Pony Genetics

[Chishio Kunrin]

I've seen the topic of pony genetics (MLP universe-wise) pop up a few times. I figured a thread with a little bit about the basics of genetics wouldn't hurt, especially considering that some forget or don't know that Gene A + Gene B does not automatically equal Gene AB. In other words, Pegasus Gene + Unicorn Gene =/= Alicorn.
        If you haven't learned about basic genetics yet, I guess this may help you out a bit if/when you do start learning it in school.

Assuming that the Earth Pony Gene is dominant and the Pegasus and Unicorn Genes are recessive, an earth pony can carry a gene for pegasus or unicorn, like Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Of course, "dominant" means "stronger" and "recessive" means "weaker" in this case.

Here, I have made a Punnett Square for an Earth Pony mother whose parents were an Earth Pony and a Pegasus and a father whose parents were an Earth Pony and a Unicorn:

The capital E letters represent the dominant Earth Pony Gene, and the genes for Pegasus and Unicorn are lower case because they are recessive. This Punnett Square gives us a visual representation of basically what to expect the chances will be that the foal will be an earth pony, pegasus, or unicorn. We see this by writing down the letters we get in the boxes where a letter from each parent meets. Here, there is roughly a 75% (3/4) chance that the foal will be an earth pony. This is because the Earth Pony Gene is dominant over the other two and overpowers them. If the foal is born from the Eu combination, it will be an earth pony but carry the gene of a unicorn.

Considering how rare alicorns are, the Alicorn "Gene" (if there is a specific gene) must be extremely recessive, more so than unicorn and pegasus. Given that, Unicorn Gene + Pegasus Gene will most likely not result in an alicorn foal. So, if these two earth ponies hit that roughly 25% chance that the foal isn't an earth pony, which will it be? That all depends on which is more recessive - unicorn or pegasus. Unfortunately, right now, we cannot judge from the show which of the two genes is stronger than the other, so we don't know. I guess it's up to you. They could even end up with a case like the Cakes and have twins with one being a pegasus and one being a unicorn.

If there is a specific Alicorn Gene, it may be more prevalent/common in royal bloodlines such as Celestia's and, I suppose, Cadence's families. Or perhaps the Alicorn Gene is simply a recessive gene that allows the Unicorn and Pegasus Genes to combine, maybe with a little earth pony in the mix of the DNA.

The deeper and more detailed you go into genetics, the more complicated it becomes. Some of the complication comes from the fact that genetics can just plain do weird things when DNA receives different pairs of genes that somehow affect each other. Mutation is one of those genetic oddities that complicates things, for example. With our limited knowledge of things like this in Equestria, I have only been able to scratch the surface and provide the mere basics.

[Darkangel]

Not trying to be mean, but why are we comparing real life to a CARTOON? I mean come on, why would you want to know about pony genetics?

[Jenzy]

I have seen this topic (elsewhere) in the past like you have. It's quite the Mystery how the Earth Pony, Unicorn, and Pegasus genes work out.

I agree with the Earth Pony gene dominant over the other, considering it's the Main type/kind of pony.

I also agree to disagree to my own statement and agree that we still haven't learned which really is True Dominant and True Recessive.

Alicorns remain unsolved. Soon hopefully we can solve this through the power of SCIENCE!


I remember doing those Punnet Squares. These are still tricky to me...

[Rissian]

Genetics in MLP have been made interesting ever since the Cake's episode Darkangel.  It's kind of interesting to think about and make some speculation on if it's a topic people are interested in for fun.


When I first watched MLP I was theorizing Alicorns as being hybrids in my head. 

[Darkangel]

I think EP is dominant because that's the ponies we have in real life and they have no special traits. Ex: Horns, wings, magic, flying.

[Billow Pillow]

It appears sometimes in life, you just need to simply chart out something for people to understand.    

Though out of curiosity, how exactly does the mixture of the Pegasus gen, and a unicorn gen, create something that is basically immortal?   

[Darkangel]

I don't think alicorns are immortal, I just think they live a really, REALLY long time.

[Jenzy]

Though out of curiosity, how exactly does the mixture of the Pegasus gen, and a unicorn gen, create something that is basically immortal?   

Alicorns remain unsolved. Soon hopefully we can solve this through the power of SCIENCE!

[Rissian]

Technically we have never seen old Unicorns if I recall, so maybe Unicorns live a long time which would make sense why Alicorns do as well.
(At least I don't think we have.)

[Jenzy]

Must be that powerful magic in Alicorns. Maybe that's what keeps 'em "young" for a long time...

[Chishio Kunrin]

I also started considering Ponyville vs Canterlot.

Ponyville's main population is earth ponies. If the earth pony gene is dominant, such a large pool of it in the Ponyville community causes earth ponies to be more commonly born. However, there are still earth ponies carrying the genes of unicorns and pegasi, and if two meet who both have those recessive genes, they can have a non-earth pony foal.

Canterlot's main population is unicorns, thus making it easy for more unicorns to be born, even if the unicorn gene is recessive. There's a very large pool of the unicorn gene there.

I can't justify Cloudsdale via genetics very much because, under normal circumstances, the only ponies even able to go there are pegasi.

Sorry, genetics is just so interesting to me.

[Rissian]

It's fun to talk about I used to theorize a lot of stuff in my head when it came to characters in shows if they had relatives with different features and characteristics.

Though I wish I knew more about genetics than what I already know.

[Chishio Kunrin]

I figure that earth ponies may be the dominant gene because of Mr. and Mrs. Cake. They're both earth ponies, but they carry the genes for pegasi and unicorns. In order for the pegasus and unicorn genes to not have manifested themselves to make Mr. and Mrs. Cake pegasi or unicorns, the earth pony gene must be more dominant than the pegasus and unicorn genes.

[Night Pony]

Alicorns know the age spell and thus use it on themselves. 

[Jenzy]

Oh man! Yeah. Cloudsdale also remains a mystery. Aside from the genetics, the inability to walk on clouds unless a spell is quite the mystery. Darn clouds.

I had an idea where Jenzy flew to Cloudsdale. He lost his wing power-up and each step he took collapses a cloud like in Super Mario Galaxy.

Speaking of that, I'm wondering what it makes Jenzy, considering he's had effects of Wings and Horn. I'm sure it's still Ee/Eu/Ep. Not Eup.

I think the majority of Earth Ponies are in Appaloosa? (Since Ponyville seems like the mixed area)

[super_chris85]

well from what i see if we go based on this unicorn and pegisus genes are recessive because remember the cakes had both an unicorn and pegasus and the whole alicon thing would probably never happen I think that the gene for an alicorn would be unique and have it's own catagory

[Chishio Kunrin]

well from what i see if we go based on this unicorn and pegisus genes are recessive because remember the cakes had both an unicorn and pegasus and the whole alicon thing would probably never happen I think that the gene for an alicorn would be unique and have it's own catagory

^A nutshell summary of what I said.

But yeah, the whole "Pegasus and unicorn genes are recessive" assumption that I made was based on Mr. and Mrs. Cake and their twins.

[super_chris85]

well from what i see if we go based on this unicorn and pegisus genes are recessive because remember the cakes had both an unicorn and pegasus and the whole alicon thing would probably never happen I think that the gene for an alicorn would be unique and have it's own catagory

^A nutshell summary of what I said.

But yeah, the whole "Pegasus and unicorn genes are recessive" assumption that I made was based on Mr. and Mrs. Cake and their twins.

yes but if it is recessive why do they have one of both is it 50/50 chance of each gene so that it is random on the fact that they had both

[Blues-Music]

An alicorn can only be born if the parent is also an alicorn.

[Jenzy]

An alicorn can only be born if the parent is also an alicorn.

It's like
"Which came first the chicken or the egg?"