User blog comment:Lord Loss/Monster Hunter Theory... Blog/@comment-3211692-20121205202132

The discussion about Black Rathian kind of got me thinking about it. We know we haven't seen a Rathalos version, and it's also been noted that the Rathian takes moves from several other monsters. The 'mimic Ian' theory might not necessarily be plausible, but I think the term could be used in a different way.

It's known that females of some species of reptiles become hermaphrodites when males are scarce so as to continue the species. It's possible, then, that there is no Rathalos version and this particular subspecies is all hermaphrodites. I also think it's worth noting that the Rathian in this case has one particular sign of dimorphism between other Rathians, which is the single long spike at the end of its tail (like a Rathalos) instead of the clump of bristles that other Rathian species have. Perhaps this is a sign that the Black Rathian is both male and female, since it possesses physical traits of both genders.

Now, looking at the other point of 'mimic Ian', it's possible that it's the other way around. The Black Rathian could easily be a Rathian subspecies with a differently-developed flame sac, and it's entirely possible, given its wide habitat range, that it observed other wyverns fighting and learned how to adapt their moves to its skillset. For example, watching one of the Espinas species and copying its rear-back-before-giant-fireball move, or a Doragyurosu doing its fly-through-the-air-and-rain-lightning move. In this case, of course, it uses a rain of wing spikes instead of dragon lightning. It then either taught these tactics to its young or the instincts of how to use them were transferred through generations.

Instincts being passed down though DNA is a thing that happens to some extent, by the way. Several species of migratory birds will instinctively know when and where to fly as seasons change even if they haven't been raised by other birds. So it's not entirely implausible.

Otherwise we can just say 'lol Monster Hunter' and dismiss the Black Rathian as another crazy inexplicable thing. Like Kushala Daora's wind powers.