#i believe my parents are also nonhuman so i’m nonhuman genetically.

[bluerosesburnblue]

So for anyone who saw my big post of bios for my MC and Jacob I mentioned that the two of them were 3/16 Siren and alluded to making a post explaining the details of that

Well this is that post. Contains headcanons for both merpeople and part-merperson individuals in the HP universe

Merpeople

So to start this off I guess I should talk about some headcanons I have for how merpeople work in the HP-verse since they don’t get a heck of a lot of development in either the books or outside content

First off, let’s cover the canon stuff. We know that there are (at least) three types of merpeople: Merrows, Selkies, and Sirens. The “original” merpeople were the Sirens from Greece. Merpeople from colder regions tend to be less physically attractive and more monstrous than merpeople from warmer regions. So Merrows (from Ireland) and Selkies (Scotland) are semi-monstrous fish-people, but Sirens (Greece) are essentially beautiful humans with fish tails.

Regardless, all merpeople are said to love music and are known to be able to breathe outside of the water, at least for a short time

Both merpeople and centaurs are classified as “Beasts” despite technically having all of the requirements to be classified as “Beings.” This is noted to be a conscious decision, as neither group wanted to be associated with dark creatures such as vampires and hags, even though they are Beings for all intents and purposes

An early attempt at classifying Beasts and Beings had the definition of Being be “a species that can speak the human tongue.” Merpeople were excluded as Mermish cannot be understood above water, and the centaurs abstained in solidarity with the merpeople

There is a Chocolate Frog card that features Mirabella Plunkett, a witch from the 1840s-50s who fell in love with a merman from Loch Lomond (so he was probably a Selkie). When her family disapproved of their potential marriage, she transfigured herself into a haddock and disappeared

As far as can be confirmed, almost every species that is classified as a Being can have children with humans. Giants (half-giants Hagrid and Madame Maxime), Goblins (Professor Flitwick, who is part-Goblin), Vampires (singer Lorcan d’Eath, noted Vampire ancestry), and Veelas (Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour, ¼ Veela) are all perfectly capable of having children with humans (as are Werewolves, but only in human form so I don’t count them. Heck, I question why they’re listed as a different species when they’re just magically afflicted humans. Whatever.) The only known creatures that are classified as Beings that do not have known part-human offspring are Hags and House Elves, though it’s stated in outside sources that some of Flitwick’s students thought that he might be part-Elf, which implies that part-Elves are at least possible. Therefore, it is also likely that part-Hags are possible, especially since some have been known to enter into relationships with humans (Malodora Grymm, for instance)

So, as for headcanons I’ve drawn from this, we have a few:

The different types of merpeople aren’t so much different species as they are different races of the same type of being (I imagine the same would also apply to the different types of elves and goblins)

Mixed-race merpeople could then, presumably, exist. My headcanon is that the child will have more traits of whichever race the mother was than the father, and so would be classified as whichever race the mother was, from a taxonomical perspective

So a Siren mother and a Merrow father would produce a Siren child with some Merrow-like traits, like spine-fins and silvery-green scales. A Selkie mother and Siren father would produce a Selkie with more conventionally attractive features to humans and a more alluring voice, etc.

Eventually some traits can be bred out enough that the child of a mixed-race merperson and a pureblood merperson can be classified as the father’s race, but that takes many generations to do

A personal headcanon that I have is that male Sirens are, like, absurdly rare. We never see them depicted or talked about, so I can only assume that they’re either rare or human-shy (or both). Or nonexistent, but that wouldn’t make much sense since male Merpeople clearly exist. Why would they not for just this one race?

That being said, some female Sirens are known to sometimes travel long distances to Northern merperson colonies in search of male mates due to the constant fighting for the affection their own few males. So despite Merrows and Selkies being the dominant races of merpeople in the colder waters, there is the occasional Siren female and other mixed-race Sirens hanging around in colder climates

Female Sirens hanging around up north don’t generally do too well. They are adapted to warm water, after all, and the cold makes them a fair bit sicker, sleepier, and more sluggish than they would be otherwise (because real fish are very temperature sensitive and I don’t see why merpeople would not also be so). Their mixed-race children tend to do much better, as they almost always take their father’s cold-water adapted dispositions. It’s rare for all of this to happen, though. It’s only a handful of Sirens every generation that decide to try their luck up north, since it’s not recommended for their health

For all intents and purposes merpeople and centaurs are Beings. They qualified for the position, and their classification as Beasts was more political than scientific. They’re more Being than Beast in terms of their biology and social structures, so rules that apply to Beings should therefore also apply to both centaurs and merpeople

That, combined with the story of Mirabella Plunkett, leads me to believe that, much like most others on the Beings list, merpeople (and centaurs) have had romantic relationships with humans and could likely have offspring with them if they were so inclined

Merperson/Human hybrid offspring pretty much always favor their human ancestry, genetically. It’s a 1/1,000,000,000 chance that that kid’s gonna have anything other than legs. They’re just fishy humans 

Any kind of merperson can have part-human offspring. This isn’t limited to just Sirens

Also, again, just something I made up: non-magical, part-merperson humans don’t show any merperson traits. Merperson genes are only expressed if the magic gene is also active. So part-merperson Squibs would show no signs of their fishy heritage, and some Muggles may be carriers for merperson genes in any Muggleborn children of theirs and not be aware of it until the child starts showing merperson traits

Not sure if the above point should apply to all part-nonhuman offspring of different types of Beings, but I tend towards “yes”

Also, I just like the idea of there being a… not alliance, per se, but a sort of camaraderie between centaurs and merpeople. At the very least, a sort of respect between the two. No fighting (it’s not like they’ll ever really be in competition for territory, anyway)

Traits

Now, as for specific traits that Human/Merperson hybrids can have, I’ve split them into bodily traits and non-bodily ones. I think most physical traits get less prominent the less merperson someone is, and some probably just don’t show up at all unless you hit a certain percentage threshold. Like part-Veela, most traits are probably pretty difficult to detect

And, since I’m making this post in relation to my HPHM MC, Seren, and my version of Jacob, I’m gonna mark any that apply to them with an *

Bodily Traits

Let’s start with the obvious: it’s INCREDIBLY likely for half-merpeople to have webbed hands/feet and fin-like appendages. But only half-merpeople. Once you get below 50% merperson blood, fins don’t show up at all and webbing can be thin to nonexistent

Also common: large, flat feet. Larger than average. No arches. Almost like flippers, but not that big*

Large hands with long fingers aren’t as common, but they do happen

Many half-merpeople also have skin and/or hair tinted greenish/bluish/silvery, though that also tends to not show up in anybody with less than 50% merperson blood, and it’s never a very strong tint. Just enough to draw suspicion (also mostly localized to those of Cold Water merperson descent)

Skin doesn’t prune up in the water, or if it does it takes an absurd amount of time in the water for it to happen. Like, days long*

Lack of body hair. They just don’t naturally grow thick hair on their body. It’s not good for swimming. Most have a smooth-shaven look to them at all times, and it’s most prominent among male Sirens and any male hybrids of Siren descent *(again, mostly Jacob. Boy can’t grow a beard or chest hair. Or leg/arm hair)

Sharp teeth (Cold Water merpeople, again)

People with Cold-water merperson parents may be described as having fish-like faces. Wider, flatter, etc. People with Warm-water merperson parents may be described as more beautiful than the average person. Not to the extent of Veela, and certainly not magically attractive. They just tend to have pretty faces*

“Swimmer bodies.” Muscle distribution tends towards being good for swimming (so slender, muscular backs and legs, etc.) and they’re generally very flexible. Some are even quite tall due to the size of the average merperson *(mostly Jacob. Seren just doesn’t quite have the arms for it, though neither of them have the height)

Tend to be very temperature sensitive, though to what temperature depends on what their merperson parent was adapted to. People with warm-water based parents (Sirens, other merpeople with significant Siren heritage) freeze easily, people with cold-water parents (Merrows, Selkies, Sirens with Merrow or Selkie heritage) melt in the heat*

Increased lung capacity. The amount of time that a merperson hybrid can hold their breath underwater (or even just in general) is always much higher than the average human, though the amount of time they can hold it for lessens the less merperson blood they have (ex. 1/2 merperson = 45 min., 1/4 = 30 min., 1/8 = 20 min.)*

And, like normal humans, those can be trained to even higher capacities

I mentioned in Jacob and Seren’s bios that Jacob had an… incident involving some cod. Well, part-merpeople have bodies that require more nutrients found in seafood than most. They need to eat seafood fairly regularly (at least once every two weeks), otherwise they start getting horrible cravings for some, to the point where they’d eat raw fish, and get noticeably anxious, twitchy, and shaky due to malnutrition*

It wasn’t a problem Jacob and Seren even realized they had because they lived near the shore eating seafood often their whole lives. It wasn’t until they got to Hogwarts, where they don’t serve fish often, that either of them started having problems. Sometimes Seren’s friends see her eyeing the fish at dinner intently…

They don’t need more water than the average person to survive, but they are very acutely aware of any amount dehydration they experience. It can be the most uncomfortable sensation in the world to a part-merperson. Dry mouth is a nightmare*

Non-bodily Traits *(honestly all of these apply to Jacob and Seren so I’m marking the whole list)

Let’s get this one out of the way: fantastic singing voices. Just amazing, with little effort on their part. It’s not even magical singing, they’ve just got amazing pipes. Voices that carry like no one’s business (Siren only)

That said, assuming they’re skilled at magic, some can manage to give their singing a charming effect without the use of a spell, and even turn the effect on or off at will. Takes some practice to actually control. Most have used this ability accidentally at least once in their lives (Siren only)

Singing calms them down. It’s the best stress relief, and any part-Siren who doesn’t sing every once in a while can start to get extremely anxious and fidgety (Siren only)

Music in general also has a relaxing effect beyond that which it has on other, non-merperson individuals

Tend to have really sensitive hearing (to pick up sounds better underwater, yeah?) 

Ending up with perfect pitch or a natural sense of relative pitch is also common

They have like… a spiritual connection to water. Like, when they’re completely submerged, it’s like a sense of euphoria. Like you’ve found exactly where you belong (unless you are currently drowning). They could soak in a tub for hours and not even notice how long it’s been or if the water is getting cold. The Prefect’s bath would be heaven to them

This can also manifest in agitation just before a rainstorm or a burst of energy during one. Also, a natural inclination towards water-based magic, like Aguamenti

Gillyweed does… weird things to them. It’s almost like getting drunk. They get giddy, like the sense of euphoria from being submerged underwater just got kicked up a few notches. Some get almost manic under its influence. The effects of Gillyweed also tend to last about three times longer than they do for the average person, so an hour-long dose would last for three hours

Gillywater can also make them giggly. Like, they get a very short-lived buzz from it

They’re not any more inclined to learning Mermish than the average person. Some might learn it, considering that they have merperson relatives, but they don’t have any inherent understanding of it or increased aptitude towards learning it

Tagging @anheiressofasoldier because I know she was interested in seeing this!

[bioloby]

Gay Animals Part II: Electric Boogaloo, The Science of Gay, and You

Before I start this article off I’d like to lay a disclaimer: The reason behind why people are queer isn’t very well understood, but all science tries to do is understand the “why” of things and passes no judgment, regardless of the cause. If science said the homosexuality was 100% caused by watching too many cartoons (spoilers: it’s probably not) that information makes you no less you and it shouldn’t affect how you feel about yourself. But, as we will see, homosexuality is not only something incredibly prevalent in the animal kingdom, but is as accepted as any other trait an individual can express.

So, with all that being said, this article will deal with homosexuality, genetics, possible environmental factors, and its possible evolutionary benefits in nonhuman animals. Because the human brain is so much more complex than anything we’ve ever seen, and we still don’t know most of its secrets, it’s important to remember that what might be true for rams, penguins, or even our close relatives like bonobos, is not necessarily the case for humans. Nor should we look at other animals in a human-like manner. For instance, it’s entirely likely that gay animal couples pick up the slack for parents who abandoned their children. We can’t and shouldn’t look at them through a human filter, because it would be impossible to tell if they love each other as human couples (hopefully) do, or if their union is purely survival based. Humans might be the only creatures able to feel love, or it might be more prevalent that we are aware. Whatever the answer, it doesn’t matter here. All I will be doing is going over some of the facts that scientists know, and why this would matter to animals in the wild.

So if any of this makes you uncomfortable, then please skip this post. If you feel I’ve offended you somehow then please DM me and I’ll try to amend this the best I can. Otherwise please click the read more below.

Now homosexuality is kind of ambiguous of a term, and many scientists have conflated it with hermaphroditism, so to avoid confusion I am going to define homosexuality in the animal kingdom in two ways.

Same-sex, long-term courtship.

These are same-sex couples that act towards each other as a heterosexual couple would for at least one mating season.

Homosexual intercourse.

This can last for as long as one night of passion, or be a continuous trait in an individual.

I’m also going to consider bisexual animals on the homosexual spectrum.

PART I: The One With the Genes

Arguably one of the most powerful aspects of biology is evolution, and a key principle in evolution is detrimental traits are less likely to get passed down than traits that make it easier to survive and reproduce. So why is it then that homosexuality, a trait that seemingly provides no advantage to reproduction, is so prevalent not only in individuals but throughout the animal kingdom? If we assume that homosexuality is genetic (and there is good cause to believe that) then shouldn’t that gene cease to be passed down?

Most times the answer is yes, but sometimes if a gene benefits a whole population it will continue, even if some individuals are negatively affected by it. According to one study male homosexuality actually persists because of this very reason, not because it benefits the males, but because it benefits the females. According to the authors, homosexuality is more common in lineages with females who have high androphilic tendencies, that is, a high attraction to males. Now in males, this gene will manifest as a what appears to be homosexuality, but in females this heightened androphilia will manifest as an increased sex drive, making up for the male carriers.

This, of course, does not account for female homosexuality. Nor does it take into account possible environmental factors we’ll get into later. But it is important to highlight how evolution and nature look at traits. Under normal circumstances, unless a trait is highly deleterious (deadly to the individual) there won’t be enough pressure to remove it. But are these genes deleterious anyway? We’ve seen that they may play an important role when not being expressed as homosexuality, but it could play an equally as important role in homosexual animals.

PART II: The One With the Homosexual Helper

Animal preference and motivation are not always the same as it is in people. Swans mate for life. But is that because it makes it easier for them to find a mate in the future, or is it because they can feel a complex emotion like love? It’s impossible to say, so it’s impossible to know why animals do a lot of things. “But goddammit we’re going to try”, science said.

Take the humble penguin. In my last post, I wrote about how gay penguins will frequently “adopt” orphaned eggs and raise them as their own performing all of the same functions as a heterosexual couple would. Why then, waste resources raising something that’s not your own child?

According to Darwin, it’s not just individuals who evolve to protect their lineage, but groups that evolve to protect their species. This is largely the basis for theories on why altruism exists and can be applied here as well. Afterall, a homosexual couple is never going to produce a child, and if an egg or a baby is without a parent the option is left to die the population as a whole will have lost a child. But if a couple unable to conceive their own adopts it, then that is a net gain for the population as a whole. Thus, the population that keeps these genes that reciprocate this kind of altruism is more fit to survive than a population that doesn't. And the adoption phenomenon can often be seen in non-homosexual individuals as well, but it demonstrates a good example of how altruistic genes can help a species grow even at the cost of fitness to the individual.

PART III: The One With the Sexual Leverage

Nature is a fickle mistress, and she does not subscribe to one dogma. Sexuality, while predominantly used for creating the next generation, has been appropriated by many species as a form of leverage, bonding, the assertion of dominance, and even used to take the place of an all-out brawl. So it’s no surprise then that homosexual acts are used in a similar fashion. This is also where the motivating factors of homosexuality moves away from a possible genetic or natural cause and towards as more psychological reason. Take, for instance, the bonobo. This species seems to be functionally bisexual, using sexuality for control rather than attraction. In one instance a bonobo might have sex with their opposite gender for the reason most animals would, to make a baby. In the next instance, that same ape might get into a disagreement with an ape of the same gender. These two apes, instead of fighting, will use sex as a way of diffusing and diverting attention from the disagreement. And yet these two acts of sexual intercourse are entirely unrelated, and likely evolved for those specific scenarios.

And this is true in plenty of other animals as well, dogs will mount other dogs regardless of gender to show dominance. Marmots mount other marmots as a form of bonding. Dolphins will have sex with the same gender for fun, and then sex up the opposite gender for reproduction. The common trend it seems is that animals who are more sexually fluid, or bisexual, leverage their sexuality for personal gain, whether it be bonding, pleasure, or something else. While animals who remain uniquely homosexual have a more positive effect on the population’s fitness as a whole.

PART IV: The Scientific Community and Homosexuality: Do They Know Things? What Do They Know? Let’s Find Out.

Finally, I’d like to conclude with some talk about where scientists think homosexuality falls on the nature/nurture spectrum. Studies have shown identical twins are more likely to both be gay than fraternal twins, meaning that sexuality is almost certainly somewhat controlled by genetics, and this, of course, makes sense based on what we’ve seen and I’ve just talked about. Conversely, there are hormonal, as well as environmental, factors that may also contribute to homosexuality.

While most researchers agree that sexuality is innate, something that develops at an early age, possibly before cognition and doesn’t change throughout one’s lifetime, they are still hard pressed to figure out why. While it is unlikely that parenting has any effect on sexuality, parents can still influence sexuality. Several studies have shown that the each child born in a family line has an increased chance of being homosexual. For instance, the 7th son will be more likely to be gay than the 2nd son, etc. This is suggested to be likely due to prenatal hormones, but the exact reason is yet unknown.

And while homosexuality is innate, homophobia is not. In fact, while it’s likely every species has some homosexual members to it, humans are the only species with homophobic members. Much of what we know about homosexuality is stifled by human biases and irrational fears, something we’ll go over in the last part of this series.

CONCLUSION

So why does knowing the cause of homosexuality matter? Well besides intellectual curiosity, something that science is very fond of, it’s important to have facts. Over the past 50 years, we’ve seen huge leaps in rights for minorities, and that is a change that is still happening. As a society, we’re seeing growing pains. Where many embrace the change towards tolerance with opened arms, either because it affects them directly or because they have empathy for their fellow man, many are resistant to change something that they’ve never seen as broken. So it never hurts to have some objective fact reinforcing a new idea, and where better to get that objectivity than science.