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Description

November 12, 1948: It seems that the alpha predator of this strange island is no dinosaur or pelycosaur, but a gigantic mammal of bizarre and disturbing appearance. In appearance, it most resembles a cross between an ape and a bear, but analysis of the skull and body type has led me to conclude that the animal is most closely related to prehistoric giant ground sloths. Far from being a vegetarian like its closest known relatives, this beast appears to have developed a carnivorous diet, living as an active predator. It appears to be the apex predator of "Unknown Island", as we witnessed it kill a member of both of the island's other two large predators - a Ceratosaurus, and a Dimetrodon. I am of the belief that there is only one of these animals on the island, as their extreme aggression seems to preclude any others within this animal's territory.

Professor Torrence encountered it in the middle of the day yesterday while circumnavigating the semidesert region in the island's interior. Hiding in the bushes, he watched in silence as it passed within fifty feet of him. However, not ten minutes ago, the beast came unnervingly close to our campsite, crashing through the thick brush. Interestingly, it seemed uncomfortable about our fire and large numbers, and only watched us from the bushes before crashing off into the brush. The animal's extreme size, strength, and lack of grace suggest that it may be a specialist in hunting large, slow animals. Despite this, the animal killed a man on the previous expedition, and it's believed that it prefers attacking solitary prey.

...I just realized that I'm alone in the camp. Oh, dear.

Update: January 4, 1949: Disturbingly, our second expedition to Unknown Island has found NONE of the living prehistoric life that the island was once known for. Yet, the evidence of its recent presence can be found everywhere, mostly in the form of bones and footprints. I have postulated from the evidence that our first expedition unwittingly introduced a pathogen of some sort that infected the prehistoric animals of the island. As Unknown Island is believed to be only the tip of what was once a much larger continent, the tiny large animal population was already unsustainable in the long-term. Regrettably, this new pathogen accelerated the inevitable extinction event on the island from a matter of decades to a matter of months. All that is available now is a handful of bone samples, and some new real estate. A fleet of resort hotels has already been planned for the beaches on the southwest side of the island.

Update: March 12, 1989: Further analysis of the remains of the sloth remains found on Unknown Island has revealed the presence of a dangerous viral infection that seems mutually compatible with the island's giant sloth and with humans. The virus - hopefully now mercifully extinct with the sloth - seems related to rabies, and may follow a similar pattern of driving the victim to madness before killing them. If Captain Tarnowski was infected by the virus (perhaps by drinking contaminated water), then it's hardly surprising that he went insane. Moreover, exposure to a human host seems to have mutated the virus: a modified form of it has been found in the tissues of all the other megafauna of the island. If Tarnowski was infected, and if this is indeed the pathogen that wiped out the unique ecosystem of Unknown Island, it seems he had his revenge on the island's beasts after all.

Update: July 5, 2009: Genetic analysis of the sloth remains has uncovered something amazing: the bloodline of the animal was genetically modified with techniques generally attributed to the Atlanteans. While the remains of the virus it carried are too decayed to perform a detailed genetic study, I am beginning to form a hypothesis based on the evidence. Perhaps the sloth was intended to be a breeding ground for the virus? Perhaps the virus was intended to be another weapon against the Gyaos? The sloth itself would have been able to kill only the small and medium-sized Gyaos - those with a wingspan over eighty feet or so would have probably killed the mammals with ease. However, if the virus was only intended to infect the larger Gyaos when they attacked the sloths, It would have explained a great deal. A rabies-like disease, released among the social but voracious and cannibalistic Gyaos, would have been devastating. Plus, if all the sloths were as aggressive as the last known individual, then they would have attacked any Gyaos they saw regardless of size - hopefully the two species could wipe one another out in the process. The question remains, though: why didn't it work? Maybe it did initially, but the Gyaos adapted too quickly for the virus to damage their population? Maybe the virus was never completed? Maybe the sloths and the virus were both released too late for them to make an impact in the struggle? Regardless, anyone who could have told us has been dead for millennia, and the sloths, the virus, and (hopefully) the Gyaos are now extinct.

Description

November 12, 1948: It seems that the alpha predator of this strange island is no dinosaur or pelycosaur, but a gigantic mammal of bizarre and disturbing appearance. In appearance, it most resembles a cross between an ape and a bear, but analysis of the skull and body type has led me to conclude that the animal is most closely related to prehistoric giant ground sloths. Far from being a vegetarian like its closest known relatives, this beast appears to have developed a carnivorous diet, living as an active predator. It appears to be the apex predator of "Unknown Island", as we witnessed it kill a member of both of the island's other two large predators - a Ceratosaurus, and a Dimetrodon. I am of the belief that there is only one of these animals on the island, as their extreme aggression seems to preclude any others within this animal's territory.

Professor Torrence encountered it in the middle of the day yesterday while circumnavigating the semidesert region in the island's interior. Hiding in the bushes, he watched in silence as it passed within fifty feet of him. However, not ten minutes ago, the beast came unnervingly close to our campsite, crashing through the thick brush. Interestingly, it seemed uncomfortable about our fire and large numbers, and only watched us from the bushes before crashing off into the brush. The animal's extreme size, strength, and lack of grace suggest that it may be a specialist in hunting large, slow animals. Despite this, the animal killed a man on the previous expedition, and it's believed that it prefers attacking solitary prey.

...I just realized that I'm alone in the camp. Oh, dear.

Update: January 4, 1949: Disturbingly, our second expedition to Unknown Island has found NONE of the living prehistoric life that the island was once known for. Yet, the evidence of its recent presence can be found everywhere, mostly in the form of bones and footprints. I have postulated from the evidence that our first expedition unwittingly introduced a pathogen of some sort that infected the prehistoric animals of the island. As Unknown Island is believed to be only the tip of what was once a much larger continent, the tiny large animal population was already unsustainable in the long-term. Regrettably, this new pathogen accelerated the inevitable extinction event on the island from a matter of decades to a matter of months. All that is available now is a handful of bone samples, and some new real estate. A fleet of resort hotels has already been planned for the beaches on the southwest side of the island.

Update: March 12, 1989: Further analysis of the remains of the sloth remains found on Unknown Island has revealed the presence of a dangerous viral infection that seems mutually compatible with the island's giant sloth and with humans. The virus - hopefully now mercifully extinct with the sloth - seems related to rabies, and may follow a similar pattern of driving the victim to madness before killing them. If Captain Tarnowski was infected by the virus (perhaps by drinking contaminated water), then it's hardly surprising that he went insane. Moreover, exposure to a human host seems to have mutated the virus: a modified form of it has been found in the tissues of all the other megafauna of the island. If Tarnowski was infected, and if this is indeed the pathogen that wiped out the unique ecosystem of Unknown Island, it seems he had his revenge on the island's beasts after all.

Update: July 5, 2009: Genetic analysis of the sloth remains has uncovered something amazing: the bloodline of the animal was genetically modified with techniques generally attributed to the Atlanteans. While the remains of the virus it carried are too decayed to perform a detailed genetic study, I am beginning to form a hypothesis based on the evidence. Perhaps the sloth was intended to be a breeding ground for the virus? Perhaps the virus was intended to be another weapon against the Gyaos? The sloth itself would have been able to kill only the small and medium-sized Gyaos - those with a wingspan over eighty feet or so would have probably killed the mammals with ease. However, if the virus was only intended to infect the larger Gyaos when they attacked the sloths, It would have explained a great deal. A rabies-like disease, released among the social but voracious and cannibalistic Gyaos, would have been devastating. Plus, if all the sloths were as aggressive as the last known individual, then they would have attacked any Gyaos they saw regardless of size - hopefully the two species could wipe one another out in the process. The question remains, though: why didn't it work? Maybe it did initially, but the Gyaos adapted too quickly for the virus to damage their population? Maybe the virus was never completed? Maybe the sloths and the virus were both released too late for them to make an impact in the struggle? Regardless, anyone who could have told us has been dead for millennia, and the sloths, the virus, and (hopefully) the Gyaos are now extinct.