Dominique Curry

It is modern-day earth. Hit by an apocalypse that paused halfway, resulting in “Pangea-redux”. Most organisms are “mashed together” like the continents.

One-third (of most organisms) express “taxonomy-inclined fusion”, commonly seen in mammals that have fused with other mammals.

One-third ignore specific taxonomy, called “taxonomy-transcended fusion”, like the trees that have fused with deer.

The final third can follow “taxonomy-free fusion” aka an “unholy”, in which three things may happen.

One, a single individual may have traits from both the taxonomy-inclined and taxonomy-transcended.

Two, an organism may combine with an inanimate structure, natural or manmade.

Three, a “conceptual” or “fantastical” organism results from the fusion and expresses traits through either a formerly unscathed organism or a fuse-involved organism. Like this muskox specimen here, expressing both the “devil” tail and the front legs of a chicken.

Some organisms remain unscathed, like many people, plants, and animals.

Some extinct organisms gradually return – romantically described by many as “the return to what should have been” or “return to stasis”. One such being is the Tasmanian tiger, in small numbers.

Does this muskox remind you of someone?