Zerg Genetics

[Visions of Khas]

http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/game/unit/larva

Each Larva contains within it the genetic makeup of every other Zerg strain available to the Hive. A young Hive will have only the genetic codes for the most basic of Zerg strains, such as the Drone, but as the Hive grows and develops new structures, the Larvae can expand its library of genetic strains.

Okay, so the blurb on the Larva cinches it:

Larvae in young colonies only have access to a fraction of the DNA strains available to fully developed hives. As the cluster cycle progresses, living Larvae absorn new genetic data, while the freshly-spawned one already have the additional blocks of the Swarm's genome hard-coded in their DNA.

This implies that the totality of the Zerg genome is housed in some other medium. Unless we want to subscribe to some morphic fields bullshit.

[Turalyon]

Unless we want to subscribe to some morphic fields bullshit.

According to Sc logic, it was never mentioned before so therefore it must be true.

[Visions of Khas]

I don't know where the source for this comes from, but the StarCraft wiki says the following about Abathur:

He is the zerg evolution master, serving as the Swarm's DNA library, and resides in the evolution pit.

It's interesting to note however that he is not necessarily the repository for that information, seeing as how he didn't have access to all strains during Kerrigan's conquest.

[Turalyon]

^ That (being a DNA library) more or less describes the larvae, too really. The manual quote about the larvae you provided says it has a "library of genetic strains" that is expanded with more new structures. It probably would have been clearer if the larvae was described as having the potential to contain and express the genetic makeup of every Zerg strain....maybe?

I'm still of the opinion that the larvae do indeed contain all the genetic material necessary to become whatever Zerg strain is required but is hindered by/dependent on other limiting biochemical factors (like catalysts) that prevent the expression of a specific set of genetic information when they're not present (those aforementioned structures may provide it?).

Besides, trying to figure out how the Zerg forgot to make simple things like Hydralisks is just a ridiculous narrative contrivance designed solely to serve a gameplay function. This never happened in Sc1/BW when the Overmind died. Goes to show how Kerrigan has ruined the Swarm in that time since she has made them so dependent on her that when she was removed from her position (in WoL), the Zerg were not only fighting amongst themselves willingly compared to being "supposedly" mindless with the Overminds death (the former is where they're consciously stupid where the latter is where the Zerg are unconsciously stupid) but they lost the capability to make certain Zerg strains (which never happened in BW). Guess she wouldn't be a Queen bitch if she wasn't a complete pain-in-the-arse, amirites?

[Visions of Khas]

I'm still of the opinion that the larvae do indeed contain all the genetic material necessary to become whatever Zerg strain is required but is hindered by/dependent on other limiting biochemical factors (like catalysts) that prevent the expression of a specific set of genetic information when they're not present (those aforementioned structures may provide it?).

The way I see it, the Hive cluster is a massive computer that uses its evolving processing power to untie the Gordian knot of Larval DNA. Each building expresses/unlocks the hormones, feedback loops and biological processes required to express other portions of Zerg DNA.


In Kerrigan's iteration of the Swarm, devotion to a single leader is required in order for the full might of the Zerg to be unleashed. Maybe biological blocks are triggered when a Brood Mother disconnects from the Swarm, effectively locking away specific key codons. Why wouldn't Abathur be able to synthesize these keys? Perhaps some subconscious or psychic imperative was imposed on him by the former Queen of Blades, a protocol the new QoB knows nothing about, and therefor cannot undo.

If this scenario is correct, this weakens the Swarm, because the paradigm Kerrigan has imposed is either "Do or Die". There can't be any middle ground. Maybe only a strong, unified Swarm can resist being controlled by Amon, but a fractured Swarm can be easily and overtly manipulated.