shapeshifting/transmogrification

[alxian]

are there any known examples of shapeshifting animals in nature?

animals able to change shape, at a cellular level in a moment?


some animals can change shape but they require long periods of time to do so, essentially going through gestation all over again.

stem cell research, or natural evolution may lead to a point where consciously a species could control each cell.


generally sci-fi holds that such change requires that the animals consume incredible amounts of food to feed the increased cellular activity, increased food intake would provide the power and raw materials. why add more material though if the cells can just change shape and also their function? with that much control a morphing creature would more than likely be able to digest its food more efficiently and draw nutrients from anything it ate.

such a creature may not require as much food in that case. simply tons of water and minerals to alter its size and depending on its size the amount of sustinance would vary widely but would be much less than animals of comparable size.

[infamous]

Originally Posted by alxian

are there any known examples of shapeshifting animals in nature?

.

Metamorphosis, as in butterflies.

[alxian]

thats what i mean insects do it through going through metamorphosis like a second gestation, slowly.. too slowly for it to be called shapeshifting..

are there any animals that do it quickly? or can undergo metamorphosis without a chrisalis?

could it be possible for a creature to carry enough DNA to express several distinct bodies or absorb DNA from another animal and express it?

can cellular division, tissue contruction, building of entire organs, like a salamander replacing a lost limb happen while you are watching it? fast enough that it can be called shapeshifting?

[GAHD]

Some newts can grow lungs/gills as they need. Some fish too.

[Dundasbro]

Chameleans with colour maybe? Does that count?

[infamous]

Originally Posted by GAHD

Some newts can grow lungs/gills as they need. Some fish too.

I also remember reading about some fish that can change their sex to suit the needs of their population. Can't remember the name of that particular fish right of hand, maybe someone else has that information convienent to the moment.

[alxian]

colour change evolved in many species yes, but the cells don't change fundamentally they just change colour

the most striking examples are octopi and cuddle fish. the cuddle fish can change colours fluidly and quickly but the range of colours isn't very wide. octopi have a better spectrum of colours at their displosal since they using colour shifting as a defensive mechanism.

http://www.metacafe.com/item21975/am...amoflage_video

maybe if such cellular chemistry control could be controlled a bit more the function of the cells could be altered too, and an animal could instinctively grow wings, shrink, grow, increase its muscle mass, transmute into more suitables forms as a situation demanded.

[damocles]

alxian are there any known examples of shapeshifting animals in nature?

Shapeshifting animals as previously mentioned(newts, hydra, butterflies, either regrow damaged appendages, or new lungs or slowly metamorph[not the same thing as shapeshifting?])

animals able to change shape, at a cellular level in a moment?

Non-existent as far as I know as multicellular organisms.

some animals can change shape but they require long periods of time to do so, essentially going through gestation all over again.

True.

stem cell research, or natural evolution may lead to a point where consciously a species could control each cell.

Not likely. My favorite enemy of the possible, the great limiter of all things(heat) renders such a possibility remote.

generally sci-fi holds that such change requires that the animals consume incredible amounts of food to feed the increased cellular activity, increased food intake would provide the power and raw materials. why add more material though if the cells can just change shape and also their function? with that much control a morphing creature would more than likely be able to digest its food more efficiently and draw nutrients from anything it ate.

Such an animal would polymorph at the molecular rather than the cellular level. Again the
problem is heat. Look for electro-chemical processes and an organism that is either a differentiated flowing plasmid or some kind of mobile crystal. It would absorb(eat) its prey(food) by absorption. Such a process(digestion) would be as heat intensive and radical as its ability to change shape.(Changing shape may be a byproduct of the way it absorbs food as our tool using was/is a byproduct of walking erect?)

it may be that the animal's overall efficiency is better than the efficxiency of a catalytic chemical reaction based form of life such as ourselves, but I doubt it.

such a creature may not require as much food in that case. simply tons of water and minerals to alter its size and depending on its size the amount of sustinance would vary widely but would be much less than animals of comparable size.

Internal heat loading puts an upper size limit on such polymorphing organisms. (Think chihuahua with large area surface radiator fins.)

[Fishteacher73]

Originally Posted by infamous

I also remember reading about some fish that can change their sex to suit the needs of their population. Can't remember the name of that particular fish right of hand, maybe someone else has that information convienent to the moment.

A number of fish can, most notebaly the parrotfish (saltwater) and a few types of clows do, a lot of the bivalves do, and crafish actually have THREE sexes (a male, female, and a "postmale"- in which a male that hase spawned changes into).


The most remarkable is the mimic octopus. It has about four or five animals that it alters its shape to mimic thes animals (A few types of fish, sea snakes, crabs, adn sponges)..