

Another example of the genetic imprint in-action is–quite obviously–the Predalien, which was a result of a Predator being impregnated with a Xenomorph.

One example of this is in the film Alien 3, when a Facehugger impregnates a dog (or ox, depending on the version of the film) and the resulting Xenomorph is much more animalistic than the ones shown in the two previous movies. This is why Xenomorphs can take on drastically different appearances based on the Facehugger’s chosen host.

Xenomorphs only look the way fans are most familiar with because they are usually born from humans, meaning human DNA is mixed with the biological material implanted by the Facehugger in a process known as DNA reflex (also referred to as genetic or biological imprint).
