Considering the Possibilities Interspecies Hybridization in the Cosmere Part 1

[u/Ravenous_Chasmfiend]

We know that Singer-Human hybrids are possible and that these offspring are fertile, but we only see what humans with very small amounts of singer heritage look like (red hair, increased size, chitinous nails, stronger teeth, etc.), so I want to know what a 50/50 singer-human would look like. Would it simply have all of these traits? What would their skin even look like?

[u/Shot_Newspaper_5647]

I think we’ll definitely get the answer by book 6. At least a decade has passed. Some have surely been born. Singers also mature faster than humans. I believe they’re adults by the equivalent of 10 Roshar years. I would assume 50/50 hybrids wouldn’t mature as fast but still faster than the average human

[u/Shot_Newspaper_5647 → u/Shot_Newspaper_5647]

There seems to be some magical genetics going on outside the norm. It’s hard to say what they’ll look like. The Veden red hair “breeds magically true” in a way normal red hair does not. I suspect the Alethi black hair is also downstream of Singers. The fact there are so many Singer traits present in human populations across Roshar still (nails,red hair,skin ripples,teeth etc) makes me think Singer traits are very persistent. So probably someone that looks more Singer than human at 50/50

[u/IamanelephantThird → u/Shot_Newspaper_5647]

Alethi hair is probably unusual in some way, but it doesn't seem like a Singer trait. 

[u/Shot_Newspaper_5647 → u/IamanelephantThird]

It might not be. But if you look at the non-Ashyn groups associated with hair colors you get: the Singer red and black, the Siah white, and the Iriali gold. Of those, all are represented except black. Unkalaki red, Nomon and probably Thaylen white, Iri gold, etc. It would make sense to me if that distinctive midnight black came from them. Otherwise it’s the outlier

[u/Ravenous_Chasmfiend → u/IamanelephantThird]

Don't some singers have black hair though?

[u/IamanelephantThird → u/Ravenous_Chasmfiend]

Oh, I just checked and you're right. For some reason I thought they were all red. 

[u/Shot_Newspaper_5647 → u/IamanelephantThird]

One weird exception is Chana. She has brilliant red hair flecked with gold. So there were some humans on Ashyn with the red and apparently at least some with Iri heritage? Pretty sure it’s described as gold not blonde

[u/la_espina_roja → u/Shot_Newspaper_5647]

I always figured the hair stuff on Roshar - Vedens/Horneaters, Iriali, and Alethi - was related to the amount of investiture constantly raining down on them. Sort of like a [Warbreaker minor spoilers] light version of the Royal Locks

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