Scylla (left) was a polycephalic lifeform.
Polycephaly was a medical condition in which a lifeform was born with multiple heads. Some species naturally had many heads, while for others it was a rare genetic mutation.
History and specifics[]
Aldebaran serpents had three heads. (TNG episode: "Hide and Q", Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Core Game Book)
The mythological Scylla had six heads. (TOS comic: "What Fools These Mortals Be..")
Bicephaly[]
Bicephaly (two heads) among humanoids was hereditary along the female side of the family, but only manifested in male offspring. Arterial stenosis between the heads eventually caused insanity in both brains. The cure required a radical dichotomectomy. (TOS comic: "Heads of State")
A species of bicephalic rabbit lived in the jungles of an unnamed planet threatened by a supernova. The USS Enterprise relocated a pair of them to another world. (TOS comic: "Space Ark")
Leonard McCoy treated an injured Pierson's Puppeteer in the early 2270s. (TOS - Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor comic: "Medics")
Zeta-Atezian Imperator Dykranus suffered from a bicephaly mutation and was treated in 2274 aboard the starship USS Enterprise. (TOS comic: "Heads of State")
In 2370, Jake Sisko spotted a two-headed Benzian miner once on Deep Space 9. (DS9 novel: The Pet)
Polycephalic individuals[]
Polycephalic species[]
- Aldebaran serpent
- Benzian
- Pierson's Puppeteer
- Sehgal serpent
- tatimoro
- Terrastron
Appendices[]
Images[]
References[]
- TOS comic: "Shell Game"
- TOS comic: "Space Ark"
- TOS comic: "What Fools These Mortals Be.."
- TOS comic: "Heads of State"
- TOS - Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor comic: "Medics"
- TNG episode: "Hide and Q"
- DS9 novel: The Pet
- VOY - Starfleet Academy novel: The Chance Factor
- Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Core Game Book
External links[]
- Polycephaly article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- Polycephaly article at WikiDoc.