Can different types of ponies have babies together?

[MyLittlePonyTales]

I was thinking that if a Unicorn and a Pegasus had a baby, they could potentially give birth to a unisus. So I was wondering if different types of ponies (Earth, Unicorn, Pegasus) could have babies together. I mean, anatomically, there doesn't seem to be a problem. But is that something that's a taboo in pony society?

[Ragdollfrey]

I don't know if it actually is taboo, but if it was, it'd be great plot potential.

[GeekyBones]

I think for the main three pony types, interbreeding is possible and the child has a 50/50 chance of being either of the parent's type. So, an Earth and Unicorn cross would result in 50% Earth and 50% Unicorn. A Pegasus and Pegasus would be 100% Pegasus.

[Kudalyn]

I think it would be either one or the other, like if the mom was a Pegasus and the dad a Unicorn, the kid would be one or the other, no get bits from both.

Cause the only Unisus' out there seem to be royalty, so maybe they have a special set of genes?

[Tam]

This is basically a discussion of dominant and recessive genes. Generally speaking, if a Parent one has blue eyes, and Parent two has brown eyes, the child's more likely to have brown eyes. (I think. I haven't taken biology in a long time, but the principle stands.)

I suspect ponies of all shapes and sizes breed and have children, but the "alicorn" combination is particularly rare, and has only happened very few times.

As far as taboo, I don't know! Maybe that will play into my Cliff character I'll be posting later today... I might borrow that. Thanks.

[Derpy]

The official character description for Celestia is that she is a "princess pony; the only pony with both the wings of a pegasus and a unicorn's horn" (or something along those lines). So, I think it is safe to assume that only Celestia, Luna, and any other royalty TBA could have both wings and a horn.

When it comes to the Hasbro toys and cartoons, there has always been a distinction between the Pegasus ponies, Earth ponies, and Unicorn ponies. The physical features of a pony make them just as special as their cutie mark and usually tie in to some other hobby or skill (athleticism for Earth ponies, speedy flight for Pegasus ponies, magical ability for Unicorn ponies, etc.).

Having a pony with all of these features would kind of be "OP" in the MLP universe. Even the royal ponies from the original cartoons didn't have both. Celestia and Luna are the only ones with these features and it was probably done to make them stand out more as the Princesses/Goddesses of Equestria.

[Tam]

Welcome to the site, Derpy. Please head over to the Introductions forum and... well... introduce yourself!

[Derpy]

Thank you, Tam! I will. =)

[brianblackberry]

I think it would be either one or the other, like if the mom was a Pegasus and the dad a Unicorn, the kid would be one or the other, no get bits from both.

Cause the only Unisus' out there seem to be royalty, so maybe they have a special set of genes?

That was my thought to, that it be a "flip of the genetic coin" kinda deal. Perhaps before birth there is some metaphysical predetermination or knowledge what their specialty will be helps determines their type. Yet again it may be completely random. Another possibly the foal of a mixed union may much likely be what her mother was (or vise versa). I wonder if anyone asked the WoG (i.e. Faust) this question?

[Stella-Song]

Creshosk has worked out how genetics could work - not so much as in the canon universe - but more then likely in the universe/s that fan characters would be placed into. It's more to show people that Alicorn OCs could work in alternate universes. But I found it very informative... while others found it to be "a violation to canon".

Hopefully the bronies here are more open to someone's ideas about such things.

They can be found...

Part 1: Here

Part 2: Here.

I hope they help with at least some of your question.

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

Ugh... Mongoloid, Negroid? I cringed while reading that. The genetics that cover skin color and appearance number only several hundred base pairs, out of billions. Two complete strangers of, say, european descent can be more genetically similar that myself and my own brother.

The whole "three equal types" hypothesis doesn't really mesh with reality either. In reality, genes code parts of the body in relationship to their position on the chromosome, so there's no chance that the genes for a horn and the genes for wings would overlap because they're located in different positions. Of course if that was the case, winged unicorns would be the most common type of pony and earth ponies would be the most rare.

If you want to have winged unicorn OCs, thats cool, and you could make it work genetically. Personally I think it cheapens the distinction a bit from a storytelling point of view. It makes it seem like there is one race type that is objectively better than another, and that doesn't jive with me.

I think this one's a much more reasonable explanation:

( I realize I must sound awful bitter or something, but the term alicorn always makes my brain want to explode. As a student of classical mythology, Alicorn was the substance a unicorn's horn was made out of. It'd be like calling a winged elephant an ivory. )

[Stella-Song]

hi hi

Ugh... Mongoloid, Negroid? I cringed while reading that. The genetics that cover skin color and appearance number only several hundred base pairs, out of billions. Two complete strangers of, say, european descent can be more genetically similar that myself and my own brother.

The whole "three equal types" hypothesis doesn't really mesh with reality either. In reality, genes code parts of the body in relationship to their position on the chromosome, so there's no chance that the genes for a horn and the genes for wings would overlap because they're located in different positions. Of course if that was the case, winged unicorns would be the most common type of pony and earth ponies would be the most rare.

If you want to have winged unicorn OCs, thats cool, and you could make it work genetically. Personally I think it cheapens the distinction a bit from a storytelling point of view. It makes it seem like there is one race type that is objectively better than another, and that doesn't jive with me.

I think this one's a much more reasonable explanation:

( I realize I must sound awful bitter or something, but the term alicorn always makes my brain want to explode. As a student of classical mythology, Alicorn was the substance a unicorn's horn was made out of. It'd be like calling a winged elephant an ivory. )

Well this is even more informative.

To tell the truth I read it once and didn't really think about it again until I came across this topic.

Excuse my naivety when it comes to anything over basic genetics.

I only came across the term "Alicorn" recently.

Before that I would call a Unicorn with wings, or a Pegasus with a horn, a Unipeg or a Pegicorn.

[DottyDroll]

I would be amused to see mule like offspring out of different pony parents.

A pegasus and earth pony would produce a pegasus with wings incapable of flight. That sort of thing. Although it sounds kind of miserable.

[brianblackberry]

If you want to have winged unicorn OCs, thats cool, and you could make it work genetically. Personally I think it cheapens the distinction a bit from a storytelling point of view. It makes it seem like there is one race type that is objectively better than another, and that doesn't jive with me.

I think this one's a much more reasonable explanation:

Truth is none of the above would work in real world genetics, it is all too simple, but for the pony universe, why the hay not? Heck I would go even a more KISS method, as in have Pegasus parent and Unicorn parent? Well flip a coin or just just choose one; however this chart works just as well and is considerably more interesting (although we would never make anyone adhere to it).

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

I suppose that might be why Fluttershy is such a weak flier?

Unicorn vs Non-unicorn would be pretty easy, genetically speaking. There's quite a few examples in the real world of animals that variably have horns or not. Wings on the other hand... that'd actually be exceptionally hard. I'm not 100% on this, but you might be able to get away with it if you had an entirely separate Pegasus chromosome. (like how males have a unique Y chromosome)

(I know english is a living language and all, and that people are allowed to use words for new meanings, but it still drives me up the wall sometimes. )

You're very right BrianBlackberry, the real life genetic complexity boggles the mind. I don't mind the coin flip method, though the recessive method allows for two identical parents to have a different type of offspring from time to time.

[TheWereCat]

I was wondering about this too!

While I think the 50/50 idea is the most plausible, so far in the show we've only seen one-species pony couples- Pinkie's parents, Twilight's parents, the Cakes, Prince Blueblood and Rarity potentially... Not counting Rarity and Spike here, mainly because I don't think it's possible for them to make interspecies mutations and I don't want to imagine it.

[8ftmetalhead]

I read this and could only think of one thing in regards to pegasus ponies mating with others. Wings would have to be a genetically dominant gene, because, to quote Rainbow dash, 'Only pegasus ponies can walk on clouds'

Unless there was some 'it's magic, i ain't gotta explain this...' thing involved, which would be plausible but perhaps overpowered, then any ponies born to pegasus ponies that WEREN'T pegasi themselves would end up falling to their deaths as soon as the cord was cut.

I mean the other solution is that they could be pegasus ponies that live on the ground (aka fluttershy) but if all pegasi come from cloudsdale, at least to begin with, then I don't know.

That said, where on earth does scootaloo live?

Hmm.. maybe pegasi come to earth to mate n have their children but then return to cloudsdale as some sort of rite of passage?

[MyLittlePonyTales]

If there was mixed parentage involving a Pegasus pony and another type of pony, they'd probably give birth on the ground, since they wouldn't know which type it would turn out to be. If two Pegasi have a baby, I'd assume they would always have a Pegasi.

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

Its also possible that there could be parts of Cloudsdale that are more solid, like the sky wagons from the first episode or Feeling Pinky Keen. If there was such a place, a hospital would be a likely one, since they'd probably have to help out different types of flying creatures if nothing else.

[brianblackberry]

I mean the other solution is that they could be pegasus ponies that live on the ground (aka fluttershy) but if all pegasi come from cloudsdale, at least to begin with, then I don't know.

That said, where on earth does scootaloo live?

Hmm.. maybe pegasi come to earth to mate n have their children but then return to cloudsdale as some sort of rite of passage?

It could be that Cloudsdale is a pegasus city much like Canterlot is a unicorn city, as in a city full of them but not all pegasai are from there (we know they don't all live there).

Depeding on what "rules of offspring" you have for the FiM world I guess then determines how often pegasai deal with the possibly of non-pegasai children. It was also mentioned that some areas of Cloudsdale could be "more solid". I doubt the show has thought about this issue in this detail though.

It would be a cool introduction of Fluttershy's parents to see one as an Earth Pony.

Scootaloo I imagine lives in Ponyville with her folks, or possibly a single parent household (or with another relative); I hope they answer that in season two.

[Mojo]

This is a very interesting debate!

Let me muddy the waters some more...

IF there was a 'mixed' species couple involving one Pegasus, how could THAT family live on the clouds in the first place?

If a Pegasus' spouse was either an Earth Pony or an Unicorn, by rule, they couldn't walk on clouds or for that matter, 'fly' from cloud to cloud (unless a unicorn spouse possessed powerful enough magic to both walk on clouds AND fly).

So, if the couple was one Earth pony and one Unicorn, they'd almost have to live 'on the ground.'

Thus, if a Pegasus/Earth or Pegasus/Unicorn had a foal, barring the use of powerful magic, they'd be living 'on the ground' anyway so the newborn pony would be safe, right?

[Hippo]

I entertain the possibility that two pegasi could have a unicorn foal, if the family tree permits it. I haven't shed enough light on my OC Arrow Plain's parents yet, but the assumption is that they are both pegasus, while she is a unicorn. In order for this to be true, I would propose that pony types can skip a generation or two and two like kinds could have different kinds, or maybe even a pegasus and earth pony having a unicorn.

I am much more interested in having the 'pony type' an issue of the character's personality and make-up, rather than their genetics as it related to where they came from. I make no beans about it though, since Fluttershy would probably best be an earth pony, and Applejack probably wish she could show Rainbow 'how its really done' in the sky as a pegasus.

I find it interesting that the show has yet to reveal any interracial families or couples.

I think our real answer to this question is right under our nose. How dare we question the possibilities of genetics in Equestria. In a question of determining how different pony types came to be and how they procreate, the answer is simple:

[Lucan]

it'd be great plot potential.

Sorry, couldn't help but notice. 14 year old mind at work.

And yes, I believe it is safe to assume that interspecies breeding is alright. If it was not, there wouldn't be mules, would there?

[Sherlock Hooves]

Though it appears that this forum has already explained the genetic concept of different types of ponies having children well enough; I thought I might just add my opinion by agreeing with the dominate gene theory. Two ponies of different types cannot make a hybrid, its one or the other depending on what gene is more dominant.

[brianblackberry]

And yes, I believe it is safe to assume that interspecies breeding is alright. If it was not, there wouldn't be mules, would there?

If you are asking in the context of the RP then yes, your pony character can have parents of a mixed heritage.