Human female survivors: Who is left to carry on Humanity?

Television, Movies Games and Books BSG-2003
#1

Hi,
Aside from Roslyn, who is really left as a human female character other than unknown females in the fleet to actually carry on the future of the human race?

Roslyn is dying of cancer, Starbuck is something else, Duella, Cally are dead, and this leaves us with all remaining characters that are minor characters like Ishtay, Seelix, Racetrack, the latter two may be in enough troubles for their participation in the mutiny, , or Cylons, such as Six, Gina-Natalie incarnations, Athena-Boomer incarnations, Tory, D"Anna (Whom is done in the series) Ellen, etc…

Does this imply that ion order for the human race to continue it will have to breed with Cylon entities ?
Is this the end of a purely human race?
In the end all that is left is Hera and even she represents a mix…

Thanks for reading.

#2

crimes aside, I volunteer to carry on the human race with Racetrack.

What? I had to beat the other gutter-dwellers to it. :slight_smile:

#3

Rats, now that you’ve said it I suppose I’ll have to contribute meaningfully.

I think that Baltar was telling the truth when he informed Roslin that at the rates of reproduction that had been the norm in the colonies that the human race would peter out within 100 years. Now, of course, there are thousands fewer people after the deaths on New Caprica, nuclear explosions, battles with Cylons and within the fleet. So, yes, it will be the end of the human race. People with souls, consciences, intelligence, and emotions do not have to disappear, but in order for humanity to continue, it will have to merge with Cylon-kind.

#4

There’s a “Racetrack finding something” joke right there…but I don’t think I can do it justice…

#5

Since Colbert is on talking about the stimulas package-“I’ve got a stimulas package-IN MY PANTS!”

#6

I think the key is “normal rates of reproduction.” If we went with that next gen episode where the key was “everyone mate with 3 other people” and combine that with woman having children much sooner (common in pre-industrial societies, which is what the survivors may devolve into) then humanity could survive by itself.

We really need a GWC resident genetist/biologist to be sure what the numbers on that would be.

#7

If Seelix repents I’m willing to start the race anew with her.

#8

Wonder if they could convert the good tubs into some of device where they could gestate the fetuses instead of need a woman for every baby.

#9

Don’t forget about all of Baltar’s women. I think the ratio is still pretty good between m/f. and I read a study not that long ago that said you need a minimum of 1000 people to keep a decent gene pool going to prevent inbreeding. though some will go as low as 200 people. If you have more than two children per couple the population will increase substantially. The real problem is finding the resources to support a permanent society.

#10

Yes you’re right the key is the term “normal rates of reproduction” and whether that applies to what was normal on the industrialized Colonies or what humans are capable of in preindustrial societies. Given that issues like education and career development are probably not going to be a priority for both sexes where ever the humans finally settle down, along with the loss of significant family planning methods, I think humanity will have the ability to replenish itself pretty quickly. In human history, the genetic evidence suggests that very small effective population sizes, often on the order of well under 100, were able to expand, colonize and over populate many different areas of our planet.

Baltar was correct though that they do face a serious demographic problem. If you were to sample 50,000 people from the industrial societies on Earth in such a way that those who happened to be conducting intercontinental travel at the moment were more likely to be sampled you’d end up with a disproportionately older population lacking children. Clearly all those over 40 are not going to contribute to the next generation. In addition, the under-representation of children of the initial survivors means that there is going to be a permanent ~15 year age gap in the population. As the current 30 year olds age out of reproductive productivity there won’t be new people entering parenthood until a good 20 years after initial attack. So yes there are major demographic problems ahead for the Colonials, but to their benefit humans have demonstrated themselves to be the primate equivalent of rats…

#11

I like to think of my species as more of a cockroach than a rat, personally.

#12

Here is another question: what would someone like me choose and what would happen to someone like me. You see, I love babies. I started getting baby urges around the age of 20. I’m looking forward to the day that I can go get a baby from the baby store and bring it home to be my soft little wuzzy whom I will love and protect and raise to be a wonderful person. I am not looking forward to being pregnant- I’m not going to be pregnant. The whole idea grosses me out on a personal level- it’s fine for other people, beautiful and natural. I just want my body to stay out of it.

If I were in the fleet, would I be willing to get pregnant simply because we need as many new babies as possible? I don’t know. It would be an incredibly difficult choice.

Say I decided not to get pregnant- would other people shun me or publicly decry my choice?

It’s a sticky question. On the one hand, everyone has a duty to help keep the species alive. On the other hand, no one has the obligation to give up control over his or her own body under any circumstances. The show is pretty dark already, but how much worse would it be if childbearing were compulsory once the fleet settles down on a new world?

#13

Have you ever noticed that not one woman that Baltar sleeps with becomes pregnant? I don’t think he is the father of the next generation.:smiley:

High IQ, low sperm count.

#14

Some 40+ers still have babies. Just throwing that in.

#15

And don’t forget Starbuck’s missing ovary. There’s got to be enough eggs in there to impregnate every remaining female cylon.

#16

Must be all the radiation from keeping a nuke in his office/in his lover’s bedroom.

#17

By that logic I’m EXPLODING with swimmers.

#18

It could also mean, Baltar is smart enough to wrap it. No need for little Baltars running around right now. He can’t afford to be tied down right now anyway, well unless its in the kinky way.

#19

There are some theories that suggest the human population (OUR human population – not Galactica’s) already underwent some sort of major genetic bottleneck effect. There is less genetic difference between one human and another than between one chimp and another. One theory (the Toba volcanic catastrophe) has the human population dropping to around 10 - 15 thousand people or as little as 1000 breeding pairs. While not accepted by everyone, I am sure that the writers are aware of it. Other theories propose a longer period of near extinction, perhaps coupled with cultural/language influences limiting out-group breeding

When looking at animals, a minimum viable breeding population of 160 individuals has been suggested, though usually a 1000 or more is suggested. Of course, at these low numbers the problems inherent in inbreeding are more apparent.

My guess is that there is enough of a genetic mix of people in the Galactic Fleet (all colonies appear to be represented) to allow for the re-establishment of humans assuming they find a suitable place to settle themselves first. They have the medical knowledge to deal with genetic issues and could offer incentives for having more children. This assumes that another event (war, plague, severely limited resources) does not hit. Another event will wipe them out. Needless to say, they will be vulnerable for many, many generations until they get enough numbers and their genes have drifted to a greater variety. I don’t think extinction is assured or even probable, but it would be a great and lasting danger. I am also not sure that breeding with the cylons will add much to the mixture as they are even more genetically homogeneous than the humans.

#20

But I want her to cut it back to that ULTRA lesbian New Caprica haircut first!!! Seroiusly!!!