EPTAnatomy of Starcraft - Page 20
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Brutaxilos
United States2633 Posts
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Ponera
Canada596 Posts
Thought you protoss fans would like to see this, it's a spinoff done by our physics major! | ||
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Ponera
Canada596 Posts
Contributors will be drawn randomly as there will be one other spot on the show for one lucky fan! | ||
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gr3mlin
1 Post
 Explaining the External Jaw/Mandible in Zerg I’ve been enjoying the show and the articles, Ponera. It's good stuff :D. The constant references to the extra, or eternal, jaw of the Hydralisk and other Zerg, like the Queen, got me thinking about their possible function. I was thinking that a possible explanation for the jaws is that they are a sensory organ. This touches on what bahunto28 and papalio on page 5 and 8 suggested but I wanted to further explore the idea. Couldn’t the tissue or at least the surface of the connective tissue, between the external jaws and the interior jaw, be lined with chemoreceptor’s? The opening of these jaws could be an action similar to the flehmen response seen in mammals so that the Hydralisk can get scents and pheromones to the vomeronasal organ (Jacobson’s organ) or an equivalent structure. This would also explain the absence of nostrils on the hydralisk (at least I can’t seen any) as well as the absence of nostrils on the queen who also has rather large external jaws/mandibles. If it isn't the tissue that has the receptor cells then perhaps the interior of the external jaws are lined with sensillum ( I think that's the right term XD ). This theory also lines up because external jaws are not present in overlords who have antennae and thus have an alternate way to pick up chemical signals from other zerg. Zerglings also have nostrils, albeit slight, so they might not have need for the extra jaw if it does serve a chemical sensory function. I suppose they could also be heavily modified antennae, but I’m leaning toward the chemosensory idea. These appendages seem more like mandibles than antennae. The slipper lobster is the only example of a creature I could find with highly modified antennae that are flat and hard looking. The only other possibility that comes to mind is that between these jaws are salivary glands that secret a saliva which aids in digestion of food. Zergling and Their Giant “Face Claws” The zergling’s giant curved horns, or “face claws”, on its head do seem a bit absurd, but there might be an actual reason for these to have been evolved by the swarm. They remind me of a bull’s horns and it seems to me they might be ideal for breaking the covering of a Terran marine’s face shield. Another purpose might be to aid in burrowing. They might be using these horns like shovels. The digging aid probably isn't likely though sense they seemed to burrow just fine in Starcraft 1 when they didn’t have these “face claws”. | ||
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Doominator10
United States515 Posts
The zerg could have then merely repurposed those limbs for combat, or specifically, bashing in the faces of zealots. Additionally, they may also serve some purpose in climbing up while simultaneously tearing through larger foes, (zerglings climbing on top of dragoons, tanks, etc.) Really, the game doesn't do it justice when you see lings only surrounding a thor on ground level. Ideally I thinking they would be veritably "swarming" those bigger dudes, and the extra limbs serve some use for tearing larger stuff. Interesting topic for continuation? Love the work into this thread guys :D. Just trying to keep it alive. EDIT: Although they are supposed to be more insectoid than mammalian... hmm | ||
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Brutaxilos
United States2633 Posts
On February 12 2013 10:06 Doominator10 wrote: I like what prev. post was saying, but I think the extra "face-claws" might be an adaptation from the original !#$@%%@ dune-runner. If the dune runner is from some sort of desert planet (DUNE!), and it's' a mammal, then perhaps it is a biological adaptation for surviving predators... use those extra limbs to help burrow through sand or climb up slopes faster than the predator. The zerg could have then merely repurposed those limbs for combat, or specifically, bashing in the faces of zealots. Additionally, they may also serve some purpose in climbing up while simultaneously tearing through larger foes, (zerglings climbing on top of dragoons, tanks, etc.) Really, the game doesn't do it justice when you see lings only surrounding a thor on ground level. Ideally I thinking they would be veritably "swarming" those bigger dudes, and the extra limbs serve some use for tearing larger stuff. Interesting topic for continuation? Love the work into this thread guys :D. Just trying to keep it alive. EDIT: Although they are supposed to be more insectoid than mammalian... hmm You can't really call them mammals or insects (mammalian or insectoid is okay though) as they ARE aliens. I'm hoping to do the locusts soon as I think that they definitely appear mammalian in their portraits. | ||
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Doominator10
United States515 Posts
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