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Given the changes in the new Hobbit movies, I was just wondering if a dwarf and an elf could produce offspring in Tolkien canon?

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    Elves and humans can interbreed, but they were both created by Eru. Dwarves were not, so it's possible (likely?) that they can't. – Kevin♦ Jan 14 '14 at 15:58
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    @JohnO - good faith is irrelevant. It's a good question regardless of whether it was asked out of genuine thirst for biological knowledge or just to be a smart-alec. I edited out the smartalec parts anyway. – DVK-on-Ahch-To Jan 14 '14 at 17:34
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    @JohnO The second part was clearly a joke. I am legitimately interested in if dwarves and elves can produce offspring together in the Tolkien universe. – Jack B Nimble Jan 14 '14 at 22:23
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    I think DNA compatibility are the least of the concerns with regard to Legolas and Gimli producing a child... – Joe Casadonte Jan 15 '14 at 1:57
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    Speculative, unrealized question of canon. Can an Orc and Hobbit reproduce simply because Tolkein [long-dead] didn't say otherwise? – Solemnity Jan 20 '14 at 5:21
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There is no definitive answer in cannon but I think it is assumed that because elves and men all come from the same ancestors and then branched off they are still compatible whereas dwarves are a completely different lifeform. It's like the animal kingdom- men and elves are different species but in the same family; Dwarves, however, are an entirely different phylum. Peter Jackson is simplu taking verifiable fact and making it fantasy (sarcasm)!

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    because elves and men all come from the same ancestors- that's not true. They were created by the same being (Eru), but they did NOT have common ancestors. – mort Jan 24 '14 at 11:15

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