The weird biology of the Falleen

No, I'm not talking about their pheromones... What I'm talking about is this: biologically speaking, Falleen are reptiles, not mammals, right? Nevertheless, they have hair in addition to their scales (remember Xizor's top-knot?). And not only that, female Falleen have breasts!

[image=http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/comics/sote/savan1.jpg]

Does that mean they suckle their young?

Speaking of Falleen procreation, do Falleen females give birth in the manner of humans, or do they lay eggs, like one would expect of reptiles? And taking it one step further - apparently, Falleen are able to have sex with humans (Xizor wanted to seduce Leia), and (presumably) with humanoids like Twi'lek, Chiss, and so on. Do you think a Falleen could get a human pregnant ( !)? And if so, would she lay an egg, reptilian-style ( !!!), or just have a baby the normal way? (My guess is "normal way".)

 

Ahem, birds have scales, and feathers, but are warm blooded. Archeoteropteryx, was a reptile with feathers, so most likely cold blooded. Some debate that some dinosaurs may have been warm blooded like birds. It's possible that if reptiles could have feathers, that some could evolve hair.

On another note, BHW states that Falleen are closely related to trandoshans.

Oddly many species including female trandoshans, IIRC, have enlarged chests. Course we do not know if they serve the same function as a mammalian creature or something else entirely.

It may not be possible for falleens to have young with mammals, but he may just enjoy having sex with other races that have similer physical biology(As corran would put it, "if the parts line up"). But just like snakes have penises, we know that his species evolved a similer kind of reproductive organ.

 

Mmmmmm. Falleen chicks.

 

The Falleen are sexual parasites. Their mimicking boobs and navels and other stuff helps them along with this. But whats this about Falleen being related to Trandoshans? That makes no sense at all. The Cha'a and Saurin are related to Trandoshans, but not the Falleen!

 

"The Falleen are sexual parasites."

What is a sexual parasite and where in the EU does it talk about this? Is corran a sexual parasite because he slept with someone not of his same species? Is gavin a sexual parasite because he slept with a bothan? Is other characters sexual parasites because they sleep with species other than their own?

We don't even know if Xizor's practices are followed by other falleen as a rule, for all we know he could be like Jabba having unique tastes in women.

Mind you your reasons don't even stand up to scrutiny, if you look at most females in the EU from any species, you'll useally notice that they have breasts. Does that make 90% of the species in the galaxy sexual parasites? Clearly from that evidence, one should not think sexual parasite but rather that having humanoid genitalia and breasts seems to be a common evolved trait for advanced lifeforms in the galaxy. Mind you evolving to become a sexual parasite is rather unlikely, as a species would evolve to reproduce with themselves to have more offspring or the species would die out. Having sex with other species isn't going to help the survival of the species.



"But whats this about Falleen being related to Trandoshans? That makes no sense at all. The Cha'a and Saurin are related to Trandoshans, but not the Falleen!"

Why does it not make sense, both are reptiles, and both are related according to Bounty Hunter Wars. Both share some similer features, trandoshan females have breasts as well for instance.

 

Jeez, Val. No need to pick me apart. Im just saying the Falleen may have evolved all their stuff, such as their pheramones, to take advantage of other species.

 

The Falleen are sexual parasites.

You take that BACK! She loves me! You're just JEALOUS!

Val: Where have we seen a female Trandoshan?

RogueWompRat: No, they evolved those things to take advantage of the opposite sex of their own species, much like peacocks and their feathers. It just happens to work for members of other species as well.

 

But as I said that is highly unlikely. In evolution one evolves traits that better help a species to survive, and the ones that can't survive die out, which means species that can continue to reproduce will continue to survive.

Sexual parasites would not evolve, as they would be a dead end in biology, as no offspring would be born to evolve new traits. So in actuality advanced reproductive organs would have to be evolved for the use that they are made for, for reproduction within the species itself. Pheramones for instance would have evolved for there own species mating rituals for the species to reproduce.

 

I guess that makes sense. However, I do think certain species, since their contact with humans, have evolved to more closely resemble humans to get along better in galactic society (which is primarily oriented around humans). ie, While the Falleen may have been more different then humans ages past, they have evolved breasts and other organs more commonly present in mammilian species.

 

Umm, just being around another species doesn't help evolve traits to look like other species. Unless the humans were committing genocide on all members of a species that didnt' resemble them physically, there would have been a vast range of genetic diversity within species to choose from. I highly doubt the humans went on a rampage killing all members of a species that didn't have breasts or genitalia(or rather the genes that could be manipulated to grow into those). That would have been hard work to remove all from a species to help them evolve the genes that would lead to having those traits.

So more than likely what you see is how they evolved originally because it worked for reproductive survival, not because of some human influence.

Note that ssiruuvi females have breasts as well(see alien anthology), but they haven't been around humans except for a very short time.

Note for a related example to what you were trying to say, I mention a certain fly that evolved to resemble bees. The reason it evolved to resemble bees was because other animals who accidently ate a bee learned to never eat a bee again. The flies had color patterns, and a certain percentage would be eaten. Those that survived had a different color pattern. Since those flies survived they were able to pass on their genes to the next offspring, further spreading the different color pattern. The closer this pattern changed to resemble bees, the less the species would be eaten by other creatures. So in the end what was left was a fly that resembled a bee. Note it wasn't an evolution intended to mimic something else, but evolution brought on by other members of the species being eaten, and aberrant mutation just happened to better premote survival and reproduction.

 

OK OK you win! Maybe Ill learn all this smarty pants stuff next year in 9th grade biology.

 

They might be similar to the real world Monotremes. For a long time it was debated if they were reptilian or mammalian. They suckle their young and they have hair, yet they lay eggs.

I doubt that Fallens and Trandoshans only have "one hole" though.

 

Ahh yes, cloacas(sp?).