Uploaded May 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What are the dorsal tubes and large bones on the Queen in Aliens (Alien Romulus) ?
The Xenomorph dorsal tubes, also known as Dorsal Spines, are long appendages which sprout from the back of a Xenomorphs body. Most Xenomorph types will feature 4 of the tubes, but others have been seen to have six, or none at all.
If you look at them purely from a design and filmmaking perspective, they were incorporated into the design by HR Geiger, to balance out the design due to the Xenomorphs elongated head. But, from an in-universe perspective, there are a few different uses that fans, and Alien media have come up with to give them a purpose; although, none of these ideas are concrete, as they haven’t said for certain in any of the actual movies.
The leading theory is that they are part of the Xenomorph's respiratory system, acting as atmospheric filters and delivering the requisite elements to the Xenomorph's body, similar to spiracles found on Earth-based insects. Several terrestrial aquatic creatures likewise use spiracles to absorb oxygen without inhaling water, explaining the Xenomorph's proven ability to remain submerged for extended periods of time. The Xenomorphs have also been seen to be capable of surviving in the vacuum of space, so perhaps they’re still able to function somehow in these conditions by some unknown means.
If you look at the more standard Alien variants like the Drones and Warriors, they will have four bluntly-shaped dorsal tubes, this layout is also shared by the Protomorph in Alien Covenant.
The Runner Alien from Alien 3 had no tubes at all; this was down to it being designed by a different artist, who would have had his own ideas for how a Xenomorph should look.
The Queen Alien from Aliens and AVP have 6 tubes with a pointed shape, which would make sense if they do function as lungs, as a bigger form would require a higher capacity.
Speaking of the Queen, in the scene in Aliens where she is first revealed sitting atop her egg sack, there are these large boney-looking protrusions coming from her; these are not present after she abandons her egg-sack, so the two must be connected. They would most likely serve as a kind of counterbalance while she is attached to her sack, or it has also been speculated they could be hive-resin used to attach her to the surrounding structure, to also keep her in place.
The filmmaking reason for them was stated to be to give the viewer a sense of disorientation, so you weren’t immediately sure of what you are looking at, as well as making the Queen look even bigger than it already is. It also looks like she is on a throne kind of, fitting for a Queen.
In the game Alien vs Predator Extinction, there is a unit type called the Carrier, these Xenomorphs have specialised tubes which are designed for Facehuggers to grasp onto and be carried around. The spines shed nutrients that Facehuggers consume while aboard, allowing them to travel further than normal to find a suitable host, while under the protection of the carrier; These Facehuggers will leap from the tubes at enemies and hosts, and lastly, if the Carrier is killed, then the Facehuggers will fly off in every direction, making the type incredibly dangerous and effective.
So, what are your thoughts on the Dorsal Tubes. Do you think they are there for “breathing” purposes, for balance, or for a different reason all together. I’d love to hear what you all think. Thanks for watching, and make sure to check out one of these other videos, and I’ll see you next time.
This article uses material from the Xenopedia wiki at Fandom and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.
Deep Space by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Artist: audionautix.com
#alienromulus
What are the dorsal tubes and large bones on the Queen in Aliens (Alien Romulus) ?
The Xenomorph dorsal tubes, also known as Dorsal Spines, are long appendages which sprout from the back of a Xenomorphs body. Most Xenomorph types will feature 4 of the tubes, but others have been seen to have six, or none at all.
If you look at them purely from a design and filmmaking perspective, they were incorporated into the design by HR Geiger, to balance out the design due to the Xenomorphs elongated head. But, from an in-universe perspective, there are a few different uses that fans, and Alien media have come up with to give them a purpose; although, none of these ideas are concrete, as they haven’t said for certain in any of the actual movies.
The leading theory is that they are part of the Xenomorph's respiratory system, acting as atmospheric filters and delivering the requisite elements to the Xenomorph's body, similar to spiracles found on Earth-based insects. Several terrestrial aquatic creatures likewise use spiracles to absorb oxygen without inhaling water, explaining the Xenomorph's proven ability to remain submerged for extended periods of time. The Xenomorphs have also been seen to be capable of surviving in the vacuum of space, so perhaps they’re still able to function somehow in these conditions by some unknown means.
If you look at the more standard Alien variants like the Drones and Warriors, they will have four bluntly-shaped dorsal tubes, this layout is also shared by the Protomorph in Alien Covenant.
The Runner Alien from Alien 3 had no tubes at all; this was down to it being designed by a different artist, who would have had his own ideas for how a Xenomorph should look.
The Queen Alien from Aliens and AVP have 6 tubes with a pointed shape, which would make sense if they do function as lungs, as a bigger form would require a higher capacity.
Speaking of the Queen, in the scene in Aliens where she is first revealed sitting atop her egg sack, there are these large boney-looking protrusions coming from her; these are not present after she abandons her egg-sack, so the two must be connected. They would most likely serve as a kind of counterbalance while she is attached to her sack, or it has also been speculated they could be hive-resin used to attach her to the surrounding structure, to also keep her in place.
The filmmaking reason for them was stated to be to give the viewer a sense of disorientation, so you weren’t immediately sure of what you are looking at, as well as making the Queen look even bigger than it already is. It also looks like she is on a throne kind of, fitting for a Queen.
In the game Alien vs Predator Extinction, there is a unit type called the Carrier, these Xenomorphs have specialised tubes which are designed for Facehuggers to grasp onto and be carried around. The spines shed nutrients that Facehuggers consume while aboard, allowing them to travel further than normal to find a suitable host, while under the protection of the carrier; These Facehuggers will leap from the tubes at enemies and hosts, and lastly, if the Carrier is killed, then the Facehuggers will fly off in every direction, making the type incredibly dangerous and effective.
So, what are your thoughts on the Dorsal Tubes. Do you think they are there for “breathing” purposes, for balance, or for a different reason all together. I’d love to hear what you all think. Thanks for watching, and make sure to check out one of these other videos, and I’ll see you next time.
This article uses material from the Xenopedia wiki at Fandom and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.
Deep Space by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Artist: audionautix.com
#alienromulus
