Speculative evolution

Speculative evolution is a creative and scientific exploration of possible evolutionary pathways that life could take under different environmental conditions, physiological constraints, or based on imagined scenarios. It combines elements of biology, paleontology, and ecology with imaginative storytelling to consider how life forms might evolve in alternative settings, such as on other planets, in radically different ecosystems, or after significant changes on Earth (like mass extinctions). The field often involves the development of hypothetical organisms, ecosystems, and evolutionary narratives.