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Variations in gender and reproduction; Extraterrestrial gender-bending.
Topic Started: Jul 10 2009, 04:07 PM (998 Views)
T.Neo
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Translunar injection: TLI
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On Earth we are familiar with a two-gender system- the male organism provides the sperm, which fertilizes the ovum produced (and in many animals, hosted) by the female. Now, certain animals can assume both roles, and there are animals who have evolved to become parthenogenic, and do not need to mate. There are also animals that reproduce asexually. Some male animals host the developing young, like seahorses, but this is rare.

Now, on other planets, is it safe to assume that animal-like organisms will evolve gender at all?
Is it possible for there to be more then one gender?

What interesting reproductive systems/mating methods could evolve?
A hard mathematical figure provides a sort of enlightenment to one's understanding of an idea that is never matched by mere guesswork.
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ATEK Azul
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Transhuman
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Maybe a single gender that mates with the same gender using some form of sperm that combines with the sperm of other individuals?
Edited by ATEK Azul, Jul 10 2009, 08:31 PM.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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pantheraleo3
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I created a complex system of reproduction for my project planet safari, but I recently disscarted it. This system had 3 genders, instead of 2. First the one that would be like the female, inserts the "seed" in another individual (let's call it male #1). Then the male #1 fertilizes the seed inside him and passes it to "male #2". The male #2 then keeps the fertilized egg inside it until it gives birth.
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Xenophile
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Formerly known as alienboy.
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The Tanais genus of crustaceans has three sexs; two different types of males and one type of female. One type of male has many hairs laced with pheramones to attract the ladies. The other type of male has very large pinchers to hold on to the female while they .... :rolleyes: .
Edited by Xenophile, Jul 15 2009, 01:10 PM.
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Oceaniis
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It depends of the stability of the ecosystem, if the planet is stable animals don't need sex and would have just one gender. And the evolution rate would be very slow.

Hermfrodites will acelerate the evolutionary rate but since isn't necessary competition to mating will not be so effective as speacies with 2 or more genders.

On Tavotrio the higher speacies have 3 genders and 5 possible combinations in individuals.

Males which gives sperm to the Females where fertelization occurs and encubators where the embrio develops, and the individualas can have 1 or 2 of the genders, so there are male encubators, female encubators (terrestrial females), just males and just females, there are a 5th males+female but it's just possible with a mutation that become sucesseful. There aren't only encubators because if so it will not be able to reproduce.
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ashwinder
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Or you could have a free-for-all system, many many genders all able to interbreed but not able to breed within their gender. Kind of like blood-types in reverse... ish...

Example: X can breed with Y, A, B, C... but not with other X.

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Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

In my Kali project the Kalinic Nucleic Acid (KNA) that acts as the organisms' genetic structure is prism in shape, meaning there are three gametes produced; thus there are three sexes. Let me explain further; for the sake of simplicity let us call these gametes A, B, and C. Gamete A attracts gamete B, they come together and form gamete AB. Now then gamete AB attracts gamete C which then bonds with it to form a full strand of KNA; thus spawning a new organism.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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ATEK Azul
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All of the ideas coming from here are very interesting and make me want to develope a DNA anologe but I have a much cooler in my opinion substance for this purpose and the project doesn't have a reproductive system worked out for the animals plus it's not even really spec evo any more.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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Canis Lupis
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Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the Earth.

Personally, I think that two genders and one gender will be far more common than any other gender combinations.



Argument for one gender: don't have to find a mate; works best for stable ecosystems; populates ecosystems and locations quickly; fairly stable mutation rate



Argument for two genders: greater genetic diversity; only have to worry about finding one other gender instead of two or more other genders; works great for creatures who inhabit ecosystems with Earth's stability; works great for double-stranded life (like DNA life)





I personally don't think that gender number will vary much. Two genders would most likely be the norm, especially if DNA (or a double-stranded DNA analogue) is extremely common (which I believe will be (not trying to be terra-centric, but DNA life is pretty much the only kind of life on Earth. It is extremely efficient and versatile, so it is likely for DNA to be the most common genetic code throughout the universe, but far from the only code)).


The way reproduction will differ most throughout the universe is through how it is done. Budding, cell division, sexual mating, and gamete dispersal are the methods of reproduction on Earth. But those are far from the only reproductive means.

Any ideas on methods of reproduction?
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ATEK Azul
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How about creatures with fetuses developing on them instead of in them?
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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WallaceGrover
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Like an external parasite? Perhaps a one gender system where instead of competing for a mate, they compete for who will implant a sort of egg-like embryo on the other. The winner won't have to devote energy to nourishing the embryo on them, and thus can search for more "host."
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ATEK Azul
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Sounds like a mutant xenomorph lol.
I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's!
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Giant Blue Anteater
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ATEK Azul
Jul 17 2009, 02:38 PM
How about creatures with fetuses developing on them instead of in them?
Would only work on small and/or simplistic creatures. Otherwise, bad idea, because they would be exposed to the elements, like being torn off by an object rubbing against the body or by a predator. Although they could be developed in large pores.
Edited by Giant Blue Anteater, Jul 17 2009, 04:56 PM.
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cdk007
 
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Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

What if they're born in a larval stage that was similar to a parasite? That way they can run away if they get knocked off but still develop in a parasitic manner.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

Tree That Owns Itself
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ashwinder
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You could have 3 genders, male analogue, female analogue and neuter. The neuter would only be able to improve its genetic fitness by helping its siblings and parents... kind of like drones in eusocial insects but with less of them. Also neuters might not be mere slaves but respected home-makers... priests and leaders even... (ok slipping into the realms of sci-fi now!)
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