Are shriekers the proper reproductive stage of the Graboid life cycle, since thats the stage in which the animals primarily multiply? Extending that, are Graboids all essentially clones of each other? How is genetic diversity maintained? Are Graboids “born pregnant” with Shriekers just as ABs are with Graboid eggs? Do Shriekers actually contain Graboid eggs themselves that they can only lay once they “mature” into ABs?

Wow, a long but very science-based question! Not having kept up with the literature, we’ll make some educated guesses. ABs are the primary way that the species spreads to other locales, given that the shrieker stage is fairly short. Yes, graboids have the “seeds” of shriekers in them from the start. It isn’t clear what triggers the transformation (age? environmental factors?). We don’t think shriekers carry eggs. They probably pass on some sort of stem cell when they metamorphose into ABs, and those cells then differentiate into eggs. Yes, it does seem all these creatures are clones, so how they maintain genetic diversity is a mystery. However, there are examples in nature of creatures that reproduce asexually yet still maintain that diversity, so graboids must fall into those groups.

Are shriekers the proper reproductive stage of the Graboid life cycle, since thats the stage in which the animals primarily multiply? Extending that, are Graboids all essentially clones of each other? How is genetic diversity maintained? Are Graboids “born pregnant” with Shriekers just as ABs are with Graboid eggs? Do Shriekers actually contain Graboid eggs themselves that they can only lay once they “mature” into ABs? was last modified: January 12th, 2024 by S.S. Wilson

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