Samuel Levin

Are porgs possible? The new film Star Wars: The Last Jedi has introduced the world to the fantastically cuddly sea birds—inspired by the real-life puffins that kept wandering onto set—along with invented animals ranging from crystal-covered foxes to gigantic space horses. Just as physicists have had plenty of fun discussing the plausibility of light sabers and blasters, it seems only fair to consider the flora and fauna of Star Wars from the perspective of evolutionary biology.