The lifeforms of the planet Tekuo are broadly similar to those of Earth. This is not surprising, as they share similar homes.
Earth and Tekuo are rocky planets. Both have seas and magnetic fields. Both have oxygen and carbon dioxide in their atmosphere. They orbit at a similar distance from a sun of similar size.
Some notable similarities
This all means that the lifeforms of Tekuo and Earth have evolved under similar conditions. Therefore, convergent evolution has occurred on a massive scale.
Just like Earth, the planet Tekuo is home to animals, plants, fungi and microbes. The plants of Tekuo include trees, bushes, grasses, flowers and vegetables. Animals of Tekuo includes mammals, reptiles, birds, fish and insects.
Some notable differences
Important differences remain between the two planets. Creatures might evolve to fit the same ecological niche, yet be radically different from each other. For example, Earth has cattle and kangaroos. Both are grazing animals from the grasslands, yet they look very different.
Amphibians lived on Tekuo when animals first moved from water onto land. However, they are no longer to be found there. Instead, there are more mammals and reptiles that can swim or fly. Some of these creatures out-competed the amphibians.
Tekuo is home to several large species of reptile. Most are herbivores, but some are carnivores. We might as well call them “dinosaurs”. Dinosaurs evolved on Tekuo, just as they did on Earth. Unlike on Earth, there was no meteorite strike to wipe them out.
Hence, the dinosaurs of Tekuo survived until the present day. However, they have been hunted by faster mammals with bigger brains, particularly the Ike. The local dinosaur population is therefore small.
Tekuo has a class of plant with no exact equivalent on Earth. I translate their Lemohai name as “groves”.
A grove is essentially a networked tree. From a central root bole, a number of trunks break the surface. Each trunk bears branches and leaves. Groves are shorter than trees but can cover a wide area.
Four fifths of Tekuo is covered in ocean, so there are a lot of aquatic species. Earth has more land in polar and desert regions. Earth, therefore, has more creatures adapted to extremes of heat and cold.
The Ike: Tekuo’s sentient hominids.
Tekuo has evolved a species of sentient hominids, known in Lemohai as the Ike. The Ike of today enjoy a higher standard of living than the humans of Earth. Large numbers of Ike may be found on all three continents. They are discussed in detail in their own post.
A fun kind of pet
It is thought that the humans of Earth evolved flatter faces to better communicate emotion. Such communication is important in a social animal.
Some say that dogs evolved “puppy dog eyes” and cats learned to mew in order to communicate with humans. A species with a longer history of domestication could, therefore, be expected to adapt even further to its owners.
Such is the fate of the Tekuan creature known in Lemohai as the supã. The supã
Supernature
Finally, we should note that Tekuo is home to a number of supernatural beings. Their existence is no mere superstition. Their presence has been observed and recorded by reputable scientists. They remain mysterious though and are best discussed in their own posts.
