...is when the author divides them into several species.
Dragons are huge creatures, right? That means they have to eat a lot. So by necessity there has to be few of them, otherwise they'd eat every living thing and the ecosystem would collapse. Now, if a species is to survive it most have a population of some size. If not there will be to much inbreeding, which causes genetic diseases, lower fertility, higher infant mortality and a lot of other bad things.
Any given fantacy world can only provide for a limited number of dragons and if that already small population is split into more than one species, sooner or later dragons will become extinct. Yhere's just now way the species can survive so much inbreeding. I don't know why this irks me some much, but it does.
Dragons are huge creatures, right? That means they have to eat a lot. So by necessity there has to be few of them, otherwise they'd eat every living thing and the ecosystem would collapse. Now, if a species is to survive it most have a population of some size. If not there will be to much inbreeding, which causes genetic diseases, lower fertility, higher infant mortality and a lot of other bad things.
Any given fantacy world can only provide for a limited number of dragons and if that already small population is split into more than one species, sooner or later dragons will become extinct. Yhere's just now way the species can survive so much inbreeding. I don't know why this irks me some much, but it does.
English is not my native language, please don't flame me when I make mistakes.
How do you like your dragons?
15/08/2011 01:07:01 AM
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To quote one of the linked posts...
15/08/2011 02:48:38 AM
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I like them with very human qualities.
15/08/2011 03:53:08 PM
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Hmm...
15/08/2011 06:21:44 PM
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One thing I hate about dragons
15/08/2011 11:21:39 PM
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Some species tolerate inbreeding better than humans. E.g. snakes. More chromosomes.
18/08/2011 11:29:45 AM
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I don't.
17/08/2011 01:34:26 PM
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Did you try Hambly's Dragonsbane?
17/08/2011 03:53:38 PM
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That's a shame.
17/08/2011 06:35:24 PM
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Intelligent and with language.
18/08/2011 12:50:03 PM
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that last bit is one of the things I like so much about DnD dragons
18/08/2011 07:27:19 PM
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