Prehistoric Variants (A Fossils and Archeology Revival Add-On)

Prehistoric Variants (A Fossils and Archeology Revival Add-On)

Adds additional variant conditions for Fossils & Archeology dinosaurs.

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2.8K Downloads
forgemobs
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Screenshots

Logo
1.0: Smilodon Variants

About this Mod

The logo for Prehistoric Variants, featuring the first word of the name in orange and the second word in purple in a pixelized font.

Prehistoric Variants is an add-on for the Fossils & Archeology: Revival mod that adds additional variant spawn conditions to the mod, as well as a handful of extra variants that use them.  Like the default variants, new variants can be added via datapack, making this a great resource for variant making.

The mod adds two new spawn conditions: Spawn Biome, which is influenced by the biome the mob first spawns in, and Random, which can occur at any time.  Both of these conditions are optionally hereditary, meaning that when a new baby is born, it might inherit a biome or random variant from a parent which carries it.

If you experience an issue with either of these new variant types, please refer to the Prehistoric Variants issue tracker, and NOT to F&A's!

Two smilodons rest in a clearing.  One is black with orange eyes, the other is gray with spots and blue eyes.

The mod also introduces a handful of extra variants created by me, which demonstrate the new system!  Currently, the mod adds two new variants for the smilodon, along with an extra custom surprise.

For even more variety, check out my other addon Prehistoric Spawns, which allows the dinosaurs of F&A to spawn naturally in the overworld-- pairing well with the biome spawn condition!

Currently the mod is only available for Forge, but a Fabric version is likely in the future as I become more familiar with Fabric modding.

Please note: While the mod should not break on servers, there is currently an F&A bug that affects variant conditions on servers, causing them not to show up.  As far as I'm aware this is on their end, not mine, which means that hopefully it will be fixed on its own in future versions.

Promotional screenshots taken using Oh the Biomes You'll Go (1.18) and Complementary Shaders. Featured dinosaurs are, of course, from Fossils & Archeology Revival, with some custom skins designed by me!

Available Versions

Prehistoric Variants 1.0 (1.18 Forge)release
MC 1.18.2forge
March 21, 2025

How to Install Prehistoric Variants (A Fossils and Archeology Revival Add-On) on Your Server

1

Order Server

Order a Minecraft Java server with at least 3 GB RAM (4 GB recommended).

2

Set forge Loader

In the panel under "Egg", select the forge loader and matching Minecraft version (1.18.2).

3

Install Mod

Open the mod browser in the dashboard and search for "Prehistoric Variants (A Fossils and Archeology Revival Add-On)". Click "Install" – done! Alternatively, upload the .jar via SFTP to the /mods folder.

Compatibility

Mod Loaders

forge

Minecraft Versions

1.18.2

Server-side

Required

Recommended RAM

4 GB(min. 3 GB)

Frequently Asked Questions

Prehistoric Variants (A Fossils and Archeology Revival Add-On) server crashes on startup – what to do?

Most common cause: wrong forge version or insufficient RAM. Check the server log (latest.log) for "OutOfMemoryError" or "Mixin" errors. With Mado Hosting: ensure at least 3 GB RAM is allocated and the loader matches the mod version (1.18.2). You can switch loaders with one click in the panel.

Is Prehistoric Variants (A Fossils and Archeology Revival Add-On) compatible with forge?

Prehistoric Variants (A Fossils and Archeology Revival Add-On) officially supports forge for Minecraft 1.18.2. The Mado dashboard automatically detects incompatible loader combinations.

Server lagging with Prehistoric Variants (A Fossils and Archeology Revival Add-On) – how to optimize performance?

Recommended RAM: 4 GB (per 8 players). Use /spark profiler to check if Prehistoric Variants (A Fossils and Archeology Revival Add-On) consumes the most tick time. Common fixes: reduce server view-distance to 8-10, install "performant" or "starlight" as supplementary mods on Forge. With Mado Hosting, your server runs on NVMe SSDs with dedicated CPU cores for minimal latency.

Rent Modded Server

Install Prehistoric Variants (A Fossils and Archeology Revival Add-On) with just one click on your server.

Recommended RAM
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Details

License
MIT License
Server-side
Required

Supported Versions

1.18.2