The Science of Avatar DIRECTIONS Choose one of

The Science of Avatar

DIRECTIONS: Choose one of the animals or plants found on Pandora and answer the following questions: • Identify and describe at least 5 special adaptations your organism has. • What evolutionary advantage did these adaptations give them? Explain • What environmental pressures may have led to these adaptations? Explain • How is the organism you chose similar and/or different than the other organisms found on Pandora? Explain • What organism on Earth do you think most resembles the organism you chose on Pandora? Explain

Viperwolf These six-legged, canine-like jungle predators move in packs and slink to the ground or climb up in trees when stalking their prey. Most creatures on Pandora are fierce or powerful — the closest Cameron got to cute and cuddly was his viperwolf pups.

Prolemuris This herbivorous monkey-like tree-dweller has two bifurcated limbs, which it uses to swing from branch to branch. Many of the animals on Pandora are hexapedal (they have six limbs), while the Na'vi have four — two legs and two arms. With its bifurcated arms, the prolemuris serves as an evolutionary link between the four-limbed Na'vi and the lower sixlimbed species.

Direhorse Horse-like creature with six legs, tough skin with no fur, long necks and small head, bold stripes, flexible carbon fiber armor over shoulders and along the back of the neck and head. Land omnivore that uses long snout to feed on sap. Favored food is direhorse pitcher plant. Effective pollinator. Over 4. 25 meters long, up to four meters in height.

Hammerhead Titanothere Twice the size of an African elephant, this herbivore has a massive, flat head, which it lowers when angry and ready to charge. When it wants to avoid a fight, the hammerhead raises a fan of brightly colored feathers on its head and roars.

Great Leonopteryx This is one of the largest known creatures cruising the skies of Pandora. Its 25 -meter wingspan — just five meters short of the length of a blue whale (!) — dwarves any bird we have today, and indeed any flying animal from prehistory.

The mountain banshee is highly adapted for flight. Specially developed muscles attached to the breastbone allow for the powerful strokes needed to achieve lift. It is believed that all of Pandora's flying animals take advantage of gravity that is lower than Earth's and the increased air density. The downside is that the denser air is harder to move through, and requires highly-efficient streamlining to achieve high flight speeds.

Na'vi Range: Population concentrated in rainforest regions. Outlying clans have been detected on each continent and in subarctic, swampland mountainous regions. Anatomy: Smooth skin is iridescent, cyan color. Long, prehensile tail. Skull is proportionately small, high cheekbones, feline ears and a protruding, snout. Bioluminescent markings. Feeding Ecology: Omnivore. Hunter and gatherer. Size: Average male is three meters tall, females slightly smaller.

The most striking feature of the warbonnet fern is the iridescent blue of the leaves, which contain abundant anthocyanin pigments. These pigments are light-reactive chemicals that reflect blue light and give color to the blue and purple flowers and fruit. The warbonnet fern is among the many bioluminescent flora of Pandora. Credit: James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game

Most of Pandora’s flora and fauna emit only one single color, often green, blue, indigo, or violet. There are exceptions like the Warbonnet Fern. Its leaves are illuminated by a broad band of red near their stems and by an iridescent blue near their tips. On Pandora, there is also a bioluminescent moss that is touch-sensitive. It will send out rings of blue-green light as a reaction to footsteps. Credit: James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game

Helicoradian is a zooplantae (part animal, part plant) possessing a single leaf that responds to touch by coiling up and retracting to the ground. Its neuromuscular system makes it difficult to classify. Helicoradia can grow to 6 -8 meters (20 -26 feet) in height and 2. 5 meters (8. 2 feet) across. Credit: James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game

The name Hometree is misleading, as the structure is actually comprised of a grove of intertwined trees of the same species that have grown together, providing for mutual strength and structural reinforcement. This, coupled with Pandora’s low gravity, is what accounts for the immense height of Hometree. Credit: James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game