Referred Species: G. parisiensis, G. gigantea, G. sarasini, G. geiselensis, G. russeli, G. xichuanensis
My third favorite extinct Avialan!
Gastornis is a fairly famous genus of extinct Neornithean due to its role on the popular documentary, Walking with Prehistoric Beasts. Sadly, since that documentary came out we have learned a lot about this bird, much of which contradicts its depiction in that film. It lived in the Paleocene and Eocene epochs of the Paleogene period, specifically from the Thanetian to Lutetian ages, from about 56 to 45 million years ago. It had a very large range, across western Europe, the United States, and china, and it was one of the largest animals found in its ecosystems. It originated in Europe and probably radiated out through the Bering Land Bridge to other locations, though the genus lasted longer in Europe as well due to the isolation of the continent.
Though the North American species were formerly known under the genus Diatryma, they were eventually lumped in with Gastornis after extensive study. In cladistic analyses it has been found to be a kind of Anseriform, the group that includes ducks and their close relatives like geese and screamers; indicating that it was basically a large, strange land duck. As such, though it used to often be reproduced with ratite-like plumage due to its large size, however fossil discoveries have been found that might belong to Gastornis with vaned, broad feathers like that of flighted birds – the feathers themselves were large and probably belonged to something like Gastornis or close to its size, and given its phylogenetic position the presence of vaned broad feathers seems likely. It was a large bird, about 2 meters in height, with a powerfully built and very large skull, with a very tall and flattened beak. It had very small, reduced wings, due to its flightless niche.
Now, despite what Walking With Beasts may have told you, Gastornis has recently been found to actually be an herbivore, rather than a large carnivore. There is no chemical evidence that it had meat in its diet, as based on calcium isotope studies in the bones. This chemical analysis revealed that Gastornis’s diet was most similar to other herbivorous dinosaurs, rather than Tyrannosaurus or the terror birds. It also coexisted with other large mammals like pantodonts, so the cause of this animal’s extinction is relatively unknown. Eggs and footprints are known from the genus (and have been covered here on this blog), however, some of the fossil footprints known are much younger than fossils known from Gastornis, indicating that it or its relatives lived longer than previously thought. However, it is entirely likely that these prints were made by later relatives of Gastornis, rather than Gastornis itself.
just a reminder that you are under no obligation to label yourself according to the western-centric + white-centric labels of gender and sexuality.
lgbtq+ identities existed long before colonization touched our land. You do not have to exchange one type of conformity for another to fit in with other lgbtq+ folks.
If labels like nonbinary, genderfluid, etc feel good to you, go for it!
If two-spirit feels right, that’s awesome! If not, don’t sweat it.
If you have an identity specific to your indigenous heritage, you are under no obligation to translate your complex, nuanced identity into terms that non-natives understand.
You are under no explanation to explain your identity to non-natives.
The tea-vs.-coffee division is a false binary that robs us of our real potential.
The truly righteous way to live is to get a thing of strong black coffee in one hand and a thing of green tea in the other hand and slam back both of them shits and BECOME UNSTOPPABLE
Natalie, this sort of deep truth and wisdom is why I love you.
Listen to auntie @wodneswynn kids; she’s absolutely correct.
I don’t think he would have this asterisk in an actual Bravely/Persona crossover , but the Akechi meme is pancakes, so I was legally obliged to draw him as a Patissier
Level 1: There exists a single objectively correct translation, and all localisatons should use it.
Level 2: It’s impossible for a translation’s text ever to perfectly match the connotations and cultural context of the original text, so all translations are equally wrong.
Level 3: None of the original text’s readers brought the exact same set of assumptions and experiences to the act of reading it as the author brought to the act of writing it; before we can judge a translation as “right” or “wrong”, we have to ask: right or wrong from whose perspective?
Level 4: Localisation is effectively a work of original authorship, so translation choices cannot be “right” or “wrong” in the abstract; they can only be more or less suited for a particular purpose.
Level 5: Add more dick jokes.
Aren’t levels 3 and 4 essentially the same, save the distinction between audience and purpose?
No, because at Level 3 you’re still assuming that the point of translation is to faithfully recreate [the/an] experience of the original text. At Level 4 you allow for other purposes.
Level Borges: The Original is unfaithful to the translation.
Plot Designing 