107 réponses à ce sujet

[LukeSkywhacker2]

I remember there was once a lot of discussion going on in the ME2 forums about the effects of quarian chirality, and other significant differences to the point that humans and quarians wouldn't be able to breed. This was in the context of Tali romance and the possibility of there ever being a child from that.

On the other hand, the unmasked Tali looks surprisingly human, along with the fact that her and other Quarians' figure looks very human-like, the females rather obviously being mammals...

Anyway, are there any facts or speculations about this (i.e. hypothetical human-quarian offspring) in Mass Effect 3 or in the novels?

I'm asking because I need to play ME2 again and this matters because the only reason I didn't romance Tali was the apparent biological differences that seemed to preclude any interbreeding between humans and quarians.

[Reiella]

LukeSkywhacker2 wrote...

I remember there was once a lot of discussion going on in the ME2 forums about the effects of quarian chirality, and other significant differences to the point that humans and quarians wouldn't be able to breed. This was in the context of Tali romance and the possibility of there ever being a child from that.

On the other hand, the unmasked Tali looks surprisingly human, along with the fact that her and other Quarians' figure looks very human-like, the females rather obviously being mammals...

Anyway, are there any facts or speculations about this (i.e. hypothetical human-quarian offspring) in Mass Effect 3 or in the novels?

I'm asking because I need to play ME2 again and this matters because the only reason I didn't romance Tali was the apparent biological differences that seemed to preclude any interbreeding between humans and quarians.

Baring SpaceMagic [which isn't too much], the protein difference is a huge deal.  A huge freaking deal.  You'd have more luck trying to get viable offspring mating with a shark than someone with opposite chirality.

Even with the same protein base, you generally won't be able to breed offspring.  The Asari are a special case because of their unique method of breeding.

[swenson]

Yeah, I don't see any cross-species offspring ever happening. The asari are a special case because it's not actually cross-species, but for everyone else, it'd be the same thing as... an elephant and a tiger or something. Even with genetic engineering, it's just not possible, even before the protein chirality problem of turians or quarians with humans/asari/salarians/etc.

[Reiella]

swenson wrote...

Yeah, I don't see any cross-species offspring ever happening. The asari are a special case because it's not actually cross-species, but for everyone else, it'd be the same thing as... an elephant and a tiger or something. Even with genetic engineering, it's just not possible, even before the protein chirality problem of turians or quarians with humans/asari/salarians/etc.

Well, I wouldn't say without genetic engineering it's not possible.  In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's demonstratable possible in ME3, given what the Reapers do with the Cannibals and Brutes.

[John Locke N7]

even if me and tali could have kids, i still wouldnt have any.....

[t003]

LukeSkywhacker2 wrote...

I remember there was once a lot of discussion going on in the ME2 forums about the effects of quarian chirality, and other significant differences to the point that humans and quarians wouldn't be able to breed. This was in the context of Tali romance and the possibility of there ever being a child from that.

On the other hand, the unmasked Tali looks surprisingly human, along with the fact that her and other Quarians' figure looks very human-like, the females rather obviously being mammals...

Anyway, are there any facts or speculations about this (i.e. hypothetical human-quarian offspring) in Mass Effect 3 or in the novels?

I'm asking because I need to play ME2 again and this matters because the only reason I didn't romance Tali was the apparent biological differences that seemed to preclude any interbreeding between humans and quarians.

That was not Tali. I refuse to accept that. that was a poorly photoshop'd google images stock photo.
But yes, they should be able to have children. 

[Sashimi_taco]

This isn't star trek.

[Rukioish]

[TheLeoMan]

One is amino acid,the other dextro.
That about wraps it up.

[AlexMBrennan]

Inter-species offspring is, by definition, impossible.

[LukeSkywhacker2]

Reiella wrote...

LukeSkywhacker2 wrote...

I remember there was once a lot of discussion going on in the ME2 forums about the effects of quarian chirality, and other significant differences to the point that humans and quarians wouldn't be able to breed. This was in the context of Tali romance and the possibility of there ever being a child from that.

On the other hand, the unmasked Tali looks surprisingly human, along with the fact that her and other Quarians' figure looks very human-like, the females rather obviously being mammals...

Anyway, are there any facts or speculations about this (i.e. hypothetical human-quarian offspring) in Mass Effect 3 or in the novels?

I'm asking because I need to play ME2 again and this matters because the only reason I didn't romance Tali was the apparent biological differences that seemed to preclude any interbreeding between humans and quarians.

Baring SpaceMagic [which isn't too much], the protein difference is a huge deal.  A huge freaking deal.  You'd have more luck trying to get viable offspring mating with a shark than someone with opposite chirality.

Even with the same protein base, you generally won't be able to breed offspring.  The Asari are a special case because of their unique method of breeding.

Yeah... Well, I can get the basics of genetics (Mendel, grandpas, recessive/dominant etc.) but chirality is a bit too advanced for me. So it's like totally, totally different type of living beings in biological make-up terms and there's just no way conception could take place or a foetus survive, essentially? I guess it's space magic already that they look so similar to humans then. The practical difference is that if the books or ME3 or some other piece of game lore had examples of human/quarian hybrids (human/turian, anybody, since turians are close to quarians?), I'd probably have my Shepard dump Ashley and pick Tali.

I know the asaris do some form of parthenogenesis with gene randomisation based on samples from the other species mate for diversity. Quarians presumably do some closer to human mating.

Modifié par LukeSkywhacker2, 10 mars 2012 - 03:33 .

[nitefyre410]

No human Quarian Hybrids... just adopt...

[Reiella]

LukeSkywhacker2 wrote...

Yeah... Well, I can get the basics of genetics (Mendel, grandpas, recessive/dominant etc.) but chirality is a bit too advanced for me. So it's like totally, totally different type of living beings in biological make-up terms and there's just no way conception could take place or a foetus survive, essentially?

Not totally different, they're still carbon-protein based lifeforms, but that's a very small shared point, but that shared point is far closer to the line of "we are all made of starstuff" than being really that close biologically .

[Lugaidster]

It wouldn't matter to me, just a Wrex offspring is enough for me.

[LukeSkywhacker2]

Stupid question perhaps (I stopped at highschool biology and wasn't brilliant even then) but is it theoretically possible for two not actually so closely related species to become similar enough to procreate anyway? As in mating compatibility somehow (theoretically) finding way despite the different ancestry of the species?

Modifié par LukeSkywhacker2, 11 mars 2012 - 12:29 .

[morel142]

Like they say.. Everything is impossible.. Until Science finds a way to do it...

[AlphaJarmel]

LukeSkywhacker2 wrote...

Stupid question perhaps (I stopped at highschool biology and wasn't brilliant even then) but is it theoretically possible for two not actually so closely related species to become similar enough to procreate anyway? As in mating compatibility somehow (theoretically) finding way despite the different ancestry of the species?

I would think it would be possible via genetic engineering but that's really it.  Evolution is pretty random and also a very very long process.

[Reiella]

LukeSkywhacker2 wrote...

Stupid question perhaps (I stopped at highschool biology and wasn't brilliant even then) but is it theoretically possible for two not actually so closely related species to become similar enough to procreate anyway? As in mating compatibility somehow (theoretically) finding way despite the different ancestry of the species?

Species is a taxonomical term, it's something that emerges.

The concept you're looking for is called a ring species, we have several of them right now.  Situations where A, B, and Care members of the same species, yet the edges can not breed with each other [A can breed B, B can breed with C,  but A can't breed with C].  Generally, this is how speciation occurs.  And it's a process over generations.

Converging is difficult [you could attempt to breed out the genetic differences that make A different from B, and C different from B], but that's a very arduous [and again, multi-generational] process, and isolating junk DNA in modern species is hard, you may well end up creating another divergent branch that is further away from your goal.

[LukeSkywhacker2]

Okay, so it does look like there is no reasonable ground on which to base even a weak probability that humans and quarians could breed. I guess we have a bit of a conflict between the science behind species generation, evolution and stuff, and the way quarians look and act so similar to humans in the game.

[Reiella]

LukeSkywhacker2 wrote...

Okay, so it does look like there is no reasonable ground on which to base even a weak probability that humans and quarians could breed. I guess we have a bit of a conflict between the science behind species generation, evolution and stuff, and the way quarians look and act so similar to humans in the game.

Well that's mostly because it's Sci-Fi/Sci-Fantasy .

Most Sci-Fi tends to have a lot of humanoid aliens, simply because of the needs of presenting it.  In most Star Trek, it's because it's ultimately going to be a human playing the role.

With Mass Effect, a lot of the art direciton had to be made more human-like due to the animation skeleton.

There's also the art design decision to have races be similar.  With Tali/Quarians specifically, I don't know.  The revealed appearance is very human, it's probably just to keep the species similar enough to humans to be viable as a romance interest.  Wouldn't work so well if when she took the mask off, you saw The Worm that Walks [ reference: http://tvtropes.org/...heWormThatWalks ], or other similar 'Alien' entity.  That or you may side with the 'They were lazy' [which isn't too unfair of an accusation].

[Helios969]

The genetic enhancements Cerberus provided during reconstruction allows Sheppard's super-sperm/ovum to interbreed with any of the races.

Me and Tali are having a baby, hell yeah!

[DRTJR]

If they can, which is unlikely, it would be closer to a mule, or a liger. The child would be unable to procreate, unless they are as genetically similar as Neanderthals were to Cro-Magnon Human. Which I would call BS at.

[Bantz]

Helios969 wrote...

The genetic enhancements Cerberus provided during reconstruction allows Sheppard's super-sperm/ovum to interbreed with any of the races.

Me and Tali are having a baby, hell yeah!

now that's an interesting head cannon

[Vespervin]

I'm sure Mordin could come up with something.

[Helios969]

Bantz wrote...

Helios969 wrote...

The genetic enhancements Cerberus provided during reconstruction allows Sheppard's super-sperm/ovum to interbreed with any of the races.

Me and Tali are having a baby, hell yeah!

now that's an interesting head cannon

Hey, a guy's got to hold onto his little fantasies after Bioware sucked the magic out of the game for me.