Earth’? We asked a zoologist how his biology and life cycle are compared to real animals

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The Xenomorphic are probably the biggest film monsters ever; A petrified bundle of invasive parasites, gun pines and dangerous acid blood.

When director Ridley Scott had teamed up with the artist HR Giger for the original “Alien”, they made their creature for maximum terror and Xenomorphic XX121 (to give his official Weyland-Yutani Description) has proven to be remarkably durable since then.

So, with this so-called “perfect organism”, which is released in a whole new habitat in the excited TV show “Alien: earth“We decided to make the terrible biology low. We called zoologists Paolo ViscardiKeeper of Natural History in the National Museum of Ireland to find out whether one of the notorious properties of the creature could be plausible in real life – shortly before stopping magical “Prometheus” black goosebumpswhich does not make any logical sense at all.

Parasit lost

They may be Apex predators who can survive in the most hostile environments, but Xenomorphs still have to take advantage of the family line from ignorant hosts – human or in other ways.

Paolo Viscardi says: “Parasites tend not to kill their hosts. They could make them sick, but in general their function is to work together next to the host so that they get what they need without causing a landlord that he dies. Things like the alien [and some species of wasp] Are parasitoids because they actually kill their hosts. [Synthetic Andy actually uses the term to describe the Facehuggers in “Alien: Romulus”.]

“The number of parasites out there is massive, and frankly they are incredible things that do all sorts of strange things. One of my favorites is the tongue, which normally comes through the gills of the tavern (something like a red snap) eats the tongue and then the fishing looked that fed.

The circle of life

You know the ridiculously complicated Xenomorph life cycle now… A queen lays the eggs, the facial huge hatch and impregnate a host, breast bursts appear (kill the host) and quickly grow to drone.

Paolo says: “There are much more complex than that! The Lancet -Leber -Fluke is a great example. If an ant is infected with its larval stages, the Lancet -Leber fluke changes something in the brain of the ant, so that, instead of going back on the nist at night, you can go back to the top of the grass at night and hold down your mandibes.

“The reason for this is that cows graze more frequently at dusk and at night, which means that they cannot see strange things on their food and they eat the liver fluke. The cows then poop out cysts that are eaten by snails, and their feaks are eaten by ants. All of these things that are constantly dealing with the chain.

Bigmouth strikes up again

Because if you strive for space truckers, colonial marines, hardened criminals and even naive children, an additional set of jaw can be a very useful weapon.

Paolo says: “There are a few different ways that use a jaw with several components that make it possible. Alien!”

Crispy outside

Members of the Xenomorph species XX121 are famous for wearing their skeletal structures for the whole world.

Paolo says: “Exoskeletons are quite versatile, but one of the problems with them is that they cannot grow like an endoskeleton. We grow by adding additional material to our inner skeletons, but it is much more difficult to breed an exoskeleton. In general, you have to grow in a big climb if you have a new one, and have to blown up the new and have it softened.

“But they are very, very vulnerable if you give up your exoskeleton. It also leaves you in a position in which you no longer have structural support – the exoskeleton is what offers additional support – and this is one of the reasons why the size of the organisms that meet an exoskeleton.”

They grow up so quickly

External circles are properly bypassing this unpleasant youth phase by growing in a few hours from catumal breast bursts to human dwarf roar.

Paolo says: “You would be surprised at how quickly something can grow if it gives up its old exoskeleton, so that this is not completely unthinkable. The new exoskeleton is often folded and cut and crumpled in the old to absorb a much smaller volume. When the old exoskeleton is buried, the new, soft, with which is made with the use, and is with haemol limp with haemol limp with Haemolymph triggered. inflated. [the arthropod equivalent of blood] Or whatever. This process can happen pretty quickly.

“There could be a lot of space in the new exoskeleton in the new exoskeleton, and this is useful because more space is growing before they come to their next mouth phase. But the animal would also be quite weak in this phase.

“Romulus” also introduced a new level in Xenomorph development and shows that the growth thrust of the breast bursting is taking place in a very disgusting cocoon.

Paolo says: “Cocons are what they need for a metamorphosis, which has fairly complete liquidation of the entire body in order to breed a new shape that can often be completely different.

Warmth vision

The Xenomorph has always proven to be remarkable to condemn its prey without visible eyes, and “Romulus” confirmed that FaceUgers blocked on potential hosts through a strong combination of sound and heat signatures.

Paolo says: “There are many things that use thermal imaging effectively to find prey where they are going. Mosquet can effectively recognize infrared-it is still a form of seeing, but they use infrared so that they can recognize warm-flowered things.”

Vacuum packed

The Xenomorph had already proven to be robust enough to be intact from the mediocrity of the “Alien against Predator” films. Then “Romulus” proved that they can survive for decades in the cold vacuum of space.

Paolo says: “There is certainly Tartigrades that were accepted into the vacuum and were okay. I would say, the bigger you are, the more difficult it is, but it is not impossible – and if it can happen with an animal, it can probably happen with something else.

“I think that would depend a little on whether the Xenomorphs are cold -blooded or warm. [This isn’t entirely clear from the movies, though in ‘Aliens’, they don’t appear to ‘show up on infrared at all’.] When you cool down the environment, a cold -blooded way slows down and stops, but that doesn’t mean that it does not start again as soon as it is warmed up. In fact, this can be really advantageous, as this means that the metabolic processes work much more slowly and effectively go into stasis. Warm -blooded species usually have to maintain certain metabolic processes in order to survive. In a way, it would be much more sensible for the alien. “

Burn baby fire

Species XX121 has a final Pièce -de resistor, an adjustment that is so awesome that you shoot you with pulse rifles is usually really bad for your health. Yes, the Xenomorphic cycle system is filled with a fatal, extremely melting cocktail made of sulfur and hydrofluoric acid.

Paolo says: “It makes sense that digestive juices consist of acid, that’s fair enough, but I don’t think Are Examples of very strong acids such as stomach acid that are produced in nature. “

Looking for perfection

Android “Brothers” Ash and Rook share a disturbing admiration for the Xenomorph and describe the creature as a “perfect organism”. Hyperbole?

Paolo says: “I would say everything is a perfect organism. I think this is a better way to look at it. Everything has adapted to its surroundings and is the best that can survive in this environment – otherwise it would not be here. It is a case that something is perfect for a certain thing, and that is the whole point in evolution – everything is perfect and nothing is perfect.”

“Alien: Earth” will be in Hulu and FX in the USA from Tuesday, August 12th and from Wednesday, August 13. Take a look at ours As you can see alien: earth Guide for more information.

Observe Alien: Earth on Hulu in the USA. You can also view the rest of the extraterrestrial (and predator) franchise companies, including the recently published hit alien: Romulus.

The following plans can be found below:

Hulu (with ads): 9.99 USD/month or 99.99 $/year
Hulu (no ads): $ 18.99/month view deal

If you live in Great Britain or somewhere else outside the United States, you have no access to Hulu. Fortunately, they will find alien: earth and the rest of the extraterrestrial franchise on Disney+.

The prices vary depending on the country, but you can find the following prices in Great Britain as a reference:

Standard (with ads): £ 4.99/month
Standard (no display): £ 8.99/month or £ 89.90/year
Premium (4K): £ 12.99/month or £ 129.90 £/year view deal