Just How Tall Is Your Aslan?

[Terry Mixon]

So, I did some mental doodling. The purported height of an Aslan (disregarding the artistic license used in the most recent Mongoose books) is two meters. Males are taller than females, though I don’t think they are as exaggerated as the difference between males and females in the aforementioned books. That got me to thinking about how much variance there really is.

There are three Aslan females to every male. If the male is 15% larger than the average height, each female is, on average, 5% less. 2.3 meters (90.55 inches, 7.55 feet) vs 1.9 meters (74.8 inches, 6.23 feet).

Is that enough of a span between the sexes? Too much? Too little?

 

[Vormaerin]

Anything is possible with sexual dimorphism. There are creatures where the size difference is enormous between the sexes. It just says males are larger. Human males average about 1.08 x the height of average human females. Of course, humans vary between like 4 and 7 feet in height without even addressing dwarfs and the really rare super tall guys.

Terran height in the future isn't mentioned anywhere that I am aware of. Present day global average is like 1.71m for men and 1.59m for women. So about 1.65m would be human average to compare to the Aslan 2m average. IF you assume Aslan dimorphism is comparable to humans. It could be more or less extreme.

So if you take modern human height average compared to this Aslan average height, Aslan are going to be a LOT taller than humans.

Of course, that's present day Terran humans. Zhodani average height (close to 2m) and Aslan average height (2m) are given to be nearly the same (though Aslan weigh more) in the CT alien books.

 

[Garnfellow]

Males are not necessarily taller than females -- CT and MGT Aslan has the 'the most notable external difference is the male’s increased size', which might include height, while DGP's Solomani and Aslan had 'Males and females are similar in size, but males tend to be heavier in build'.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Males are not necessarily taller than females -- CT and MGT Aslan has the 'the most notable external difference is the male’s increased size', which might include height, while DGP's Solomani and Aslan had 'Males and females are similar in size, but males tend to be heavier in build'.

I hear you, but height will be a component of it.

 

[rinku]

I've run this discussion a couple of times now. The published art generally shows less than an inch height difference - Aslan ladies are still TALL (and there's not enough difference for it to be reflected in the Stat mods). 1.9m is a BIG height difference from 2.0m (10cm, or 4 inches); I'd suggest at most the average Aslan lass is 1.99m, making a male average 2.03m.

4cm difference between the genders' average heights with those assumptions.

Not forgetting that in any depiction, the individuals might be tall, short or average height or build. I have seen nothing to indicate Aslan are particularly narrow in their morphology.

(For what it's worth, the measurement of human individuals is Anthropometry, so I guess the measurement of Aliens would be Xenometry)

 

[Terry Mixon]

I've run this discussion a couple of times now. The published art generally shows less than an inch height difference - Aslan ladies are still TALL (and there's not enough difference for it to be reflected in the Stat mods). 1.9m is a BIG height difference from 2.0m (10cm, or 4 inches); I'd suggest at most the average Aslan lass is 1.99m, giving a male 2.03. 4cm difference between the genders' average heights.

If only their art followed that.

 

[rinku]

If only their art followed that.

The only art that counts is Bill Keith and Michael Vilardi. I will own that the latter tends to show an inch or two height difference in "Solomani and Aslan: The Rimward Races".

p44 has probably the single best size comparison picture every published (unclothed male and female Aslan, plus a cub and a human male silhouette:

 

[Terry Mixon]

The only art that counts is Bill Keith and Michael Vilardi. I will own that the latter tends to show an inch or two height difference in "Solomani and Aslan: The Rimward Races".

p44 has probably the single best size comparison picture every published (unclothed male and female Aslan, plus a cub and a human male silhouette:

View attachment 8009

Interesting. The female has four mammary glands. I thought one child was the norm and maybe two was a rare exception, but nature wouldn't make four unless they were likely to be used. Was it different back in the beginning?

 

[rinku]

The clothed art definitely goes with two chest lumps, but I think the OG Alien Module 1: Aslan shows four nipples on the naked male.

Since that female might be nursing, it's possible the smaller pair only really show during that time (while - as with humans - larger upper breasts may have evolved as a secondary sexual characteristic), so the majority of female Aslan we see just show slim upper chest breasts.

As to number of children... it may have been very different a way down the evolutionary track. Multiple births might have been common in prehistoric times, maybe in their equivalent of Homo Erectus, and if so there may not have been enough time for unused features to have evolved away. And, if Aslan Males find the lack of them unattractive, they may well be retained in the gene pool.

Or, being Aliens, maybe the two pairs produce different fluids?

 

[Vormaerin]

Humans usually only have one child and have two mammary glands because you are expected to switch between them rather than feed two children at once.

It's possible that Aslan mammaries are smaller and more rotation is necessary. Or the child is more likely to be carried on the hip and reach the lower pair for some reason.

 

[Terry Mixon]

The clothed art definitely goes with two chest lumps, but I think the OG Alien Module 1: Aslan shows four nipples on the naked male.

Since that female might be nursing, it's possible the smaller pair only really show during that time (while - as with humans - larger upper breasts may have evolved as a secondary sexual characteristic), so the majority of female Aslan we see just show slim upper chest breasts.

As to number of children... it may have been very different a way down the evolutionary track. Multiple births might have been common in prehistoric times, maybe in their equivalent of Homo Erectus, and if so there may not have been enough time for unused features to have evolved away. And, if Aslan Males find the lack of them unattractive, they may well be retained in the gene pool.

Or, being Aliens, maybe the two pairs produce different fluids?

Still, four implies that at one time the litter size (if that is the appropriate phrase) was higher than it is for modern Aslan. That is a very interesting twist, and it makes me wonder what caused it. There has to be an interesting story there.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Humans usually only have one child and have two mammary glands because you are expected to switch between them rather than feed two children at once.

It's possible that Aslan mammaries are smaller and more rotation is necessary. Or the child is more likely to be carried on the hip and reach the lower pair for some reason.

That's true. Thanks for the insight.

 

[rinku]

Bilateral symmetry and genetic legacy supports two, even if only one is used at a time.

Besides all that, as anyone that has nursed, or has paid attention to their partner nursing knows, BOTH breasts are used in turn. I've not heard of anyone feeding both twins simultaneously, though I guess it's possible (if bloody awkward). More practical to feed one twin off one boob then feed the second off the other.

It might be as simple as Aslan cubs needing frequent feeds, and extra mammaries helping with that process.

 

[mavikfelna]

My ex fed both twins simultaneously all the time, so I don't think it's unusual in the least. But yes, it is easier to alternate if you can.

 

[Condottiere]

Achieving equilibrium.