Skip to content
SpecEvo
← SpecEvo
The Ashfall Basin

A volcanic basin under a smoke-dimmed sky and Earth-like gravity. Sulfur vents and scalding mineral pools dot fields of cooled basalt; the air is thin and acrid, and heat from below — not sunlight — drives much of life here.

Cinderwing

Evo 2FlyerEats animalsAerialResilient

Shaped by 🦚 mate competition

A dazzling flyer that uses bright, iridescent feathers and a prominent crest to attract mates amidst the ash-choked skies.

iridescent plumagedisplay crest15 cmfaster wingbeats
Size
15 cm
Diet
insectivore
Habitat
volcanic updrafts
Moves by
powered flight

Why it evolved

Intense sexual selection has driven the evolution of elaborate visual displays. The Cinderwing has developed iridescent plumage and a prominent display crest, making individuals more attractive to potential mates in the dim light of the Ashfall Basin. This increased attractiveness comes at the cost of increased energy expenditure for both display and the slightly more powerful wing muscles required for maneuverability during courtship flights, reducing its ability to passively thermal-soar.

What changed from Thermal-Glider

Gained:+ iridescent plumage+ display crest+ 15 cm+ faster wingbeats
Lost:broad membranes12 cmthermal-soaring
  • Size: 12 cm 15 cm
  • Habitat: updraft columns volcanic updrafts
  • Moves by: thermal gliding powered flight

Lineage

🦅Thermal-Gli…Evo 1🦅CinderwingEvo 2
  • resilient
  • strained
  • fragile
  • ★ canon
  • 🧬 hybrid
  • 💀 extinct
Drag or scroll to move · Tab + Enter for keyboard · click to select, double-click to openView as list2 species

Apply a pressure

You choose the situation, not the result. Selection acts on Cinderwing; the descendant appears above.

Climate

Resources & space

Predators & life

Habitat & extremes

Cross-breed

Mate Cinderwing with another branch of the same lineage to make a hybrid.