Frequently Asked Questions

Snaiad deals with an unfamilliar subject, considering that for the majority of the public does not know much about alien life, evolution and zoological sci-fi. This has to be accepted as it is; not everyone can be expected to have the same background knowledge or interests that increase the enjoyment of speculative zoology. Therefore, I hope the answers to these common questions will help to familiarize some of our new readers with Snaiad.

What is all this?
Snaiad is a project that explores how life could evolve on a planet that is roughly similar to Earth. Evolution depends more on chance and accidents than most people assume, so one of this project's aims is to show a possible "what if" world where life found a different way under similar conditions.

Are these things dinosaurs?
No, these are alien lifeforms that might have evolved on a different planet. Some of them do look like "dinosaurs" to the untrained eye, since they have unusual features and strange body plans.

But why do some animals look like twisted versions of those on Earth?
This phenomenon is called convergent evolution; sometimes animals that have similar lifestyles end up developing similar solutions to common problems. For example, the Jetocetes and Earth's dolphins look superficially alike, because moving underwater is easier when an organism has a propulsive tail, paddle-like limbs and a streamlined body. This phenomenon is also observed on Earth animals that have different origins, for example sharks and dolphins.

Are those penises growing out of their chests or necks?
Nope. Large "vertebrates" on Snaiad have evolved a two-head system: The first head actually shelters the genitals and the womb and hosts the sense organs. The "jaws" on these head have evolved from genital coverings on early "vertebrate" ancestors. These fake jaws are sometimes used for hunting or food gathering, but they are never used to actually swallow food. This function is taken care of the second head that grows from the "vertebrates'" chests. This is what you have mistaken for a penis. Look here for a better explanation.

Where are all the flying animals?
It's not that there are no flyers on Snaiad. There are some, but we are still busy on "designing" them. It is highly possible that these flying animals will belong to an invertebrate group rather than the traditional "vertebrates", whose hydraulic muscles make flight difficult. You can find out more hints at the history section.

I think something is wrong with these animals.
This is, after all, a speculative project but I try to make it life-like in every aspect. If you still think there is a serious error, write me at c.m.kosemen@gmail.com and I'll respond.

I found a typo.
Quick, let me know so I can fix it.

If this is an alien planet, where are the intelligent aliens?
Snaiad does not have any intelligent species in the present, but the situation might have been different in the past. Intelligence is not a "goal" of the evolutionary process, nothing is. Evolution just serves to adapt organisms to a changing environment and these adaptations can take many different forms. On Earth, one group of animals has developed an imagination and manipulative skills and this has served them well, we are the result. No comparable development has taken place on Snaiad, because animals have other adaptations to help them survive.

Did God create Snaiad?
Nope, I did. Come on, it's just a story.

So you are playing God?
No and no. This is merely an evolutionary thought-exercise that took me a few years to conceive. I did it for fun and intellectual fulfillment. Real nature is far more complicated and old, it took more than four billion years of evolution for life on Earth to get to its current state. There is currently no evidence suggesting an intelligent agency in this process.

What are people doing on Snaiad?
They arrived here after an difficult colony mission. This was a plot twist that was necessary to lay out the story for human readers. You can read more in the history section.

What do you take to come up with this stuff?
Although they look very complicated, the lifeforms and ecosystems in Snaiad were mostly influenced by their counterparts on Earth. I simply came up with a common body plan and "evolved" it in successive variations to get all of the lifeforms and body plans you see here. I sadly did not see any of them in any visions or hallucinations.

How did you do the paintings?
The paintings were done with a mixture of traditional pencil, watercolor techniques, as well as digital compositing. Take a look at the making of section.

Can I submit animal designs and/or stories of my own?
Sure, just go to the collaborations page. But I have to take a look at them to "canonize" your works. You also have to let me hold the copyright for your designs, but you will be credited. Even after that, it could take a while for your sketches to be turned into painting form.

You rejected my creature design/story! I hate you!
This could have happened for a number of reasons, but please understand that sometimes I will have to be selective for the whole project to work together. If you are still unhappy, why not start a world-design project of your own? You can see a list of all canonized Snaiadi concepts on this page.

Is that all there is to Snaiad?
Not by a long shot. I still have dozens of animal groups to paint, as well as scenes from the planet's past and other "phylums" on Snaiad. I think this project still has several years' worth of steam left in it. This is among the reasons I'm setting it up as a website for now.

Will Snaiad ever come out as a book?
I sincerely hope so. But no publishers or producers have contacted me as of yet.

We love your project and we'd like to help you make a book/article/film out of it.
Wow! Contact me at c.m.kosemen@gmail.com and we can talk!

 

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Copyright laws protect all intellectual property associated with Snaiad.
All artwork, concepts and names associated with this project belong to C. M. Kosemen, unless otherwise stated.