Pony Science

[GeorgW]

TL;DR
I still agree with Logan, you just can't expose the flaws of some things to science.
And wow, someone ELSE who thinks it's not good nor bad, I thought I was the only one!

We are rare...
And this isn't about exposing flaws, it's about over-analysing cartoons in order to make the flaws make sense. It's fun.

 

[Nerdstar]

great chart! although i must question why pinkie pie has recaceive unicorn genes? Faust herself has stated as much that pinkie is part pegesi as shown in her original sketch, and iv seen no evidence to suggest unicorn decent (here quantum reality warping powers fall out of the bounds of currently explainable equestrian science much like derpy hooves)

 

[Nerdstar]

Simplified Mendelian inheritance? Neat.
But I think you are ignoring a vital fact... dominant-recessive genetics aka the first law.

The whole Apple family is Earth unicorns for example, though I confess you granting them pure earth pony genes does account for that. But Pinkie's recessive unicorn gene for example should also lead to unicornian family members after some time.

Still, one might claim that genetics does work in a different way in Equestria, just like physics does.

As for the OT it's interesting althought where would Prince Blueblood, Princess Celestria nephew would fit into the chart?

He's a dubious character anyway. Celestia's nephew... that'd mean he's either Luna's son or there is an unknown sibling that's never mentioned.
I say he's adopted!

Did someone already discuss that topic in the group? I'm not active enough to know everything that's being said in there.

Faust explained that he is celestia's nephew but something like 26 times removed.

 

[Quaxar]

As for the OT it's interesting althought where would Prince Blueblood, Princess Celestria nephew would fit into the chart?

He's a dubious character anyway. Celestia's nephew... that'd mean he's either Luna's son or there is an unknown sibling that's never mentioned.
I say he's adopted!

Did someone already discuss that topic in the group? I'm not active enough to know everything that's being said in there.

Faust explained that he is celestia's nephew but something like 26 times removed.

Well, that clears that up. But then again it provokes new questions like who's the link between the Alicorn sisters and the ordinary prince.
Also, line of succession. As nephew 26 times removed he is clearly not a real member of the royal bloodline anymore, not to mention if the Princess is actually immortal like it is suggested there is no need for an heir anyway. At best he could be a <url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince#Non-dynastic_princes>non-dynastic prince but I guess that's rather a topic for another thread.

 

[Melon Hunter]

But that would make the dominations too loosely defined and make them more case specific, which isn't really scientific. I realise there are some holes, which is why we're working on a pedigree chart where all three are equally dominant and you have 3 alleles in stead of 2. Wait for it.

Fair enough. Sorry to be so picky, I'm kinda throwing out anything I can think of to support Fluttershy being Pegasus/Earth Pony! I'm looking forward to the revised chart.

great chart! although i must question why pinkie pie has recaceive unicorn genes? Faust herself has stated as much that pinkie is part pegesi as shown in her original sketch, and iv seen no evidence to suggest unicorn decent (here quantum reality warping powers fall out of the bounds of currently explainable equestrian science much like derpy hooves)

Yeah...that might be my fault. I suggested that Pinkie has recessive unicorn genes to explain her 'teleportation' abilities.

 

[CrimsonRegret]

1. Ponies move the clouds, ecosystem doesn't work.
2. Animals don't seem to hunt each other, no evolution.
3. Machinery with no electricity, and no one seems to industrialize.
4. Science with magic? Its one or the other, but not both.
5. Pinkie sense is suddenly scrutinized by science from twilight, but everything else wrong with MLP isn't? Oh yeah we totally know ponies can fly and perform magic. That's science right there.
6. a non genetic birth mark appears when they realize who they are? ridiculous.
7. the problems of pony physics.

In MLP, science no longer applies.

I forgot who said this, but basically, in another universe it's not that it functions outside the laws of physics, it's physics are just different then our own. (Not an exact quote, i kind of butchered it.)

 

[Nerdstar]

great chart! although i must question why pinkie pie has recaceive unicorn genes? Faust herself has stated as much that pinkie is part pegesi as shown in her original sketch, and iv seen no evidence to suggest unicorn decent (here quantum reality warping powers fall out of the bounds of currently explainable equestrian science much like derpy hooves)

Yeah...that might be my fault. I suggested that Pinkie has recessive unicorn genes to explain her 'teleportation' abilities.

that's quite alright, that's what good science is all about,stating a hypothesis and adding and revising as we go,and on that note i too am looking forward to said revised chart

Well, that clears that up. But then again it provokes new questions like who's the link between the Alicorn sisters and the ordinary prince.
Also, line of succession. As nephew 26 times removed he is clearly not a real member of the royal bloodline anymore, not to mention if the Princess is actually immortal like it is suggested there is no need for an heir anyway. At best he could be a <url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince#Non-dynastic_princes>non-dynastic prince but I guess that's rather a topic for another thread.

don't quote me on the number all i know is that price blueblood is removed enough times to that he has no DIRECT decent from either Luna or Celestia, and your Non-dynastic prince theory is a viable one but other than faust's word that he related somehow we don't know if there's enough royal blood for him to be a "blood prince" (ohh think of the shame prince BLUEBLOOD isn't a genuine price at all, how scandalise)

 

[^=ash=^]

Interesting work I must say.

My only issue is that you have the same genes (pegasus & unicorn) as both recessive and dominant to each other which doesn't really work.

Otherwise very good work.

xxx

 

[Quaxar]

Well, that clears that up. But then again it provokes new questions like who's the link between the Alicorn sisters and the ordinary prince.
Also, line of succession. As nephew 26 times removed he is clearly not a real member of the royal bloodline anymore, not to mention if the Princess is actually immortal like it is suggested there is no need for an heir anyway. At best he could be a <url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince#Non-dynastic_princes>non-dynastic prince but I guess that's rather a topic for another thread.

don't quote me on the number all i know is that price blueblood is removed enough times to that he has no DIRECT decent from either Luna or Celestia, and your Non-dynastic prince theory is a viable one but other than faust's word that he related somehow we don't know if there's enough royal blood for him to be a "blood prince" (ohh think of the shame prince BLUEBLOOD isn't a genuine price at all, how scandalise)

You make me want to start my own science thread. "Royal relations in Equestria" or something.
I'd add heraldry there too but unfortunately I have never seen any kind of coat of arm or flag in the show. A shame, really, because I find heraldry actually quite interesting.

 

[rancher of monsters]

Alicorns are cosmic deities who control heavenly bodies, they might be above genetics. Otherwise, great work, earth pony genes would explain Derpy's flight problems.

 

[Lunar Templar]

o.0
I've nothing really to add, since even trying to start wrapping my head around this would probably result in a bottle of Tylenol getting killed just to keep the head ache to a dull roar.

but i am rather impressed, though while 'alicorns are divine, thus above genetics' works for Luna and Celestia, what about them as an odd mutation, it happens some times right? sides it would let me explain the pony i made up XD

(EI:: they are pretty much no more magical then the average Unicorn, just with the added traits of the Pegasus side)

 

[DocMcCray]

4. Science with magic? Its one or the other, but not both.

In MLP, science no longer applies.

Somebody hasn't seen the new Thor movie yet...

When Thor was talking to Natalie Portman's character about his world, he came up with an explanation.

This may not be exact, but it should be close.

"In the ancient times, they called it magic. In your time, they call it science. In our world, it is a mixture of both."

It's not that magic and science can't coexist. We just haven't found the link yet.

 

[AdamRBi]

Wait... wait...

I love this breakdown, but (I'm about to post an irrelevant notation about your chart) wouldn't Pinkie Pie be Earth Dominant and Pegasus Recessive seeing how she was originally designed as a Pegasus Pony during the Character Development of the show?

Anyway, I love this chart, but as someone else commented I'm sure Alicorn's are rare breeds conceived from royal seed. Simply mixing a Pure Unicorn and a Pure Pegasus I gather wouldn't produce a practical deity.

The royal structure of Equestria surly works in where the royal gene that allows for Alicorns is a genetic mutation that forms in Unicorn/Pegasus hybrids. It's recessive, so that's why it's rare to find any even in the royal family. I'm not aware of the breeding rates of Equines, but seeing as Celestia and Luna are sisters it probably means anywhere between a 1-in-3 or 1-in-5 ratio of Alicorn births in the royal family.

Unless a royal breeds with a earth pony, in which case it'd come out a Powerful Pegasus or a Powerful Unicorn seeing as only one half of the Alicorn is present.

Or, you know what? Spores and Magic Moonlight reflected from tears, or in this case probably Rainbows of Light (As opposed to the Rainbow of Darkness, which just kinda shape-shifts things. Ooo, maybe that's what possessed Little Luna and transformed the jealousy in the young one's heart into the wicked Nightmare Moon... what is a Rainbow of Darkness anyway?).

 

[GeorgW]

Interesting work I must say.

My only issue is that you have the same genes (pegasus & unicorn) as both recessive and dominant to each other which doesn't really work.

Otherwise very good work.

xxx

That's when there's an equal part of both, and we had the male dominance decide.

But that would make the dominations too loosely defined and make them more case specific, which isn't really scientific. I realise there are some holes, which is why we're working on a pedigree chart where all three are equally dominant and you have 3 alleles in stead of 2. Wait for it.

Fair enough. Sorry to be so picky, I'm kinda throwing out anything I can think of to support Fluttershy being Pegasus/Earth Pony! I'm looking forward to the revised chart.

great chart! although i must question why pinkie pie has recaceive unicorn genes? Faust herself has stated as much that pinkie is part pegesi as shown in her original sketch, and iv seen no evidence to suggest unicorn decent (here quantum reality warping powers fall out of the bounds of currently explainable equestrian science much like derpy hooves)

Yeah...that might be my fault. I suggested that Pinkie has recessive unicorn genes to explain her 'teleportation' abilities.

great chart! although i must question why pinkie pie has recaceive unicorn genes? Faust herself has stated as much that pinkie is part pegesi as shown in her original sketch, and iv seen no evidence to suggest unicorn decent (here quantum reality warping powers fall out of the bounds of currently explainable equestrian science much like derpy hooves)

Yeah...that might be my fault. I suggested that Pinkie has recessive unicorn genes to explain her 'teleportation' abilities.

that's quite alright, that's what good science is all about,stating a hypothesis and adding and revising as we go,and on that note i too am looking forward to said revised chart

Well, that clears that up. But then again it provokes new questions like who's the link between the Alicorn sisters and the ordinary prince.
Also, line of succession. As nephew 26 times removed he is clearly not a real member of the royal bloodline anymore, not to mention if the Princess is actually immortal like it is suggested there is no need for an heir anyway. At best he could be a <url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince#Non-dynastic_princes>non-dynastic prince but I guess that's rather a topic for another thread.

don't quote me on the number all i know is that price blueblood is removed enough times to that he has no DIRECT decent from either Luna or Celestia, and your Non-dynastic prince theory is a viable one but other than faust's word that he related somehow we don't know if there's enough royal blood for him to be a "blood prince" (ohh think of the shame prince BLUEBLOOD isn't a genuine price at all, how scandalise)

We're gonna change Pinkie back to Ep as she originally was.
And Prince Blueblood was supposed to be a duke, so that might help?
We're having some trouble with the new, more complex, chart. First, E3 is proving a lot more exciting, secondly the hybrids are way too common, and thirdly we just like the original more. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

*sigh* This can only end badly...
WARNING: Some strong language and Bad MS paint bloodspray! *heeheehee, i 've always wanted to say that!*
When will it end!?

 

[Liggliluff]

60 comments later, I'm back!
I've read trough your fantastic comments that would help develop the chart even more.
Well currenty, I have slept and now in school (well, I'm in GMT+2), will read trough your comments even more when I get home.

Also, if you think Pinkie Pie has recessive Pegasus-gene (Ep), I can change back, which was what I had at first.
Seeing Celestia and Luna as mutations and have strong powers.

I'll talk whith GeorgW abouth this and a new table may be featured 16:00-18:00 (GMT+2).
But now: Work...

EDIT: Continue posting! Will happily to read more

 

[thiosk]

Oh my god the pony lore has begun to get even more serious than the warhammer lore.

what the hell?

 

[Unesh52]

As long as we're overanalyzing FiM I may as well link this:
http://www.overthinkingit.com/2011/02/24/my-little-pony-political-economy/

I love this type of analysis. That article makes me want to write a fanfic about a Ponyville French Revolution. Applejack decapitates Celestia. And then the cows rise up and form their own nation state.

And while the hypothesis about Alicorns presented by the OP seems plausible, I'm not sure observation bears it out. Luna and Celestia are the only examples of their kind, for one thing, and they are markedly different from the other species. Most notably, they're either immortal or live incredibly long lives. They're bigger and more slender than other ponies as well, not to mention the insane level of magical prowess they posses. They're something else entirely.

I think the most rational thing to conclude, given the universe, is that the reproductive process in Equestria is entirely alien from the processes we observe in real life. After all, several natural processes, most notably weather, that are ostensibly similar to real phenomena are controlled by pony ingenuity and magic. After all, ponies don't apparently have genitalia, though it may be assumed that Faust is just being polite not drawing it. We've already seen how emotional connectivity and social cohesion can be a catalyst for magic well beyond the scope of any individual. Perhaps the power of love in this universe is directly responsible for reproduction, as opposed to our world, where it is merely related, if that.

Of course, this makes the explanation for the pervasiveness of dual genders throughout Equestrian fauna a little more complicated at best, and might have some homophobic implications at worst.

God this is embarrassingly fun to consider.