Meta Month Kickoff
Sep. 1st, 2011 06:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mark_asphodelI think the evidence is pretty good that dragons, at least divine dragons, can switch gender at will (Narga in FE4 appearing as a "beautiful maiden," Xane in general) and they might not even have a "set" gender (Narga reincarnating as Nagi).
Which brings me to this: are divine dragons capable of parthenogenesis? After all, we hear of Tiki’s father, the aforementioned genderbending Narga, but we don’t learn of a mother. Add to that the way that Gotoh in FE3 implies that saving Tiki equates to “saving our tribe.” Now, I realize applying standard genetics to FE biology results in massive fail, but—genetic bottlenecks aside—Tiki doesn’t really have options. Her fellow tribe members consist of 1) Gotoh and 2) Xane, neither of whom can transform because they chucked their dragonstones. Those two are stuck in humanoid form, so if transformation is at all necessary to dragon reproduction, they’re really SOL. And Xane goes running off somewhere in any event.
So… assuming that other divine dragons don’t somehow resurrect a la Nagi, what’s a last-of-her-tribe princess to do? Well, maybe she doesn’t need any help. It’s as plausible as anything else we’ve got.
Which brings me to this: are divine dragons capable of parthenogenesis? After all, we hear of Tiki’s father, the aforementioned genderbending Narga, but we don’t learn of a mother. Add to that the way that Gotoh in FE3 implies that saving Tiki equates to “saving our tribe.” Now, I realize applying standard genetics to FE biology results in massive fail, but—genetic bottlenecks aside—Tiki doesn’t really have options. Her fellow tribe members consist of 1) Gotoh and 2) Xane, neither of whom can transform because they chucked their dragonstones. Those two are stuck in humanoid form, so if transformation is at all necessary to dragon reproduction, they’re really SOL. And Xane goes running off somewhere in any event.
So… assuming that other divine dragons don’t somehow resurrect a la Nagi, what’s a last-of-her-tribe princess to do? Well, maybe she doesn’t need any help. It’s as plausible as anything else we’ve got.
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Date: 2011-09-01 12:41 pm (UTC)(There's also a case of hammerhead sharks reproducing via parthenogenesis in captivity--I'll have to find the article again at some point, but I know for certain in that case, mating wasn't simulated at all, and the young were all born live.)
Granted, I don't know the specifics of the divine dragons' situation, but from what I do understand, I really wouldn't think it a stretch to assume that they're at least capable of parthenogenesis--and, by extension, being capable of changing genders, too. I guess the only problem is that if they could reproduce via parthenogenesis, biology dictates that the child would have to essentially be a clone of the mother, so we'd have a lot of little!Tikis running around.
Of course, you can't necessarily equate real-world genetic and biological principles to something like this, so. :P
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Date: 2011-09-01 02:25 pm (UTC)Or a theoretical colonization strategy. I was thinking in particular of some of the hypotheses surrounding Komodo dragons and how they populate remote isles. In that case, a female can actually have male offspring via parthenogenesis, which can get real interesting.
There's also a case of hammerhead sharks reproducing via parthenogenesis in captivity
Yes. There was also a case of bamboo sharks right here in Detroit, at the Belle Isle aquarium.
biology dictates that the child would have to essentially be a clone of the mother, so we'd have a lot of little!Tikis running around.
Not necessarily. IIRC, the hammerhead shark pup was neither a twin nor a clone, but had HALF the mother's DNA. Outside of mammals, who seem to be kind of limited in how severely you can tweak genes and still have a viable offspring, the scenarios are actually kind of dizzying.
Then again, this IS Fire Emblem, so clearly our genetic rules don't apply when dragon blood starts mucking things up.
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Date: 2011-09-01 02:29 pm (UTC)Well, maybe she doesn’t need any help.
I laughed. :P
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Date: 2011-09-01 03:19 pm (UTC)Isn't Xane a halfie?
I think I would prefer parthenogenesis over the idea of Tiki getting with Gotoh anyway.
Although the Nagi mention makes me wonder if they're secretly more like phoenixes.
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Date: 2011-09-01 06:23 pm (UTC)She's only half-dragon, though, and it wasn't her "original" body, so who knows what's going on there...
Isn't Xane a halfie?
Not unless the fan-translation's totally off. He presents himself in FE3 as an actual divine dragon who deliberately tossed his dragonstone.
I think I would prefer parthenogenesis over the idea of Tiki getting with Gotoh anyway.
No kidding.
Although the Nagi mention makes me wonder if they're secretly more like phoenixes.
Well... from what we know of earth/dragons, their soul/essence is hard to actually destroy, which is why Medeus keeps coming back to "life" with a little assist from Gharnef. Given Nagi, I'd wager it's the same with divine dragons-- Narga exhausted the life essence of his original form, but 1100 years or so was enough to regenerate some kind of bodily presence. Which makes me wonder if some of the others aren't due for a reappearance.
The phoenix idea is interesting, though...
no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 07:07 pm (UTC)Ok, Ninian is half, let's talk about *her* parents then. :p
Oh yes, Medeus... sounds like partial reincarnation scheme could be something.
(If dragons can naturally procreate at all, the revival of all dragons after a period of time would swamp the planet.)
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Date: 2011-09-01 07:42 pm (UTC)Yes, let's. How did that work, exactly? Isn't there a CG out there of Nergal hanging with his wife in dragon form, or did I imagine this?
If dragons can naturally procreate at all
Given they suffered from a catastrophically declining birth rate before engineering the "Age of Men," that's a very good question.
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Date: 2011-09-01 08:06 pm (UTC)I have serious doubts about the ability of a human male to manage to, well, get his sperm where it should go, never mind the matter of conception itself. It seems much easier to buy the idea that they tango with the dragon in human form, whatever difficulties might arise subsequently.
As for the last bit, I think even if they could procreate, they would be easily crowded out just because their pregnancy and sexual maturation must take so long.
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Date: 2011-09-02 03:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-02 03:11 am (UTC)