10 Bizarre Star Trek Theories (That Might Be True)

Put forward by Youtuber EC Henry (check out his channel for more Trek and Star Wars content), this theory points out that there is relative ease for the Cardassians and Bajorans to inderbreed. We've seen Gul Dukat have two half-Bajoran children, the most notable of which is Tora Ziyal. Now, while crossbreeding between species can happen (Spock, Worf's former mate K'Ehleyr and Ba'el, a half-Klingon half-Romulan girl), it isn't common and each case it's been suggested that there was some medical assistance in contraception.

Indeed, the Star Trek Enterprise episode Terra Prime, Doctor Phlox confirms that Humans and Vulcans can only interbreed with medical intervention. So even though all of these lifeforms come from a common source (as revealed in The Next Generation's The Chase), they are distinct species. Not so with the Cardassians and the Bajorans, they seem to be able to interbreed with relative ease. Given how half-breeds were looked down on by both Cardassian and Bajoran during the Occupation, it's unlikely that there would have been much medical help available.

Add to this that when Voyager's Doctor examined Seska, he noted that there was only one DNA chain difference between her Cardassian origins and her Bajoran disguise.

Given that ancient Bajorans once managed to utilise faster-than-light sailing space-ships to travel to the next star system over, Cardassia Prime, it's entirely possible that Cardassians are genetic descendants of a failed Bajoran colony. Thus the relentless cruelty showed by the Cardassians against their former parents if even more heartless in retrospect.

Or maybe it's just Dukat's genes.