Skip to main content

biology - How does cross-species (Klingon/Human, Vulcan/Human) breeding work genetically in Star Trek?


While humanoids across the galaxy theoretically share a common remote ancestor, from what I remember each species has evolved convergently towards humanoidness by different routes. So we end up with Humans that have iron based blood vs. Vulcans with copper based blood; Klingons with three lungs and eight chambered hearts, etc for other species. These species all look similar outside, but are very different inside.



Has any episode of any ST series ever attempted to explain how these fairly different genomes can intermix usefully? vs. being a nonstarter like a shark and a dolphin hybrid (similar body design, radically different evolutionary background and genome)?



Answer



Oliver_C's comment is correct.


Starting in "Demons" and Ending in "Terra Prime" we see the failed attempts of human xenophobes to clone a Vulcan Human hybrid. This however is not successful:



Meanwhile, Dr. Phlox scrambles to find a cure for the baby, named Elizabeth (for Tucker's late sister) by T'Pol, who is dying due to defects in the Terra Prime doctors' attempts to reconcile Human and Vulcan DNA. Unfortunately, Phlox is unable to save the girl; the leaders of the soon-to-be-incorporated Coalition of Planets later request to attend her funeral.



In the Enterprise episode "E^2" we meet the alternative timeline captain of the NX-01 Enterprise named Lorian. He is the son of T'Pol and Tucker. He is explained as:



a conception made possible after Doctor Phlox found a way of combining the Vulcan and Human genomes.




This presumably means that the initial incompatibility with the species was overcome. And that Vulcans and Humans wishing to procreate would simply need to see their doctor in order to have success.


This is in contrast to the memory-alpha article on Hybrids, which claims many species are able to interbreed with or without the help of genetic technology. In fact, Humans and Vulcans are quite similar.


Obviously some species are going to be more compatible than others. Bajorians and Cardassians apparently were highly compatible, due to the high number of illegitimate children produced during the occupation of Bajor (I view it unlikely those people sought the assistance of a doctor for procreation).


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...
Post a Comment
Read more

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.
Post a Comment
Read more

aliens - Interstellar Zoo story

I vaguely remember this story from my childhood: it was about an interstellar zoo that came to Earth with lots of bizarre and unusual species, and humans would file through and gape at all the crazy looking creatures from other planets. The twist came at the end when the perspective shifted to the other side of the bars and we discovered that the "creatures" were traveling through space on a kind of safari. They thought they were the visitors and we were the animals. Neither side knew that the other side thought they were the zoo creatures. Answer Got it. Zoo, by Edward D. Hoch. Published in 1958. Link to Publication History Link to PDF
Post a Comment
Read more

tolkiens legendarium - Did Gandalf wear his Ring of Power throughout the trilogy?

After Gandalf discovered that Sauron was back and sent Frodo on his quest to Rivendell, did he continue to wear Narya (one of the Three Rings)? It seems like a huge risk to continue to wear it after the Nazgûl (Ringwraiths) started to try and reclaim the One Ring; if they managed to get the ring to Sauron, couldn't he be corrupted by his power? Whatever powers Narya bestows upon him couldn't possibly be worth the huge risk, could it? Answer When Sauron forged the one ring and put it on his finger, the other ring bearers were immediately aware of him and his intentions and removed their own rings. There is no reason why they couldn't merely do so again. As soon as Sauron set the One Ring upon his finger they were aware of him; and they knew him, and preceived that he would be master of them, and of all they wrought. Then in anger and fear they took off their rings. "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," Silmarillion
Post a Comment
Read more