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Old 07-14-2018, 07:46 AM   #11
Kelly Pedersen
 
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Default Re: Biotech

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Originally Posted by Anthony View Post
This is a reasonable interpretation but never stated.
"... in the case of sexual reproduction, species modification may render genetic constructs unable to crossbreed with normal examples of the race.", Bio-Tech p. 18.
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Old 07-14-2018, 09:59 AM   #12
Flyndaran
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Default Re: Biotech

May and not must. Though there's certainly lots of wiggle room between the two. Not recommended and risky are also possibilities depending on what specific species modding is done.
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Old 07-14-2018, 10:07 AM   #13
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Default Re: Biotech and human reproduction

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Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
So conventionally, leopards, lions, tigers, and jaguars are all the same species? I somehow doubt that most people believe that.
Anthony's definition is really a bit oversimplified, I think. As I learned it, if you have two populations that either inhabit different regions, or have different behavior patterns, which result in matings between them being rare or nonexistent, then you have reproductive isolation even if they could produce fertile offspring if they did mate. And reproductive isolation is the basis of species in the genetic sense.

Paleontologically, of course, it's not often possible to ascertain this, so paleontologists have a concept of "morphospecies."
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Old 07-14-2018, 10:14 AM   #14
Flyndaran
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Default Re: Biotech

Biology is often annoying complex with lots of "it depends" as answers.

I vaguely remember one species of fly where members of two groups will never mate with each other even in lab due to a single gene difference. It causes a slight change in wing beat frequency altering mating signals.

Then again, in context, species modification is vaguer than the authors probably intended. I always saw it as pushing crossbreeding from safe into the spectrum between dangerous and impossible.
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Old 07-14-2018, 01:20 PM   #15
Alonsua
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Default Re: Biotech

Lets assume that they can not. Thank you.
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Old 07-15-2018, 06:22 AM   #16
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Default Re: Biotech

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Originally Posted by Alonsua View Post
Lets assume that they can not. Thank you.
If you are the GM, then sure, you can assume that for your game. I don't think the intent of the term species modification in Biotech is to state or imply it creates a new species, but it's certainly possible. It's just as possible modifications that aren't listed under than header can too if the GM says so.

And of course being a member of a different species doesn't actually guarantee you can't crossbreed without technological intervention. Or vice versa - two same sex members of the same species generally can't after all.
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