The Gorn octuplets story.

[Rennan Protheus]

Here is a very interesting question my friend raised today.

In star trek into darkness Doctor McCoy says "I once performed an emergency cesarean on a pregnant GornÁ¢â,¬"octupletsÁ¢â,¬"lemme tell you, those little bast***s bite." But... the gorn are reptilian and reptiles lay eggs?

So is the story true then?

[Canora ann Daggarscrech]

a few kinds of snakes bear live young...

[Kale Bridges]

Some reptiles as we know them lay eggs. I think we should cut them some slack seeing as the universe is quite vast and has ideas of it's own.

[Canora ann Daggarscrech]

Some reptiles as we know them lay eggs. I think we should cut them some slack seeing as the universe is quite vast and has ideas of it's own.

Agreed.

[Corbin Langar]

Yeah, I wondered about that, but then I also wondered if it was common for Gorn to have litters...

[Revek Tre'el]

Yeah, I wondered about that, but then I also wondered if it was common for Gorn to have litters...

I would say yes because they are reptilian and most reptilians tend to have litters but then again most reptiles do the egg thing too.

If I had to guess I would say they tended towards small litters (2-4 maybe?). I only say this because predators tend towards small litters and Gorn are definitely apex predators on their world and if we take into account the idea of parallel evolution, even if they aren't laying clutches of eggs they should still follow the trend of litter size for predatory animals.

YAY FOR TAKING THE TOPIC TOO SERIOUSLY!!!

[Corbin Langar]

I would say yes because they are reptilian and most reptilians tend to have litters but then again most reptiles do the egg thing too.

If I had to guess I would say they tended towards small litters (2-4 maybe?). I only say this because predators tend towards small litters and Gorn are definitely apex predators on their world and if we take into account the idea of parallel evolution, even if they aren't laying clutches of eggs they should still follow the trend of litter size for predatory animals.

YAY FOR TAKING THE TOPIC TOO SERIOUSLY!!!

I've wondered the same about Cardassians too though - like what's with the mammaries? lol

But then there's livebearers in reptiles, and platypii (platypuses?), ostriches, and other strange critters exist.

And then there's the (TOS?) episode where the folks who spread the humanoid seed everywhere in the galaxy said "hey folks we're all related" so maybe mammal/reptile mix stuff isn't too out of the question?

[UGH I DON'T HAVE MUCH WORK LEFT TO DO AND AM STILL PROCRASTINATING!!]

[Canora ann Daggarscrech]

Totally off topic, but perhapse it can be compaired to starwars' clawdites. they were technically both mammals and reptiles...

[Kylik Roth]

Apparently, cold-blooded animals giving live birth is quite possible, and called vivipary.

Well, you can never say that being a Star Trek fan hasn't taught you anything new, even if you will never need to use that knowledge again.

[Eli Ferris]

Apparently, cold-blooded animals giving live birth is quite possible, and called vivipary.

Well, you can never say that being a Star Trek fan hasn't taught you anything new, even if you will never need to use that knowledge again.

The more you know...

Actually, I was going to argue that since the Gorn are larger reptilian lifeforms, there might still be litters either due to rapid growth, or other species development that necessitates multiple young. Given how territorial Gorn are, it is possible that Gorn culture prizes many young as a sign of virility and to protect territory.

Also, more questions occur to me during that scene. First, why was McCoy delivering Gorn babies? Secondly, anybody should know that a baby, regardless of species, will bite anything, ANYTHING, in range. Finally, are baby Gorn cute?

[Canora ann Daggarscrech]

I imagine baby gorn are probably maybe as cute as baby caimens (adorable) but there were many subspecies according to the game coming out. perhapse some layed eggs while others gave birth... kinda like snakes

[Corbin Langar]

I imagine baby gorn are probably maybe as cute as baby caimens (adorable) but there were many subspecies according to the game coming out. perhapse some layed eggs while others gave birth... kinda like snakes

Well, if they're like other humanoid critters, then probably adorable. Or at least to the parents! Okay, picturing a super cute baby gorn.

more with this face:

than with this one:

[Canora ann Daggarscrech]

I'd have imagined they'd have a longer snout... but still Awwwwww

[Corbin Langar]

well, human babies have super short noses. And puppies do, too, even long nosed dogs like retrievers.

[Klizh]

I know this is a super old thread but I just wanna point out... they are ALIENS, and just because there might be some evolutionary parallels with a class here on Earth, doesn't mean they are bound to mimic all the same traits. All we really know about Gorn biology is that they have scales. They don't necessarily have to be cold-blooded or lay eggs. It's theorized that some dinosaurs were warm-blooded. So for all we know they could be scaley, warm-blooded, live-birth-givers.

I imagine if they were egg layers, then if McCoy gave a c-section before eggs were formed around the young (remember, he mentioned how bitey they were), then they would have been too underdeveloped to survive outside their mother.