![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soc_puppetI keep drifting in and out of academic language here ._.a
Also, full disclosure: This has probably been percolating in my brain sinceaskerian made a Tumblr post pointing out that Betas didn't really have much influence in A/B/O dynamics and that was super boring. Said Tumblr post quickly got out of control, though, so I've decided to keep this stuff here on Dreamwidth unless prompted otherwise (though other folks are welcome to share if you'd like).
Part One: Reproduction and the Sexes
There are six-plus sexes in the Facilitators ABO environment, most with two aspects: Solar and Lunar. Solar is the sex one is assigned at birth (male or female), and Lunar is the sex one is assigned upon reaching sexual maturity (alpha, beta, or omega). This gives us the following six sexes:
* Male Alpha
* Female Alpha
* Male Beta
* Female Beta
* Male Omega
* Female Omega
The majority of the population is one of these six sexes. The -plus sex, Delta, also called intersex, shows mixed or incomplete traits of one or more of the other sexes. Ambiguous genitals at birth were traditionally the most common way of assigning individuals as Solar Deltas, while irregular or unusual heat and/or rut cycles are the most common way of identifying Lunar Deltas. However, recent technological advances have made other methods of identifying Delta individuals possible, including chromosomal Deltas and Beta-presenting Alphas and Omegas, as but two examples.
[Note to self! Look up intersex rights stuff to make sure you're not being horribly thoughtless and cruel, and if you need to make it eight sexes, six-plus-modifier sexes, or something else entirely instead.]
With regards to reproduction, on the solar axis, each Male sex is capable of impregnating, and each Female sex is capable of carrying pregnancies. On the lunar axis, each Alpha sex is capable of impregnating, and each Omega sex is capable of carrying pregnancies. This gives us four sexes that can impregnate (all Males plus Female Alphas) and four sexes capable of carrying pregnancies (all Females plus Male Omegas). That said, the physical changes that allow Female Alphas to develop sperm and Male Omegas' wombs to be accessible only occur in rut and heat, respectively. (That is, a Female Alpha can only impregnate during rut, and a Male Omega can only be impregnated during heat, though the latter can continue pregnancy for full duration.)
An individual's assigned Solar sex is decided* primarily by genital appearance at birth; presence of a penis will result in an assigned male, while presence of a vulva results in an assigned female. Lunar sexes are much less predictable, and are thought to be the result* of hormone fluctuations during puberty: Primary development of Alpha hormones will result in an assigned Alpha individual, Omega hormones in an assigned Omega, and Beta hormones in an assigned Beta.
* There is absolutely more to both of these processes, as Delta advocacy groups will gladly tell you at length. This is the basics for perisex (non-intersex) individuals, though.
While a number of cultures have long known and recognized the significance of Betas in the reproductive cycle, most cultures have been largely ignorant of the role they play in reproduction and triggering heats and ruts until relatively recently. This can mostly be blamed on European colonialism and the prominence of ancient Greek and Roman science in the Renaissance; early Greek natural philosophers assumed that Betas had nothing to do with Alpha ruts or Omega heats, and that their Lunar sex was neutral to the process.
Though anecdotal evidence suggested this was incorrect, the majority of Western scientists didn't believe them until experiments done in the past century-and-a-half. The Nunsyn Studies segregated 1200 individuals into six groups of roughly 200 individuals each, divided by Solar and Lunar sexes: A group of females of all Lunar sexes, a group of males of all Lunar sexes, a group of male and female Alphas, a group of male and female Betas, a group of male and female Omegas, and a control group. The study was originally set to last six months, but was eventually extended to three years and increased to 500 individuals in each group when the first set of data came back.
While fertility, birth, and heat/rut rates in the Solar-segregated groups fell entirely within expected parameters, numbers from the Lunar-segregated groups were much more surprising. Though all three groups were roughly half female and half male, birth and fertility rates in the Alpha and Omega groups were lower than in the general population, while the same rates were higher than in the general population for the Beta group. Even more surprising, heats in the Omega group and ruts in the Alpha group dropped off from occurring every six-to-eight weeks to occurring twice a year, all within a week of either solstice [subject to change]. Individuals from the Alpha and Omega groups also reported rougher pregnancies and less enjoyable coupling during mating cycles.
(Nunsyn, a Beta and who had originally proposed the study to find out if the fabled Amazonian colonies would have been feasible, was reportedly ecstatic at the results.)
Further studies lead to the formal discovery that the less predictable, random-seeming Omega heats and Alpha ruts in mixed Lunar groups were actually caused by exposure to Beta pheromones, and eventually to our current understanding of Betas' true roles in the cyclical reproductive process. While there is likely still much to learn about reproduction between the sexes, our current model is roughly as follows:
For sexually mature individuals in a group of mixed Lunar sexes, heats and ruts are triggered by continued exposure to aroused Beta pheromones. At any time when a mixed group of individuals has at least one Beta who is sexually attracted to at least two individuals, at least one of whom they are presumed capable of reproducing with, they will begin to emit rut- and heat-inducing pheromones. After two weeks of exposure to these pheromones, an Alpha or Omega's cycle will begin. For the next five-to-seven weeks, their bodies will begin storing the necessary resources for the physically demanding heat or rut process. Individuals who are sexually attracted to the Beta emitting the pheromones typically end up producing their own heat and rut hormones more rapidly and in greater concentration, leading to a quicker onset of heat or rut.
This is thought to have lead to the unusual prevalence of stable triads featuring at least one Beta in most cultures worldwide. Additional studies and interviews have also suggested that heats and ruts are more enjoyable with at least one Beta present, and exposure Beta pheromones/hormones have been shown to have a positive effect on pregnancies.
In summation:
* There are six-plus sexes, divided by Solar (male/female, assigned at birth) and Lunar (Alpha/Beta/Omega, assigned at sexual maturity) categories; most people fall under two categories, but Delta (intersex) individuals may fall under less (note: not fewer) or more
* Assigned Female and Assigned Omega individuals can become pregnant; Assigned Male and Assigned Alpha individuals can impregnate
* Heat and Rut cycles as commonly understood are caused by long term exposure to Beta pheromones; at least one Beta must be sexually attracted to at least two other individuals, at least one of whom they can reproduce with, to begin producing these pheromones; without exposure to this Beta pheromone, heats and ruts occur only twice a year, at the solstices [subject to change]
* Heats and ruts are actually more enjoyable with at least one Beta involved, likely due to the production of the aforementioned pheromones, leading to a high prevalence of stable triads involving at least one Beta
(This probably needs a lot more work, but I'm leaving it here for now. This has been a lot of words and Figuring Things Out. Up next is probably a lot of cultural stuff, like gender and queerness. Probably mostly gender and queerness, really.)
Also, full disclosure: This has probably been percolating in my brain since
askerian made a Tumblr post pointing out that Betas didn't really have much influence in A/B/O dynamics and that was super boring. Said Tumblr post quickly got out of control, though, so I've decided to keep this stuff here on Dreamwidth unless prompted otherwise (though other folks are welcome to share if you'd like).Part One: Reproduction and the Sexes
There are six-plus sexes in the Facilitators ABO environment, most with two aspects: Solar and Lunar. Solar is the sex one is assigned at birth (male or female), and Lunar is the sex one is assigned upon reaching sexual maturity (alpha, beta, or omega). This gives us the following six sexes:
* Male Alpha
* Female Alpha
* Male Beta
* Female Beta
* Male Omega
* Female Omega
The majority of the population is one of these six sexes. The -plus sex, Delta, also called intersex, shows mixed or incomplete traits of one or more of the other sexes. Ambiguous genitals at birth were traditionally the most common way of assigning individuals as Solar Deltas, while irregular or unusual heat and/or rut cycles are the most common way of identifying Lunar Deltas. However, recent technological advances have made other methods of identifying Delta individuals possible, including chromosomal Deltas and Beta-presenting Alphas and Omegas, as but two examples.
[Note to self! Look up intersex rights stuff to make sure you're not being horribly thoughtless and cruel, and if you need to make it eight sexes, six-plus-modifier sexes, or something else entirely instead.]
With regards to reproduction, on the solar axis, each Male sex is capable of impregnating, and each Female sex is capable of carrying pregnancies. On the lunar axis, each Alpha sex is capable of impregnating, and each Omega sex is capable of carrying pregnancies. This gives us four sexes that can impregnate (all Males plus Female Alphas) and four sexes capable of carrying pregnancies (all Females plus Male Omegas). That said, the physical changes that allow Female Alphas to develop sperm and Male Omegas' wombs to be accessible only occur in rut and heat, respectively. (That is, a Female Alpha can only impregnate during rut, and a Male Omega can only be impregnated during heat, though the latter can continue pregnancy for full duration.)
An individual's assigned Solar sex is decided* primarily by genital appearance at birth; presence of a penis will result in an assigned male, while presence of a vulva results in an assigned female. Lunar sexes are much less predictable, and are thought to be the result* of hormone fluctuations during puberty: Primary development of Alpha hormones will result in an assigned Alpha individual, Omega hormones in an assigned Omega, and Beta hormones in an assigned Beta.
* There is absolutely more to both of these processes, as Delta advocacy groups will gladly tell you at length. This is the basics for perisex (non-intersex) individuals, though.
While a number of cultures have long known and recognized the significance of Betas in the reproductive cycle, most cultures have been largely ignorant of the role they play in reproduction and triggering heats and ruts until relatively recently. This can mostly be blamed on European colonialism and the prominence of ancient Greek and Roman science in the Renaissance; early Greek natural philosophers assumed that Betas had nothing to do with Alpha ruts or Omega heats, and that their Lunar sex was neutral to the process.
Though anecdotal evidence suggested this was incorrect, the majority of Western scientists didn't believe them until experiments done in the past century-and-a-half. The Nunsyn Studies segregated 1200 individuals into six groups of roughly 200 individuals each, divided by Solar and Lunar sexes: A group of females of all Lunar sexes, a group of males of all Lunar sexes, a group of male and female Alphas, a group of male and female Betas, a group of male and female Omegas, and a control group. The study was originally set to last six months, but was eventually extended to three years and increased to 500 individuals in each group when the first set of data came back.
While fertility, birth, and heat/rut rates in the Solar-segregated groups fell entirely within expected parameters, numbers from the Lunar-segregated groups were much more surprising. Though all three groups were roughly half female and half male, birth and fertility rates in the Alpha and Omega groups were lower than in the general population, while the same rates were higher than in the general population for the Beta group. Even more surprising, heats in the Omega group and ruts in the Alpha group dropped off from occurring every six-to-eight weeks to occurring twice a year, all within a week of either solstice [subject to change]. Individuals from the Alpha and Omega groups also reported rougher pregnancies and less enjoyable coupling during mating cycles.
(Nunsyn, a Beta and who had originally proposed the study to find out if the fabled Amazonian colonies would have been feasible, was reportedly ecstatic at the results.)
Further studies lead to the formal discovery that the less predictable, random-seeming Omega heats and Alpha ruts in mixed Lunar groups were actually caused by exposure to Beta pheromones, and eventually to our current understanding of Betas' true roles in the cyclical reproductive process. While there is likely still much to learn about reproduction between the sexes, our current model is roughly as follows:
For sexually mature individuals in a group of mixed Lunar sexes, heats and ruts are triggered by continued exposure to aroused Beta pheromones. At any time when a mixed group of individuals has at least one Beta who is sexually attracted to at least two individuals, at least one of whom they are presumed capable of reproducing with, they will begin to emit rut- and heat-inducing pheromones. After two weeks of exposure to these pheromones, an Alpha or Omega's cycle will begin. For the next five-to-seven weeks, their bodies will begin storing the necessary resources for the physically demanding heat or rut process. Individuals who are sexually attracted to the Beta emitting the pheromones typically end up producing their own heat and rut hormones more rapidly and in greater concentration, leading to a quicker onset of heat or rut.
This is thought to have lead to the unusual prevalence of stable triads featuring at least one Beta in most cultures worldwide. Additional studies and interviews have also suggested that heats and ruts are more enjoyable with at least one Beta present, and exposure Beta pheromones/hormones have been shown to have a positive effect on pregnancies.
In summation:
* There are six-plus sexes, divided by Solar (male/female, assigned at birth) and Lunar (Alpha/Beta/Omega, assigned at sexual maturity) categories; most people fall under two categories, but Delta (intersex) individuals may fall under less (note: not fewer) or more
* Assigned Female and Assigned Omega individuals can become pregnant; Assigned Male and Assigned Alpha individuals can impregnate
* Heat and Rut cycles as commonly understood are caused by long term exposure to Beta pheromones; at least one Beta must be sexually attracted to at least two other individuals, at least one of whom they can reproduce with, to begin producing these pheromones; without exposure to this Beta pheromone, heats and ruts occur only twice a year, at the solstices [subject to change]
* Heats and ruts are actually more enjoyable with at least one Beta involved, likely due to the production of the aforementioned pheromones, leading to a high prevalence of stable triads involving at least one Beta
(This probably needs a lot more work, but I'm leaving it here for now. This has been a lot of words and Figuring Things Out. Up next is probably a lot of cultural stuff, like gender and queerness. Probably mostly gender and queerness, really.)
no subject
Date: 2019-02-26 02:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-02-26 02:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-02-26 02:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-02-26 05:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-02-26 02:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-02-26 02:23 am (UTC)...Come to think of it, the winter solstice would probably not be a great time of year for a mating run. Maybe equinoxes or the Nov/May cross quarter days, then.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-26 02:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-02-26 02:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-02-26 02:54 am (UTC)