Are changelings asexual?

[Ln X]

Perhaps this is not strictly a topic for DS9, but the series does show that shapeshifters are gendered, male and female. I think it could be canon somewhere that shapeshifters reproduce asexually but then if that's so why do they have to be gendered? It is canon that shapeshifters evolved from humanoids, but did they also retain certain sexual humanoid biological characteristics, such as gender?

 

[Mage]

They do not experience sexuality like most humanoids do, this is certain. But, when talking about the changeling who is seen most often leading the war effort for The Dominion, she is usually referred to as the female changeling or female shapeshifter.

And, now that you mention gender.... I can't remember if we have ever seen a shapeshifter asume different genders. For example, the changeling killed by Odo, if I remember correctly, we only saw him asume male forms. And the female shapeshifter only seen once as an asumed form, and this was Kira, a female form.

 

[Deckerd]

The changeling who Odo met who could turn himself into fog and spaceships only assumed a male form when he was being humanoid. He also 'took a wife' for a while.

 

[DevilEyes]

They do not experience sexuality like most humanoids do, this is certain. But, when talking about the changeling who is seen most often leading the war effort for The Dominion, she is usually referred to as the female changeling or female shapeshifter.

And, now that you mention gender.... I can't remember if we have ever seen a shapeshifter asume different genders. For example, the changeling killed by Odo, if I remember correctly, we only saw him asume male forms. And the female shapeshifter only seen once as an asumed form, and this was Kira, a female form.

Which is because of the actors portraying those characters, who do have a gender. There's no reason to think that the characters in their basic, Changeling form do. They don't have sexual reproduction.

 

[Deckerd]

You're just guessing that. They have reproduction but there's no evidence that it isn't sexual.

 

[Mage]

They do not experience sexuality like most humanoids do, this is certain. But, when talking about the changeling who is seen most often leading the war effort for The Dominion, she is usually referred to as the female changeling or female shapeshifter.

And, now that you mention gender.... I can't remember if we have ever seen a shapeshifter asume different genders. For example, the changeling killed by Odo, if I remember correctly, we only saw him asume male forms. And the female shapeshifter only seen once as an asumed form, and this was Kira, a female form.

Which is because of the actors portraying those characters, who do have a gender. There's no reason to think that the characters in their basic, Changeling form do. They don't have sexual reproduction.

But it is interesting that we have not seen a changeling played by a male actor changing into another humanoid form that female, which could have easely been played by a female actor then.

 

[JarodRussell]

Changelings actually can experience human sex when they are in human form. Shown in one of the episodes where DS9 is occupied by the Dominion and Odo is hanging out with the leader chick.


As for reproduction... I guess when a changeling gets large and old enough, it simply splits into two.

 

[Paradon]

I once heard the female shape shifter said: "We are all part of the Great Link". That would suggest they all get together in a liquid state and somehow link telepathically and make newly formed changlings.

 

[The Dominion]

When you really think about it, the Changelings were probably the most complex visual concept Star Trek ever attempted to portray. There were so many totally alien nuances about them, not to mention they were a whole race, that it's pretty overwhelming to think about all the details involved.

 

[Newspaper Taxi]

I always got the impression that the Changelings didn't/couldn't reproduce. There was the amount of Founder-liquid on their homeworld and little gloops of it could split off and assume a solid individual form if they wanted. I always figured that the Great Link could split itself into as many individuals as it wanted so long as it had enough goop to make an individual being left in it. The fact that they had so much defenses also makes it seem like death was a pretty big deal for them -- losing a part of the Great Link.

 

[Ln X]

It still does not answer why some changelings (the ones we see on DS9 with the Founder's humanoid appearance, with that orange suit thing, and bland facial features and all) appeared female (with wider hips and of course breasts), and why there other changelings who were apparently male.

It hast to infer gender of some sort, because if changelings produced asexually, then there would be no need for genders, and we would not see 'female' changelings. This makes me think that changelings evolved but somehow retained their genders.

 

[Tiberius]

You're just guessing that. They have reproduction but there's no evidence that it isn't sexual.

"The drop becomes the ocean and the ocean becomes the drop."

Doesn't sound like they'd have sexual reproduction to me.

 

[Deckerd]

You're just guessing that. They have reproduction but there's no evidence that it isn't sexual.

"The drop becomes the ocean and the ocean becomes the drop."

Doesn't sound like they'd have sexual reproduction to me.

She's merely talking about their ability to separate off and become and individual or to join with the others. The fact that they can become individuals means that they can have sexual reproduction. The fact that they sent babies out into the void to see what happened means that they do reproduce.

 

[Sindatur]

You're just guessing that. They have reproduction but there's no evidence that it isn't sexual.

"The drop becomes the ocean and the ocean becomes the drop."

Doesn't sound like they'd have sexual reproduction to me.

She's merely talking about their ability to separate off and become and individual or to join with the others. The fact that they can become individuals means that they can have sexual reproduction. The fact that they sent babies out into the void to see what happened means that they do reproduce.

^This. There has to be some kind of reproduction, since youngsters/babies are sent off to find their own way

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Yes, but the intent was for those "children" to return and reincorporate themselves into the great link. Not really reproduction if your kids come back and become part of you again.

Mark

 

[JarodRussell]

Yes, but the intent was for those "children" to return and reincorporate themselves into the great link. Not really reproduction if your kids come back and become part of you again.

Mark

Just because it's illegal...

 

[Sindatur]

Yes, but the intent was for those "children" to return and reincorporate themselves into the great link. Not really reproduction if your kids come back and become part of you again.

Mark

Eh, they're completely new entities with no experience, memory etc, so, I think that indicates they are new entities and not part of what already existed.

 

[Star_Trucker]

I had guessed that they showed up as gender specific when dealing with solids. But that they could have also had some bit or part that would make the individual tend to lean more towards one gender over the other. But I would have loved to see one or more that would appear as both male and female.

As for reproduction, I had guessed that when they are all in the Great Link and it's time for a new individual to form then a little bit from two or more in the Link come together to form an 'infant'

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

We only see gendered changelings because of the actors portraying them. It would probably cost too much to give them so much makeup that it erases all gender appearance.

And it doesn't follow that changelings must reproduce sexually because there are individuals. They can simply 'split off' a new baby changeling from one parent.

 

[Gotham Central]

It still does not answer why some changelings (the ones we see on DS9 with the Founder's humanoid appearance, with that orange suit thing, and bland facial features and all) appeared female (with wider hips and of course breasts), and why there other changelings who were apparently male.

It hast to infer gender of some sort, because if changelings produced asexually, then there would be no need for genders, and we would not see 'female' changelings. This makes me think that changelings evolved but somehow retained their genders.

As a side note, please remember that ALL life, at least on Earth, is inherently female. Thus the default setting for life should be to appear with female traits. Its the presence of males that indicates the presence of binary gender and reproduction. An asexual creature would still have female attributes if its going to reproduce.