[Space/Aliens] Reproductive Features: alien, exotic and weird ideas

[Johnny1A.2]

Originally Posted by starslayer

Don't nessassarily get hung up on 'male/female'.

Some microbacteria 'trade' genetic information between each other. If a species were to become intelligent but retain that early genetic ability they might have conscious control of this ability when breeding; in which case 10 goblaps get together, one of them molts a blank (a completely genetically void section of stem cells) then the ten of them take turns conferring traits until it is a whole genetic code then it starts to grow.

I'll give it my eyes, ohh your eyes are good so I will add my mathematical ability, ohh that would be an excellent pairing with my musical background...

Such a species would react to change very well as they can select the most efficent breeding traits in one generation to react to lean, and the most powerful but expensive ones in times of plenty. Depending on how strong there sense of individual rights are they might also purposely breed for tasks selecting traits suited for those tasks

My 'Helians' are somewhat like this:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.g...c2782707778b1f

They exchange 'genetic' material optionally, by a process akin to the process by which they feed. Further, their hereditary information changes in response to changes in their physiognomy and other factors, they are rather 'Lamarckian'. Also, there is no sharp species boundary among the life-forms of their environment, any 'animal' form can exchange genetic material with any other and have it influence offspring.

(Note that humans and other mammals have a 'changing' element of heredity as well, in a vastly smaller way, in the form of methylation of genes).