My Take on Omegaverses
I have seen several different explanations/outlines of Omegaverses made. Obviously, since it's made up, there is no right or wrong answer. However, as a biology student I wanted to put in my two cents for how this could work (Also, since I'm a big fan and will probably write one at some point, there is a frame of reference for readers (and maybe other writers) to work with).
I have tried to make this as understandable as possible. If you have any questions, just drop them in the comments section and I'll respond and edit the answers into this post.
Gender
Often in Omegaverses, genders are seen as Alpha, Beta, or Omega. For our purposes, these are referred to as natures. Genders in this world are male and female, with the traditional pattern of inheritance. Simple dominance of Y over X with Y being male and X being female (YY does not happen. As in Oogenesis only one daughter cell actually becomes an egg, one of the cells with an X turns into the mature ovum while the others become polar bodies). The reason for gender still occurring in such a way is that natures are a more recent evolutionary development (found only in humans), while genders have been around for billions of years (Many organisms have gender). Also, betas are not hermaphroditic, meaning that two male or two female betas could not produce offspring.
Presence of Nature (Betas)
Nature is transfered through recessive epistasis. Basically, this means that to be an Alpha or an Omega you first be coded to have a nature. In this case, N is non-natured and n is natured
With a double hybrid punnet square, you get 1 NN (homozygous dominant, beta) 2Nn (heterozygous, beta) and 1 nn (homozygous recessive, natured)
Theoretically, since being non-natured is dominant it could easily be removed from the gene pool by evolution. However, there is an advantage to being non-natured. Heats use massive amounts of energy and water to maintain and also leave both the Alpha and the Omega unable to protect themselves in exchange for a greater chance of reproductive success. Most populations of humans have historically been a mix of Natured and Non-Natured individuals, with the actual balance of the two depending on region (more hostile places, such as Europe, had much higher numbers of betas, most likely because surviving a heat was much more difficult.)
Decision of Nature (Alphas, Omegas, and Absolute Omegas)
If an individual is natured, the decision of whether they are an Alpha or an Omega is decided through a different set of genes in a pattern of incomplete dominance. All alphas are AA. As in most omegaverses, they are often bigger with more muscle and are prone to aggressiveness (especially around Omegas).
Female Alphas have retractable male organs (their clitorises expand to function as a penis when aroused, although it is not linked to their urinary tract). They may or may not have female reproductive organs, and although it is somewhat rare a significant percentage are fully hermaphroditic (like Omegas, though, they only cycle once a year, usually at the same time as the dominant Omega). Their breasts tend to be smaller.
A normal Omega is Aa. They go into heat once a year, however, their cycles cease when exposed enough to young children (natured children up to the age of four produce a special blend of hormones that stop the production of heat hormones). This is believed to have allowed better care of infants and toddlers while retaining the flexibility to breed again if the offspring dies. However, because of this Omegas working outside the home can have issues either with difficulty conceiving (if they work with small children) or with going into heat at undesired times (if they do not have enough contact with their children. Naturally, an Omega will have a child every four to six years.
There is a week of pre-heat before the actual heat where males grow ovaries and uteri (if pregnancy does not occur, these organs are reabsorbed to help the male recuperate from the heat more quickly). The rest of the year Omegas are indistinguishable from Betas. However, while female Betas have normal human menstrual cycles, female Omegas only go into heat once a year.
Absolute Omegas (aa) are very rare, mostly since because all Alphas are AA they would have to come from two Omegas bonding or two Betas that are heterozygous for nature with each having at least one a allele. However, to add to the problem they are often very fragile. Many Absolute Omega pregnancies end in miscarriages, often so early that the mother doesn’t know she’s pregnant). If they do survive, they tend to be very small in stature and have a more difficult time building muscle and losing fat and go into heat more often. Males often grow breasts and have reduced or (sometimes) missing male reproductive organs.
Social Structure
I have seen several different nature hierarchies designed for Omegaverses, but I've come up with one that I feel best fits patters that we observe in our world: Alphas are the leaders of society because they're stronger and more aggressive. In the past, they were warriors or politicians that helped defend the rest of the community. Omegas are one tier lower. Although a good deal of their influence is based upon the fact that Alphas often will do whatever their Omegas ask, they do have importance in their own right, often becoming artisans or spiritual leaders. Betas, being the most common and most hardy, are at the bottom of the social ladder. They tend to be workers because they aren't interrupted by their or their partner's heat cycles. However, with the advent of democracy and pills to regulate heat cycles in Omegas as well as birth control for Betas, the three are on more even ground (kind of where sexism is in our world today)
Heat Cycles and Bonding
All three natures bond. In Alpha-Omega bonds, this happens during an Omega's heat cycle. Omegas have a week before they go into heat where they're inclined to select mates, assuming they are not already bonded. They tend to be very standoffish towards everyone, but especially available Alphas. They choose a secluded, safe area to build a Mating Nest, where they usually stay until the end of their heat. Any available Alphas in the area bring gifts to show their interest. Often these are food, drink, or materials to make the mating nest more comfortable. If the gift is good enough or the Omega is fond of the Alpha, he/she will probably let them stay at the nest for a while. Although in the past, it would usually be that whichever Alpha proved themselves by bringing the most/best stuff was chosen by the Omega to be his/her mate, now mates are often chosen beforehand and the Omega picks an empty room or space in their home to build the nest. The rest proceeds naturally, except for that the Omega only has one Alpha competing for his/her attention.
When the heat begins, the Alpha stays by the Omega's side as much as possible, only leaving to get food or water. They have sex fairly often and at the end of each round the Alpha knots for around twenty minutes. Throughout that time, the Alpha continues to excrete a small stream of sperm, which has been overproduced since the Omega began preparing for his/her heat and continue to be made at a much higher rate throughout the heat. After the first coupling, the two become marked as mates, causing a blatant shift in scents.
Bonding also occurs in Betas. Their courtship is less ritualized than that of Alphas and Omegas (although in the case of a Beta-Omega pair the same steps are performed, just with a Beta instead of an Alpha). To create this bond, the Beta pair spends two weeks alone caring for each other on even footing. They also build a nest and mate as often as possible. Their bonds are less obvious than an Alpha-Omega bond, but in a male-female pair similar, though stunted, imprinting does occur.
Alpha-Alpha, same sex beta, and Omega-Omega bonds to occur, but they are very rare. Some deny their existence. Generally, pairings with Omegas take the Alpha-Omega style while those without take the Beta-Beta style
Some Notes on Male Omega Pregnancies
As stated above, male Omegas become hermaphrodidic during heat, and assuming conception has occurred remain that way until their pregnancy ends. However, all female genetalia is internal, meaning that in this case the birth canal connects to the rectum. There's a flap located near the anus (which is really a cloaca) that separates the reproductive tract from the digestive tract. This, flap is always present, although it typically remains shut and in fact has nothing behind it until the physical changes begin to occur during preheat. After conception the flap shuts and will not open until the Omega goes into labor. If conception does not occur, although the Omega will absorb as much material as possible, much like humans, their bodies cannot reabsorb that amount of tissue in such a short amount of time. Although many Alphas and Omegas say that they can "just tell" if conception has occurred, the surest way to know is if the Omega menstruates after their heat ends.
Male Omegas do lactate, but they don't have breasts exactly like women do. Whereas the functional parts of human breasts in the real world have a thick layer of fat around them, those on Omega males do not. Their chests swell up a little bit and become very sensitive, but they'd have an a-cup at the most (however, some overweight male omegas do end up with more feminine looking breasts and end up having to wear bras from late in their pregnancy until the infant stops nursing). Many male maternity sections in stores have undershirts with padding to help protect and hold the Omegas' more sensitive chests. There are kinds that are low-cut enough that the neck can be pulled below the nipple for nursing and others have flaps like real-world nursing bras.
I have tried to make this as understandable as possible. If you have any questions, just drop them in the comments section and I'll respond and edit the answers into this post.
Gender
Often in Omegaverses, genders are seen as Alpha, Beta, or Omega. For our purposes, these are referred to as natures. Genders in this world are male and female, with the traditional pattern of inheritance. Simple dominance of Y over X with Y being male and X being female (YY does not happen. As in Oogenesis only one daughter cell actually becomes an egg, one of the cells with an X turns into the mature ovum while the others become polar bodies). The reason for gender still occurring in such a way is that natures are a more recent evolutionary development (found only in humans), while genders have been around for billions of years (Many organisms have gender). Also, betas are not hermaphroditic, meaning that two male or two female betas could not produce offspring.
Presence of Nature (Betas)
Nature is transfered through recessive epistasis. Basically, this means that to be an Alpha or an Omega you first be coded to have a nature. In this case, N is non-natured and n is natured
With a double hybrid punnet square, you get 1 NN (homozygous dominant, beta) 2Nn (heterozygous, beta) and 1 nn (homozygous recessive, natured)
Theoretically, since being non-natured is dominant it could easily be removed from the gene pool by evolution. However, there is an advantage to being non-natured. Heats use massive amounts of energy and water to maintain and also leave both the Alpha and the Omega unable to protect themselves in exchange for a greater chance of reproductive success. Most populations of humans have historically been a mix of Natured and Non-Natured individuals, with the actual balance of the two depending on region (more hostile places, such as Europe, had much higher numbers of betas, most likely because surviving a heat was much more difficult.)
Decision of Nature (Alphas, Omegas, and Absolute Omegas)
If an individual is natured, the decision of whether they are an Alpha or an Omega is decided through a different set of genes in a pattern of incomplete dominance. All alphas are AA. As in most omegaverses, they are often bigger with more muscle and are prone to aggressiveness (especially around Omegas).
Female Alphas have retractable male organs (their clitorises expand to function as a penis when aroused, although it is not linked to their urinary tract). They may or may not have female reproductive organs, and although it is somewhat rare a significant percentage are fully hermaphroditic (like Omegas, though, they only cycle once a year, usually at the same time as the dominant Omega). Their breasts tend to be smaller.
A normal Omega is Aa. They go into heat once a year, however, their cycles cease when exposed enough to young children (natured children up to the age of four produce a special blend of hormones that stop the production of heat hormones). This is believed to have allowed better care of infants and toddlers while retaining the flexibility to breed again if the offspring dies. However, because of this Omegas working outside the home can have issues either with difficulty conceiving (if they work with small children) or with going into heat at undesired times (if they do not have enough contact with their children. Naturally, an Omega will have a child every four to six years.
There is a week of pre-heat before the actual heat where males grow ovaries and uteri (if pregnancy does not occur, these organs are reabsorbed to help the male recuperate from the heat more quickly). The rest of the year Omegas are indistinguishable from Betas. However, while female Betas have normal human menstrual cycles, female Omegas only go into heat once a year.
Absolute Omegas (aa) are very rare, mostly since because all Alphas are AA they would have to come from two Omegas bonding or two Betas that are heterozygous for nature with each having at least one a allele. However, to add to the problem they are often very fragile. Many Absolute Omega pregnancies end in miscarriages, often so early that the mother doesn’t know she’s pregnant). If they do survive, they tend to be very small in stature and have a more difficult time building muscle and losing fat and go into heat more often. Males often grow breasts and have reduced or (sometimes) missing male reproductive organs.
Social Structure
I have seen several different nature hierarchies designed for Omegaverses, but I've come up with one that I feel best fits patters that we observe in our world: Alphas are the leaders of society because they're stronger and more aggressive. In the past, they were warriors or politicians that helped defend the rest of the community. Omegas are one tier lower. Although a good deal of their influence is based upon the fact that Alphas often will do whatever their Omegas ask, they do have importance in their own right, often becoming artisans or spiritual leaders. Betas, being the most common and most hardy, are at the bottom of the social ladder. They tend to be workers because they aren't interrupted by their or their partner's heat cycles. However, with the advent of democracy and pills to regulate heat cycles in Omegas as well as birth control for Betas, the three are on more even ground (kind of where sexism is in our world today)
Heat Cycles and Bonding
All three natures bond. In Alpha-Omega bonds, this happens during an Omega's heat cycle. Omegas have a week before they go into heat where they're inclined to select mates, assuming they are not already bonded. They tend to be very standoffish towards everyone, but especially available Alphas. They choose a secluded, safe area to build a Mating Nest, where they usually stay until the end of their heat. Any available Alphas in the area bring gifts to show their interest. Often these are food, drink, or materials to make the mating nest more comfortable. If the gift is good enough or the Omega is fond of the Alpha, he/she will probably let them stay at the nest for a while. Although in the past, it would usually be that whichever Alpha proved themselves by bringing the most/best stuff was chosen by the Omega to be his/her mate, now mates are often chosen beforehand and the Omega picks an empty room or space in their home to build the nest. The rest proceeds naturally, except for that the Omega only has one Alpha competing for his/her attention.
When the heat begins, the Alpha stays by the Omega's side as much as possible, only leaving to get food or water. They have sex fairly often and at the end of each round the Alpha knots for around twenty minutes. Throughout that time, the Alpha continues to excrete a small stream of sperm, which has been overproduced since the Omega began preparing for his/her heat and continue to be made at a much higher rate throughout the heat. After the first coupling, the two become marked as mates, causing a blatant shift in scents.
Bonding also occurs in Betas. Their courtship is less ritualized than that of Alphas and Omegas (although in the case of a Beta-Omega pair the same steps are performed, just with a Beta instead of an Alpha). To create this bond, the Beta pair spends two weeks alone caring for each other on even footing. They also build a nest and mate as often as possible. Their bonds are less obvious than an Alpha-Omega bond, but in a male-female pair similar, though stunted, imprinting does occur.
Alpha-Alpha, same sex beta, and Omega-Omega bonds to occur, but they are very rare. Some deny their existence. Generally, pairings with Omegas take the Alpha-Omega style while those without take the Beta-Beta style
Some Notes on Male Omega Pregnancies
As stated above, male Omegas become hermaphrodidic during heat, and assuming conception has occurred remain that way until their pregnancy ends. However, all female genetalia is internal, meaning that in this case the birth canal connects to the rectum. There's a flap located near the anus (which is really a cloaca) that separates the reproductive tract from the digestive tract. This, flap is always present, although it typically remains shut and in fact has nothing behind it until the physical changes begin to occur during preheat. After conception the flap shuts and will not open until the Omega goes into labor. If conception does not occur, although the Omega will absorb as much material as possible, much like humans, their bodies cannot reabsorb that amount of tissue in such a short amount of time. Although many Alphas and Omegas say that they can "just tell" if conception has occurred, the surest way to know is if the Omega menstruates after their heat ends.
Male Omegas do lactate, but they don't have breasts exactly like women do. Whereas the functional parts of human breasts in the real world have a thick layer of fat around them, those on Omega males do not. Their chests swell up a little bit and become very sensitive, but they'd have an a-cup at the most (however, some overweight male omegas do end up with more feminine looking breasts and end up having to wear bras from late in their pregnancy until the infant stops nursing). Many male maternity sections in stores have undershirts with padding to help protect and hold the Omegas' more sensitive chests. There are kinds that are low-cut enough that the neck can be pulled below the nipple for nursing and others have flaps like real-world nursing bras.