Xenophoenicidae

**Xenophoenicidae** (meaning **"alien flamingo"**), also known by their common name "Dappingos", are a family of flamingo like filter feeding Ornithosmilids. This animals have greatly modified their bodies to fill the niche of filter feeders. They have changed their side proboscis to have feathery extensions to filter the water to eat microorganisms, and the middle proboscis has become a scraper to swallow the microorganisms.

Another mayor modification from the original ornithosmilid bodyplan is their winglets. They have totally detached from the main wing membrane, now being at the back of the animal. aiding greatly at flying, giving them very maneuverable flight. This change in the position of their winglets has changed their gait aswell, becoming far more bipedal than their ancestors. This was likely an adaptation for wading in water.

A common trait shared amongst this subfamily is the large eyes they all have. This likely give them almost 360 degree vision. This group has largely stayed confined to the more tropical areas of Media insula, likely do to the high amount of food they can find in the area.

## **Endurarostralinae**

This Family includes what are called as "mayor dappingos" or **Aviacimaxini**. This animals tend to be around 60 cm tall or larger and tend to weigh between 1kg to 4kg in the largest species. These ornithosmilids are characterized by their highly immobile side proboscis. While their relatives have highly mobile extendable proboscis, Aviacimaxines have rigid side proboscis that don't move a lot, having just sideways movement to open the jaws to filter feed. Another feature that they have is there incredibly large eyes, even compared with the Longirostrinae subfamily, which also have big eyes, Aviacimaxines simply have enormous eyes. The signature species of the aviacimaxini tribe is one of the first xenophoenicids ever found, *Aviacimax magnus.*

#### **Mayor green dappingo**

(Aviacimax magnus) also commonly known as simply Aviacimax, is a large species of xenophoenicid ornithosmilids. They are largest species currently known of the whole subfamily, weighing around 4 kg in the biggest individuals and having a wingspan of 2 meters. This animals are exclusive filter feeders, mostly just filtering the water searching for small microorganisms to eat. They may spend hours on marshes, wading around just filter feeding.

This animals quad launch like regular ornithosmilids, but is common to see them start flight by lifting from the ground by using their winglets. Its unknown if this different method of launching is better for the animals, but it seems to be exclusive to Aviacimax. It might just be some sort of mating ritual that the animals do.

Aviacimax are gregarious animals, usually living in groups of up to 30 individuals. They show very little sexual dimorphism, with males and females looking almost the same. Both sexes seem to be quite polygamous, having multiple partners throughout their lifetimes.

They can have from 1 to 3 babies per eggsack, their gestation period is roughly 2 Wallacian months, but the young are born fully capable of flight. The parents show a lot of parental care, the females will care for the chicks for around 3 months before the chicks can fend for themselves. The chicks learn how to filter feed thanks to their parents, however they learn how to fly totally instinctively.

Aviacimax has been commonly seen doing weird bouncing dances seemingly for no reason. They randomly jump and move around as if doing a mating dance, but without any sort of reason. This behavior has been seen in other Dappingo species, earning the smaller species their common name of "Dappingo hoppers".

## **Longirostrinae**

Longirostrinae, the sister subfamily to Endurarostralinae, generally of a smaller stature and less heavy. These animals have retained the extendible side proboscis of their ancestors and tend to not have the exaggerated eyes of their relatives, they also have vertical tail flukes in difference to the Aviacimaxines with their horizontal tail flukes. The largest species of this tribe is Pycnovolas longirostris with a weight of around 2 to 3kg and a wingspan of 1 meter, this animal is namesake of the tribe. They commonly wade around in the marshes of more tropical areas of Wallace II, its very common though to see the animals hopping around instead of walking. This behavior is why they have their name of "Dappingo hoppers".

#### **Pink key-eyed dappingo hopper**

    (Xenophoenicus gracillis), commonly just called pink dappingo hopper or key eyed dappingo, is a small xenophoenicid that weighs around 1kg and with a wingspan of around 80 cm. This animal is the namesake of the whole family, with its name translating roughly to "slender alien flamingo".

The animals are known to be excellent island hoppers. They inhabit most of the islands in the micha archipelago, and can exist in all areas of Media insula with a tropical climate.

This animal has large downward pointing side proboscis, filled with brown colored baleen to filter feed. Its mostly pink colored with shades of blue on its wings. This animal has a brown stripe at its chest. This stripe vaguely resembles a bow-tie, this stripe may be the reason for their name, as "Dappingo" seems to be a combination of "dapper" and "flamingo".

This are slender and graceful animals, commonly seen near water bodies in groups of around 10 individuals hopping and wading through the water. This animals have shorter gestation period than Aviacimax, at most taking up to a single month for the egg sack to be detached. The young are able to walk by their first day, and stay near the pack for their entire lives. They learn to fly only after 5 months of age and do so instinctively. The animals show little sexual dimorphism, but their colorful bodies and crests seem to be used in inter species displays of power and health. They tend to communicate throw different scents and with small squeaks and visual ques.

#### **Long Billed Dappingo Hopper**

(Pycnovolas longirostris), a large longirostrine Dappingo, weighing between 2 and 3kg and with a wingspan of a meter it is probably the biggest longirostrine. Still smaller than its Aviacimax relative, this animal still is very succesful.

With large circular eyes, this animal has a very wide range of sight. The animals are shades of yellows, oranges, reds and browns. This misture of color seems to allow them to hide well in the forest floor. This animals live in a wide range all over Media insula with a particularly big population in the northern part of the continent. This coloration aids them greatly when trying to stay inconspicuous in their habitat.

These Dappingo Hoppers in difference to their relatives, don't hop around very much, their wings now long and mostly adapted to walking and wading stead of hopping. The hopping behavior still is found commonly in mating displays. While both of the sexes are visually quite similar, they smell distinctively different. Allowing the Longbilled dappingo hoppers to still be quite competitive while not having to sacrifice their camouflage.

At most this animals live in close family units of at most 5 individuals. These family units most of the time consist of females and their chicks, the males commonly more solitary moving around protecting their territory. The gestation period of the females is of 3 weeks, the chicks may stay with the females for up to 5 months more before becoming independent.

## **Extreme specializations and their limited diversity**

While dappingos in general seem to be quite successful animals, they have diverged rather recently. They dont have the amount of diversity as the other groups of Ornithosmilids. This may be due to their extreme specializations towards filter feeding.

While this adaptations have allowed them to exploit a niche not many animals on Wallace II can exploit, this also has limited their diversity. They don't need many different body plans since they have found one that is quite successful. This may mean that while they don't have risk of extinction, most species would always have a very similar body plan. This means that they wont have much diversity in body plans or diets.

However is likely in the future many other species will be found from this subfamily, considering we have depictions of currently not well known species. We just have to wait and see if more species are found and properly described to add to our data base.