kerbal dimorphisms

[crubs]

I'm guessing that we all want to see female kerbals introduced in a future release. But the question remains, what should female kerbals look like?

From the mods I've seen thus far, the only modifications made basically comes down to a feminine hairstyle and lipstick. I imagine that if a dimorphism in kerbal parental investment exists as it does in humans, then dimorphisms in anatomy will also occur. That is, I expect to see females be smaller in both volume and mass, have proportionally bigger eyes, and possibly a more "rounded" head. Otherwise It's hard for me to think of much else beyond hairstyles and lipstick.

Do you guys have any thoughts?

Also, do you think we should have different kerbal races? Like red kerbals from kerbofell, with curved ladders? Curved. Ladders.

[Klingon Admiral]

In my headcanon, Kerbals simply don't posess any sexual dimoprhism. Also, female Kerbals are already in the game, their names just don't sound very feminine to us.

[Camacha]

That is, I expect to see females be smaller in both volume and mass, have proportionally bigger eyes, and possibly a more "rounded" head.

Why? In a lot of species the females are the bigger of the two sexes. And occasionally eat their mate.

[dharak1]

Camacha is right. Isn't that another thing special about mammals is that males are larger? Of course if Kerbals are based off of humans then that may be the case but it would also imply they are mammals.

[Tommygun]

Why? In a lot of species the females are the bigger of the two sexes. And occasionally eat their mate.

Art work by Rareden: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/25231-Rareden-s-Projects?p=791325&viewfull=1#post791325

[KSK]

How to put this delicately. Childbirth is only borderline feasible in humans, so I personally don't see it working too well with kerbal sized heads.

In my headcanon, kerbals are bigendered and marsupial. So yes, you do get female kerbals, and they're pouched, slightly larger overall and slightly broader across the torso to accomodate the pouch. No breasts because they don't nurse externally. Hadn't really thought about their heads much, but hair length is more a signal of age and current fashion, than gender.

But that's just me. You can make up many other scenarios. As far as names go, I'm with the Admiral. Apart from the 'obviously' male names, most kerbal names are pretty neutral. I've written male and female characters into my fanfic, all with names taken in-game, borrowed from screenshots or produced using an online kerbal name generator.

Edited November 3, 2014 by KSK

[YourEverydayWaffle]

If I recall correctly, there's a theory that the Kerbals are a sort plant-mammal hybrid (that might photosynthesize in space, explaining their lack of need for food), which might open the possibility for asexual reproduction, or something similar. This would eliminate the need for any other gender. They're also green, maybe supporting that theory a bit more.

[Frozen_Heart]

I just picture female kerbals to have longer hair and more oval rather than square heads. Putting lipstick or eyeshadow on is pretty odd as working on a spacecraft isn't a fashion contest!

[KerbMav]

How to put this delicately. Childbirth is only borderline feasible in humans, so I personally don't see it working too well with kerbal sized heads.

Well done. ^^

But it also depends on the size of the kerblet and the post-natal-growth-process (if that makes any sense at all).

In my headcanon, kerbals are bigendered and marsupial. So yes, you do get female kerbals, and they're pouched, slightly larger overall and slightly broader across the torso to accomodate the pouch. No breasts because they don't nurse externally. Hadn't really thought about their heads much, but hair length is more a signal of age and current fashion, than gender.

As much as I like that approach ...

But that's just me. You can make up many other scenarios. As far as names go, I'm with the Admiral. Apart from the 'obviously' male names, most kerbal names are pretty neutral. I've written male and female characters into my fanfic, all with names taken in-game, borrowed from screenshots or produced using an online kerbal name generator.

... especially your First Flight changed the way I see Kerbal society and everything else - although I am way behind in reading, I have to confess ... - so female Kerbals have become inevitable to me.

Although way back I also liked to think of them as a bee-like species, with an egg-laying queen, also explaining their clone-like similarities.

[KSK]

Well done. ^^

But it also depends on the size of the kerblet and the post-natal-growth-process (if that makes any sense at all).

It makes perfect sense. Smaller kerblets would get around the problem too, and in some ways I guess marsupialism is just that idea taken to extremes.

... especially your First Flight changed the way I see Kerbal society and everything else - although I am way behind in reading, I have to confess ... - so female Kerbals have become inevitable to me.

Why thank you!

I don't know if you got as far as 'Echoes of Time', but that's the key chapter that draws all my ideas on kerbal society together. It does include a lot of spoilers though

Although way back I also liked to think of them as a bee-like species, with an egg-laying queen, also explaining their clone-like similarities.

Heh - it worked for the Bugs (looking at your signature here ) so why not!

[KSK]

If I recall correctly, there's a theory that the Kerbals are a sort plant-mammal hybrid (that might photosynthesize in space, explaining their lack of need for food), which might open the possibility for asexual reproduction, or something similar. This would eliminate the need for any other gender. They're also green, maybe supporting that theory a bit more.

That's an interesting idea too, and one that I thought about writing about. My gut feeling - not backed up by any numbers - is that kerbal photosynthesis would only really work as a last ditch emergency option, to keep the kerbal alive in hibernation. Good for passengers on long distance spaceflights, but not as good for the crew. The reason being that I don't think there's enough surface area on a kerbal body to produce enough glucose (or whatever nutrient they need - glukose? ) to keep them in a more active state by photosynthesis alone. It would definitely explain their green colour though.

[Kryten]

When thinking about diet, it must be remembered there are only two things Kerbals could potentially be eating;

A) sunlight

or

grass

Either could explain a green colour, in the absence of other pigments; and why would they have pigment, in an ecosystem with no predators or competitors?

[KSK]

Side effect of a blood based on copper containing oxygen transporters. Protection from sunlight (admittedly green may not be optimal for this). Evolved for sexual attraction (maybe the greenest kerbal is seen as the most attractive ). Also, Kerbin has trees too, so the kerbals could eat fruit or nuts.

[Beowolf]

In my headcanon, kerbals are bigendered...

But childbirth would be easier if they were smallendered.

[Brotoro]

When thinking about diet, it must be remembered there are only two things Kerbals could potentially be eating;

A) sunlight

or

grass

Either could explain a green colour, in the absence of other pigments; and why would they have pigment, in an ecosystem with no predators or competitors?

Why can't they eat birds? Or whatever the critters are all around KSC that are making those bird-like noises? Mmmm...Mm! Fried pseudo-chicken!

[Scotius]

....Still tastes like chicken Maybe Kerbals are covered by protective layer of symbiotic algae? Those tiny organisms metabolise sweat and other bodily secretions of Kerbals (and produced CO2), while providing protection from UV light. And hungry Kerbal just needs to lick his arm (or face) for a quick snack.

[LitaAlto]

I just picture female kerbals to have longer hair and more oval rather than square heads. Putting lipstick or eyeshadow on is pretty odd as working on a spacecraft isn't a fashion contest!

Of course, people wear makeup for reasons other than being in fashion contests. Just saying.

[GoSlash27]

Side effect of a blood based on copper containing oxygen transporters. Protection from sunlight (admittedly green may not be optimal for this). Evolved for sexual attraction (maybe the greenest kerbal is seen as the most attractive ). Also, Kerbin has trees too, so the kerbals could eat fruit or nuts.

If that were the case, they'd be bluish, not green.

Best,

-Slashy

[crubs]

Why? In a lot of species the females are the bigger of the two sexes. And occasionally eat their mate.

In many of those species, the fact that females are larger deals with the simple fact that egg cells are exponentially larger than sperm. With insects, whom are already small, this is an evolutionary constrain. Females have to be bigger simply because that's the minimum size they need to successfully reproduce.

In other species, males may be smaller due to the difference in parental investment. Since all they need to do is deliver energetically-cheap, easy-to-make sperm, they maintain a small size to save calories. The females, on the other hand, have to do all the work to make up for the lazy father. That means becoming a big, strong, ferocious predator that may eat her mate after he's done his only duty in the relationship.

However many species that are both social and intelligent, such as humans, males are selected to be larger because the gap in parental investment is much smaller. Females select big, strong, hard working, and faithful men to father their children. Conversely, men maximize their fitness by selecting women whom are younger, which means being more childlike. This is because younger women are going to be able to make more kids on average between the time of first copulation and menopause. Childlike characteristics in humans means smaller bodies, less rigid faces, and bigger eyes, to name a few things.

Since kerbals are analgous to humans, I expect kerbal females to share dimorphisms with human females. I think many players would be confused by females being larger and more ferocious of the genders.

As for the childbirth thing, I figure it would be possible if the head started as being more rounded instead of cylindrical, which is why kerbal females might have more rounded heads. Otherwise, I suppose kerbals could be egg layers like pokemon...

[Camacha]

Females select big, strong, hard working, and faithful men to father their children.

Just as a side note: females select big strong men to father their children and hard working faithful men to raise them. It has been shown that the type of male women select as a (potential mate) varies. When fertile, they tend to seek out stonger, more maschuline men, when looking for a longer term relationship and/or ge looking for someone to care for the children they generally look for softer, more caring traits. These, of course, are averages, but can be substantiated statistically. Some people don't really like these results, as they are a bit at odds with our cultural perception of what a child producing relationship should be and look like, but hey, it's how nature put it together. From a genetic/evolutionary point of view it actually makes quite a bit of sense.

Please note that I am in no shape, way or form suggesting that women are inherently unfaithful. I am just explaning that this mechanism seems to exist, without trying to explain what this means or implies.

I think many players would be confused by females being larger and more ferocious of the genders.

I think this is the overriding argument. All the others might or might not be true, depending on the story you wish to tell. But is you want to convey the message of female Kerbals quickly and intuitively, they share prominent traits with humans meaning a smaller body size and/or mass, lighter frame, broader hips, more rounded facial features and possibly breasts. Any human from whatever culture will at a glance be able to tell that those are supposed to be the female counterpart of the male Kerbals we already know, presuming they are actually sexually reproducing creatures.

[Drunken Hobo]

I'll say the same thing that I always say when female kerbals are discussed - I don't view kerbals as sexual beings. They have English-language male names & that's about it. They're little green things that give funny expressions in the bottom corner when I'm flying a poorly-designed rocket in a video game. To me they have no gender, no reproductive system, no biology & never need to go to the bathroom. I simply don't consider these things.

[Camacha]

I'll say the same thing that I always say when female kerbals are discussed - I don't view kerbals as sexual beings. They have English-language male names & that's about it. They're little green things that give funny expressions in the bottom corner when I'm flying a poorly-designed rocket in a video game. To me they have no gender, no reproductive system, no biology & never need to go to the bathroom. I simply don't consider these things.

I would go a little less far, as I feel food and oxygen can be viable gameplay mechanisms. However, them being a race of whatever it is that they already are, reproducing in a non-descript way sounds fine to me. Though some people might feel gender roles could be an issue, as technical jobs are already dominated by male workers.

[Starwhip]

But childbirth would be easier if they were smallendered.

*Slow headshaking and chuckling*

I honestly just think of Kerbals as "thems" or "its", having neither male nor female genders.

But then again I don't think about it very much. Orbital mechanics and such

[Camacha]

I honestly just think of Kerbals as "thems" or "its", having neither male nor female genders.

They seem quite obviously male in name and form. Just adding female names might go a long way, as their suits might cover up most of the relevant differences. A female human miner also looks a lot like a male miner.

[KerbMav]

The whole thing is ridden with obstacles and opportunities to blow up in ones face.

One of the main arguments for introducing female kerbals was, that female players could be turned away from KSP, that young girls might be less interested in space topics if not represented in games etc., so to satisfy this, female kerbals will have to have similar dimorphismic features ("mistreating your language since 1980") as humans do.

A female human miner also looks a lot like a male miner.

"But isnt child labor illegal?"

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