Superspecies
Superspecies are a category of creatures described by the scientific organization Monarch in the Monsterverse franchise. The Kong: Skull Island Cinematic Adventure defines the term thusly:
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Superspecies is a catch-all term coined by Monarch to describe the Titans and other creatures they were discovering. As time went on, it was refined to refer to plants and animals that have origins in Hollow Earth or were formerly thought to be cryptoozological species prior to confirmed evidence of their existence.[1]
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As such, there are no strict metrics by which a creature is classified as a superspecies. However, ancestry with a known species seems to be a disqualifying factor, as Monarch's discovery of DNA relation between the Shocker Squid and Humboldt squid led it to declare the former not a superspecies.[2] Superspecies range in size from as small as the flowers of the Butterfly Bush[1] to as large as the up-to-110 foot-long Mire Squid, with the latter's fragility and limited range being the only things keeping it from qualifying as a Titan.[3] In some cases, a creature may even be classified as a superspecies before its existence has been confirmed, as is true for the Spirit Tiger.[4]
Within the category of superspecies are "classifications" and "sub-divisions." Many of the superspecies discovered on Skull Island are placed into one or both of florafauna and megafauna, the former describing lifeforms which share genetic traits with both plants and animals.[5] However, other classifications exist, such as "megalopod" for the Mire Squid[6] and "necroserpere" for the Death Jackals and Skullcrawlers.[7] Sub-divisions, meanwhile, appear to describe the taxonomical class, family, or genus with which a superspecies is most closely related or most closely resembles; for example, "Arachnid" for the spider-like Mother Longlegs[8] and "Bovidae" for the water buffalo-like Sker Buffalo.[9]
Every superpecies also has a "cryptozoological classification" which, while never defined, appears to be a unique identifier given to them by Monarch in a manner akin to binomial nomenclature. However, these classifications do not appear to follow the rules of real-world taxonomy, as Leafwings, which are said to be a subspecies of Psychovultures, have a cryptozoological classification of Icarus Folium[10] as opposed to the Psychovultures' Vultura Insanus,[11] seeming to disprove that the first word is an indication of genus. Moreover, individual members of a superspecies may sometimes ascend to Titan status, such as the Alphas of the Skullcrawlers[12] or queens of the Snarehunters.[13] In the latter case, Snarehunter Valkyries (which are given the cryptozoological classification Cantus formica along with the other castes of Snarehunters[14]) are believed to transform into Queens, but receive a new classification of Cantus Silva Ant despite being the same creature and giving birth to further Snarehunters.[15]
Known superspecies
Below are all known creatures which have been described as superspecies but not Titans, in alphabetical order. Blank cells indicate information that has not been given.
| Designation | Cryptozoological classification |
Classification | Sub-division | Predation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butterfly Bush/Flower | Tinea mortis | Florafauna | Shrub | Parasitic |
| Death Jackal | Spinae Mortem | Necroserpere[a] | Canus | Carnivorous |
| Dream Slime | Somnium mucosae | Florafauna | Slime Mold | Carnivorous |
| Kong | Apus Giganticus | [b] | ||
| Leafwing | Icarus Folium | Florafauna | Reptilia-Aves Hybrid | Omnivorous |
| Magma Jackal | Canis Vulcan | Magmafauna | Carnivorous | |
| Magma Turtle | Tortoisa Vulkana | Testudines Mineral | Igneous Reptilia | Herbivorous |
| Mire Squid | Gigantus Leviapus | Megalopod | Architeuthis Hybrid | Omnivorous |
| Mother Longlegs | Arachnida Malum | Florafauna | Arachnid | Carnivorous |
| Psychovulture | Vultura Insanus | Ctenochasmatoidea | Reptilia Aves Hybrid | Omnivorous |
| Sirenjaw | Gigantus Crocodiliad | Megafauna[c] | Siren | Omnivorous |
| Sker Buffalo | Skerry Bubalis | Megafauna[d] | Bovidae | Herbivorous |
| Skull Ant | Cranium Oecophylla | Megafauna | Omnivorous | |
| Skullcrawler | Cranium Reptant | Necroserpere/ megafauna[e] |
Salamandra | Carnivore |
| Snarehunter | Cantus formica | Megafauna[f] | Formicidae | Omnivorous |
| Spirit Tiger | Tigris Spiritus | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Spore Mantis | Phasmid Sylas | Florafauna | Ghost Insect | Carnivorous/ fungivorous[g] |
| Sporefly | Protolampris Sporis | Florafauna | Omnivorous | |
| Swamp Locust | Stagnum Acrididae | Florafauna | Water Nymph | Omnivorous |
| Vinestrangler | Vitis Strangulari | Florafauna | Fraxinus Devourer | Carnivorous |
| Volt Panther | Panthera Tempestas | Panthera | Unknown | |
Trivia
- Monsterverse novel and comic author Greg Keyes previously proposed the term sub-Titan to describe Hollow Earth creatures that "don't quite rise to the level of Godzilla or Rodan."[25]
- Amhuluk and the Snarehunter Queen are the only Titans who are also florafauna.
See also
Notes
- ↑ The Death Jackal had never been given a classification prior to 2023, when the Kong: Skull Island Cinematic Adventure classified it as a "necroserpere."[16] Godzilla x Kong: Titan Chasers later classified it as its sub-division "Canus," likely in error.
- ↑ Though Kong's species has never been given a "predation" category, Kong himself is omnivorous, as he eats both meat (Mire Squid, Wart Dog, Drownviper) and plants (leaves, bamboo[17]).
- ↑ Classified as a megafauna, but described as being an example of "florafauna evolution."[18]
- ↑ Classified as a megafauna, but simultaneously "considered a kind of florafauna."[19]
- ↑ The Skullcrawler had never been given a classification prior to 2023, when the Kong: Skull Island Cinematic Adventure classified it as a "necroserpere."[20] However, this was contradicted by the 2024 game Godzilla x Kong: Titan Chasers, which instead classified it as a megafauna.
- ↑ Despite listing the Snarehunters as megafauna, the Kong: Skull Island Cinematic Adventure describes Snarehunter Queens as "Flourafauna" (sic).[15]
- ↑ The Spore Mantis' predation was given as "carnivorous" in its profiles from Kong: Skull Island's marketing and the Monsterverse Watchalong event.[21][22][23] The Kong: Skull Island Cinematic Adventure adds "fungivorous," explaining that the species is only "partly carnivorous".[24]
References
This is a list of references for Superspecies. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
Bibliography
- Trent, Sigfried; Bramnik, Michael; Flanagan, Ivis (2023). Kong: Skull Island Cinematic Adventure. Evil Genius Games. ISBN 979-8-9865552-8-7.
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