Human Subspecies: Difference between revisions

 

It should not be confused with [[Bio Augmentation|regular genetic engineered humans]] or [[Transhuman Aliens]]. To be considered a subspecies, they need to have some biological difference from baseline humanity.

{{examples}}

* ''[[Crest of the Stars]]'': The Abh, who were genetically engineered to work and live in space. In addition to youthful long life and an added sensory organ, they also have blue hair.

* It is hypothesized in ''[[Gundam]]'' that Newtypes are the next step in evolution. However, considering how vague Newtype abilities are, and how people become one, it's difficult to say if its a result of a genetic adaptation.

** It is also important to point out that, according to the explanation given [[In-Universe]], mermaids seem closer to case-by-case mutants than a subspecies, even though people treat them like another species entirely. There's no mention of heritability, and Hisui (the only mermaid we've met so far) has said that he has no experience with "family", but part of the [[Opening Narration]] claims that mermaids are born from humans. So. There's that.

 

* [[Marvel Comics]]: The Mutants, Eternals, Deviants, and Inhumans

* ''[[Buck Godot]]'': The [[Heavyworlder|Hoffmanites]], of which the title character is one, the Silverrunners, who are centaurs, and the Psmith [[Hive Mind]]. Among many, many others.

 

* The creatures from ''[[The Descent (film)|The Descent]]'' were suggested to be these.

 

* ''[[Dune]]'': Genetic engineering is commonplace, and modified humans take many shapes and fill many roles, some of them rather disturbing.

* Stephen Baxter invokes the trope in his ''[[Xeelee Sequence]]'', especially in '"Flux'': Humans have been modified to microscopic lifeforms to live within a Neutron Star.

* ''[[Ringworld]]'' is inhabited by an unknown - but, given the size of the place, probably staggeringly large - number of hominid species, all descended from {{spoiler|Pak breeders}}.

* On [[Discworld]], dwarves are probably this (unless, of course, humans are a taller dwarf subspecies). The oldest lifeform is trolls, but they're biologically nothing like humans or dwarves, so meh.

* In ''[[The Hollows]]'', vampires and werewolves are humans that have been mutated by a virus. Elves are an inversion: they were once a completely different species (probably even belonging to a different order), but used magic to become capable of breeding with humans, eventually thinning the line between them. Then a virus came along that affected only humans.

* ''[[Last and First Men]]'': the [[Trope Maker]], which follows millions of years of human development, and dozens of human offshoots.

* ''[[Stationery Voyagers]]'' has Felts, Ooze Pens, Whiteouts, Highlighters, Up-Pens, Down-Pens, Gel Pens, Metallic Gel Pens, Thick/Thin Alcohol-Scented/Non-Alcohol-Scented Markers, Eraser-Man, Pencils, the artificially-created robot species of Librions (Mechanical Pencils,) [[Our Vampires Are Different|Mosquatlons]], [[Little Green Men|Grimplites]], [[Our Werewolves Are Different|Aviatets]], and Drismabons. Instead of evolution, they're descended from mankind [[A Wizard Did It|by reason of a divine curse]] that has [[No Ontological Inertia|Minimal Ontological Inertia]].

* The ''[[Vorkosigan Saga]]'' has the quaddies, humans genetically engineered to live in a zero gee environment. Most noticeably, they have a second pair of arms where their legs should be, to allow them to climb instead of walk around the spaceships. Their bones are altered to prevent deterioration, and their pelvic arches have been modified for ease of giving birth in freefall. Scientifically, they're a separate species in the Homo genus, but socially they're treated as a subspecies of normal humans. Also the Betan hermaphrodites are humans, but different enough genetically that they cannot reproduce with either "normal" humans or Quaddies without the help of a laboratory.

* The Partials from Jeff VanderMeer's ''[[Ambergris|Finch]]'' consider themselves to be this. Whether they actually are, or if they're just cyborgs with fungus instead of machinery is debatable.

** ''House of Suns'' goes even further, with the galaxy pretty much completely colonized over millions of years by a human diaspora, evolved and adapted in countless ways including squid/whale-looking aquatic forms, collossal vaccuum-dwellers, and sentient weather patterns. The central characters are still reasonably recognizable as human only because they've spent so much of the intervening time flitting around at relativistic speeds, and thus have had a much shorter subjective experience of the intervening eons.

* The Ousters in ''[[Hyperion]]'' were originally a small group of humans who decided to modify their own bodies to suit foreign environments instead of the other way around. Fast forward several thousand years, and some people don't even consider them human anymore.

* In the ''[[Shannara]]'' series, the Trolls, Dwarves, and Gnomes are humans mutated by the consequences of nuclear war. Elves are commonly believed to be the same, but are actually descended from real faeries.

* In the ''[[Honor Harrington]]'' universe, there are a wide variety of distinctly different groups of humans (though all still identifiably human), generally due to genetic engineering. These include [[Super Soldier]]s and their descendants, slaves engineered for particular traits, [[Heavyworlder|Heavy Worlders]] of varying degrees, an entire planet populated by albinos (an unintended trait due to their other genetic tweaks), and other, more subtle differences. The central protagonist of the series is herself genetically tweaked to be a sort of mild [[Heavyworlder]] and could also be considered a [[Super Soldier]] because of it.

* [[Robert Reed]]'s ''Great Ship'' universe has the Remoras, which are humans twisted by the hard radiation on the exterior hull of the Great Ship. Remoras are [[Body Horror|horrifically mutated]] from the radiation (One character has light sensitive hairs instead of eyes), yet they ''cherish'' it, and actively cultivate the mutations.

 

* ''[[Andromeda]]'':

** The Nietzscheans (''Homo sapiens invictus''), who have been modified enough to be considered a subspecies. Along with being taller, faster, and smarter, they can breathe chlorine and have bone blade growing from their arms.

* The Centauri in [[Babylon 5]] were the first alien race to (publicly) encounter humanity. They attempted to persuade humanity that they were an offshoot of the Centauri Republic and should thus come under their control. Presumably someone noticed the obvious physical differences and laughed off their claims. The Centauri claimed it was a clerical error [[Blatant Lies|pesumably to save face]].

 

* ''[[Cthulhu Tech]]'': The Nazzadi, fake [[Human Aliens]] created by the [[Starfish Aliens|Mi-go]] as an advance force.

* ''[[Exalted]]'': Several sub-species of humans with environmental adaptation, like the winged Air People, were created during the First Age.

** And maybe the Cygnans, who are pretty close to human, and are known to not be native to their own world.

** And dozens of minor worlds, such as several seen in [[Star Trek: The Original Series|TOS]].

* In ''[[Rifts]]'', there are too many to count. The Coalition States have the Janissary project to create the next step of human evolution. In addition, Psi-X Aliens are actually humans mutated by Desmond Bradford. True Atlanteans are human, but have innate supernatural powers. Amazons are human related but have innate supernatural powers. Most psychics are also implied to be human subspecies, especially Psi-Stalkers and Mind Bleeders who actually have somewhat distinct non-human physical traits.

 

* Two types in ''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'', once the required technology and facilities are developed:

** Homo Superior: Equal parts technology and biology, it uses the best of both worlds.

** Genejacks: Genetically engineered to be the perfect worker, with strong body and little brain.

* The Helghast in ''[[Killzone]]''. Who adapted to the harsh environment of a Death World they were exiled to.

* ''[[Vega Strike]]'' has several in game and flavour materials, each has a faction consisting primarily of them.

** Homo Sapiens Sapiens (duh). Purists.

* ''[[Imperium Galactica]] 2'' reveals during the [[Humans by Any Other Name|Solarian]] campaign that the various races you meet and fight with for dominance have all evolved from [[Lost Colony|lost Solarian colonies]], even those who look nothing like humans. The Kra'Hen are decidedly alien, as they are stated to have come from another galaxy.

 

* ''[[Alien Dice]]'': {{spoiler|The Rishan}} are humans abducted by aliens who have had superficial genetic modifications made to them. Sometimes, true humans will be born to {{spoiler|Rishan}} parents.

* The Purps from ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]'' - a lab-grown, photosynthetic Human Subspecies, with, as the name might suggest, purple skin.

* The future of ''[[Quantum Vibe]]'' features innumerable different types of humans stemming from advances in cybernetics and genetics. Nicole specifically reads a piece about the Belt-Apes, large stocky humans genetically altered for optimum labor efficiency in the Asteroid Belt.

 

* ''[[Orion's Arm]]'': Something like 80% of life is descended from humanity, but intentional modifications have caused so much divergence that two human descended terragens can be less alike than a human and a tree.

 

* ''[[Exo Squad]]'': The Neosapiens.

 

* A number of [[Science Marches On|now-discredited]] racial theories from the late 19th/early 20th century posited that the different "races" (white, black, Indian, etc.) were actually different species or subspecies of humanity. In case you haven't guessed, there's [[Unfortunate Implications|a pretty good reason]] [[Deader Than Disco|why nobody]] [[Society Marches On|(save for the lunatic fringe)]] [[Science Marches On|believes those theories anymore]].

** Less likely now due to globalization and racial mixing, but another 500,000 years and there could be speciation. Especially if genetic engineering is employed.

 

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