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Sex on Mars is going to be risky, but it could create a new human subspecies
In a new research paper published in Futures, an international team of scientists examines the challenges of reproduction on the Martian surface. It's a risky proposition, but if humans succeed in conceiving, carrying, and birthing offspring on another world it might actually be the start of a new species.
In the paper, the researchers tackle a huge number of potential problems that could crop up when humans are finally ready to rear young on Mars. The first and most obvious hurdle is the low gravity environment, which could pose a serious threat to the conception and pregnancy processes that seem so simple here on Earth.
[...] The paper also examines the inherent challenges of bolstering the numbers of a small colony of settlers on the planet. The concept of "love" might have to take a back seat to pure survival, with men and women being paired up by their biology rather than emotion. Additionally, some individuals may never be allowed to have children due to undesirable traits that are a risk to the colony as a whole.
In a somewhat scary aside, the researchers also note that editing the genes of future Mars babies might be an easy way to increase the prospects of survival.
Also at Live Science.
Biological and social challenges of human reproduction in a long-term Mars base (DOI: 10.1016/j.futures.2018.04.006) (DX)
Related: Space colonization and suffering risks: Reassessing the "maxipok rule" (DOI: 10.1016/j.futures.2018.04.008) (DX)
(Score: 4, Interesting) by FatPhil on Thursday May 31 2018, @05:54PM
"""
“When mothers and daughters share home ranges
that do not overlap with other females, all direct competition will involve close kin and selection for
male-biased birth sex ratios will be strong. But as the number of females using overlapping home-
ranges increases…the effects of competition between closely related females will be outweighed by
competition from females of different matrilines or groups, and selection for male-biased sex ratios
will weaken.” When the extent of home range overlap is held constant, genera with female philopatry
are expected to have higher (more male-biased) birth sex ratios than other genera. This prediction is
supported in a sample of 16 primate genera (Johnson, 1988)
"""
/Sex ratios in primate groups/, Joan B. Silk and Gillian R. Brown
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3193/aeb8e2c22f7c148422921f3728d510e2428f.pdf
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