I was wondering about the different species of the Star Wars universe. What if a Twi'lek falls in love with a human. Or a Zabrak with a Chiss? I'm sure there would be some problems with say a Wookie and a Jawa. Would they be able to have children? And if so what would they look like? Its bound to come up. I'm not to knowledgable about EU so this may have been covered.

I havent heard of anything like this it might be able to work it might not.

be too hard to work out besides take the story of Gavan and Aysr there was something about parts lining up but the chemestry not working. ask wraith for an exact quote

Well, a Twi'lek and a human. That would propably be as sterile as a cat and a fox. They are different species. The difference between races and species is that two members of different races of the same species can have children, while two members of different species can't. It's just not possible for a turtle and a dove to have children, no matter how much they want to. No more than a chimpanzee and a gorilla, even if they are very 'related' species.

The only way, biologically, would be to say that the species are extremely close, ie, in the period of evolution where two races slowly distances from each other, and becomes two species. Like a donkey and a horse. Then, the offspring would be sterile (donkey + horse = mule, which is sterile). However, I doubt Twi'lek is related to human in that way. So no, they can not have children. No matter how... compatible their genitals are.

so are you saying maybe chiss/human or duro/nemodian if they ever got over for thier loathing for each other might theoreticly make something happen :D

Well, biologically speaking, how much the different species resembles each other doesn't matter. Two parrots that you might think look almost identical can't mate, if they are not related on the DNA level, so to speak. I mean, there's amphibians that look so alike that biologists haven't realized until today that they are not the same species. Even though, they can't mate. On the other hand, humans comes in all shapes and colour, and there's no 'compability problems' there. So it's tricky. It all depends on the genetical history, how different the genealogy is, and for how long the schism has existed. And, well, I've seen very little info about that in the Star Wars universe.

Of course, if we disregard 'natural' procreation, this changes drastically. "Enter the Genetical Engineer". Splicing the egg cell (that will later become the faetus) while it is on a 1-16 cell stadius, most things are possible. Especially if you chart the DNA (as in the HUGO (http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/) [The Human Genome Organisation] project), you can pick tidbits here and there. When you use genetic engineering, petty things like species doesn't matter. You can take genes from a fish and add to potatoes (which has led to frost-resisting crops), and you can grow human ears on the back of mice (yup, they've done that too).

What this means is that you can take a human egg cell and mix and match alien attributes, which then becomes a hybrid. Again, this is with our technology: I have no idea if this is possible in the SW universe. It would also require a lot of years of research; it is very difficult to make sure exactly what gene does what, and what the result will be. Often, the same genes that causes one thing (like an extraordinary lung capacity) can cause something completely unrelated (like fast hair growth).

If the hybrid can reproduce with one of the 'ingredients', or is sterile, you have a hybrid. If it can reproduce only with similar hybrids, congratulations, you have a new species.

Of course, the ethics in this can (and is) discussed. But it is readily possible with todays technology.

nice post Set, so your saying that improving traits selectivly could be possible through genetic manipulation in real life. should probably pay more attention to those science journals

It's not only possible. It has been done for twenty years. However, the precision and insight when it comes to tampering with genes are increasing, and thereby, its usefulness.

(Oh, and really, it has been done for a couple of thousand years. It's called breeding. It is a very slow, but efficient way to tamper with genes. Both for animals and crops.)

uhm.... all i read in the X-wing series is indeed a chemical thing.. and also a sort of permit they needed... i think..

in the x-wing series Garik Loran was with a Twi'lek woman Dia Passik.. and i never heard what happened with them after 'Solo Command'... so....

In a world where you can elevate a starfighter with the power of your mind, things like biology and genetics are minor concerns. ;)

Originally posted by setsuko
In a world where you can elevate a starfighter with the power of your mind, things like biology and genetics are minor concerns. ;) lol.. Setsuko the Jedi hehehhehehe :D

Watch out, or I'll use 'force pregnancy' on you! :D

hahahhahahahhaaha that would be a sight :D

On another subject.. how did the interview go?

Originally posted by setsuko
Watch out, or I'll use 'force pregnancy' on you! :D

Is that how Anakin knocked up Amidala?

Propably. He's way too creepy (and quite a lot younger) to go to bed with.

Oh, and the interview went great, thanks for asking. I'll propably spend the comming year working at different daycare centers. Getting money to play with children? Sweet deal.

wouldn't the reporductive cells in each species have to have hte same number of chromosomes, so the total number of chromosomes in the offspring would work out?


ya kno what we need? One of those flip books that has 3 parts, the head, the body, and the legs. And then we can flip to our hearts content :D

why would they have the same chromesomes? even if they did, the location of the genes for paticular traits wouldn't match up. and if they did, it wouldn't be sepreate species just different races. like a correlian to a Naboo

Originally posted by setsuko
Oh, and the interview went great, thanks for asking. I'll propably spend the comming year working at different daycare centers. Getting money to play with children? Sweet deal. Great... so you got the Job..... i think that is realy great.

Hey, having the same sort of chromosomes is no sort of security. After all, you male persons LACK 1/4th of a chromosome, and are, by nature, defect. That doesn't prevent pregnancies.

Oh, and yes, the lack of 1/4th of a chromosome also means that male DNA is more vulnerable to mutations, due to the fact that there's no way for the chromosome to mend defects when the rNA copies the cell. Which means that you are sort of a natures guinea pig: you are more likely to get good mutations, but you are also more likely to suffer horrendous defects (that's why so many inherited diseases only break out in the male members of the family, such as autism and haemophilia).

To further add to the insult, there's more boys born than girls (some 53% vs 47%). Because you are more likely to die if you are a boy(especially at age 0-8). And you will statistically live 5-10 year less than if you were a female! :D

[enormous sarcasm]
gee... i feel less derpessed all of a sudden
[/enormous sarcasm]

well if one set has say, 10 more chromesomes than the other, that might cause a problem...

There are some genetical diseases where the cromosomes are ****ed up. Like the XXY or XYY versions. I haven't checked if these are bare or not. I'm a gamer, not a doctor! :P

I'll propably spend the comming year working at different daycare centers. Getting money to play with children? Sweet deal.

I can't really think of a worse fate than caring for other people's kids... you volunteered for this?!?!

and as for my 0.02$ I don't think that any of the different species in Star Wars can reproduce naturally... evolving in entirely different gene pools probably doesn't help. I can't remember any cases of half breeds in the EU, but I have been known to be wrong from time to time!

Using technology, all bets are off.

yes, they are Set. that I did get from my High school Bio coruse

yea down syndrom is caused when like the 23rd chromo or something is xxy or yyx? i forget.

Usually, Down Syndrome is when the you have an extra chromosome, yes. Usually it is attached to the 21th chromosome pair, called Trisomy 21, netting you a 47 chromosome total. Then there's 'Translocated DS' and 'Mosaic DS' too, but they are highly unusual (unusual as in 3% of all DS inflicted, who are 1 in 1000 births).

And well, if you are a woman with DS, you are most often fertile. However, fertile men with DS is incredibly rare (Because it's easier to have at least the correct XX pair when your genes are messed up, than a proper XY pair).

So well, what we come to is that you can even have a different amount of chromosomes and breed. But even if we share 95-97% of our genes with apes, and we have the same amount of chromosomes, it's just not possible. Looking a bit similar won't help a bit when different species want to have children.

But then again, this is Star Wars. :D

I mean, there's sound in space for crying out loud. :D

Man, haven't I heard that comment been thrown casually around like the movies portray everything truthfully. :p

and i didn't mean they have hte same chromosomes, I meant they NEEDED to HAVE the same chromosomes, otherwise it wouldn't work. Thats why we can't get a dog pregnant, sperm and eggs have 23? resulting in 46 in total, and dogs have like 128 in total.


but i don't know everything, I'm only starting in grade 11 lol.