Xenobiont

BY LETTER

Xenobiont

Image from Anders Sandberg

Generic term for alien (non-terragen) lifeform. May be animal-like, plant-like, protistan, exotic chemistry, or any other possibility. Does not have to be sophont. In fact, just as on Earth, very few alien species ever evolve any measure of cognitive intelligence.

While some display broadly parallel evolutionary traits with terrestrial creatures, others are completely unlike any Terragen life. May be found in any environment that can support life, include extremophile conditions deadly to most terragen organisms. The number of different xenobiont species discovered and recorded so far numbers in the trillions, but this is still but a tiny percentage of total species of life-forms to be found in our galaxy alone. Also, even planets that have been mapped and surveyed may contain many undiscovered or unrecognized species (especially rare or microscopic forms).

Many natural garden worlds with their complements of alien life forms have been claimed by corporations or caretaker gods, the former marketing select species as pets or novelty value, the latter jealously guarding the indigenous biota from appropriation by other sentients.

Alien
Angel Hair
Auld Limner
Conchsquid
Cookie Fiend
Cybyota
Doreen/Doreens
Dyglufsare
Halogenics
Hedrile, The
Ho'th'hss'lho (Politician)
Ho'th'hss'lho University - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Located on Morogai (also called Ho'th'lhu'ooht), Ho'th'hss'lho University is an important nexus of post-To'u'l and posthuman education. It is based around the Power Ho'th'hss'lho.
Hyraians
Jacks, The
Jade Chime Singers
Lignosagittiae
Muuhian Epoch - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Local (Perseus-Outer Orion) historical epoch characterized by the Muuhian interstellar civilization; 1.2 to 0.6 mya. Approximately equivalent in time to the middle Pleistocene of Old Earth. The Muuhian Epoch was followed (after a long period of time) by the Auldlimnerian Epoch.
Muuhome
Pspyder
Restorers
Rheolithoids
Thyresta
To'ul'h Calendar, The
To'ul'hian Worlds
To'ul'ho'lo'ss (Language)
To'ul'human - Text by Steve Bowers
Homorph To'ul'h who have been given or adopted human shape by advanced biotech. They also can take To'ul'h form in earthlike environments or adapted human form in toulovenusian environments.
UFO
Ultimates, The
Xenecology - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Study and application (in habitat design, biospherics, etc.) of alien (non-terragen) ecologies.
Xenobacter Mirabilis - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Derived bacterium found on Mykropht III - easily gengineered to form symbiotic upregulated DNA repair systems used by soft radnads.
Xenobiologist
Xenobiota - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
The totality of non-terragen life on a specific planet or non-terragen ecosystem.
Xenologist