Avatar’s New Twist on Plants

[Human No More]

Not long so much as variable. It's a case that if bioluminescence is prevalent, most species have it because having none actually makes them more obvious (plus camouflage appears to be secondary at best in the survival mechanisms of most creatures).

[auroraglacialis]

Originally Posted by Human No More

Not long so much as variable.

The darkness/light cycle. Yes indeed. It would be way more complicated than on Earth. Though thinking of it - there might be quite a long night in the shadow of Prometheus, depending on the orbit of Pandora, e.g. if it is relatively close and relatively slow. But the slower it orbits, the more rare such long nights would be.

[/It's a case that if bioluminescence is prevalent, most species have it because having none actually makes them more obvious

That I do not really understand - If it is dark and one does not want to get eaten, staying without luminescence would be just fine, right? One would be less obvious in that case, no?

But if one depends on pollinators and other creatures constantly, as it might be in a world that only rarely has darkness, it would make sense to bridge that darkness and lack of pollinators with producing light. It would also not be that expensive energywise because it is only a short period compared to the periods of light. At least that is a logic I can think of.

[redpaintednavi]

Here is an old (2010) interview with Jodie Holt, the Botanist Behind Avatar:


An Interview with Jodie Holt, the Botanist Behind ‘Avatar’ » Scienceline