  In this work of speculative science, scientists from a distant star system
explain the emergence and consequences of triparentalism, when three
individuals are required for sexual reproduction, which is the standard form of
mating on their home world. The report details the evolution of their
reproductive system--that is, the conditions under which triparentalism and
three self-avoiding mating types emerged as advantageous strategies for sexual
reproduction. It also provides an overview of the biological consequences of
triparental reproduction with three mating types, including the genetic
mechanisms of triparental reproduction, asymmetries between the three mating
types, and infection dynamics arising from their different mode of sexual
reproduction. The report finishes by discussing how central aspects of their
society, such as short-lasting unions among individuals and the rise of a
monoculture, might have arisen as a result of their triparental system.
