Are Bajorans and Cardassians the same species?

Question

On two separate instances, first with Tora Ziyal and again in the episode "Covenant," Dukat impregnates a Bajoran woman, seemingly without any medical intervention. This seems to imply that they are the same species since other couples in Star Trek require a medical procedure in order to procreate.

Are they the same species or is this an oversight by the writers?

Relevant: https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/18622/how-does-cross-species-klingon-human-vulcan-human-breeding-work-genetically-i — Todd Wilcox, Jan 05 '18 at 23:52
@ToddWilcox I always thought the Episode The Chase was created to address this issue, to indicate that all descendants of the Progenitor race had an innate compatibility...Then I watched Voyager...that messed up a lot of my theories about alpha quadrant races...cough, cough Seska... — Quasi_Stomach, Jan 06 '18 at 00:02
Come to think of it...maybe it's Cardassians that are so compatible as to interbreed with anyone who comes around...that would explain Gul Dukat's always accidental pregnancies and Seska's as well... — Quasi_Stomach, Jan 06 '18 at 00:09

score 14 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 16 '20 at 09:31

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They don't necessarily have to be the same species to have compatable DNA as has been seen in other characters.

Spock was half-human and half-vulcan
B'Elanna Torres from Voyager was half-human and half-klingon
Deanna Troi from TNG was half-human and half-betazoid

There is also an article on Memory Alpha that details other Hybrid characters that have been seen.

Taken from the Memory Alpha article

Because of the common genetic ancestry of most of the species of the Milky Way Galaxy by way of the ancient humanoids, many species are able to interbreed with or without the help of genetic technology. In fact, Humans and Vulcans are quite similar. (TNG: "The Chase"; ENT: "Demons")

In some cultures, children who are born as a result of interspecific relations are rejected by the society of both races. For example, Bajoran / Cardassian hybrids were often rejected by both Bajorans and Cardassians. (DS9: "Indiscretion", "Return to Grace")

This would suggest to me that they are separate races and able to conceive either naturally or with some assistance from medical technology.

edited Jun 16 '20 at 09:31

Community

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answered Jan 05 '18 at 23:34

Forral

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None of those species created offspring through entirely natural means. They all used futuristic medical technology. – Brian Ortiz Jan 05 '18 at 23:44
@BrianOrtiz Really? Spock's mom and dad did some future science stuff to have Spock? I'm not a deep student of Star Trek but I've never heard anything about that. That said, to me this seems like more of a comment than an answer. – Todd Wilcox Jan 05 '18 at 23:45
@ToddWilcox Yes, Plox mentions that it is necessary for Human/Vulcan offspring. – Brian Ortiz Jan 05 '18 at 23:48
I started to put it as a comment and then decided there was enough content to post it as an answer. – Forral Jan 05 '18 at 23:51
@BrianOrtiz Ah Enterprise I have not watched. Just couldn't get past that theme "music". – Todd Wilcox Jan 05 '18 at 23:52
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Deanna Troi mentions that she thought Humans and Klingons couldn't reproduce, but K'Ehleyr says that "the DNA is compatible...with a fair amouint of help" – Quasi_Stomach Jan 05 '18 at 23:54
I believe some medical intervention was involved in Dax and Worf's baby plans. – Stephen Collings Jan 06 '18 at 00:02
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Seska certainly got pregnant by mistake...she was surprised to find out who the father was...and her partner was from the Delta Quadrant! – Quasi_Stomach Jan 06 '18 at 00:04
@ToddWilcox I saw a video flying around the interwebs years ago with a completely Star Trek score placed over the opening credits...claimed it was the original score before they tried to go all Dawson's Creek – Quasi_Stomach Jan 06 '18 at 00:07
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@Quasi_stomach In the case of seska she was trying to have a child with a different species (chakotay, a human) possibly she took her "DNA comparability pill" or whatever and it just worked for the wrong father. – Ummdustry Apr 12 '18 at 08:47
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@Ummdustry That's assuming that the same measures would work for Cardassian/Human conception as Cardassian/Kazon unions – Quasi_Stomach Apr 12 '18 at 20:25

Kai · Answer 2 · 2018-01-06T00:10:16.693

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In the natural world, different species can occasionally interbreed successfully. Take the mule, which is the offspring from breeding a horse and a donkey. There is even precedent for animals of different GENUSES (one level less related than species) interbreeding, for there is a recorded interbreeding of a domestic pig and a babirusa.

http://www.macroevolution.net/babirusa-domestic-pig-hybrids.html

Conclusion: it may be possible even if they are different species if they are still closely related.

edited Jan 06 '18 at 00:10

answered Jan 05 '18 at 23:58

Kai

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This is correct, however, those cross-species offspring are uniformly sterile. The bar for two biological groups to be considered the same or different species has always been that any offspring of two different species would not be able to have offspring itself. In other words, while Spock and B'lanna are both possible under the normal rules, as well as Seska's child, what matters on the species question is if B'lanna and Seska's children are sterile or not. I'm not aware of any offspring from Spock. – DocBon3saw Aug 04 '20 at 22:40

score -4 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 29 '18 at 14:05

-4

I would not say they are, as that would imply that all cardassians are bajoran, when they are completely different species. I think it more likely that cardassians are like insects (what I suspect a humanoid bug would look like if made to look like a human) which would explain their behaviour in the early seasons of ds9. And as humanoid bugs, they would do anything they could for their colony, cardassia.

answered Oct 29 '18 at 14:05

ds9watch

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TNG: The Chase indicated that all of the humanoid species in the galaxy (one assumes this includes the Cardassians) share a common ancestor. And that ancestor isn't a bug – Valorum Oct 29 '18 at 14:08
Most of this answers a different question but you do answer the question with "when they are completely different species". Could you [edit] in some more evidence to back up your claims? – TheLethalCarrot Oct 29 '18 at 14:26

Are Bajorans and Cardassians the same species?

3 Answers3