On Tue, Oct 14, 2014 at 07:16:38PM -0400, Richard Aiken wrote:
> But didn't those race *have* such a single, shared
> biologically-based culture, prior to initial alien contact?

Some shared aspects of their culture, yes.  Also a great many
differences that won't go away no matter how hard you wish.

> What I do not see but what you seem to is that - by some unexplained
> mechanism - these various distinct biological cultures will somehow
> both merge into one common culture and then split off into distinct
> regional cultures.

Yes, I agree you don't see it.  They won't "merge, then split".
They'll be splitting and merging all the time, because that's what
happens to cultures even over mere generations, let alone many
thousands of years.

> I simply don't see that occuring.

Oh well, then any further discussion is pointless.  If you don't see
it at all by now, then you won't.

- Tim