Human Deviation, Mutation and Variation

wait until i can post idea's on a race of human like creatures that are simular to humans in asecpts except that their faster, far stronger,hell of lot more tough,biger,and have the abilty to surive radation exposers(of the gamma level) that would kill just about every kind of non-native speaices.genarly better than most other types of humans (not too much maybe like 2 or 3 times that of a olympic althlet. unless you count super soldiers then execpt great varraition in height,speed,vision reflexs,senses, and others things.but radation survival many many times that of a human being.

Do you actually have any idea what makes ionisation radiation so dangerous? Or how it effects the body? If so I would like to see your explanation as to how these 'things' are as you said very resillient to it.

Also such a characteristic would have little or no relevance on Felarya, simply because there are very few if any radiation sources.

luke112 wrote:

wait until i can post idea's on a race of human like creatures that are simular to humans in asecpts except that their faster, far stronger,hell of lot more tough,biger,and have the abilty to surive radation exposers(of the gamma level) that would kill just about every kind of non-native speaices.genarly better than most other types of humans (not too much maybe like 2 or 3 times that of a olympic althlet. unless you count super soldiers then execpt great varraition in height,speed,vision reflexs,senses, and others things.but radation survival many many times that of a human being.

Just as a general rule of thumb... The whole "Like a human, but superior in every single way" thing tends to not work out that well. When someone or some thing is made to be the best at everything they do, they tend to be very dull. What kinds of stories could you tell with these kinds of people that don't involve some big fight to show off how superior they are in every way to humans? Flaws are what make characters, and species, endearing. It seems like, from this description anyway, that instead of making a species that has to work with what Felarya gives them, and use finesse and skill to survive...you've created a species designed to do the exact opposite, forcing themselves on the world and bending it to their will.

Not trying to rip your idea apart or anything, just trying to maybe help you focus more on issues that you may never have thought about. If you specifically design a species to be "badass", then they often come off as overblown, or even cartoonish. Flaws, and weaknesses are what make characters interesting. Putting restrictions on what characters can and cannot do is a good thing. It encourages creativity as a writer, makes you think of different ways to get around a problem other than blowing it up/ripping it in half with super-strength. Even the giant predators have weaknesses and flaws.

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Flaws are what make characters, and species, endearing.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NinetiesAntiHero

Anime-Junkie wrote:

It seems to me that because Felarya 'connects' so so many worlds and universes, that there would be some variation in the humans that are in Felarya. Variations caused by such things as a harsher sun, making skin almost black and (much) thicker. Height variations caused by a slightly higher or lower gravity. Different colour skin, ie: Blue, green this can be caused by a number of things, (plant symbionts for example). Bark-like skin again possibly due to plant symbionts or naturally. Much longer arms and/or legs. Exceptionally good (or bad) night vision. Sight in other spectrums like ultraviolet, infrared etc, caused by a sun that emits in a slightly, or vastly different spectrum, this would be coupled with things like skin colour and thickness variations (because light is a spectrum, there is a great potential for variation here). I almost forgot to mention tails, extra limbs (mutation. there have been people born with them).
As yet, I haven't come up with any 'races,' but i thought it would be interesting to see what people thought of this. I believe Felarya deserves more than just what can be found on this Earth.

Since this thread has come up, why not post my thoughts...

This really wasn't a bad idea at all. I don't know why it didn't take off. It makes sense to me that Felarya should have tons of these human variations or sub-species. Especially if those humans live in areas where a lot of funky things can happen, such as the Akaptor Desert. Those people should have undergone some kind of evolution or mutation.

Since most have probably never heard of them, I suppose I could mention the Torinian humans from my story. They've undergone some changes and probably could be considered a sub-species, not a whole new species just yet. They have some physical differences like avian eyes, a lighter bone structure, are more oxygen efficient, and even grow plummage (mostly mixed in the hair). The physical abilities that seperate them from typical humans... well, they possess extraordinary eyesight and might be a bit swifter due to their lighter bones.

Maybe this is enough to qualify them as a sub-species. I hadn't thought about it that way until now.

I always imagined the sub-species of humans would essentially be humans from other worlds with different cultures and ethics and such. I'm not so sure if making "sub-species" with a different physical quirk, and possibly drastically different capabilities, will feel as human as those we're already familiar with. Just sayin.

gt500x wrote:

Since most have probably never heard of them, I suppose I could mention the Torinian humans from my story. They've undergone some changes and probably could be considered a sub-species, not a whole new species just yet. They have some physical differences like avian eyes, a lighter bone structure, are more oxygen efficient, and even grow plummage (mostly mixed in the hair). The physical abilities that seperate them from typical humans... well, they possess extraordinary eyesight and might be a bit swifter due to their lighter bones.

Maybe this is enough to qualify them as a sub-species. I hadn't thought about it that way until now.

The idea is that it's still possible for these variant humans to breed with normal humans OR with other variants who can breed with normal humans.
Now, your "Torinian humans." The only part that I can think that would make their genetics different enough to make them incompatible is the feathers in their hair. (Wouldn't that be painful?). I don't see any reason for the other aspects to prevent interbreeding.

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always imagined the sub-species of humans would essentially be humans from other worlds with different cultures and ethics and such. I'm not so sure if making "sub-species" with a different physical quirk, and possibly drastically different capabilities, will feel as human as those we're already familiar with. Just sayin.

That's not a subspecies, that's just a different culture and ethics.

Well, I was just saying, and it may be too rigid, but when a human has something drastically different, like having feathers for hair for example, it ceases being a human to me and becomes something else.

Could one of the human's breed, which had several thousands years of forced DNA manipulation and some random mutation (bad ecology) misleadingly call themselves "another race" or... sorta?

(Important point - they have got physical changes. Lot of them. For example, 2 pairs of eyelids (vertical and horizontal), longer and stronger hands, and ect)

Possibly Rezec. As I said before, if they can breed with normal humans or breed with a sub-species that can breed with normal humans.

Anime-Junkie wrote:

Possibly Rezec. As I said before, if they can breed with normal humans or breed with a sub-species that can breed with normal humans.

Thanks. That make some details clear for me)

I got an idea for a new race for Felarya if anyone would like to know what they are I will gladly let you all know

Jætte_Troll wrote:

Felarya vs. the Planet of the Nazis? Sounds like the best B-Movie ever.

Jætte_Troll wrote:

Hey, the Nazis were into the occult. Wonder how WWII would have turned out if they used portals to Felarya as weapons...

Do you have any idea what this kind of thinking could lead to?!?!

Naga Woman of the SS, that's what!

ravaging vixen wrote:

Militant-Prey wrote:

This is more sci-fi, but I imagine some variation and mutation would be driven by purposive enhancement by either genetic manipulation or cybernetic augmentation.

That's not mutation. that's self evolution.

Sorry if I´m awakening some older Theme - but this is just great! She´s right! For Example - in one of my own RPGs, Bluetopia, there is a Waterworld colonized by especially for this Purpose redesigned People. The Planet, called TUVALU II, is originally colonized by Polynesians - and they are genetically altered this Way: They have a Hang for the Oceans - they are somewhat good at Swimming and Diving, an Earthling can only dream of. So they have  special transparent Lenses, that moves over the Eyes when they are going to dive, so that they are able to see under Water quite well. Then they have an extremely rugged Collagene Tissue to withstand great Depth Pressures. To endure the long Exodus from Earth to Tuvalu II (which lasted at least nearly 6 Generations in Hibernation) they had been given a simplified Metabolism and an elastic inner Layout that was nearly symmetrical - to make `medicinal Maintenance´ as easy as possible. So the Tuvalesians are really rugged and reliable - but not especially strong or extraordinarily fast in Reflexes - if they don´t train themselves that Way, of Course. Brown Skin and dark Eyes are also good for Space Travel because they minimize the Risk of Cancer due to Space Radiation - but this was a welcoming Benefit and not primarily planned that Way - because the most Polynesians are brown skinned anyway. And in this Case all that was been accomplished through retrogenetic Technology - so their Children will be the same. This is called `artificially enhanced DNA-Alteration (AEDA or Luthién-II-Bodytuning)´, not Mutation.
Mutations normally do happen by Accident - so they can have an Effect, that is to be welcomed - but mostly they are not so needful - like three Arms, five Butts, Skin like a Toad - or a Spare Head.

I forgot, is this forum one that discourages or is ambivalent to necroing threads? I personally don't mind because I consider it better to necro a relevant thread than create a redundant duplicate, but I know most disagree.

On topic, my view of "alternate humans" is that there are two possibilities: either it's a parallel universe wherein plain old humans from Earth evolved from primordial apes and proceeded to colonize the universe (and possibly forget about having done so afterwards), or it's a miracle of convergent evolution wherein the universe is simply so big and full of life that something indistinguishable from humans evolved in multiple places.
In the first case, I note that dwarves are real. Here on Earth, a genetic condition exists called Dwarfism, which causes short limbs and a stocky, dwarflike body. Most people call those with this trait "midgets" or "little people" but the technical term, given that the trait is called dwarfism, is clearly dwarf. So on Earth, dwarves are humans, albeit a special variety of them (not dissimilar to the various races). If we go out into space and proceed to colonize other worlds and diversify, inevitably we'll evolve into a range of races that are all technically human, but may vary to significant degrees. We should only start calling them other species if they diversify to the point that they can no longer breed with humans.
In the second case, there's no reason not to also end up with a lot of "humans with bumpy heads" as in Star Trek, and the distinction between what is "human" versus "humanoid" is arbitrary, rather like the distinction between a planet and a dwarf planet.
So long story short, I see no reason there shouldn't be significant variety in the peoples of Felarya that all call themselves "humans", even to the degree that Negav has a thriving civilization full of dwarves, giants, cyclopes, etc.

parameciumkid wrote:

I forgot, is this forum one that discourages or is ambivalent to necroing threads? I personally don't mind because I consider it better to necro a relevant thread than create a redundant duplicate, but I know most disagree.

When it's for constructive new contributions, it can be permissible.

Carry on, and enjoy.

There are much other forms of humans - like the flores-hobbits. They must have looked like ordinary humans - but were perhaps 106 cm tall. And to hear from another guy about convergent evolution is like a lotto strike. I'm not the only mad scientist!

You totally rock!