC2]

2:22 - Microtaurus falconeri 3:04 - Canibos

[@countsnowyofgwainn3996]

The tiny bull of The falcon island?

[@LotBFOC2]

@@countsnowyofgwainn3996 little sneak for Palaeoloxodon falconeri

[@Cambrianlore12]

​​@@countsnowyofgwainn3996why not the tiny bull of the falcon island?

[@tomatoboi1-inf]

I agree with this

[@user-sb9bi8kn7z]

Vomboeus venki 3:05

[@ashlyhigbee7917]

im a rancher and i like how you add that they need extra protein because you need tubs for my cows or else they might pass due to soft bones disease because they dont have all the nutrients they need

[@ashlyhigbee7917]

complaints here

[@Dog154]

I would really love an episode on cows specializing even more with some species even beginning to divert from the traditional cow body plan

[@Nmethyltransferase]

For a ruminant, it kind of makes intuitive sense that the bigger the fermentation vat, the better it works. However, even-toed ungulates have evolved into smol beans whenever they've felt like it. It happened in history. Entirely possible it can happen on Apollo.

[@leobuana7430]

We actually already have small bovine on earth called Anoa

[@hedgehogfamily6775]

Woooo more project apollo!!🎉

[@franciscorosa1498]

Moooooo!!!! Lmfao

[@asveses5730]

Okay, hear me out, megaflora that is carnivorous. Basically, plants that can eat the insects of Apollo. I can imagine this heart shaped flower that secretes a scent to attract the insect. This could create a rather good competition and maybe force more evolutions! I also am very excited to see the way flora might evolve- will we have mega trees? It would be wild to imagine a cow so big with a log neck, like a giraffe... It would be neat. As for the names of the two new species... Microtaurian cuniculus (rabbit?) And the quilled cow, we should call it Ācertaurus (Ācer as in the latin word for sharp, because quills? Maybe another one.)

[@Eidolon1andOnly]

Kangaroo-like hopping bovines seems like a plausible and fun idea.

[@insectadventureman18]

I’ve been waiting for another part so much!

[@silver_moth]

Always good to hear more about Project Apollo. Keep up with the good work! The tiny cattle are so adorable! Tiny Minofelis especially

[@viniciuspaiva3578]

You really should collaborate with House Wheat Studios!

[@elusive-osmium]

YES HE HEARTED THE COMMENT

[@elusive-osmium]

HYPE

[@Adolfitotherevenant2003]

I'd like to see some kind of tree cattle swinging at the descendants of grasses convergently evolved into trees.

[@youraveragephesh3173]

Monkey cow?! If a huge one evolves it should be called King Kow-ng

[@dukeofwellington624]

YES COW WORLD! I get hyped every time i see this series keep up the great work

[@doctorgrubious7725]

If the cattle you suggested was more catlike, they would more than likely be prone to agility for verticality assuming taller plants have evolved at this point, their coat would likely reflect this, assuming bark has evolved in some way, they could adopt a counter shaded appearance instead, I would also suggest that any horns at this point start to become specialized only when needed, say, something that needs to uproot plants, like an elephant creature, or, for in-fighting with others, as a method of hunting it would fall flat to other tactics, ramming is good but its a defensive measure that predators don't really care for, though horns could evolve to join and be more like protective armor for any arboreal life assuming they are susceptible to falls, perhaps evolving to be like hyenas in form to have a hunch evolved form the horns to protect the neck during falls or when hunted. Also I propose the Felis Taurus for the cat cow thing, or, Felitaur.

[@dudotolivier6363]

Another very good video ! Althought personnally I find there quite a fair amount of issues with your project, everything you came across still made sense and stand on logic decisions. So I'm still very entertained by what you produce as episodes 😊. Unrelated, but while I like the names you choose from the comments for your creatures, most if not all are more Genus/Taxa/Genera names than Clades or Orders names. A family name, for a restricted group of animals, end with the letters -dae (like Cervidae, Bovidae, Felidae etc...). While a Clade/Order name, for a overall grouping of animals, end with the letters - dea, - ea or even just- a. (like Cetacea, Gorgonopsia, Crocodylia etc... Also, when all the members of these orders are mentioned in the same time instead of one, we put a -n right after the -a. Giving Cetacean, Gorgonopsian and Crocodylian. To give examples). So, Gigatherium should be (something like that) either Gigatheriumidae or Gigatheriuma (giving Gigatheriuman). And Ankylobovis being Ankylobovisidae or Ankylobovisa (giving Ankylobovisan). As a genus name and to refer to the differents species included in the latters, it's OK to use Gigatherium and Ankylobovis, as they can't be used if your refer to their orders/families instead of the precise animals themselves. The same rule apply for all the others creatures that have been named until here. Minofelis should be Minofelidae or Minofelisidae, as a family, and Minofelisa for Minofelisan as a order/clade. And etc... for all the others groups of Cows and animals made so far.

[@Alien_Evolution]

I wasn't aware of any of this. Thank you!

[@dudotolivier6363]

@@Alien_Evolution Not at all ;)

[@yamatanoorochi6203]

2:13 Microtaur 3:04 FoxCow.

[@doctorgrubious7725]

I was thinking more for the cat thing as a Felis Taurus

[@yamatanoorochi6203]

@@doctorgrubious7725 That's a good one.

[@yanaskhoir3657]

​@@doctorgrubious7725Finnaly True Cat Looking Cattle

[@gamingcat6034]

i really hope this series becomes very popular

[@nethergollum4219]

cows might have some capacity to climb, though I would reckon they may end up being able to climb trees similarly to how goats have been able to learn to climb trees, if not them potentially using the nubs behind their hooves for climbing rather than the actual hoof, only for their actual hooves to potentially grow some adaptation if need be, but I doubt that it would be easy for any animal here to just evolve out of having hooves entirely

[@ai97nord94]

Good Video Bro 👍 I frickin love all the design. I couldnt wait to see how exactly they gonna adapting to climb the tree. 3:39 soo Cute~

[@leorraptor3243]

Instead of splitting their toes they might adopt a sloth-like way of clambering onto trunks and branches, with only sickle shaped hoofs, and using their other limbs as an opposable thumb

[@kathyk3857]

The burrowing cows could be called terrataurus :) (Earth bull) though it could be confusing because it's not on earth so maybe solitaurus (soil bull)

[@TalesofDrCreepYPasta]

What episode do you think there's going to be a mass extinction,leaving many vacant niches,and allowing some already established branches of the cow family tree to start evolving to fill the vacant niches?

[@JJTis]

I love this series!

[@MythosMasonry-fq1up]

I love this series. Man do I admire how you're able to convey so much so quickly. I wonder if the small cattle would develop burrowing. Burrows are a good place to hide and raise young in as bigger animals can't get in and you can dig to find worms and stuff. Burrowing cattle could develop multiple very sharp horns, sticking their head out blocking the burrow entrance. This coudl either be done by 1 partner of a breeding couple or maybe by a eusocial species like merecats. Also animals which feast on roots and works like boars. Would the cattle develop tusks or maybe instead their horns could grow along the side of their head to take over the role of tusks.

[@riohudson9612]

Lovely video! I adore the continuing diversification of "Cat-tle" in the current meta. Can't wait to see diplodo-cows in the coming evolutions too, if that's possible.

[@sizanogreen9900]

Small cattle -> Minitaur. Especially the carniverous ones;)

[@dootcoyt5775]

babe wake up! alien evolution posted

[@varcherry421]

maybe the cricket like invertebrates evolved a bitter taste to get preatadors to drop them before they die, and for the larva they could evovle a color pattern that matches the earth so they won't be seen as easily. Another thought for the larva is that they burrow into the tree-like plants' trunks for a easy food source and a place to hide.

[@chronicwasp]

2:49 Ligotaurus "Little Cow" 4:25 Ericiumimus "Porcupine Mimic" 3:03 Pseudocanis "False Dog" OR Psuedovulpes "False Fox" 3:33 Subterrabovis "Underground Cow"

[@JulianTruscott]

How symbiosis between organisms develop is through two organisms deciding they need each other to survive. So, on apollo, cows might develop symbiosis with plants, by eating their competition. What could happen is cows would try to keep the competition down, in exchange for something from the plants. Eventually different types of cattle might develop to help specific plants. This would result in plants directing their efforts towards the cattle.

[@magdalenamatuszczyk6717]

Your series is amazing. I cannot wait for another episode!

[@alexchapman3995]

I’m saddened that Apollo lacks any rocky mountainous biomes purely for the fact that we lack a rock dwelling micro-cow that goes by the name Pikamoo.

[@stuchly1]

Great video! Super fun to watch!

[@dr.archaeopteryx5512]

I love the tiny cow. I suggest calling it beloved little bingus.

[@Ariu_the_furry]

thank you for changing the title of this series, because i don't like youtube providing "context" love this series!

[@GoldBean2752]

the context thing at the top is hilarious. AI isn't quite there yet, we still have a little time!

[@RedChaosScrungle]

This video gave me a few ideas I'd like to share, firstly as trees evolved would it be possible for some of the neotitanoptera to start living in the trees similar to oversized wasps? And with this adaptation would it be possible for some of the smaller cattle to evolve to become arboreal, specifically with their hooves evolving into claws, and becoming carnivorous to the neotitanopteran hives? Acting like the arboreal equivalent of a weasel raiding a prairie dog den.

[@pxn748]

I love these so much!

[@VergilNotVigil]

Its giving the epic of serina and I love it

[@garg4531]

Just want to say I really like the ideas you had for the small cattle! (Admittedly partly because I had a similar for my own spec evo world; a clade of small generalists that branched off into three lineages, each with their own defensive strategy - one burrowing underground while another took to the tree tops, and a third evolved defensive spines or armor I guess seeing similar ideas in different projects kind of “validates” them, or I suppose can be seen as a sort of convergent evolution, showing that these concepts work really well and are very likely to take place) And even though this comment is already running a bit long, while I’m here I might as well mention that I’m a big fan of your work and looking forward to seeing where this project goes!

[@yourfriendlystalker]

The tiny cow I'll probably name micromoures Minoter or "Tiny grazer"

[@aymanachkaj3333]

For the small cattle (omnivorous) genus I might suggest *"Bovisorex"*, "bovi" for cattle and "sorex" for shrew. For the specifique species that you showed initially, I think *"Bovisorex Celeri"* is fitting. "Celeri" latin for swift, wich might be theire main strategy to survive especially with no borrowing and no quills or other deterrent.

[@JulianTruscott]

Cattle on earth can regurgitate food as part of their digestion, so on apollo, some smaller species of cattle could evolve this mechanism into a chemical spray, that could be used as a weapon.

[@user-jc5zp2vd6e]

Evolution is so weird I saw a cow turn into a cat in like 30 minutes worth of episodes 💀

[@Onetruenugget]

This planet is incredibly interesting! Anyways I wonder if there would be cattle that would eventually evolve bipedal bodies, have their hooves become hands and feet with fingers and toes, then their hands evolve opposable thumbs. Then this type of cattle will start to develop much more complex and smarter brains to co-operate with each other more efficiently and with the help of their opposable thumbs they can use tools and build shelter. These type of cattle could maybe be called Mino-sapiens

[@garfieldeslazzannya6364]

Leave flying alone for a while I advise you, Amazing New designs, what if the climbing cows evolve a 3 fingerd lég? Two front and öné back finger?

[@mann_man8556]

I’m loving this series so far, I can’t wait for flying cattle

[@Ballindeeznut]

Name ideas: Deer looking cattle guy: Neotragulus Mini Minofelis: Prionailurustherium

[@loups3190]

Great video! I can’t get enough about these cows. I would love to know more about how plant life might develop, as I feel that’d have a great effect on the cattle population and allow for more niches, like arboreal animals to develop should an analog to trees crop up. It’d also probably contribute to the development of flying cattle which were mentioned at the end of the video, as I feel like it’d be much harder for them to develop flying given their current state. There might be something I’ve failed to think of though! I look forward to more videos!

[@Creek-feather]

Maybe some arboreal cattle evolve their hooves to be more claw-like and separate into two curved toes, somewhat like those of tamaduas and use them to climb, as tamanduas do, this would also provide them with a weapon for self defense against one of the smaller predators in a dangerous situation.

[@areallyshortbrontothere]

ITTIBITTIBOVIDS (Named after something I heard about a species of crocodilomorph that was going to be named "ittibittisuchus" and the snail "ittibittium"

[@Alien_Evolution]

That's awesome lol

[@YusufKaan-ti7fc]

amazing name

[@yanaskhoir3657]

Crocodymorp also amazing walking with 2 leg(poposairid),fast land runner(sebecids),big bodies(suchus),herbivore,full aquatic but them not succeded to fly 😢

[@szymcionorski1328]

It seems my name ideas made it to the video. Nice. I feel fullfilled

[@szymcionorski1328]

Nope, false alarm. Nevermind

[@Alien_Evolution]

@@szymcionorski1328 This is so sad lol, I'm sorry

[@szymcionorski1328]

@@Alien_Evolution nah, no problem. I have my own project so I can create as much names as I can. Anyways that's your project so I don't want to insist on you to do anything. Besides that I'm sure your project will continue for a long time so probably in the future I will get into the video

[@rebelrider3361]

I don't think that tunneling would develop easily, not until they got down to a rat size and were able to take advantage of already-existing holes. I feel that speed would be the first thing to show up. You'd get fast animals that could outrun predators or jump better, like gazelles. You might also get mountain cattle that could climb cliff sides like goats. (These would be the most likely to fly or become tree climbers.)

[@Raul_the_Fool]

I've been watching this series since the beginning, and it is very entertaining. I had a idea, a small group of mini cattle rafting to a large island or an uninhabited continent. A place without a large herd of cattle like an island could potentially have incredibly large grasses that convergently evolve tree like forms. A group of mini cattle arriving in this type of environment could lead to some truly fascinating forms.

[@Dani.G_German]

2:22 I like the name “mollipelma” coming from Latin “mollis” which means soft and Greek “pelma” meaning sole/underside of foot. Imagining how it scurries in underbrush searching for insects.

[@Liechtenstn]

For the rabbit bug eating cow ima name it mus bubulae meaning mouse beef. And for the tiny predator ima name it mus ficedula meaning mouse eater

[@kyrerymmukk7446]

We have miniture Black Angus Cattle on our farm. Easy to feed, they graze less intensivly on native grasses (so they dont destroy eveything), and they size up quicker.

[@doddthedodo7435]

Some miscellaneous ideas: -A group of small cattle evolving to have very large horns to swing at predators, but are mostly for show -Tree-climbing cattle that employ a more goat-like method, with extremely sure footing that allows them to stand on the grooves in grass-tree bark -A species of giant solifugid (camel spiders) that specifically targets newborn cattle with a bite strong enough to crush bone -Cattle species that evolve extreme sexual dimorphism; like long-legged males with extravagant horns who dance rather than fight to impress the much larger females -Solitary herbivore cattle that evolve rhinoceros-like armor and extra horns or horn-like keratinous structures for protection -For poisonous cows, have the mothers constantly eat a certain type of grass while pregnant and nursing, which promotes the growing calves to develop meat or skin that tastes terrible and makes predators avoid them

[@Sara3346]

Coprophagy evolving could help with the last one.

[@doddthedodo7435]

@@Sara3346 that wouldn't actually make poisonous substances build up in the flesh

[@Sara3346]

@@doddthedodo7435 If you say so, you might no more than me about toxin sequestering. Got any links to reading material?

[@doddthedodo7435]

@@Sara3346 Not really, I just pick these things up over a lifetime.

[@Shork-e]

These videos are so cool

[@aaleven4728]

For the small predatory cattle it could be Mustelibos, as mustelus (weasel) and bos. While for the small generalists it would be Musomimus (rat mimic)

[@Sara3346]

Maybe false Duikers for a common name? Duikers, Dik Diks and such would be the closest real world equivalents at least to the more basal members of these clades.

[@Littlekoji-df1cf]

Things are getting wild! 😮

[@MrUniverseGod]

I like the idea of small cattle, maybe for the one's that eat meat could be called Micro-Crackow-matil for the small carnivore.

[@westongarner-qo2ez]

Also, just thought of calling the clade of small animals “Microtaurus”, or something along those lines. Keep up the awesome work!🤘😎🤘

[@andre2815]

ideas of possible evolutions: cows having an anatomy more similar to that of a horse, mini cows becoming jackalopes, some dragonflies losing their wings and becoming "lizards", mantis evolving into the niche of 'herons'

[@ordinarydork2515]

Great video! But i would love to know how grass evolves into trees and how they would look like, please consider to share this on the future?

[@deralex4350]

It would be interesting if the smaller cattles evolved some sort of vomiting defence like some lizards do here on earth. I don't think this is very far fetched because cattle already regurguritate their food several times.

[@Sophiewimmer443]

So the next big driver for herbivores might be the development of new biomes as the carefully curated grasslands break down. See after the cattle hits carrying capacity and reaches equilibrium with the grasses the next big issue with a world full of grass is wildfires sweeping through the drier regions, and floodplains developing as the costal soil erodes. These will begin to create wetlands and drier prairies that may be scoured by the wind post fires to become desert like over time. A predatory cow in these wetland areas may develop a crocodile like ambush strategy, and the abundance of shallow water would be a whole new ecosystem for the insects. Also in the desert we might see camel like cows that herd over long distances to reach grass etc.

[@nealjroberts4050]

For the small cattle a word meaning little cow might work. So micro/tyttho/oligo or mini for the first part Bos/bous/taurus/vacca for the second. Anything that's lost hooves but kept horns probably deserves to be a minitaur.

[@hirzihilman6928]

Man can't wait for flying cow to introduce

[@just_dog110]

This is gonna end up becoming Serina 2

[@abobento]

3:20 i think that this one could be named canibovis which means: cow dog

[@frougee]

ooh! ooh! i know what the mandatory apocalypse is gonna be! the cows will start *farting.* farting so much that it'll cause a heatwave.

[@marxtheenigma873]

Interesting that they all still have horns

[@Alien_Evolution]

Realistically many of them would have lost their horns, but I'm keeping them mostly for recognizability

[@JulianTruscott]

So, you think we're stupid.@@Alien_Evolution

[@takenname8053]

You know hornless cattle could make them squeeze into tighter spaces, maybe get a snake body plan. I wonder what explanation you got for flying cattle?

[@TheGBZard]

This seed world has some potential, I will say though I saw this other video on the seed world and I think that some horns could be removed, especially on carnivores. Also I came up with my own idea for a seed world, being a red panda seed world

[@KingKongBoyy]

Hey, alien evo, could you potentially have a smaller cattle start evolving to eat insects? Perhaps starting to evolve gliders to outcompete the land borne and to chase down winged insects!

[@erichtomanek4739]

If a species of cattle evolves to have a bluish hue, please call them the: Moody blues

[@sageofsixidiots3364]

Do what if birds evolved from all dinosaurian lineages and not just theropods for example, what if birds evolved from not only theropods, but also sauropods and ornithischian dinosaurs. It's basically every dinosaur lineage turning into birds that aren't related to each other that closely at all

[@westongarner-qo2ez]

Ideas for the fox-like predator: Minoalopex-Fox of Minos Tauroalopex-Bull fox (Alopex being the Ancient Greek word for fox)

[@Ch3rryY0hezq]

Yay new video!!!!!!!

[@Tarao_Paleo]

3:07 I'd name it Leotaurus mininus.

[@rayli689]

Maybe the smaller cattle species could have evolved long pin like horns to jab anything that tries to eat it. Sorta like how a bee stings, plenty painful.

[@extremempsilvamps5851]

4:30 future idea maybe? Megafauna and larger species going extinct and little cows evolving and becoming big again?

[@MurisTheWorldofMice]

You should try to make a website like Serina to organize your world.

[@houselemuellan8756]

I hope you'd elaborate more on which region of the planet each of these species lives

[@alexcrazy1492]

Chris where you’ll go with the next one as the comparison of flying cattle versus the insects just developing better breathing systems and thus being able to grow massively in size is it strange and it probably would be more likely to be filled with big crickets

[@1fishmob]

I think a good name for the cow at 3:02 should be called minovulpes (bull fox).

[@birdup1345]

If I may make a suggestion, holding out poison and botanical symbiosis in the cow descendants would be a smart decision, as it is difficult (though not impossible, eg: keelback snakes) for non-amphibian vertebrates to evolve the capabilities to do so, with amphibians being able to do so easily due to their highly permeable skin. Instead the development of quills or leathery skin would be highly plausible and in my opinion, both smart and interesting. I would advise some smaller cows taking on a niche similar to badgers or honey badgers, as thick leathery skin would be easy to evolve, and evolving the weaponry to intimidate virtually any animal would be easy as well in this setting, such as a neck with incredibly thick and loose skin, allowing the animal to take blows that would be lethal to any other animal, and the loose skin allowing a swift counterattack, my suggestion being a sharp, hooked horn to stab the would-be predator in the face, especially the nose or eye. Quills are also plausible, as a simple keratinous sheath over thick or fused hairs is the only prerequisite, although the two evolving together would almost never happen. In addition, insectivorous animals would likely evolve traits similar, though not the same as, Earths myrmicophagous animals, such as anteaters, aardvarks, pangolins, or echidnas. Note that these would not be the same, as these animals are specifically designed to exploit ants and termites as a food source, however similar adaptations could evolve in insectivorous cows, which are also seen in other insectivorous animals that prefer to eat agile and burrowing insects. Long sticky and dexterous tongues should be intuitive, with the exception of relatively larger prey, in which case broad, flat, long, and sticky tongues should be the norm, and in both of these highly reduced dentition more similar to the vomerine teeth found in frogs than the usual teeth (including the dental pad) found in cows. To avoid biting leathery faces and thick, coarse fur would be advised, and a burrowing appendage would also work well. In addition due to the development of woody plants parasitism through hiding eggs inside tree-adjacent plants would almost certainly occur as the trees evolved (possibly forming a minor arms-race), and cows could evolve to exploit this as well. Anyways as your great world expands you have unmeasurable amounts of possibility you can explore, so keep up the good work and don't be afraid to get creative!

[@pseudonymsam]

"And if anything cataclysmic ever happens..." -- That doesn't sound ominous at all.

[@BigBossMan538]

I think it’s always possible that a smaller carnivore clade can convergently evolve rather than having to be related to the minofelids

[@Ravenstorm2o]

Hello! Do you have any tips for creating a speculative evolution project? I’m starting one currently and would love some tips :)

[@Alien_Evolution]

Most important is researching real natural history and biology. Trying to recognize patterns. It can be as easy as watching a few videos on the subject Then try to find a simple prompt for your project that you'll enjoy making. A single-vertebrate seedworld can be a good one

[@Snake_eyesss]

I’m begging you to name a creature Fred because it would be funny

[@robbieq7814]

4:26 you could call that plectrum Parvum, meaning small quill cow

[@vinniepeterss]

love this

[@sheller153]

In regards to the possibility of cattle developing a symbiosis with noxious plants, I’d like to point out the wild hot pepper, or “bird’s eye” pepper. The capsaicin in peppers is bots a pesticide and fungicide, making it difficult for mammals, insects, and mold or fungi to consume them. But birds are entirely unaffected by it, as they have a deal worked out with the pepper. They’re the only animal that can consume the fruit painlessly and are also the only ones who won’t destroy the seeds inside in the process as well as being able to spread the seed far and wide, so they don’t feel any pain when eating the fruit, but mammals that would carelessly chew them, and insects and microorganisms that would eat the entire thing bit by bit get to suffer a burning sensation. Perhaps a similar exchange could evolve? One cow specializes in eating food a certain way and it’s food develops seeds that are unaffected by the consumption as well as a defense the cow is resistant to, unlike the rest of its bovine bretheren? Or maybe something more like the clown fish and anemone? Or should I say cowfish? Maybe some poison ivy seeds got tracked onto Apollo, or a grass devised a similar defense (not impossible, their main defenses are silicate serrations and high flammablility after all) and one cow just happens to be immune to the toxin, like how some people aren’t allergic to poison ivy, and that beneficial trait was spread easily as it provided all carriers with an easy retreat from danger. Perhaps some of the species choose to stay writing a certain range of their safety flora, and others close to wander from toxic grove to toxic grove, with leaves and branches intentionally entangled in their horns warding off any predator, and conveniently scattering propagates on their path. Like decorator or boxing glove crabs. Maybe this is even the first sparks of intelligence?