becka_sutton (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
becka_sutton) wrote2012-01-14 09:14 pm
becka_sutton) wrote2012-01-14 09:14 pm
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Quick scratch notes on the Sulphies reproductive biology
These critters are nothing like humans. I haven't entirely designed them yet but I've decided they are probably chitinous or otherwise armored by our standards.
However I do have some ideas about their reproductive system.
I wanted something really odd by human standards so I took three ideas from three different types of terrestrial life:
1. From several species of Hymenoptera (wasps, bees etc) Haplodiploid sex determination.
2. From the deep sea angler fish ... This.
3. From many kinds of flowering plants Self-incompatibility.
(Note: So extreme is sexual dimorphism among the Sulphies that it may actually be better to view them as having only one sex with the 'males' being nothing more than a delivery system in an alien reproductive system and the 'females' being the actual people. So I have tried to avoid using male and female below for that reason. I apologise if that's confusing.)
At the onset of their equivalent of puberty a Sulphy produces two parthenogenic offspring. These offspring are tiny compared to Sulphies, contain half their parent's dna. They lack intelligence but are mobile as soon as they are born/hatched (haven't decided that yet). Their only urge is to follow the pheromone trail of a Sulphy and fuse with them. The self-incompatibilty blinds them to the pheromone trail of any Sulphy who shares certain alleles with them and they can only fuse with one who's pheromones they can detect. This means outbreeding is far more likely than inbreeding. The parthenogenic offspring are born with good food reserves but cannot feed so if it doesn't find a Sulphy in time it dies. Only Sulphies who have already produced their haploid offspring produce these pheromones. I'm undecided if a female can have more than one haploid fused with her or not.
This of course will have a major effect on Sulphy culture. They have to be social and ensure plenty of mixing to avoid loss of fertility. It will have other effects as well but I need to work out all the ramifications.
Thought?
However I do have some ideas about their reproductive system.
I wanted something really odd by human standards so I took three ideas from three different types of terrestrial life:
1. From several species of Hymenoptera (wasps, bees etc) Haplodiploid sex determination.
2. From the deep sea angler fish ... This.
3. From many kinds of flowering plants Self-incompatibility.
(Note: So extreme is sexual dimorphism among the Sulphies that it may actually be better to view them as having only one sex with the 'males' being nothing more than a delivery system in an alien reproductive system and the 'females' being the actual people. So I have tried to avoid using male and female below for that reason. I apologise if that's confusing.)
At the onset of their equivalent of puberty a Sulphy produces two parthenogenic offspring. These offspring are tiny compared to Sulphies, contain half their parent's dna. They lack intelligence but are mobile as soon as they are born/hatched (haven't decided that yet). Their only urge is to follow the pheromone trail of a Sulphy and fuse with them. The self-incompatibilty blinds them to the pheromone trail of any Sulphy who shares certain alleles with them and they can only fuse with one who's pheromones they can detect. This means outbreeding is far more likely than inbreeding. The parthenogenic offspring are born with good food reserves but cannot feed so if it doesn't find a Sulphy in time it dies. Only Sulphies who have already produced their haploid offspring produce these pheromones. I'm undecided if a female can have more than one haploid fused with her or not.
This of course will have a major effect on Sulphy culture. They have to be social and ensure plenty of mixing to avoid loss of fertility. It will have other effects as well but I need to work out all the ramifications.
Thought?