Subject: Further thoughts
Author:
Posted on: 2009-05-15 22:26:00 UTC

"The only problems are Eevee and Ditto. How do you explain a Pokémon that can evolve into seven completely different species (and don’t say ‘unstable genetic code’ unless that’s actually plausible :P) and a Pokémon that can take the form of anything?"

For a start 'unstable genetic code' doesn't exist. Not in that way, at least. So we'll just not think about that.

However, saying it evolves into seven different species doesn't work, either, because you cannot change species. No individual has ever changed species, just like no individual has ever evolved. Evolution is a process that happens between generations. So, here's my thoughts on Eevee - I can't remember if the things it evolves into are Pokemon that can also evolve from other baby Pokemon or not, but if that is so, then I would say that the Eevee version are mimics rather than the same 'species' as the same adult-appearance evolved from a different juvenile. If the things that Eevee evolves into are ONLY known as end products of Eevee evolution, well, then what you have is extreme ecophenotypic variation. I'm assuming that different catalysts or events or triggers or environments are required to get it to change into any specific adult? It's not random? Then it's merely variation, not a different species. This point would be strengthened were it to turn out that each Eevee-adult of different appearance could still breed with Eevee-adults of dissimilar appearance.

As to Ditto, well, mimicry again. Of course I'd like to investigate the mechanism by which it does it, but plenty of animals are capable of imitating other animals, plants, rocks etc, and there are enough chameleon-like animals that can change colour, and from memory it's a sort of jelly-ball thing when it's not being something else? Perhaps it's got an amorphous body and a really really good colour-change system, and enough sense-organs to produce a good enough picture in its brain of what it needs to look like to enable it to change form to imitate other Pokemon.

Again, still talking mostly out my arse here, esp. on Ditto (Eevee I'm happier about because hey, evolutionary biology is kinda my thing) but whatever, hopefully it's useful technobabble for you :D

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