Shard Glassballs

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Shard Glassballs
(Spinotholophytus shardus)
Artwork of Shard Glassballs
Species is extinct.
21/?, unknown cause
Creator Hydromancerx Other
Taxonomy
Domain
Kingdom
Subkingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Eukaryota
Phoenoplastida
Phoenophyta
Spherophyta
Euspherophyta
Vitricorpales
Vitricorpaceae
Spinotholophytus
Spinotholophytus shardus
Week/Generation 18/121
Habitat Yokto High Desert, North Tundra, North Polar Beach
Size 6 cm Wide
Primary Mobility Unknown
Support Unknown
Diet Photosynthesis
Respiration Passive (Stomata)
Thermoregulation Ectotherm
Reproduction Asexual (Shelling)


The shard glassballs replaced its ancestor the glassballs in Yokto High Desert and North Polar Beach. Like their ancestor they evolved a shell around them. This shell not only keeps in the heat and air insulating air in between but has spiny shards all on the outside. This help deter any herbivores which might want to eat them. The amount of air between adjust with the climate. When it gets warm it contracts and when it gets cold it expands.

During a very cold time, the shard glassballs can even release an anti-freezing compound into the cells, which prevents the growth of ice crystals and therefore the destruction of the cells. During this time, the cells are nearly inactive. This is quite similar to a hibernation. The shell is transparent and, due to the warping of sunlight, all light shining on the surface will be redirected to the inner main body. Its primitive roots collect water and nutrients, which are needed for photosynthesis. Although the shard glassballs reproduce asexually as their ancestors, they do it another way. They can't simply bud, because of the shell and the fact that the roots are too short, but they will produce mini shard-less versions of their own inside the shell. After they have reached the maximal size, the shell will lose the connection from the parent and blow away to a new location to take root.

Living Relatives (click to show/hide)

These are randomly selected, and organized from lowest to highest shared taxon. (This may correspond to similarity more than actual relation)
  • Podweed (class Euspherophyta)