Septevola

**Septevolans** are a clade of celernantids that are alive today.

## Evolution and taxonomy

Septevolans are a major clade of flying dispeculates living today. They are the most influential flying celernantid clade, by far, conquering a huge amount of regions of the globe, as well as providing the largest extant flying dispeculate of all. They are part of the Terrarmia clade, also known as the "second wave of terrestrial celernantids", being closely related to manicasaurs, together forming the Brevisurisupia clade. Brevisurisupians are distinguished from the more basal terrarcaulians by their method of infant development, with their young being hatched out of the egg fully developed for a air-breathing and adult-like style of life, unlike terrarcaulian offsprings which are born still requiring breathing underwater. Brevisurisupians originated in the late Scelusian, 157 million years ago, but with the aftermath of the Scelusian-Variagene extinction event, new opportunities arrived for their proliferation. The first septevolans originated in the Variagene, 118 million years ago, and split into two distinct clades. One clade is the Septeptera. Septepterans originated in the Compsogene, 79 million years ago. They only possess six limbs, and feed through all the three proboscis, and is the clade that has solidified the most its flying techniques. Within Septeptera there's the Amphihastamia clade, that originated in the late Compsogene, 65 million years ago, characterized by the evolution of two pairs of defined membranous wings. The other septevolan split is the Volanioidea clade, that originated in the Compsogene, as well, 79 million years ago. They are characterized for feeding solely through the middle proboscis, basally having eight limbs and for experimenting more on its flying techniques. The most derived volanioideans are the volanians, which first originated in the Recensgene, 40 million years ago, exploring more inland environments, away from the coasts. The volanians have experimented new mouth structures, mainly large circular mouths filled with teeth. The side proboscis were repurposed, either by becoming reduced to the point of vestigiality, or were allied to the wings to better support a weird wing complex.

Brevisurisupia (157-0)

* Manicasauria (120-0)
* Septevola (118-0)
	+ Septeptera (79-0)
		- Septemales volucris
		- Amphihastamia (65-0)
			* Amphixenopteries
			* Arenahastama
	+ Volanioidea (79-0)
		- Volanmaris
		- Volania (40-0)
			* Vermis sanguis volans
			* Volantestoma

## Characteristics

Septevolans have adapted several characteristics and adaptations that make them unique creatures of this planet. One of the adaptations they possess, include the varying degree to how their mouths have been organized. Septepterans are characterized for feeding through all the three proboscis. Septemales has small "hairs" that it uses to stick prey to the tips of its proboscis. Its lateral proboscis are deeply split in two, and they coil themselves to feed on the prey that has been catched, with the lateral proboscis orifices being found between the two stems. The central proboscis has not been split and has an orifice for the consumption of food right at the tip. Amphixenopteries also has "hairs" at the tip of each proboscis, for sensing smell around. Each proboscis has two ends, with teeth, used to catch prey in a menacing way. They are able of retracting themselves inside the skull, but they can shoot out to catch prey, and then they constrict the prey with the base of the proboscis, which are filled with spines that keep the prey stuck, without any hopes of getting out. The related arenahastama, also feeds through the three proboscis. The lateral proboscis are retractable and end in a small beak, that is used to tear the meat, as well as grab objects. The central proboscis is however filled with teeth, and the lower part extends to show a spear like end, to stab prey. They can also work in unisson with the needle-sharp tip of the rostrum for devastating effects. The proboscis are also used for sexual attraction, as the bright red is attractive to mates. Volanioideans have crossed various steps with the experimentations on their proboscis. They only feed through the central proboscis, which has evolved to weird mouths, filled with teeth and hardened parts. Volanmaris has a central proboscis that looks like a very long external serrated beak, for the hunting of its prey. The lateral proboscis end in sharp ends, to catch the prey that are beyond the reach of its central mouth. Volanian proboscis go even weirder. The central proboscis have largely lost any purpose in catching prey as they modified in the volanians. Vermis, therefore has atrophied its proboscis to the point of vestigiality. Its central proboscis has therefore widened to a large retractable and closable orifice, filled with wide sharp teeth to pierce the flesh of its prey, as well as a small central orificed split, with small teeth, that drinks the blood and feeds on small pieces of meat, leading the food directly to the digestive system. Volantestoma eventually gave another purpose to the lateral proboscis, while the central proboscis is a large wide central orifice, with teeth at the sides to proccess food, like the Vermis, its lateral cartilaginous proboscis allied to the wings and now serve as proper organs for flight. The wings are therefore composed by bent limbs, that support most of the wing closer to the body, but the tips of the wings are supported by elongated cartilaginous lateral proboscis. It is not very well known why exactly the proboscis wings evolved, though it might have been an adaptation for super-aerial locomotion, as limb-based wings in septevolans (as well as other flying celernantids) do not display the same amount of versatility and flexibility as other dispeculates, so the proboscis serve as a pretty novel form of wing support, which helps this creature become super-aerial and depend less from landing on the ground or in other surfaces, pursuing their prey in the air. The eyes of the septevolans are, basally, the simple compound eyes of its celernantid ancestors. However the eyes of septevolans are unique in the sense they are much more gelatinous, which makes them spread across the head and even neck, and support some bending, as well as impact. This also allowed eyes to split with more efficiency, as we will see. Septemales have two compound eyes with a relevant size, but their relatives, the amphihastamians, have had their compound eyes split into multiple smaller eyes, more than one pair possessing sudopupils, spread across their face, to better see their surroundings. Arenahastama has four pairs of eyes, split across their head, but Amphixenopteries has eight pairs of eyes. Volanmaris uses the benefit of gelatinous eyes to spread a pair of them across the upper part of the head and neck. The eyes cannot bend too much, in risk of damage, so their neck area is largely unflexible to accomodate this, forcing Volanmaris to use their lateral proboscis or frontal legs to catch prey, if the head can't get to there. The eyes seemingly are placed in a weird position, pointing upwards, instead of downwards, where their prey would be. They use most of their eye power to detect sunlight and predators coming from above, which indicates these creatures were ancestrally heavily predated (and they still are today). The borders of the eyes that are most downwards look down where their prey would be. They also use their proboscis to skim through the water, catching prey by sensing them when they touch the proboscis, sometimes also using the frontal legs for that task. V. larus has a much more flexible neck than other Volanmaris and is able to move its head more freely, giving it a stereoscopic vision. V. monstrum also has a stereoscopic vision, not being able to see much on the ground, but seeing perfectly well what is above, at the sides, in front and in the back of it. Being the apex predator of its ecosystem, V. monstrum is unique for seeing their prey more clearly on the back of it, which fools a lot of the prey and allows the predator to prepare an ambush. Volantestoma also has very large gelatinous eyes, though those are positioned mostly at the sides of the head... a more natural position. Vermis has heavily reduced its wings, relying mostly in echolocation to move around and detect prey. They can still see through their eyes, but only at a short distance. In many ways convergent to bats, as they are also cave-dwellers. Their olfactory orifices are usually positioned at the tip of their snouts, to sense the surroundings. Amphixenopteries has extremelly large olfactory pits spread across the sides of its face, which indicates its special dedication in detecting prey through smell. The respiratory orifices are organized in horizontal rows in the underside of all septevolans. Septepterans only have a small row of orifices just below its frontal wings. Volanmaris retain the basal condition of having separate rows of orifices, a row closer to the head, in the neck and another row in the belly/chest. V. monstrum is unique for having reduced its frontal orifices, breathing mostly through the belly orifices, an adaptation seemingly displayed as a result of its flightlessness. Volanians, instead, have a long row of horizontal orifices that go from the neck, to the underside of the wings. The limb configuration of septevolans is also variable. Basally, septevolans had eight limbs. Septepterans have lost the frontal pair of limbs, and now have just six limbs. Septemales is the basalmost, having six long limbs, connected by a large wing membrane, that allows them to glide and fly in the air. The membrane also connects the legs with the tail, which has two lateral appendages for the control of air locomotion. These lateral tail appendages are also present in amphihastamians, with Amphixenopteries having them as long fleshy structures, that serve little purpose for flight or swimming, instead hanging in the water as they swim, though they remain stable when doing so, to avoid drag. Arenahastama has them relatively rigid to support its vertical tail fin, as well as help in the motion of said tail. Amphihastamians inherit the early flight method of Septemales, but its last pair of limbs, have not evolved into wings, and therefore serve as articulated limbs, that are used for underwater support, or for land-dwelling locomotion. The two pairs of limbs just in front of these, work as large articulated membranous wings, that usually work together for gliding. Sometimes, for lift, they have alternated flapping, in a simillar fashion to dragonflies. Volanioideans retain the basal condition of eight limbs, however. Volanmaris is unique for providing the most use of all pairs of limbs. Volanmaris are quadrupedal, using the third and fourth pair of limbs for terrestrial locomotion. The first pair of limbs is heavily articulated and used to catch prey. The wings, just like in every septevolan, are based on the second pair of limbs. Although flying Volanmaris species use the wings for flight, V. monstrum has atrophied wings, useless for flight, spending all its time on the ground. Volanians have repurposed their limbs to other extents. Vermis, retains basal and advanced conditions, with wings supported by the second pair, as well as having the third and fourth pair work as walking organs, though they do latch to cave walls with their wings. The first pair of limbs has disappeared in Vermis. However, in Volantestoma, the limb configuration has taken drastic shifts. The frontal limbs, serving no use, instead fused, at the tips, to the third pair of limbs, allowing for a simple and stiff perching organ, which is a little ineffective for land-dwelling habits, solidifying its preference in staying in the air. The second pair of limbs, would have supported a wing in the past, but it has since been atrophied, in favour of having auxiliary support of its lateral proboscis, which allow the wing to have more flexibility, that its previous simple limb-based wings. The fourth pair of legs, however, has evolved to a pair of small wings for stability, as they were no longer being used for locomotion. The presence of external armor on septevolans indicates its basality in Brevisurisupia, as manicasaurs lack these. Most septevolans have some form of external amor, specially septepterans, which are specially covered in plates. Volanioideans have them reduced or non-existent. Volanmaris has a row for five dorsal plates on its dorso. These plates disappear under the body, in volanians, not displaying any form of external armor therefore. Septepterans have an interesting common characteristic which is a fan of feathers at their forehead. Arenahastama has eventually lost these, but they are present in Septemales and Amphixenopteries, with color-changing feathers for display. Septevolans have a simple bony endoskeleton, with the limbs and wings, usually supported by bones. However, the bones of septevolans are hollow allowing for extremelly light weight.

Septevolans are very variable in size. Although most species do not surpass three meters in wingspan, the largest extant flying dispeculates belong to this clade. Vermis sanguis volans is one of the smallest at 30 cm long and 45 cm of wingspan. The related Volantestoma reaches 45 cm long and a meter in wingspan. Septemales volucris is 1 meter long and 1,6 meters in winsgpan. Volanmaris are highly variable in size, with the smallest species being 45 centimeters in wingspan and the largest flying species having 2,5 meters in wingspan. The largest Volanmaris species is the flightless V. monstrum, with 2,25 meters long. Without any sort of comparison, the undisputable largest septevolan, as well as largest flying dispeculate alive today, is the Arenahastama, whose males reach astonishing lengths of 5 meters and wingspans of 10 meters, while females are larger, reaching 8,33 meters long and a jawdropping 16,67 meters in wingspan. Their ultra light bodies, allied to huge wings, allow them to lift in the air. To take off, they often flap their wings, like a dragonfly, but they largely keep them stiff for gliding. Their back legs allow the creature to run in the desert, and its tail flaps horizontally, as it tries to gain lift from the sand, not too different from a flying fish, but gigantically bigger.

## Distribution and habitat

Septevolans, being flying creatures, have little problems in spreading through most regions of the globe, and are currently found in all continents. However, their distribution isn't necessarily cosmopolitan. Most species proliferate in the northern hemisphere, for reasons not fully understood. It is believed the fact that septevolans visit the cold arctic regions might be due to the ever-changing fluxes of marine fauna that occur with the oceanic currents that cross Terra Septentrionis and northern Occidentis. It has been hypothesized the cold was a great deterrent for the dispersal of septevolans in the southern cold regions, but that may be just because the conditions were not favourable at a specific level. Septemales volucris actually are the most tolerant to cold regions, being found in mountainous cold regions of the north in the summer, eventually making harduous migrating journeys to the mountainous regions closer to the equator, in the winter, where new feeding opportunities arrive, as well as the breeding season. Amphixenopteries is a fully marine creature, not requiring going onto land, but still perfectly capable of flight. They live in the seas surrounding the Archa archipelago. The related Arenahastama lives in the vast Media Insulan deserts, where there is more than open space to lift its gigantic body into the air. Volanmaris are marine dwelling flying fishers, spread in the waters that surround Occidentis and Archa, as well as Vadum Mare and the Phael archipelago, up into the northermost tip of Virtu, the southermost place for Volanmaris distribution, and the only place in Virtu that septevolans visit. There is a flightless species living in the Archa archipelago, which happens to be the apex predator on the inland regions it lives in. Vermis lives in inland caves, hunting at night, in Media Insula and western Auth. The related Volantestoma, hunts in the forests of Terra Septentrionis.

## Diet

Almost all septevolans are carnivores or predators. They fly and/or swim, towards their meal, and hunt in varied ways. Septemales uses its proboscis, with "hairy" ends, to catch prey while flying. They have also been observed latching to larger dispeculates and "grazing" their meat, in certain occasions. Amphixenopteries is an aquatic hunter, swimming and flying for the hunting of its prey. It uses its large proboscis to sense the smell of the surroundings (alongside its large olfactory pits in the face) and once it catches the prey, it will constrict it, and press it against spikes at the base of the proboscis that prevent the prey from escaping. Arenahastama are huge fliers and gliders in the desert, taking down big creatures, using their large central proboscis as a spear, to disembowl prey, and the lateral proboscis to later shred the meat as it eats. The huge size allows them to take down larger prey than any other septevolan could barely imagine, however, their super light nature prevents them from engaging into ferocious battles, so many times they rather prefer hunting weak individuals, or probe the desert for carcasses. Volanmaris are also predators, mostly using their lateral proboscis and frontal arms to catch prey in the surface of the water, in the beaches and also in the mainland. Various species exist, many being adapted for seabird-like guilds, though a flightless, inland-dwelling apex predator exists in the Archa archipelago, that hunts prey that exist in the forests and plains further from the beach, but sometimes forages in the beach. Vermis are pigeon-sized nocturnal fliers that rely on echolocation to hunt prey, as they have poor eyesight. Once they latch onto their prey, they will start to use their teeth to burrow under the skin, and feed on the creature's blood. Volantestoma is pretty unique for hunting aerial polyspeculates, instead of dispeculate flesh or blood. This granted them a perfect abbility of aerial locomotion, without having to develop obligatory fighting skills from back-firing defenses dispeculate prey may possess.

## Behaviour and sociality

Septevolans are actually pretty social creatures. Even predatory species rely on living in small family units when not in the mating season, where they may share food, or, just in some species, hunt together. During the mating season, septevolans gather in larger flocks, where the family units meet members of other family units, to allow sexual diversification. The groups will then protect their offspring, and rejoice with the local abundance of food.

## Reproduction

Septevolans are oviparous. They all require to lay their eggs on water, but unlike terrarcaulians, and more in coherence with their relatives, the manicasaurs, the babies hatch out from the water as miniature versions of the adults, capable of air-breathing and capable of land-dwelling and flying habits shortly after birth. Once the babies hatch, however, they will follow their mother and receive protection from the group, as they are slowly inserted in the family unit. This reliance in laying eggs on water has been shown to provide little problems for the proliferation of aquatic species, such as Amphixenopteries and Volanmaris, which tend to lay their eggs in flows of water, often close to the shore, to receive constant water fluxes. They are also covered in slime, that is secreted by their mouths. In inland species, they usually migrate to creeks of water, where the eggs can be laid and carefully monitorized, until they hatch. The sexual display of septevolans is largely based on showing off their mouth apparatus. Septemales and Amphixenopteries have huge proboscis with, respectively, vibrant blues and pinks, to attract mates, as well as a display feathered structure on the top of their head, that changes color. Arenahastama displays strong reddish proboscis, as well as Volanmaris with their lateral pink proboscis. Volanians display their mouth coloration, usually, to the females, though in the poor eyesight of Vermis, the mating members must be very close together to see each other. Volantestoma will use its wings for display as well. Females are, usually, much larger than males.