Fictional Extinction: How a Family of Frankenstein's Monsters Could Wipe Out Humans in 4000 Years

A new study revealed that the request of Victor Frankenstein's monster for a female companion could lead to the extinction of humans.

The study, published in the journal BioScience, is the newest addition of the horrors incorporated in the 1818 novel of Mary Shelley titled "Frankenstein." Additionally, the researchers argue that the gothic novel, which is considered as the first work of science fiction, is rooted in a fundamental principle of biology.

"To date, most scholars have focused on Mary Shelley's knowledge of then-prevailing views on alchemy, physiology and resurrection; however, the genius of Mary Shelley lies in how she combined and repackaged existing scientific debates to invent the genre of science fiction," explained Justin D. Yeakel, an Omidyar fellow at the Santa Fe Institute and an assistant professor in the School of Natural Sciences at the University of California and co-author of the study, in a statement. "Our study adds to Mary Shelley's legacy, by showing that her science fiction accurately anticipated fundamental concepts in ecology and evolution by many decades."

For the study, the researchers points out to the pivotal scene where the monster created by Victor Frankenstein requested a female companion. In those scenes, the nameless monster distinguished its own dietary needs and will not pose any threat to the existence of man. The monster even proposed in living in the vast wilds of South Africa where no human could set sight on him and her potential partner.

The argument of the monster convinced Dr. Frankenstein at first. However, Frankenstein realizes that the existence of a female monster and the possibilities of reproduction could pose a serious threat to the humankind, forcing him to retract his promise to the monster.

Using computational tools developed by ecologists and mathematical model based on human densities in 1816, the researchers explored the possibility of human extinction and how long would it take for the monsters to wipe out humans.

Their analysis revealed that a founding population of Frankenstein's monster could bring humans to their ends through competitive exclusion. The researchers noted that a growing population of the said monsters in the South Africa would be the worst-case scenario for humans. South Africa during that time would have lesser populations of humans and therefore less completion for resources. An addition of two monsters with the ability to reproduce could drive those humans to extinction in as little as 4,000 years.

With their findings, the researchers claim that the decision of Frankenstein to neglect the request of his monster saved humans from possible extinction.