Ability heredity: Difference between revisions
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Ability heredity | |
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Chris and Gail Bowman have passed on an ability to their daughter. |
Several evolved humans descend from parents who are also evolved humans, indicating that special abilities may be hereditary.
About
The basic premise behind Chandra Suresh's research is that humans are on the brink of an advance of evolution, and that there are genetic markers in DNA/RNA that can be used to predict the emergence of special abilities.
Genetic Markers
Using data from the Human Genome Project, Dr. Suresh was able to create a list of humans that could possibly exhibit the abilities predicted by his theories. While Chandra was able to find one example, he was unfortunately murdered before he could go public with his discoveries.
Minors with Abilities
While most of the known evolved humans did not discover their special abilities until their 20's or 30's, there are a few examples of children who have demonstrated powers at much younger ages. Most of these children have parents who are also confirmed evolved humans. Observing certain trends in the "passing down" of genes, two minors with powers (Claire Bennet and Micah Sanders) share the common thread of both parents being special. Molly Walker's father James Walker is an evolved human, however nothing much is known about her mother except that Sylar did not remove her brain.
Sanjog Iyer has demonstrated special abilities as a child; information about his parents is unknown. In an alternate future, Janice Parkman's son Matthew (who was was believed to be the son of Matt Parkman) was noted as a "child of interest" to Homeland Security (Five Years Gone). In the present timeline he has an ability that manifiested during the second eclipse and Homeland Security comes after him. Thanks to him restoring part of Hiro's power, Hiro, Ando and Matt Parkman Jr. get away.
Before these children are able to control or understand their abilities, it seems that they are controlled by emotions. For instance, when Alice Shaw is scared or angry, she causes sandstroms or thunderstorms, whilst when she is happy it's sunny. The same is true for Matt Parkman's son.
When discussing Claire's children and their powers, Noah Bennet theorizes that they will get them at around fifteen since Claire did. Indeed, both Nathan and Malina are shown to have gotten their powers around the age of fifteen. (June 13th, Part One) Nathan had his power from the womb as well. (June 13th, Part Two)
Siblings and Other Relations
Another indication that special powers run in families is the tendency of siblings to have powers, although it does not guarantee powers. Micah's cousin Monica has revealed special traits. However, for her they did not manifest until her early 20s. Her brother Damon has not exhibited abilities yet.
Nathan Petrelli and Peter Petrelli are brothers who have powers, and both of their parents have abilities. It should be noted that Nathan was given synthetic abilities because his genetic makeup was able to handle it. René and Baron Samedi are also half-brothers, both of whom have abilities, as did their father. Similarly, the twins Maya and Alejandro Herrera are siblings with complementary powers, but information about their relatives is unknown. Debbie and Piper are twins, yet one has an ability while the other does not. Niki, Tracy, and Barbara are estranged triplets, and each was given a different ability, while siblings Flint and Meredith Gordon possess nearly identical abilities. Tommy Clark and Malina are twins who possess different abilities, but are also descended from at least four generations of evos. However, while Tommy inherited a version of his great-grandfather's power, Malina didn't have an ability similar to any of her ancestors.
Uncle/niece relatives Richard Drucker and Hana Gitelman share the same ability of digital communication.
Siblings or children of evolved humans are not guaranteed to have powers of their own. For example, Nathan Petrelli has two sons, but neither of them has yet demonstrated special abilities, nor has Hiro's sister, Kimiko. While Charles Deveaux had an ability, his daughter, Simone, never showed evidence of one. Mohinder's sister Shanti Suresh may have had powers: she had some kind of genetic abnormality, her parents described her as "special", and she inspired her father's research. Mohinder, however, has not shown any evidence of naturally occurring powers.
Examples of Inheritance
Evolved human Siblings
Other Relations Between Evolved Humans
Evolved human | Ability | Relative (ability) |
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Abu Aswan | Levitation | A distant descendant of Khufu (levitation) |
Claire Bennet | Rapid cell regeneration | The niece of Peter Petrelli (empathic mimicry) The niece of Flint Gordon, Jr. (pyrokinesis) The great niece of Alice Shaw (weather control) |
Emma Coolidge | Enhanced synesthesia | The niece of Chris Coolidge (enhanced synesthesia) |
Monica Dawson | Adoptive muscle memory | The relative of Paulette Hawkins (ability augmentation) and the cousin of Micah Sanders (technopathy) |
Hana Gitelman | Digital communication | The niece of Richard Drucker (electronic communication) |
Nathan Petrelli | Flight (synthetic) | The nephew of Alice Shaw (weather control) |
Peter Petrelli | Empathic mimicry | The nephew of Alice Shaw (weather control) |
Micah Sanders | Technopathy | The nephew* of Tracy Strauss (freezing (synthetic)) and the cousin of Monica Dawson (adoptive muscle memory) |
Notes
- Barbara is the other triplet sister of Niki and Tracy, and Micah's aunt, but the ability she was given remains unknown, so she is not included here.
- In a Q&A session, writers Joe Pokaski and Aron Coleite were asked whether or not it's a guarantee that powers are passed on, given that both parents are evolved humans. They answered, "In genetics, nothing is guaranteed. A random mix of traits." In another session they said, "We've seen that the existence of powers may be something passed on, but the powers themselves are a crapshoot of sorts. For example, phase-man + strength-girl = talks to machines."
- To date, Matt Parkman, Sylar, Santiago, Jennie Bowman, Jack, and Abu Aswan are the only evolved humans who have demonstrated what appear to be the same abilities as at least one of their ancestors.
- It is still unclear whether children with the same abilities as their parents have greater ability, or if the power level has anything to do with age.
- Two evolved humans--Julien Dumont and Connie Logan--have a daughter who does not have any known abilities.
- Gael Cruz told Sabine Hazel that the child she carries inside her will have powers (Into the Wild, Part 3). Sabine is a human, and the father of the baby is a clone (who does not have powers), but writers Timm Keppler and Jim Martin said in an interview, "[Sabine's son] would have clone DNA, which the Company may have plans for."
- Although Nathan's ability was not granted to him by heredity, his mother said that his DNA was the perfect test subject for the formula as he had two evolved parents.
- The children of Claire Bennet, Tommy Clark and Malina both displayed powers, but nothing like any of their evo ancestors ever displayed. They are also descended from at least four generations of evos.