Hmmm, part 2 of a series that has no plan or format. It's just a group of related issues and fun information associated with living underground that I need to spell out for myself. Thanks for your attention and please let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions.
One of the fascinating things about living completely within the stone is the idea that you are totally divorced from the impact of weather. When you live without sunrise, there is no need to divide the days. Apparently, animals who live underground sleep less than their surface-dwelling kin. Hmmm... is there a reason to get all of your sleep in one block? Some people swear by napping. However, most scientists seem to feel that true recovery only comes from long blocks of uninterrupted sleep. What does a year mean without seasonal variation in weather or stars (which separates this from living near the poles) and how do you keep track of time? One solution, created by Mr. Salvatore, was to have a massive column (so everyone could see it) lit every day by a slowly dissipating magic (or some similar effect). Predators and prey can be active at any hour, so it's probably a good idea to be on your toes as often as possible. Reproduction also wouldn't be tied to seasonality. Damn. It sounds like a mess down there.
Vitamin D deficiency would be an issue for humans living entirely underground. Within the body it promotes the absorption of Calcium to encourage bone growth, prevents rickets in kids, protects against osteoporosis in adults, and so on. Most Vitamin D today comes from artificially enhanced products (usually milk based). You can also get small amounts from fatty fish, beef liver, egg yolks and some mushrooms. The trick is that it is also produced by the skin reacting to UV light (from the Sun, people). Historically, this would probably be where most folks got their fix after childhood. Could be one of the reasons why folks today are generally taller and live healthier longer. Hmmm it could be a reason why folks living underground are shorter than normal in Fantasy settings... brittle bones doesn't really fit though. Again, I guess since they don't have to be human, I could ignore this entirely...
Non-aquatic species are pretty limited in cave environments. As I said before, most creatures we think of as subterranean only spend part of their time underground. Usually they move into the caves to take refuge from really nasty winter weather. However, among similar species there doesn't seem to be a single dietary plan for these creatures. In a study of cave crickets, one species stuck to its dietary plan (mostly plants and fibers) through age cycles and seasons, while the other shifted from veggies to arthropods. In an environment where resources are extremely limited, I guess creatures don't turn their noses up at any opportunity to dine.
"Subterranean" covers more than just cave dwellers. There are loads of animals that live within the soil (hell, I saw a guy once come out from his home in the side of a hill and head to work). One of the ideas that I am playing with is that creatures living underground impact surface features (giving their presence away, if you know what to look for). If animals dig tunnels, there might be ripples visible in the surface. If animals eat the roots of plants from underground, there should be stretches of browned and dying plants. In an opposite direction, if animals dig tunnels, they might aerate the soil or provide water or fertilizer in an area where you wouldn't expect plants to grow. So much fun to be had when adding in the little touches.
Shit, those could be four different posts if I was better at this whole thing. You might ask yourself why, having already recognized this, I didn't split it up. Part of it is that I want to keep some of my plans for story, secret. If I tell you everything now, where is the joy in reading? Mainly, take this as a little insight into how my mind asks questions and begins exploring. That's what I said this blog is about, right?
Anyway, is there anything else I should be considering about living underground? I can always use more help. Thanks.
Sleep Cycles - http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/cp-tec040511.php
Bio
of Subterranean Rodents -
http://books.google.com/books?id=sxmPxO7rWscC&pg=PA248&lpg=PA248&dq=subterranean+creatures&source=bl&ots=2l0cDSQ9JY&sig=UEPoZ_guO_pEW3BwD178jnprDiw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6HtaU7i6A4mpsATU8IGwDA&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBDge#v=onepage&q=subterranean%20creatures&f=false
Cave
Cricket Diet -
http://www.pensoft.net/journals/subtbiol/article/6719/measurements-of-the-diet-in-two-species-of-troglophilus-krauss-1879-cave-crickets-from-italian-subterranean-habitats-ort
Vitamin D - http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
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