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matt writes...

in the London clan the feathered wings were the most common, and in the other clans the Goliath and Demona type wings were quite common, among the clans we've not see (Loch Ness, New Olympus, Xanadu, and Korea) are Lexington's wing type the most common? or are Desdemona's?

Greg responds...

I'm not going to tie my hands by quantifying that at this time.

Response recorded on May 30, 2001

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José Mº writes...

I have seen that the gargoyles when the sun go down are lives, and a little stone skin fall from their skin, are they more small??

Greg responds...

No, they're shedding a thin layer of dead epidermus. Each day they regenerate while in stone.

Response recorded on May 08, 2001

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matt writes...

warrioress's question reminded me of one i've been meaning to ask, i read somewhere that because of his smaller profile Lex and other gargoyles with similar wings can actually glide faster... any truth to this? i guess they should get an advantage cuz they can't really use their hands when gliding...

Greg responds...

Don't know.

Response recorded on May 08, 2001

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Josh Goldberg writes...

Can Demona get pregnant by a human at anytime? That is, is she fertile as a human at the same times as she is fertile as a gargoyle, or is she fertile like a regular human? What's Demona's fertility cycle as human and garg? (Garg's are only fertile every ten garg years, right?)

Greg responds...

Garg's are only fertile every TWENTY years.

Human females, or so I understand it, are generally VERY fertile one week a month. Potentially fertile the week to either side. And even possibly fertile at all times. At any rate, it's sure as hell safer to think that way.

Demona is a human when she's human. A garg when she's a garg. But she's extremely unlikely to get pregnant at any time. Cuz she's Demona.

Response recorded on May 08, 2001

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matt writes...

oh, and if i remember correctly, you said that March 21 was not only the Spring Equinox, and the possible hatch date for gargoyles, but its also your son's birthday, so, Happy Birthday Ben even though its belated by now... talk to you later!

Greg responds...

Ben thanks you.

Response recorded on May 04, 2001

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Siren writes...

In the Gargoyles Universe, are there gargoyles without wings at all? Earthbound ones.

Greg responds...

Garg beasts have no wings.

Response recorded on May 04, 2001

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Jacob writes...

What happens to a gargoyle if he is at the north pole during the long night in the winter? does he sleep like humans?
Give a smart-ass answer if you want to, but I woud be pleased if you don't.

Greg responds...

Over time, he or she would adapt.

Response recorded on May 02, 2001

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Angie I. writes...

Howdy, Greg! I'm not a regular visitor to this area, so I apolgize in advance if you've already been asked about this. I looked through the archived responses, but I might have missed something.

In the episode "Grief," Goliath mentioned that gargoyles age at half the speed of humans. Does that mean that a young gargoyle that has been alive for 20 years would only appear to be a 10 year old equivelant to a human child? Because if Jackel aged the Gargoyles for the same amount of years as he did Elisa, wouldn't they really have become half of what Jackel had intended? Aging 40 years ahead instead of 80? If it's true that they age at exactly half the rate of humans, I'm sure Angela would look worn and maybe a grey hair or two, but I doubt that she would look as near death as she did. Please clear this up for me. What is the exact rate that Gargoyles age when compared to humans?

Thank you. :)

Greg responds...

You got the age rate correct, but not Jackal's intentions. He was going for OLD -- he was draining energy. He wasn't specifically saying, I want fifty years from Elisa and 100 from those gargs. Just I want them old.

Response recorded on May 02, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Where did gargoyle race orignate from? Asia? British Isles?

Greg responds...

Not saying at this time.

Response recorded on April 09, 2001

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Bruno writes...

Hi, Greg,

Does the gargs have problems with tooth decay?

I'm asking this because I'm in the middle of a root canal treatment, and it HURTS!!!

Greg responds...

no.

Response recorded on April 09, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

The Children of Oberon who are the gods of legends thus they must be the first race and they are made of pure magic. The gargoyles who are the second race have some magic in them since they can turn themselves and their equipment into stone. While humans who are the third race can't perform any feats of magic unless they have a spell book. So my question is the magic energy on the Earth diminishing?

Greg responds...

Faulty premise.

Gargoyles are the first of these three. That is, the oldest. They don't do any magic themselves. Turning to stone is a biological process. Turning they're gear to stone was a human magical spell, inflicted upon them.

Humans evolved second.

The Children incubated in magic and "evolved" third.

Response recorded on April 09, 2001

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Duncan Devlin writes...

In the Guatemala episode, Jackal carved his face into Goliath's in his dream. If a person were to do this to a Gargoyle and he woke up at dusk, what would happen?

Greg responds...

Nothing nice.

Response recorded on April 08, 2001

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matt writes...

so garg beasts reach adulthood by age 2, and live about as long as regular gargoyles? so, can they mate more often than regular gargoyles? i hope so cuz that could really save them from extinction given there are so few garg beasts left...

Greg responds...

Yes. Probably.

Response recorded on April 08, 2001

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matt writes...

would Zafiro and Una's lack of claws on their feet cause them to have alot of trouble climbing walls/cliffs? if not, is it because gargoyles mainly use their arms when climbing a wall/cliff?

Greg responds...

You use what you've got. And you find uses for what you've got.

Response recorded on March 29, 2001

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matt writes...

in response to "The One":

i've been thinking an awful lot about gargoyle genetics and biology lately and i have some theories, not ideas, personal theories.

in evolution, the weak do not survive to pass on genes, and the strong do. among other things this makes most beings of a species very similar in appearence, at least from outside that species. gargoyles are different obviously, even us humans can see major differences among them, like the ones you mentioned. the reason for this, i think, is because they have bypassed evolution by not raising their young individually, but communally. the strong gargs help in raising the weak gargs and vice versa, this means that strong and weak gargs make it to adulthood to have their own children, this also means that weaker traits arn't dying off and any physical mutations that occur are accepted and continue on. generally though, gargoyles are pretty similar if you look at bone structure or DNA, its like dogs, we've selectively breed them to look different or be able to do different things, but a Poodle is virtually identical to a St. Bernard in its DNA. the fact that gargoyles don't keep track of who's kid is who's also means that occasionally two cousin's or second cousin's will mate and this may cause mutations that further vary what the species looks like.

as for the rookery generations, as Greg as said, there are never actually biological brothers and sisters among a generation, the closest relation is cousins, i even did the math and found that an uncle and niece for instance can't be in the same generation. i have another personal theory that gargoyles, to prevent much inbreeding, biologically find gargoyles attractive that are very different looking from themselves. i know alot of people would say, "What about who they love?" and i agree, but don't we all have some biological prefrences?

i have no idea why the London gargs evolved the way they did, i'm anxious to see Greg's answer to that one...

ok, i'm done with my ramble, what do you think Greg?

Greg responds...

I like it. I like it.

There may actually be a cosmetic mutation gene in Gargoyle DNA.

I'm not saying there is, but I'm not ruling out the possibility.

Response recorded on March 29, 2001

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The One writes...

1) How do you explain the vast genetic difference in the Gargoyle gene pool? e.g. demon like appearance of the scotish breed, a lower half of the body resembling a snake in the South American, animal-like appearances in the english.

2) Why is there a particular convergance of traits in the English gargoyles to resemble animals? It seems to serve no evolutionary purpose.

3) Since the Gargoyles don't keep track on who are their biological parents and given the nature of their isolated populations, it's highly likely that the Gargoyles have inbred over successive generations. (Even in clans they refer to each other as brother and sister) Do the Gargoyles have the same stigma on inbreding that the humans do? If so, how do they avoid it?

Greg responds...

1. Check the archives. I'm tired of explaining it.

2. So you say.

3. I've answered this too. Sophisticated scent markers prevent inbreeding.

Response recorded on March 29, 2001

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Patrica writes...

Heya, was reading through the Garg Science section, when I came upon this thought, correct anything I say if its wrong. First I'll state what I found, then I'll sum it up with what I came up with.

Females can conceive every 20 years. It takes 6 months for the eggs to develop and be layed. Then it takes 10 years for the eggs to hatch.

Going by this, there would be eggs hatching and eggs laid every ten years. So, in the rookery, every ten years, on the Equinox (I forgot spring or fall... most likely spring) there would be eggs hatching, AND eggs being laid.

So, basically, every 10 years, a different set of females would be conceiving. It'd go every-other-10-years.

Example: Female A conceives and lays an egg. Female B hatches from that egg, 10 years later. At this same time, Female C would lay an egg. 20 years later, Female B conceives and lays an egg. Females A and B are on the same cycle, while Female C is on a cycle set off by 10 years.

Or, to put it another way:
Female A lays an egg. Female B hatches 10 years later. Female A lays an egg 10 years later. Female B lays an egg 10 years later.

Basically: Mother and Daughter alternate on the 10 years. If Daughter has a child, then that child, Granddaughter, would be on the same cycle as Mother. If Granddaughter has a child, Great-Granddaughter would be on the same cycle as Daughter, and so on.

I just looked at how many times I tried to simplify what I was saying... a lot!

I hope I got whatever point I had across.

Here's a note: It's almost midnight here, so if things don't line up well, let me know :).

Greg responds...

No. Because they are all on the same schedule. Half the females aren't laying while the other half are conceiving.

Eggs are layed every twenty years and hatch ten years later. Thus eggs hatch every twenty years too.

Mother's and Daughters don't alternate. For starters, because a ten year old gargoyle is only biologically five years old. Hasn't come close to hitting puberty yet. Even a twenty year old gargoyle is only ten biologically. Gargoyle females basically have three fertile cycles. At the ages of 40, 60 and 80 (biologically 20, 30 and 40). This puts them right in synch with their parents, cycle-wise.

Response recorded on March 29, 2001

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LSZ writes...

Do gargoyles need to bathe, or are body odours etc disposed of via stone sleep?

Greg responds...

Bathing helps periodically.

Response recorded on March 13, 2001

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Pyro X writes...

Greg;
I am a little confused on Gargoyle Generations... let's see if this is correct.
Ex)
Hudson - Gen 1

Goliath/Demona Gen 2

Trio/Bronx Gen 3--|
| |- from same gen, but different hatching
Angela Gen 3------|

Samson (Is that his name?) Gen 4

1) Is this basically a correct assumption?
2) Does a Gargoyle ALWAYS find a mate in his hatching? IE) did all the Avalon Gargoyles pair off?
3) If the above is not true, then, would a Garoyle look to the next hatching, or would they be too young?

Greg responds...

1. No, not at all.

2. Not necessarily.

3. It depends when he or she is looking. Yama and Sora are from different generations. But they didn't get together when she was a kid.

Response recorded on March 13, 2001

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matt writes...

1. will Tom and/or Katherine live to see Gabriel, Opheila, and Boudikka and the other Avalon gargoyle's eggs hatch?
2. will the Avalon clan continue the naming of the hatchlings?
3. will they have a rookery or will they raise their eggs and hatchling's individually as humans do?

oh, and i was thinking about the Earth rythmn and its effects on gargs reproductive cycles on Avalon and i thought that maybe Avalon produces its own rythmn that may mimic or duplicate the rythmn of the Earth so that Opheila and the rest still lay eggs and hatch as if they were in the real world. afterall, from what evidence we've seen in the series and that you've given us, Avalon doesn't seem to be a place you can locate on Earth, just a theory...

Greg responds...

1. Not gonna answer that.
2. Yes.
3. Rookery. They know that much.

The cycles tie together. The math is excruciating for me, but I've managed it. I think.

Response recorded on March 12, 2001

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matt writes...

you've said numerous times that Bronx mated and will mate again with Boidekka, but since Bronx was born a generation after the trio wouldn't he be way to young to mate? if the fertility cycle is different for beasts than can they mate and concieve more often in life than the standard gargoyles? i understand that Boidekka, being older than Bronx, is probably able to concieve, but Bronx just seems too young. does it matter that he is male, as in males can mate and concieve earlier in life than females?

Greg responds...

Again, it depends how you're defining "mated". Do you mean "take a mate"? Do you mean "produce offspring"? Do you mean "have intercourse"?

Boudicca is older than Bronx. But Beasts mature faster than Gargoyles. The cycle is the same, but the maturity rate is different. Bronx is an adult and has been for years.

Response recorded on March 08, 2001

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matt writes...

i have a question about when a gargoyle wakes up. in many times throughout the series we would see the gargs' eyes glow shortly before they would shed their stone skin and that makes sense to me because you've said that at sunset their entire body reverts to flesh except a thin layer over their skin, their eyes probably don't have this layer since that would probably be kinda painful to have stone flying out of your eyes. so we see the eyes first because it doesn't have to break out of a stone shell. am i at least roughly correct on this?

Greg responds...

Roughly, but no, not really. There is a thin membrane of "organic-stone" over the eyes as well. The glow sometimes shines through the membrane. Or if the eyes were closed, they blink open first, and tiny bits of stone fall away to reveal the glow. Or something like that.

Response recorded on March 08, 2001

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Justin writes...

Greg,
A few weeks ago Anonymous writes
<Are there any female gargoyles who are obese? How about muscular or extremely skinny? Are any females bow-legged?
Are there gargoyles with differnent wing and ear types than the types that were shown on the series?
You know how some gargoyles have a sharp elbow or knee spike that juts out, I was wondering if any gargoyles have them on both knees and elbows because it was always on or the other.>

To which you replied...
<Obese? Not likely, but possible, I guess.

Look, it's all sounding possible.>

Now why is not likely for a gargoyle woman to be obese? Must all of them be fairly skinny like Demona? I don't know man, it seems like a sexist notion of what the female form is supposed to be! Sorry if offends you but with the gargoyles anatomy being similar on the surface, this might boys the neanderthal idea of what female beauty is supposed to be, and girls an impossible standard to live up to. Now don't get me wrong I love the show. Another thing that yerked me. You have mentioned that the original Broadway was going to be a girl. But you changed your minds out of fear of feminist groups being concerned about the evil/fat issue among the two female characters.

Now I would think that feminist groups with all sorts of "agendas" as you put it would love to see a none picture perfect woman in the series. Trust me having the two main female gargoyles in the series model thing didn't exactly endear the show to them I'm sure ;)

Sorry if this sounds like a rant. I just wanted your honest thought on what I've said.

Thank you

Greg responds...

I didn't mean to say that garg FEMALES aren't likely to be obese. I was trying to say that gargs as a whole aren't likely to be obese. Broadway and Hudson may be overweight, but neither are obese. I said it was possible, and I meant it, but given the lifestyle that most gargs have, obesity isn't likely.

Sorry for the confusion.

Response recorded on March 08, 2001

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matt writes...

among the British gargs would a female gargoyle that has the lion genes still have the mane that Leo has? i would think she would because Leo is not a lion and while he looks like one probably shares very few of the same characteristics of a lion.
i've also noticed that Maggie the Cat has lion genes and is the only mutate with hair and i assume this is because of the animal she was mutated from but of course Leo wasn't created from a lion...

Greg responds...

There is a chameleonesque characteristic (metaphorically) to the various superficial gargoyle differences that seem so pronounced. That might suggest a female of Leo's type might look lioness-esque as opposed to Lion-esque. But it might not. I hate to tie my hand frankly, or rather I hate to tie the artists hands in advance.

Response recorded on March 08, 2001

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matt writes...

no offense to anyone who has posted stuff about gargs evolving from dinosaurs, but i think that it is extremelly unlikely that they did. only Greg and God could convince me that they are saurian descendants.
dinosaurs were all wiped out!!!! what does a garg evolve from? bones? and as for the triceratops head frill and the pterydactyl wings and whatever else, why would all these dinosaurs mate with each other anyway? for that matter, pterydactyls arn't even dinosaurs!
gargs are far more likely to be related to the platypus, the bat, or some other mammal, not dinosaurs.
sorry if i seem like i'm ranting, but for some reason the dinosaur connection just really bugs me...

Greg responds...

Gargoyles pre-date mammals in my mind. Whether they evolved from dinosaurs or beside dinosaurs is another question.

Response recorded on March 07, 2001


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