07-13-2018, 01:14 PM | #1 |
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Biotech and human reproduction
Can a normal human being reproduce with a genetically modified one if it has undergone Species Modification?
Last edited by Alonsua; 07-13-2018 at 01:24 PM. |
07-13-2018, 04:41 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Austin, TX
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Re: Biotech
Canonically, genetic upgrades are capable of breeding with base-line humans and each other (Genetic Upgrades on Biotech, p 66 and Genetic Mixing on Biotech p 68). Homo Superior Parahumans cannot (Biotech p 67). It looks like the dividing line between a Genetic Upgrade template and a Homo Superior Parahuman is the presence of a species modification.
So no, having a species modification genetic upgrade prevents you from breeding with baseline humans. See the Alternate Game Production biomod (Biotech p 184) for a way around this prohibition.
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07-13-2018, 06:00 PM | #3 | |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Biotech and human reproduction
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The conventional definition of species is 'the largest group of organisms in which two individuals can produce fertile offspring', so if 'species modification' means 'becomes a new species', the answer is clearly no. However, that's not actually the way Biotech defines species modification, though it seems to be assumed. |
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07-13-2018, 08:09 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Orem, Utah, USA
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Re: Biotech and human reproduction
Quote:
In a wild environment members of group A might interbreed with group B and members of Group B might interbreed with group C but A and C won't interbreed at all. So are A,B and C all part of one species? The answer can depend on which biologist you ask and what standards he used to make the classification. With a Bachelors in Biology and over a decade working in genetics I've learned that what they teach as hard and fast rules in the introductory classes are a lot messier in the real world. As to the original question, it depends on how much modification was done and how. Howard Taylor's Schlock Mercenary includes Purps who have genes for purple photosynthetic skin that were added by giving them a new pair of chromosomes. Baselines and Purps can't interbreed because the extra chromosome messes up fetal development. If your modified human is like Taylor's Purps interbreeding will be impossible or produce infertile offspring (like mules and for the same reason). If the modifications were made to the existing chromosomes it might depend on how much they were modified and which genes were changed. Considering that humans and chimpanzees have around 99% of the same DNA you could say the answer is whatever suits your game and have some justification it real science. |
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07-13-2018, 08:33 PM | #5 | |
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: Biotech and human reproduction
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07-13-2018, 08:37 PM | #6 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southeast NC
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Re: Biotech and human reproduction
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07-13-2018, 09:40 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Biotech and human reproduction
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Yes, but that happens all the time without creating a new species -- it describe any unique mutation. |
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07-14-2018, 12:58 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: Biotech
Species modification in Bio-Tech defines modifications that the authors believe would cause the new species to no longer be fertile with the old.
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07-14-2018, 01:25 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Biotech
This is a reasonable interpretation but never stated.
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07-14-2018, 01:34 AM | #10 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Biotech and human reproduction
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