Interspecies mating...what combinations work and what doesn't?

I know there have been some cases where species specifically could not breed, but there have also been a few half&halfs.

what definitely works and what definitely doesn't?

 

Only within the same species/genus. All instances of half-breeds are the result of humans and near-humans-- which are still technically humans-- breeding.

In other words, same as in real life.

The only exception is the Sith, although some crazy biotech was behind that whole deal (alchemy, the call it). I'm still not convinced the Sith aren't distant relatives of humans, anyway.

 

well I know that...but "near-human" is subjective

Human/Twilek? Twileks are near-human.

Human/Rodian?

Human/Sullustan?

Human/Falleen?

Human/Ryn?

What about interspecies where there is no human...

Wookie/Bothan?

Rodian/Trandoshan?

Verpine/Geonosian?

 

Also...depending on the genetics, couldn't you see cross breeds bringing genetic material across those boundaries...

Example.

Human and Falleen can breed

Human and Trandoshan cannot breed

Falleen and Trandoshan can breed

Falleen/Trando could conceivably breed with Falleen/Human or perhaps even pure human.

*note this is only an example, I have no idea if these pairings are plausible.*

 

Not really. Near-human refers to species that are genetically related to-- and therefore descendants of-- baseline humans. They all differ in varying ways from the baseline norm, from the pretty much identical Kiffar, Hapans, Korunnai, Chalactans, Mirialans, Lorrdians, and so on to the more exotic Chiss, Miraluka, Zeltrons, Firreoans, Zabrak, Nagai, Vultans, Theelin, Arkanians, and the like. Although they differ sometimes greatly in outward appearances, they're all still descended from humans one way or another and all should be able to breed with one another and humans without too many problems.

All the instances you mentioned are impossible barring radical biotechnology of the sort used to create Sith half-breeds (although I'm still not convinced Sith aren't a long-lost offshoot of humanity), since they involve pairings of species unrelated in any way. Certain species such as Falleen and Twi'lek may look superficially human, but they're not related at all. Although I'd be open for an explanation that makes Twi'lek human offshoots.

 

I see it as a four-tier system. Using your examples....

Kiffar, Hapans, Korunnai, Chalactans, Mirialans, Lorrdians - seperate "breeds", if you will, of **** sapiens sapiens

Chiss, Miraluka, Zeltrons, Firreoans, Nagai, Vultans, Theelin, Arkanians - separate sub-species of **** sapiens ie the Chiss concievably could be **** sapiens cheunh. Some of these may also be separate species in their own right, especially the Arkanians (**** arkania?)

Zabrak, Sith, possibly Twilek - more distant relatives of humans, in the same family but not genus. For example, the Sith could theoretically be the GFFA equivalent of what may have been if more than one branch of the australopithecines or similar hominids had survived and evolved. One branch of course survived to become the genus ****, but what if another survived along seperate lines to become the genus Sith, or the genus Twilek? Of course, inter-genus hybrids are rare, but can occur although infertile. This is where the advanced biotech and force use would come in, allowing fertile hybrids. Personally I feel Twileks would be much more distant from humans than Sith though.

Falleen and possibly Twilek - examples of parallel evolution. Falleen resemble a theoretical humanoid evolution of the dinosaurs mooted by Dougal Dixon in the 1970s, as do the Kaleesh. In this case, the so-called "hair" would in fact be very fine feather-like filaments of the sort found in the Omwati, except even finer. Some dinosaurs in real life DID have such filaments after all. If the Twilek are unconnected in any meaningful way to humanity, they are still probably mammalian - possibly connected to rodents or primative primates ie tree shrews, lemurs, bushbabies.


*edit* argh this forum blocked out the obvious scientific term - I assume you all have the brains to know what I actually wrote? Just in case, read this backward - omoH

 

Zabrak have internal differences. I doubt they're at all near-human.

 

The Korunnai are full-human. They are just an entire population of Force-sensitives, just like the Dathomiri for the most part. I wouldn't list them as a subspecies.

 

I wouldn't list Hapans, Kiffar, Lorridans or Chalactans as near-human either, but they've all been called that at one time or another. The concept of near-humans is very subjective.

That's exactly what the sort of system I'd go with, EmpireStrikes.

Sabarte: Zabrak have a 'second heart' that is referred to, IIRC, as fairly useless and could be an outgrowth of the normal heart and the result of some sort of mutation deep in the past. All other evidence points toward Zabrak being humans, although they're probably significantly further removed than, say, Chiss or Zeltrons-- probably as distant as Arkanians.

 

Which seems a lot more likely, now that I think about it, than sentient/sapient life evolving into roughly the same shape and form on millions if not billions if not trillions if not quadrillions etc. of different worlds. Especially if the GFFA's proto-humans were seeded on all these planets by one of the prehistoric forces of the Galaxy (Rakatan, Celestial, etc.)

 

I consider it this way, Star Wars is fantasy, not true sci-fi, and in fantasy, one can take liberties that defy real-world limitations. In other fantasy we have elf/human, orc/human, even dragon/human hybrids, although the real world would dismiss them as impossibilities even if elves, orcs, and dragons were real.

Therefore, unless it seems completely outlandish (e.g., a Hutt/Chadra-Fan hybrid), I have no problem with interspecies mating in Star Wars.

 

Even Star Trek had Human/Klingon, Human/Vulcan, Human/Betazoid, Human/Bajoran, etc. etc. etc. hybrids. Why would it be so out there for an Human/Twi'lek hybrid to be born?

 

Because it doesn't make sense. "It looks kinda human" doesn't mean anything. They have to be compatible. Humand and Twi'lek offspring make as much sense as putting water and stone into a blender and getting stonewater.

 

Well we know humans and bothans can't breed. SO not all combos are good. Its been implied humans and Tweileks can have sex, but we haven't seen any hybrids, so I'm geussing that nothing comes out of such a pairing.

 

Well, if stonewater is defined as "a mixture of water and ground up stone" then that does, actually make a lot of sense. A better analogy might be trying to father a child by a chicken or a horse.

Well, it's heavily implied that lots of different species can have sex, but there's just no chance of offspring.

 

I'm defining it as some sort of new substance. You're not going to mix whatever you want and get a new, viable substance out of it. You can mix water and ice cream to get a new substance with some properties of both. You can't mix water and stone to do the same. Crummy analogy, but I'm just not that creative today.

 

I understand what you meant, I'm just saying that the idea of literally mixing two things together to get a mixture of both may be misleading in this discussion.

 

What doesn't work? - ewok and a wampa = Itchy from the Holiday Special!!!!!

 

But, you also forget that Star Wars is an fantasy AND Sci-Fi setting. Hybrids should be prevalent.

 

Shug Ninx is one of the few hybrids that I know off the top of my head.

 

It seems implied that Twiileks have sex with a lot of things...yet we don't see any crazy Twiilek half breeds running about really. I'd have to say that amongst the exotic human types (Arkanian, Human, Mirakula, Zeltron, Kiffar) can probably breed. None of those species has major differences like protrusions from the head that can store memories. They are probably closer to the human race on Earth with Negros, Asians, Caucasians, middle eastern people, latin os....whom can all breed with each other (Tried to keep that as politically correct as possible....Negro, Asian, and Latino are all acceptable, right?) There is also the possibility of a "Liger" or "Mule" type situation between two species - can produce offspring.....but the offspring end up sterile.

On a scarier note, imagine....

K'Kruk with Saba Sebentyne
Villie's counsin and all the Yinchorri wives
Greedo and an Ithorian
Jar-Jar and a Jawa
Chewie and Yaddle.

Haha. Don't think it's happening.

Carnage

 

Chewie and Yaddle.

I think that would be really painful for Yaddle.

 

Walk right for a week she would not!