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Old 01-26-2018, 01:39 AM   #1
Astromancer
 
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Default Animal Genetic Traits Useful for Parahumans.

What it says on the box, what known and demonstraited animal traits does this crowd think useful, fun, or a likely target for use, for THS parahumans and bioroids. We've seen bioroids with canine olfactory capacities, parahumans with the same ability to store oxygen in their muscles as seals, and many others.

What would be your choices for animal traits, useful, fun, or fashionable, for bioroids and parahumans inTHS.
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Old 01-26-2018, 07:48 AM   #2
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Default Re: Animal Genetic Traits Useful for Parahumans.

The naked mole rat's apparent immunity to cancer. Currently in TS this trait can only be gained through use of nano.
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Old 01-26-2018, 03:21 PM   #3
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Default Re: Animal Genetic Traits Useful for Parahumans.

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Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
The naked mole rat's apparent immunity to cancer. Currently in TS this trait can only be gained through use of nano.
Good call. Subtle traits that give useful protections will always be wanted.
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Old 01-30-2018, 06:32 PM   #4
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Default Re: Animal Genetic Traits Useful for Parahumans.

A prehensile tail. Any spacer would want one of those.
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Old 01-30-2018, 07:21 PM   #5
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Default Re: Animal Genetic Traits Useful for Parahumans.

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A prehensile tail. Any spacer would want one of those.
Agreed! I wonder if any animal has a sense of balance better adapted to microgravity?
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Old 01-31-2018, 01:00 AM   #6
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Default Re: Animal Genetic Traits Useful for Parahumans.

Better or different colour vision, e.g. Bluebottle Butterfly have 15 different colour receptors to humans' three.

Better low light vision, probably at the cost of some colour perception, e.g. cats.

Long range vision, e.g. some birds of prey have differently shaped eyes and retina to optimise for this.

Fanciful skin/hair colour is probably easiest to steal from animal pigment genes.

Chameleon skin for fun (I think we would all want chameleon armour for serious business), though I guess in sufficiently cinematic campaigns... :)

Large external ears for better directional hearing, e.g. cats, bats, hares.

Once you have the ears maybe you want sonar as well?
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Old 01-31-2018, 01:51 AM   #7
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Default Re: Animal Genetic Traits Useful for Parahumans.

Over the top but technically possible animal trait, would be sea cucumbers' ability to effectively liquefy then resolidify their skeletons using "catch collagen".
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Old 02-03-2018, 01:35 PM   #8
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Default Re: Animal Genetic Traits Useful for Parahumans.

Certain insects have a natural antifreeze in their cells. If parahumans had the same, they could resist frostbite even if their flesh was below freezing for long periods of time.

Certain frogs and toads can be totally frozen and survive. Perhaps adapting that trait could make parahumans that can go through suspended animation and come out alive.
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Old 02-03-2018, 02:20 PM   #9
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Default Re: Animal Genetic Traits Useful for Parahumans.

All animals that can survive total freezing are very small and "cold-blooded".
Those features would be much harder to instill in humans. (Though I think there is a "cold-blooded" parahuman in one of the supplements.)

I don't think even THS is up to the task of making a biological rat sized humanoid with human level intelligence.

I guess it depends on how much hand-waving you're willing to allow for your Dr. Moreau people.
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Old 02-03-2018, 02:33 PM   #10
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Default Re: Animal Genetic Traits Useful for Parahumans.

Camel hemocytes.
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