Sapient Species of Urth

The world of Urth is host to a wide array of intelligent life. There are 8 known extant sapient species on the planet, with the possibility of more likely due to large unexplored tracts of land in Arcturia and Gondwana. While humans make up the largest portion of sapient life, they share the land with two other hominids and five disparate species of varying classifications. Many scientific studies have postulated on the origins of these species. All fossil and archaeological data puts the entire group emerging approximately 2 million years ago. Recent genome sequencing reveals that all sapient species not only share over 92% of their DNA with baseline humans, but all except humans possess distinct genetic markers at certain points in their genetic code that, while serving to biological purpose, is identical across the board in an apparent 'signature.' This has given rise to the commonly-accepted that alien life visited Urth in the distant past and performed experiments on native life using human genetics.

There are three distinct subspecies of the species Primus sapiens: humans, or Primus sapiens primus or "Original first thinkers," due to their genetics connecting all intelligent species. In addition, there exists the dwarves - Primus sapiens parva, the "Small first thinkers" - and the elves - Primus sapiens laeta, the "Colorful first thinkers." These two subspecies are highly specialized for certain climates, and their populations are magnitudes smaller than humans. The next-closest relative to humans are lupines, the "wise wolves" of Lupus sapiens. While their numbers are on the smaller side, lupines are a resilient and strong species with two distinct ethnic groups divided by the length of their fur. A cousin to lupines, sharing the family Canidae, the vulpines of Yasteria are also divided along fur length lines. Classified as Vulpes sapiens - "wise foxes" - Vulpines are the most physically frail of the sapient species, but also very agile. The Felis sapiens natives of Gondwana, felines are a strong competitor for the second-most widespread species after humans. While technically a single species, felines tend toward a multitude of morphological differences based upon habitat.

Aurian

Dwarf

Elf

Feline

Humans

The Primus sapiens primus is a distinct subspecies of furless anthropoids which has become the dominant species on Urth due to their unique biological status as a jack-of-all trades. Humans traditionally have the largest brains of all primates, enabling them to adapt, learn, and teach better than all their evolutionary competitors. Humans, as warm-blooded tool users lacking fur, are able to adapt to any climate given the time and resources, while more animalistic sapients are largely locked to a given latitude. The average male human weighs 180-220 pounds and stands between 5'10" and 6'2", while the average female stands between 5'7" and 5'9" and weighs between 170 and 200 pounds. Typically, human skeletons are identical between the genders with the exception of men being wider at the shoulders and women wider at the hips. Humans rely on their sight to navigate and identify prey and threats, with their hearing a secondary sense and smell almost underdeveloped. The shades of human skin are directly dependent on the amount of sunlight they receive. Those that live in meteorological calm areas nearer to the equator tend towards deep brown skin, with tone becoming lighter as latitude increases. Humans have no fur, instead growing short, coarse hair on their body. Males tend to have longer hair on their chest, arms, and legs, with a near-certain ability to grow facial hair. Hair on the head varies in shade and texture between individuals, and it is not uncommon for men and women to genetically lack the ability to grow any.

The three defining features that set humans apart from most other intelligent species ability to sweat, their ability to throw objects, and their endurance. Endurance and sweat go hand in hand. Pound for pound, humans have the second-most sweat glands of any animal behind horses. Sweating allows the body to cool as it works, and is increasingly effective as the body undergoes exercise. Combined with the rapidly regenerative stamina of the human body, sweating allows humans to run distances magnitudes greater than Lupines or Felines. Similarly, humans are only one of two species able to throw things with precise speed and accuracy. Throwing requires extremely efficient balance, proportions, and motion. All others, from dwarves to ursines to aurans, do not possess the correct leg structure or center-of-mass to do any more than lob an object. No sapients besides elves are able to match humans at sporting events like baseball, discus, and javelin. While humans evolved in northern Arcturia, they have spread to every continent and very few nations can claim to not have at least a few dozen human residents.

Lupine

Lutrynes

Lutryne athlete Rulu Rytnu

The Lutra sapiens is a species of anthropomorphic humanoids with many recognizable otter-like features and characteristics. Larger than their more primitive counterparts, lutrynes in general have similar fur markings, with brown, black, and white patterns being the most prominent. Their bodies consist of a larger brain capable of more precise and faster execution, when compared to their quadripedal counterpart. The lutryne body is considered rather thin and sleek, a result of their aquatic-based ancestry. Many lutrynes inhabit the nation of Lapimuhyo and exist as a minority in other Gondwanan nations, including neighboring Rijelv and Ivlya. The race is regarded as generally fast and agile in aquatic environments, with their species typically maintaining a relatively thin layer of fat and a very dense layer of fur. Outside of the water, the lutryne body underperforms, yet still retains its ability to stand upright, walk, and run, among other things. Maintaining an average height of around 5 feet, and weighing in around 120 pounds, Lutrynes are relatively small compared to humans. Lutryne body proportions are almost identical to human proportions by a scale of 3:4. The senses of the species are, for the most part, superior to humans, with the exception being hearing, which was evolutionarily less important than sight and smell.

Nekomimi

Nekomimi (Felio Sapien) are a cat-human hybrid race native to the Urth and very common in the nation 1 Infinite Loop.

They are commonly called cat-girls, as virtually all of their population is female.

Nekomimi take severe offense to the term metahuman and have been known to scratch and bite those who refer to them as such.

The Restaurant Nekooters is staffed entirely with Nekomimi.

Nekos

Felis Sapiens Sapiens

The Nekos (correct plural: Neko) are a race as far evolved from cats as humans are from apes, and originate from the planet Midorino and live on Urth.

Through the course of their evolution, the Neko have retained their cat-like ears and tail, as well as their heightened senses and feral instincts. Neko can quite literally sense danger and detect the mood of others due to their ability to sense and comprehend pheromones.

Peregrin

Vulpine