by corviidae » Thu Dec 19, 2019 10:24 am
┎------------- { from primals to simas } -------------
The species defied some improbable odds, being a hybrid of two wildly different families. As a result of the crossbreeding, it caused mutations and unstable genetics that date back as far as their primal ancestors when scientists discovered their skeletons in presumably ancient sima-made burial grounds. Not only that, but they've since gained interesting magic which followed their bloodlines into the modern Sima we see today.
scientists describe the skull of the ancient Simas-most commonly noted as Primals- with the facial structure of some horrifying mixture of a lion's and a dire wolf's skull. the rest of the skeleton similarly matched the modern sima's, and would be almost as if it were cloned if it weren't for the fact that the Primal's structure is at least five times the size of their modern offspring. if a human set the skull of a Sima inside the jaws of a Primal, then it's skull would be able to fit in those massive jaws. Scientists are still trying to untangle how long it took for this evolution to occur. They theorize that Primals existed before the dawn of the Ice Ages, but have only the proof of the specimens they discovered and the earth that they were buried in.
due to the material of the jewels, scientists weren't able to uncover if Primals had the same jewels that their offspring do now. they did, however, discover the soft crystal shards of what once could have been one of the Primal's primary jewel types and confirmed that they did, indeed, have the similarity of having a jewel.
yet, somehow, despite these prehistoric remnants of the beasts, we've had reports that they spotted living Primals! Truly an astonishing discovery! it's a very rare sight.
┎------------- { reproductive system and kitbirth } -------------
Simas, whether they have a permanent mate or jump from Sima to Sima, all experience estrus periods where they are receptive and more likely to mate. It is a process that begins when they reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 years old. A Sima can carry up to four kits at once in a clutch, though it is very rare. When the Sima gives birth, they require four weeks to recover from the ordeal of kit birth and when the time is up, they are receptive once again. They experience this five more times in their lifetime- six if they've only bred with their soulmate-. It's also important to note that a Sima behaves typically has a minor influence and not a heavy influence based on whether or not they are in estrus.
Because of this species' reproductive systems and it's complex anatomy, this made it possible for Simas to be able to breed with one another no matter their sex. However, when studying the DNA strands from a specimen that we got our hands on and numerous others, we discovered that something truly strange went on with these Simas. It's a matter of hybrids being bred inappropriately and the genes being spread, but we doubt these Simas would know what they were doing for generations.
The genetic coding, due to the fact that two completely different species bred together, became unstable. We've noticed how easily their genes can be altered when something new is added to the pool, and how easily it could be rejected or mutate into something grotesque- or something better than it was in the first place. This would explain why we see two healthy Simas breed and create a kit with traits that neither of the parents had, more commonly than you would expect. It's said that out of every five pairs of Simas that mate, at least one to two kits have a mutation. These mutations, upon observation, can range wildly. Often times they are benign, and then there are occasional life-threatening mutations that arise which kits usually end up surviving. Other than breeding with their own kind, there is no known pattern of what causes the mutations.
Simas can have many clutches in their lifetime and have been observed to have between 1-4 kits per litter- oftentimes, 1-2 kits. Stillborn kits and miscarriages happen every once in a while for any type of Sima, no matter if a mutation showed up in their litter or not-- however, it is a little more common in litters with no visual mutations. It's often a case of a mutation that proved lethal to a kit trying to survive its natural process of growing in the Sima's womb. If a healthy Sima breeds with a subspecies which we call "Reapers", seeing that they're a more supernatural type of Sima, this raises the chances of the kit's mortality by 5-10% and yet, it somehow keeps the kit alive if it's stillborn.
Simas can never breed with a species outside of their own, and can hardly get away with breeding with another subspecies. However, their Winter-coated cousins have little consequences when breeding with them. The subspecies of Simas are just close enough in the genetic pool to not affect the kits' mortality rate nor the number of mutations they get. Anyway, if a Sima were to attempt to breed with any other species (I'm talking about any species, including closed species. Any closed species that allows interspecies relationships), the already unstable DNA of the Simas just cannot compute. Kits will never survive the fetal stage of growth in the womb and, if they somehow did, it would be a stillborn litter and there is no saving the kits. Despite this fact, sometimes, Simas can form bonds with other species. It is uncommon, however.
xxxx--- day 1 ----- xxxxx ----- week 2 ----- xxxxx ----- week 3-4 ----- xxxxxxxxx ----- week 5-8 ----- xxxxx ----- week 10 -----We observed the process of kitbirth, and discovered that the jewel guard is initially soft, much like a human child's skull when they first come into the world. The jewel guard is flat against the jewel, protecting both the jewel itself and the mother/father carrying it from damage. As the kit ages, its ears gradually crop up and the jewel guard hardens naturally and molds itself into the shape we see in adults by the time they're between 8-10 weeks old. It's a delicate time period for the kit to learn how to socialize with their siblings, we found, and some Simas with single kit litters take on the role of playing with the kit themselves.
┎------------- { juvenile simas } -------------
A Sima approaches adolescence anywhere between the ages of 6 months to 3 years old- however, they reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 years. At this stage, we observe their behavior change subtly. Adolescent Simas, now capable of defending themselves, tend to leave the safety of their homes more often to explore and feast upon whatever they can find, as juveniles are more opportunistic by nature.
As they approach adolescence, there's an increase in mineral consumption through rocks and raw crystals they find. It is to strengthen their jewel and allow it to grow along with the rest of their bodies. If they don't eat a sufficient amount of this matter, their jewel doesn't reach it's full potential and is more likely to crack or break- and, depending on the severity of the crack, could put the Sima's life at risk. Simas either swallow the whole of the rock or grind the matter with their omnivorous teeth for a long period of time.
We can see that juvenile Simas begin to approach sexual maturity when we see them practice 'fencing' with their jewel guards, or simply rubbing them against objects with corners. This process, similar to bucks grinding their antlers against branches, sheds off any excess velvet skin that helped ensure the jewel guard's safe development which didn't come off in their kit hood. It tends to be the bloodiest part of the process of jewel guard development, as there is usually quite a bit of velvet still attached to their tail guard. As hormones peak, Simas sometimes are seen fencing with one another when pent up aggression can't be channeled. However, they typically don't have the drive to court and fight one another until they reach 3 years of age when their jewel is fully developed.
Last edited by
corviidae on Tue Feb 18, 2020 7:38 am, edited 5 times in total.
