Greedy Little Bastards

Greedy Little Bastards by Pope Torak title by Arales Bloodmoon(Me duh lol)

Musings on Ferengi Evolution

Pre-Humanoid Evolution

Given that they are humanoids, the Ferengi are most likely a result of the seeding by Ancient Humanoids. This suggests an evolution from primate-like creatures, as with humans. While we have no extensive records of animal evolution on Ferenginar, it is probably not out of line to assume something roughly similar to what happened on Earth, at least in broad strokes.

I find it highly likely that the Ferengi evolved from an animal akin to the Earth Aye-Aye. Notable behavioral and biological characteristics include:

Has continually growing incisors which must be worn down through use;

Long, thing fingers for grasping and tapping;

Ears specifically adapted for enhanced hearing, including echolocation and keeping alert for prey and predator;

Are omnivorous, but are particularly fond of insects;

Will forage for insects by tapping on a tree to find hollow parts, chewing a hole to gain access, then using their slender fingers to extract the insects;

Are not particularly social, but neither are they particularly confrontational, except when it comes to mates;

The allusions to modern Ferengi behavior are striking. Ferengi (especially males) have enhanced hearing capabilities, due primarily in part to the structure of their ears. Hearing comprises a large component of Ferengi self-identity, hinting at its important as a survival mechanism early in their evolution.

Ferengi also have a fascination with the grooming of their teeth, keeping them sharp. Whether this is because their teeth exhibit continual growth as with the Aye-Aye or is simply an echo of that past is unknown.

Socially, Ferengi do not exhibit the strong familial ties of other species. Male Ferengi tolerate each other, neither forming strong social bonds but also not being particularly antagonistic; Ferengi are opportunistic when it comes to friends and enemies alike. However, competition and protectiveness over Ferengi females is glaringly apparent.

There may also be more to this line of thinking than mere speculation...

Ferenginar is noted for its high occurrence of rainfall. If this persisted through the geological ages of Ferenginar, then this would have had a significant impact on the evolution of all Ferenginar life. Rainfall can have striking effects on insects in particular. Small, flying insects are negatively affected by rain, and usually seek shelter. The absence of such insects is apparent given Quark's aversion to them in "The Jem'Hadar." He expresses an affinity for "Ferengi" insects, suggesting that they are larger and more likely to be non-flying.

Insects - who breath through holes in their exoskeleton - would also wish to avoid collections of water such as puddles, so hiding in trees would be an ideal habitat for Ferengi insects. A high occurrence of rain would create a natural selective pressure for these types of insects and, consequently, a predator (such as the Aye-Aye) that preyed on them would have an abundence of food and flourish.

Early Humanoid Evolution

We can imagine a similar evolution of these Aye-Aye-Ferengi proceeding along the same path as proto-Human simians: First a transition from tree tops to the ground; from quadrupedal to bipedal walking; gradually increasing in size; acquiring the use of tools; and developing into a hunter-gatherer, nomadic society.

Being primarily insectivores, though, would influence how they further developed. The proto-Ferengi "hunters" would hunt insects, as per their insectivore diet. This is in contrast to proto-Humans, who hunted other large mammals. The techniques of proto-Humans are easily transferable to the hunting and defense of animals that would prey on Human ancestors, allowing Humans to eventually establish themselves as apex predators.

By contrast, the techniques for hunting and collecting insects would probably not be as easily transferable, leaving proto-Ferengi still vulnerable to these animals. The stereotypical Ferengi "cowardice" might be the result of this. Ferengi were probably slower to develop traditional weapons and techniques for hunting large mammals, with their tools being designed to find and collect insects. Strategies for protection would have been primarily defensive, relying on numbers as well as diversion and deterrence. Indeed, today, groups of Ferengi can be fearsome, and their erratic movements and high-pitched screams can drive away would-be attackers.

Assuming a gender assignment of males as hunters and women as gatherers (of vegetable matter to supplement an insectivore diet) we can see how this would enhance any existing sexual dimorphism. Insect hunting males would continue to rely on keen auditory senses to find and locate bugs, senses that would not be of much use to vegetable gathering females.

Agriculture/Pastoralism and the birth of Ferengi Civilization

As with human evolution, it should be expected that the hunter-gatherer system would be supplanted by the more successful strategies of farming and pastoralism. Farming of crops was probably similar, but the farming of insects would be drastically different. Insects would have been initially harder to farm, probably, but the yields would be better. On the whole, insect farming requires less resources (feed, water, land) and produces higher yields with higher nutritional content.

With human evolution, the advent of agriculture allowed for the production of food beyond the base needs of the group. This allowed a group to form a permanent settlement and the creation of labor groups not directly related to the production of the bare necessities. With the increased benefits of insect farming, the effects on the Ferengi would have been more pronounced. They would have produced even more surplus food, requiring even less effort. It is reasonable to suggest that, once developed, Ferengi civilization progressed more rapidly than that of Humans.

It is possible we see evidence of that in modern Ferengi. In behavior, the Ferengi often seem - for lack of a better word - primitive. This would be expected of a society barely able to fend off predators suddenly being thrust through a period of rapid advancement. The end result is a species with limited social and biological progress, but increased technological development.

Since these advancements would be linked to the bonuses provided by insect farming, a chore performed by males, we can see the beginnings (or further emphasis) of male-dominance in Ferengi society, as well as superstitious beliefs and cultural fetishizing of the ears and hearing.

Ferengi Civilization through the Ages

Where there is a surplus, there is advancement. Since early Ferengi civilization would have had abundant food, we should expect more extreme forms of labor specialization. So artists and scientist appear early in Ferengi history, and in greater number. They can devote more time to pursuits of luxury. Also, as a consequence, an earlier and stronger formation of classes of nobility, and a more stratified society. With so much surplus, there would be proportionately more power in the hands of people that could efficiently manage it. For Ferengi, power is in who has the most farms, not who has the most arms.

With a booming economy being able to support non-essential specialists, available niches would be filled quickly, creating a higher barrier to entry for anyone not able to get in on the ground floor. Also, since any governing body would want to control the economy, we would see an early development of tradesmen guilds and mercantilism. The ability to shrewdly navigate the Ferengi economic system would be a necessary survival skill, furthering reinforcing the need for "the lobes".

I can see Feudalism being a very popular form of governing on Ferenginar, taking hold early and lasting for a long time. National or ethnic identities probably wouldn't matter as much for Ferengi. Based on previous suppositions of Ferengi evolution, they were probably generally averse to warfare (which is not to say it didn't happen, just probably infrequently) and, regardless of feuds and conflict, there would have been emphasis on keeping economic ties open with various political entities. A lack of warfare and apathy toward ethnicity could explain the lack of any system of slavery in Ferengi history; having a group of people that can't buy or sell seems nonsensical (the hypocritical stance toward Ferengi women notwithstanding).

The Rules of Acquisition

I submit that the modern Ferengi religion predates the rules of acquisition. For a religion to be universal across an entire world would require time, and - if Quark's day dreaming can be taken at face value - the Ferengi religious adherence to greed would seem to have already been existence when the Suggestions Rules of Acquisition were created (though this could be historical revisionism). Regardless, it doesn't seem far fetched to see early Ferengi idolizing wealth, upon seeing how it so quickly advanced their civilization. Rich = good and poor = bad would have shaped their view of any afterlife (Divine Treasury/Vault of Eternal Destitution). Though, early one, heaven was probably an unending buffet of insects and hell was a place of famine.

(Relatively) Modern Ferengi nations would have been engaged in a constant form of economic warfare between powerful ruling lords (or their equivalent). The author of the Rules of Acquisition was probably like the Earth figure Confucious: a person born to an upper-middle social class, operating as a low-level political figure eventually gaining prominence as an adviser to higher level nobles. His attachment to certain political parties would result in exile and return according to whatever ideology was in favor at the time. He would probably roam, going wherever his ideas were in favor, moving up and down the rungs of success according to the whims of his benefactors.

I say "the author" because I doubt Gint was the actual author. At least with Earth history, the creators of ideas are seldom the ones who make them popular, especially when it comes to rulers. Gint was probably the Alexander the Great to the author's Aristotle. Gint was almost certainly born to a higher class and extremely wealthy. He has a tutor or adviser who has come up with these guidelines for acquiring wealth. Gint puts them to the test and becomes extremely powerful, perhaps acquiring more territory than anyone else before him. Given the Ferengi emphasis on innate talent, there would have been pressure for him to take credit for his methods, either paying off (or otherwise disposing) of the true author.

Gint's acquisitions would have been unprecedented, forming an empire like no other, and establishing himself as the first Grand Nagus. The qualifier "Grand" implies the preexistence of the title of "Nagus" which roughly translates to "King." So we can imagine a fractured Ferenginar, many kingdoms ruled by Neguses (Negii?) which were then acquired by Gint, much like the territorial acquisitions of the early Arabic Caliphates.

Modern Ferengi

Given the suggestion of rapid advancement, it seems surprising that the precursor to the modern-day Ferengi way of life would have had its start 10,000 years ago.

There could be several reasons for this:

Ferengi individualism and lack of strong social ties would eventually limit how fast the civilization could continue to advance, resulting in quickly diminishing returns;

Ferengi advancement was interlaced with periods of regression, perhaps due to economic collapses as a result of over emphasis on individual acquisition in favor of social advancement;

The established history of Ferenginar is falsified;

Quark didn't paid attention in school;

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