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Xenomorphs take on the characteristics of whatever creatures the Facehugger impregnates in that lifestage. In Alien³, we see a Xenomorph with the characteristics of a dog / ox (depending on version of the film, for example.
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It just so happens that all the other Xenomorphs we see are born from the impregnation of humans. That's why they have human characteristics like symmetical bodies and four limbs. The Alien we all think of from Alien IS by definition a human-hybrid.
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There's no such thing as a 'pure' Xenomorph since the impregnation of other species is intrinsic to their lifecycle. Even Xenomorph Queens are hybrids in this sense as we see in Alien³ that Ripley is 'pregnant' with the embryo of a Queen.
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It strikes me from this discussion that Alien³ is a crucial text for understanding the Xenomorph lifecycle and that the neglect of this film is very unfortunate for the cultural understanding of the Alien series.
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Anyway, if you're interested in the Alien series, you should watch the short films that are being released up until Alien Day (04/26) alienuniverse.com/post/news-tongal-premieres
