Changelings are split into Castes, which are divided into which Changelings are fertile or sterile. Thirax and Pharynx are fertile Changelings of the Male Caste: almost all sterile Changelings are physically female due to the conditions of how the Eggs are developed, Male changelings however are virile and when they come of age are taken deep into the Hive to be protected by the Queen and Proto-Queens: tye only other fertile Changelings in the entire Hive.
The Proto-Queens choose a Male Changeling to mate with and produce further eggs for the Hive, naturally Pharynx got action while Thorax was still too young to part-take in the process, in these days Chrysalis wasn’t Queen, she was merely a Proto-Queen the same age as Pharynx was. She loved Pharynx and chose him to be her Exclusive, and the feeling was mutual with Pharynx often referring in private to Chrysalis as “Beloved Mate” during moments of intimacy.
@ObliviaTheChangeling
However, it’s a hive in name only. More of a colony, and beetles often times will make use of a colony structure and work together as a group for better survival odds.
@Background Pony #B5EA
Right, and I’d assume that since they have beetle themed bodies, that they instead reproduce 1-1 instead of with a hive queen.
Oddly enough, Beetles are some of the few insectoids where males and females will sometimes work together to rear young. The dung beetle comes to mind. But you don’t wanna know what happens if the parents feel that they don’t have enough food for their grubs.
@Ihhh
We need to better focus on what this species has shown since we can only go off of what is shown.
We know they start as eggs to grubs, then nymphs, and then the black soldiers. After that, they change into rainbow stags. Beetles are not normally hive type species, but can work and live together.
A detail was missed during the Feelings Forum; one changelings mentioned that “Pharynx is teaching the little changelings to be mean like him.”
That would imply one of two things; eggs/grubs/nymphs in the hive from when Chrysals’ throne was destroyed, or offspring of the current grouping of changelings.
We already know Chrysalis self imposed her rule over the changelings, and only through threats of harm did she keep her rule. She had no “hive mind” to them or any manner to make them obey beyond that. This would give credit to the idea of chrysalis knowing about what the species could do and stealing away an entire batch to groom into soldiers for her own gains.
@ObliviaTheChangeling
Your argument is structurally valid, but your premises all rest on a multitude of assumptions. The best hypotheses are said to be the ones that rely on the fewest assumptions, and I fail to see how Chrysalis being the mother of all changelings relies on less assumptions then all changelings being able to reproduce. Real world biology does not apply in a world of magical talking multicolored ponies, so it cannot be used to draw any definitive conclusions, especially when said conclusions rest on the tentative premise that changelings are exactly like real world insects solely on the bases that changelings are insectoid in appearance.
Changelings are insects, and it’s confirmed they live in hives. An insect hive is led by one queen, who is reponsible for laying eggs. So, yes, all Changelings are Chrysalis’ children. However, this would mean that, in such a case, the term “brother” won’t mean the same thing to them as it would mean to us.
@OneOverTwo
I’m sure this episode will only further Thorax and Spike shipping… So why the hell not? Let’s marry the two and make Thorax the new Changeling Queen and Spike as the new Changeling King!
Fair enough then, but if that means Chrysalis is indeed their collective mother, that raises a question: who’s doing the breeding now? Or have, since the great transformation, their biology changed so they now reproduce like mammals?
If that’s what they do now, it’s gonna be pretty awkward for the current generation, isn’t it?
The Proto-Queens choose a Male Changeling to mate with and produce further eggs for the Hive, naturally Pharynx got action while Thorax was still too young to part-take in the process, in these days Chrysalis wasn’t Queen, she was merely a Proto-Queen the same age as Pharynx was. She loved Pharynx and chose him to be her Exclusive, and the feeling was mutual with Pharynx often referring in private to Chrysalis as “Beloved Mate” during moments of intimacy.
Edited
However, it’s a hive in name only. More of a colony, and beetles often times will make use of a colony structure and work together as a group for better survival odds.
However, they still seem to live in a hive, and all insect hives seem to have a standard “queen lays all the eggs” thing going on.
Right, and I’d assume that since they have beetle themed bodies, that they instead reproduce 1-1 instead of with a hive queen.
Oddly enough, Beetles are some of the few insectoids where males and females will sometimes work together to rear young. The dung beetle comes to mind. But you don’t wanna know what happens if the parents feel that they don’t have enough food for their grubs.
Also Insect Queens are huge egg layers, Chrysalis was not, so she was not the egg layer, aka not there biological mother.
Or, how about their parents were also her subjects, and that her rule lasted for multiple generations.
@Ihhh
We need to better focus on what this species has shown since we can only go off of what is shown.
We know they start as eggs to grubs, then nymphs, and then the black soldiers. After that, they change into rainbow stags. Beetles are not normally hive type species, but can work and live together.
A detail was missed during the Feelings Forum; one changelings mentioned that “Pharynx is teaching the little changelings to be mean like him.”
That would imply one of two things; eggs/grubs/nymphs in the hive from when Chrysals’ throne was destroyed, or offspring of the current grouping of changelings.
We already know Chrysalis self imposed her rule over the changelings, and only through threats of harm did she keep her rule. She had no “hive mind” to them or any manner to make them obey beyond that. This would give credit to the idea of chrysalis knowing about what the species could do and stealing away an entire batch to groom into soldiers for her own gains.
Your argument is structurally valid, but your premises all rest on a multitude of assumptions. The best hypotheses are said to be the ones that rely on the fewest assumptions, and I fail to see how Chrysalis being the mother of all changelings relies on less assumptions then all changelings being able to reproduce. Real world biology does not apply in a world of magical talking multicolored ponies, so it cannot be used to draw any definitive conclusions, especially when said conclusions rest on the tentative premise that changelings are exactly like real world insects solely on the bases that changelings are insectoid in appearance.
Edited
That’s foolish……
Spike would be the queen ;P
I’m sure this episode will only further Thorax and Spike shipping… So why the hell not? Let’s marry the two and make Thorax the new Changeling Queen and Spike as the new Changeling King!
Thorax will be the collective mother.
He can shapeshift; it’s still possible!
@Magic Man
Somehow, I get the feeling they won’t be confronting that particular issue onscreen.
@PonyPon
Fair enough then, but if that means Chrysalis is indeed their collective mother, that raises a question: who’s doing the breeding now? Or have, since the great transformation, their biology changed so they now reproduce like mammals?
If that’s what they do now, it’s gonna be pretty awkward for the current generation, isn’t it?
Aye.