I, Lycanthrope
Biological Origins Of Lycanthropy
A werewolf is never born.
Many a werewolf throughout history would disagree with this, as they often put great stock in the notion of lycanthropic “rebirth” from the human form – but in purely literal terms, no werewolf has ever come kicking and screaming out of the birth canal of another werewolf.
Every werewolf, without exception, was born as a human child and subsequently infected with lycanthropic blood. To the extent the werewolf constitutes a distinct species – which i
In reality, referring to werewolves as a distinct species from homo sapiens is equivalent to saying a man infected with hookworm has left the human race. Neither the man with hookworm, nor the man bearing the plague of lycanthropy, ceases to be human. They both remain human beings, albeit human beings suffering the symptoms of their respective ailments.1 Categorizing the werewolf as a species, although far simpler for the layman to understand, technically obfuscates the truth – that the werewolf herself is the end result of a parasitic infection of the human form by lycanthropic blood. It is the blood itself, or more specifically some entity residing in the blood, which is the truly distinct species.
What, then, is in lycanthropic blood which causes it to have such virulent effects on the human body? When I was a young man, several hundred years ago, the question was hardly asked, in part because there was no way to investigate it. Even rudimentary microscopy was not available, let alone the astounding tools utilized today.
However, as the centuries have rolled on, my own focus has shifted relative to the straightness of my back and the amount of ache in my bones. Where, before, my research was limited to understanding the behavior of my fellow werewolves – always with an eye towards becoming a more efficient hunter – as time has passed I have taken a more scholarly interest on the topic.
Using my own blood, and in recent years the blood of a limited cadre of volunteers, I have carried out in depth microscopic and genetic tests in the hopes of learning more about the cause of the lycanthropic affliction. The results have been mixed. On the one hand, viewing lycanthropic blood under even extreme magnifications does not reveal any abnormal structures or organisms. I can say fairly certainly, based on countless hours of observation, that my blood looks indistinguishable from the average human being’s. The same cannot be said, however, for my genetics.
The physical traits of all life on Earth are defined by their DNA, and, once that became apparent, there was no reason to believe werewolves were any different. However, for a long time the search for specific lycanthropic genetic markers proved fruitless.
The reader may be familiar with the conceptual notion that the human genome can be represented as a long sequence of four letters – A, C, G, and T. But the sheer scale of that sequence is breathtaking in its complexity. The full genetic “recipe” for a human being is a sequence of more than 3 billion such letters.
Searching for genetic sequences distinct to lycanthropes proved nearly impossible for several decades. It is only recently, with the assistance of machine learning, that my small team and I have made significant breakthroughs in this regard.2 Although we have not yet isolated precise lycanthropic sequences, we believe we have several promising candidates.3 Based on what we currently know, we now feel confident that the source of lycanthropic symptoms – both the good and the bad – are unique genetic mutations, although the source of those mutations are not yet clear. If our work continues apace, we hope to isolate the lycanthropic gene sequences definitively, at which point we may be able to investigate potentially curative gene therapies using CRISPR, or other forms of genetic manipulation.
For now though, lycanthropy remains an untreatable condition, caused by an as yet unidentified pathogen. There are not many answers about the evolutionary biological pathways by which lycanthropy found it’s way into the human gene pool, however we can now fairly preclude “dark magicks”, and other antiquated notions, as the source of the disease.
- Readers may be dubious of the truth of this statement as it applies to werewolves. However, for confirmation of a werewolf’s continued biological humanity, they need look no further than the many confirmed instances of male lycanthropes impregnating female human beings – always, of course, while the lycanthrope is in human form. Many a human child has come to term under such circumstances – probably more than anyone might guess, as the newborn would not be infected with lycanthropic blood and could easily avoid detection. The same can not be said of male humans impregnating female werewolves, as the act of transformation is utterly destructive to the gestating human fetus.
- I really must thank Mrs. Marnie Herrin for her incredible work designing the algorithm which has enabled our recent advancements. Marnie is an incredible programmer and a great friend, and she has my undying gratitude for all her help.
- One major problem in confirming the genetic markers for lycanthropy is the relative paucity of blood samples. The global population of lycanthropes has diminished to a fraction of the peak population, and most of those individuals live in relative isolation, for their own safety and the safety of others. If you wish to donate a sample of lycanthropic blood you may do so anonymously by reaching out to my assistant, Leonard Lehman
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