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Alternate Races/Ethnicities
Topic Started: Mar 15 2010, 03:55 PM (1,463 Views)
lamna
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What other kinds of races could have developed under different conditions, and why?

I know that "Asian eyes" probably evolved to cope with dust-storms, and skin tone depends on sunlight. Where their is little sunlight you need pale skin to get as much vitamin D as you can, in bright places dark skin is needed to protect the skin, but what is the reason for other features?
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agatharights
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I think populations on other planets woudl probably change just through genetic drift. I mean, if you have a limited amount of colonists....
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Ook
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not a Transhuman
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on other planets with different gravitation,atmosphere and other things will be different human races and later species
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lamna
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Living in a rainforest does not seem to make you better climbers, other than though practice. If you live in on for a long time you do tend to evolve to be shorter though. Harder to get tangled in vegetation if you are small.

I remember reading in the Honorverse novels about the Mfecane worlds set up by African supremacists during the Second Great Bantu Migration. Ironically the low light levels meant that they ended up with hair and skin that would not look out of place in Sweden.
http://honorverse.wikia.com/wiki/Mfecane_worlds
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Toad of Spades
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I have a few.

-Colonists living on a cooler planet with dim starlight but high UV rays become pale grey with slightly reflective skin and eyes with large pupils as well as a reflective layer in the eye to deflect UV rays

-Colonists living on a hot bright planet where it is normal to be in close proximity to hot, rocky, volcanic areas produce people who have dark skin that is thickened skin to protect them from sunburn as well as physical damage, and "asian type" eyes to protect them from brigh light. They are tall with a high surface area to lose heat more easily.

-Colonists living on a planet with a thick atmosphere and high humidity adapt and produce people with a greater number of sweat glands on areas where it will drop off more easily, like the ankles and wrists, to help get rid of excess moisture not eleminated from urination.
Edited by Toad of Spades, Mar 18 2010, 05:32 PM.
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lamna
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What other things could just be caused by genetic drift? Planet of the Gingers?
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colddigger
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actually a place with high humidity would likely produce people with fewer sweat glands, not point in sweating if it doesn't evaporate. to deal with extra water in their system they would probably just eat more salt...
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lamna
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True, but they are still going to need some way to keep cool. Maybe if they were bigger they would cool more easily?
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Are nipples or genitals necessary, lamna?
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colddigger
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Joke's over! Love, Parasky
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they could use fans, or clothing material that absorbs their heat.

but we're wanting actual body changes so how about they have blood flow closer to the surface of their skin to release heat? especially around their face, ears, hands, neck... places that would be exposed... also slightly bigger ears, although probably nothing like dumbo ears, those might exist but i really doubt a person like that would get around much so it would just be an oddity that exists in their colony.
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