103-545: This is a list of Star Wars species , containing the names of fictional species from the Star Wars franchise beginning with the letters P to T. Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas . The first film in the series, Star Wars , was released on May 25, 1977, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by five sequels and three prequels. Many species of alien creatures (often humanoid) are depicted. A Paaerduag
206-423: A mutation–selection balance . It is predicted that a viral quasispecies at a low but evolutionarily neutral and highly connected (that is, flat) region in the fitness landscape will outcompete a quasispecies located at a higher but narrower fitness peak in which the surrounding mutants are unfit, "the quasispecies effect" or the "survival of the flattest". There is no suggestion that a viral quasispecies resembles
309-400: A "classical" method of determining species, such as with Linnaeus, early in evolutionary theory. However, different phenotypes are not necessarily different species (e.g. a four-winged Drosophila born to a two-winged mother is not a different species). Species named in this manner are called morphospecies . In the 1970s, Robert R. Sokal , Theodore J. Crovello and Peter Sneath proposed
412-424: A 'smallest clade' idea" (a phylogenetic species concept). Mishler and Wilkins and others concur with this approach, even though this would raise difficulties in biological nomenclature. Wilkins cited the ichthyologist Charles Tate Regan 's early 20th century remark that "a species is whatever a suitably qualified biologist chooses to call a species". Wilkins noted that the philosopher Philip Kitcher called this
515-458: A Ranat to dig through as much as one meter of soil and loose rock in a mere 15 seconds. The Ranat body was tough, wiry, and partially flattened. Exceptional flexibility allowed Ranats to squeeze through small openings that would prove impenetrable to other beings of similar size; the Shi'ido shapeshifter Mammon Hoole often assumed the form of a Ranat to take advantage of this very ability.[20] Although
618-428: A connected series of neighbouring populations, each of which can sexually interbreed with adjacent related populations, but for which there exist at least two "end" populations in the series, which are too distantly related to interbreed, though there is a potential gene flow between each "linked" population. Such non-breeding, though genetically connected, "end" populations may co-exist in the same region thus closing
721-438: A dangerous bite. Ranats were fecund. Females went into heat at least twice each standard year, during which period they mated with as many males as possible. After fertilization, the fetus gestated for about 120 standard days. The mother then gave birth to a litter of three to six young. The species' signature incisors began to grow in at adolescence. Members of the species were considered adults at three standard years of age, and
824-432: A different species from its ancestors. Viruses have enormous populations, are doubtfully living since they consist of little more than a string of DNA or RNA in a protein coat, and mutate rapidly. All of these factors make conventional species concepts largely inapplicable. A viral quasispecies is a group of genotypes related by similar mutations, competing within a highly mutagenic environment, and hence governed by
927-508: A genetic boundary suitable for defining a species concept is present. DNA barcoding has been proposed as a way to distinguish species suitable even for non-specialists to use. One of the barcodes is a region of mitochondrial DNA within the gene for cytochrome c oxidase . A database, Barcode of Life Data System , contains DNA barcode sequences from over 190,000 species. However, scientists such as Rob DeSalle have expressed concern that classical taxonomy and DNA barcoding, which they consider
1030-465: A lineage should be divided into multiple chronospecies , or when populations have diverged to have enough distinct character states to be described as cladistic species. Species and higher taxa were seen from the time of Aristotle until the 18th century as categories that could be arranged in a hierarchy, the great chain of being . In the 19th century, biologists grasped that species could evolve given sufficient time. Charles Darwin 's 1859 book On
1133-735: A major role in Darth Maul and the Death Watch's takeover of Mandalore , and is revealed to have been involved in the murder of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas by Count Dooku . The Pykes made their first live-action appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story . They appeared again in The Book of Boba Fett , in which the Pyke Syndicate fights Boba Fett 's criminal empire for control of Tatooine's spice trade and loses. Quarrens (or Qarrens ) are
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#17327802910851236-841: A massive space station called the Star Forge. Ranats, known as Con Queecon in their own language, were a species of meter-tall rodents with long, tusk-like incisors jutting from their lower jaws. Though originally from Rydar II, the Ranats there were nearly wiped out by Human colonists in 200 BBY. Three Ranats stowed away on a spice freighter and crash landed on Aralia, where they re-established their species. The Ranat tribes inhabited extensive tunnel networks, resembling intricate mazes, where they collectively raised their offspring. These tribes employed cunning tactics, leading intruders into dead ends to facilitate their elimination. Despite their simple personalities, with minimal displays of emotion beyond
1339-717: A member of the Max Rebo Band who plays the flute. A young Rodian named Wald (played by Warwick Davis ), a friend of Anakin Skywalker , appears in The Phantom Menace . In Attack of the Clones , Rodians are represented by Senator Onaconda Farr , and Palpatine's aide Dar Warc . Rodians were one of the species playable in Star Wars: Galaxies . The Hutt colonization of Rodia brought changes to
1442-492: A misnomer, need to be reconciled, as they delimit species differently. Genetic introgression mediated by endosymbionts and other vectors can further make barcodes ineffective in the identification of species. A phylogenetic or cladistic species is "the smallest aggregation of populations (sexual) or lineages (asexual) diagnosable by a unique combination of character states in comparable individuals (semaphoronts)". The empirical basis – observed character states – provides
1545-449: A particular species, including which genus (and higher taxa) it is placed in, is a hypothesis about the evolutionary relationships and distinguishability of that group of organisms. As further information comes to hand, the hypothesis may be corroborated or refuted. Sometimes, especially in the past when communication was more difficult, taxonomists working in isolation have given two distinct names to individual organisms later identified as
1648-400: A perfect model of life, it is still a useful tool to scientists and conservationists for studying life on Earth, regardless of the theoretical difficulties. If species were fixed and clearly distinct from one another, there would be no problem, but evolutionary processes cause species to change. This obliges taxonomists to decide, for example, when enough change has occurred to declare that
1751-400: A short way of saying that something applies to many species within a genus, but not to all. If scientists mean that something applies to all species within a genus, they use the genus name without the specific name or epithet. The names of genera and species are usually printed in italics . However, abbreviations such as "sp." should not be italicised. When a species' identity is not clear,
1854-500: A slender, dog-like face and two sets of eyes. While the larger aspect's voice is inaudible to human ears, the smaller one can be heard and understood. The smaller aspect refers to itself using the term "we" instead of "I" or "me." Their home is Sorjus, a small and unimportant world far off the Perlemian trade route, and has a temperate climate (as inferred from Mic'Tunan'Jus' complaints about Tatooine 's climate being far too dry, and
1957-404: A specialist may use "cf." before the epithet to indicate that confirmation is required. The abbreviations "nr." (near) or "aff." (affine) may be used when the identity is unclear but when the species appears to be similar to the species mentioned after. With the rise of online databases, codes have been devised to provide identifiers for species that are already defined, including: The naming of
2060-523: A species as groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations, which are reproductively isolated from other such groups. It has been argued that this definition is a natural consequence of the effect of sexual reproduction on the dynamics of natural selection. Mayr's use of the adjective "potentially" has been a point of debate; some interpretations exclude unusual or artificial matings that occur only in captivity, or that involve animals capable of mating but that do not normally do so in
2163-400: A species as determined by a taxonomist. A typological species is a group of organisms in which individuals conform to certain fixed properties (a type), so that even pre-literate people often recognise the same taxon as do modern taxonomists. The clusters of variations or phenotypes within specimens (such as longer or shorter tails) would differentiate the species. This method was used as
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#17327802910852266-474: A species of aquatic humanoids that share the planet of Mon Calamari with another sentient aquatic species, the Mon Calamari . The Quarren are also nicknamed "squid head" around the galaxy due to their resemblance to cephalopods, which Quarren are actually related to. They are more introverted than their neighbours, preferring the deep water to the surface and rarely inviting guests to their domain. During
2369-491: A species. All species definitions assume that an organism acquires its genes from one or two parents very like the "daughter" organism, but that is not what happens in HGT. There is strong evidence of HGT between very dissimilar groups of prokaryotes , and at least occasionally between dissimilar groups of eukaryotes , including some crustaceans and echinoderms . The evolutionary biologist James Mallet concludes that there
2472-685: A species. Generally the term includes the unknown element of a distinct act of creation. Many authors have argued that a simple textbook definition, following Mayr's concept, works well for most multi-celled organisms , but breaks down in several situations: Species identification is made difficult by discordance between molecular and morphological investigations; these can be categorised as two types: (i) one morphology, multiple lineages (e.g. morphological convergence , cryptic species ) and (ii) one lineage, multiple morphologies (e.g. phenotypic plasticity , multiple life-cycle stages). In addition, horizontal gene transfer (HGT) makes it difficult to define
2575-528: A taxonomic decision at the discretion of cognizant specialists, is not governed by the Codes of Zoological or Botanical Nomenclature, in contrast to the PhyloCode , and contrary to what is done in several other fields, in which the definitions of technical terms, like geochronological units and geopolitical entities, are explicitly delimited. The nomenclatural codes that guide the naming of species, including
2678-517: A traditional biological species. The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses has since 1962 developed a universal taxonomic scheme for viruses; this has stabilised viral taxonomy. Most modern textbooks make use of Ernst Mayr 's 1942 definition, known as the Biological Species Concept as a basis for further discussion on the definition of species. It is also called a reproductive or isolation concept. This defines
2781-637: A typical Ranat had a long, scaly, hairless tail, the rodents were almost entirely covered in fur that ranged from dirty blond to dark reddish or greyish brown. Some Ranats groomed themselves, but for most, the coat was filthy and foul-smelling. Understandably, many non-Ranats considered the species to be visually unappealing. Ranats stooped when they stood and scampered and scurried when they ran. They tended to wear little more clothing than cloth hoods, leather belts, and ornamental tooth bands. However, those Ranats who integrated into galactic society often wore full-length tunics and footwear. The Ranats' eyes, located at
2884-447: A variation on the morphological species concept, a phenetic species, defined as a set of organisms with a similar phenotype to each other, but a different phenotype from other sets of organisms. It differs from the morphological species concept in including a numerical measure of distance or similarity to cluster entities based on multivariate comparisons of a reasonably large number of phenotypic traits. A mate-recognition species
2987-515: A variety of reasons. Viruses are a special case, driven by a balance of mutation and selection , and can be treated as quasispecies . Biologists and taxonomists have made many attempts to define species, beginning from morphology and moving towards genetics . Early taxonomists such as Linnaeus had no option but to describe what they saw: this was later formalised as the typological or morphological species concept. Ernst Mayr emphasised reproductive isolation, but this, like other species concepts,
3090-438: Is "an entity composed of organisms which maintains its identity from other such entities through time and over space, and which has its own independent evolutionary fate and historical tendencies". This differs from the biological species concept in embodying persistence over time. Wiley and Mayden stated that they see the evolutionary species concept as "identical" to Willi Hennig 's species-as-lineages concept, and asserted that
3193-400: Is a group of sexually reproducing organisms that recognise one another as potential mates. Expanding on this to allow for post-mating isolation, a cohesion species is the most inclusive population of individuals having the potential for phenotypic cohesion through intrinsic cohesion mechanisms; no matter whether populations can hybridise successfully, they are still distinct cohesion species if
List of Star Wars species (P–T) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3296-452: Is a population of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring , typically by sexual reproduction . It is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity . Other ways of defining species include their karyotype , DNA sequence, morphology , behaviour, or ecological niche . In addition, paleontologists use
3399-458: Is a set of organisms adapted to a particular set of resources, called a niche, in the environment. According to this concept, populations form the discrete phenetic clusters that we recognise as species because the ecological and evolutionary processes controlling how resources are divided up tend to produce those clusters. A genetic species as defined by Robert Baker and Robert Bradley is a set of genetically isolated interbreeding populations. This
3502-408: Is an "individual" formed by two symbiotic races that are joined as one. However, two voices create the actual name of their race, and four ears hear the true sound of it. Paaerduag consist of two aspects: a larger, more mobile humanoid form with long, slender arms and legs, and a broad head; and a smaller aspect that rides on the larger one like a backpack. The smaller aspect resembles a humanoid with
3605-414: Is called speciation . Charles Darwin was the first to describe the role of natural selection in speciation in his 1859 book The Origin of Species . Speciation depends on a measure of reproductive isolation , a reduced gene flow. This occurs most easily in allopatric speciation, where populations are separated geographically and can diverge gradually as mutations accumulate. Reproductive isolation
3708-412: Is called the specific name or the specific epithet (in botanical nomenclature , also sometimes in zoological nomenclature ). For example, Boa constrictor is one of the species of the genus Boa , with constrictor being the species' epithet. While the definitions given above may seem adequate at first glance, when looked at more closely they represent problematic species concepts. For example,
3811-403: Is described formally, in a publication that assigns it a unique scientific name. The description typically provides means for identifying the new species, which may not be based solely on morphology (see cryptic species ), differentiating it from other previously described and related or confusable species and provides a validly published name (in botany) or an available name (in zoology) when
3914-671: Is further weakened by the existence of microspecies , groups of organisms, including many plants, with very little genetic variability, usually forming species aggregates . For example, the dandelion Taraxacum officinale and the blackberry Rubus fruticosus are aggregates with many microspecies—perhaps 400 in the case of the blackberry and over 200 in the dandelion, complicated by hybridisation , apomixis and polyploidy , making gene flow between populations difficult to determine, and their taxonomy debatable. Species complexes occur in insects such as Heliconius butterflies, vertebrates such as Hypsiboas treefrogs, and fungi such as
4017-500: Is governed by the individual holding the title of Master of Port Administration in that city. These administrators are supported by advisory councils to assist in decision-making. The overall governance of the planet is overseen by the Utapauan Committee, consisting of representatives from various cities. While this committee exists, crucial decisions are infrequent, as the cities are generally self-sufficient, only turning to
4120-726: Is hard or even impossible to test. Later biologists have tried to refine Mayr's definition with the recognition and cohesion concepts, among others. Many of the concepts are quite similar or overlap, so they are not easy to count: the biologist R. L. Mayden recorded about 24 concepts, and the philosopher of science John Wilkins counted 26. Wilkins further grouped the species concepts into seven basic kinds of concepts: (1) agamospecies for asexual organisms (2) biospecies for reproductively isolated sexual organisms (3) ecospecies based on ecological niches (4) evolutionary species based on lineage (5) genetic species based on gene pool (6) morphospecies based on form or phenotype and (7) taxonomic species,
4223-403: Is no easy way to tell whether related geographic or temporal forms belong to the same or different species. Species gaps can be verified only locally and at a point of time. One is forced to admit that Darwin's insight is correct: any local reality or integrity of species is greatly reduced over large geographic ranges and time periods. The botanist Brent Mishler argued that the species concept
List of Star Wars species (P–T) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4326-478: Is not valid, notably because gene flux decreases gradually rather than in discrete steps, which hampers objective delimitation of species. Indeed, complex and unstable patterns of gene flux have been observed in cichlid teleosts of the East African Great Lakes . Wilkins argued that "if we were being true to evolution and the consequent phylogenetic approach to taxa, we should replace it with
4429-586: Is similar to Mayr's Biological Species Concept, but stresses genetic rather than reproductive isolation. In the 21st century, a genetic species could be established by comparing DNA sequences. Earlier, other methods were available, such as comparing karyotypes (sets of chromosomes ) and allozymes ( enzyme variants). An evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) or "wildlife species" is a population of organisms considered distinct for purposes of conservation. In palaeontology , with only comparative anatomy (morphology) and histology from fossils as evidence,
4532-438: Is sometimes an important source of genetic variation. Viruses can transfer genes between species. Bacteria can exchange plasmids with bacteria of other species, including some apparently distantly related ones in different phylogenetic domains , making analysis of their relationships difficult, and weakening the concept of a bacterial species. Grand Inquisitor (Star Wars) Too Many Requests If you report this error to
4635-594: Is threatened by hybridisation, but this can be selected against once a pair of populations have incompatible alleles of the same gene, as described in the Bateson–Dobzhansky–Muller model . A different mechanism, phyletic speciation, involves one lineage gradually changing over time into a new and distinct form (a chronospecies ), without increasing the number of resultant species. Horizontal gene transfer between organisms of different species, either through hybridisation , antigenic shift , or reassortment ,
4738-653: The Clone Wars , the Quarren Isolation League attempted to isolate Mon Calamari from the rest of the galaxy. They were eventually defeated during the Battle of Mon Calamari where Clone SCUBA troopers under the command of Kit Fisto defeated them and their Separatist allies. Notable Quarren include Tessek, who escaped Mon Calamari to work for Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine and Darth Maleval who served with
4841-530: The ICZN for animals and the ICN for plants, do not make rules for defining the boundaries of the species. Research can change the boundaries, also known as circumscription, based on new evidence. Species may then need to be distinguished by the boundary definitions used, and in such cases the names may be qualified with sensu stricto ("in the narrow sense") to denote usage in the exact meaning given by an author such as
4944-631: The Republic found them. Many continued to hunt as bounty hunters; the most notable specimen was Greedo , the bounty hunter shot by Han Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina in the original Star Wars movie . In the 1997 special edition of Return of the Jedi , two Rodians were added, one named Greeata who served as a dancer in Jabba the Hutt 's palace on Tatooine , and Doda Bodonawieedo (picture on right),
5047-399: The fly agaric . Natural hybridisation presents a challenge to the concept of a reproductively isolated species, as fertile hybrids permit gene flow between two populations. For example, the carrion crow Corvus corone and the hooded crow Corvus cornix appear and are classified as separate species, yet they can hybridise where their geographical ranges overlap. A ring species is
5150-507: The jaguar ( Panthera onca ) of Latin America or the leopard ( Panthera pardus ) of Africa and Asia. In contrast, the scientific names of species are chosen to be unique and universal (except for some inter-code homonyms ); they are in two parts used together : the genus as in Puma , and the specific epithet as in concolor . A species is given a taxonomic name when a type specimen
5253-406: The "cynical species concept", and arguing that far from being cynical, it usefully leads to an empirical taxonomy for any given group, based on taxonomists' experience. Other biologists have gone further and argued that we should abandon species entirely, and refer to the "Least Inclusive Taxonomic Units" (LITUs), a view that would be coherent with current evolutionary theory. The species concept
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#17327802910855356-578: The 407th on the planet Borosk. Quarrens were common leaders in the Exchange during the Old Republic . A race of sentient vertebrates, the Quermian are a species native to the planet Quermia . They have two brains, a long, thin neck, and six limbs. Their sensitive olfactory glands are located in their hands and they are born with a natural talent in telepathy and mind control. They must look at
5459-491: The Hutt. Other known Pa'lowicks include Sam Snootles, Keesa, Larisselle Chatrunis, and Aneesa Dym. The Pau'an are gaunt, near-human natives of the planet Utapau . They are also known as Utapauns or Ancients due to their long lifespans (up to 700 years), much longer than the Utai , the other species native to Utapa that they co-exist with on Utapau. The two species get along well, with the lanky Pau'ans having leadership roles on
5562-626: The Origin of Species explained how species could arise by natural selection . That understanding was greatly extended in the 20th century through genetics and population ecology . Genetic variability arises from mutations and recombination , while organisms themselves are mobile, leading to geographical isolation and genetic drift with varying selection pressures . Genes can sometimes be exchanged between species by horizontal gene transfer ; new species can arise rapidly through hybridisation and polyploidy ; and species may become extinct for
5665-806: The Pau'ans experienced isolation for much of their history due to Utapau's remoteness. In 19 BBY, during the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems conquered Utapau. The Pau'ans resisted the Confederacy with the assistance of the Galactic Republic. Subsequently, when the Galactic Empire took control of the planet following the Declaration of a New Order, the Pau'ans opposed Imperial rule as well. The Pau'ans fulfilled most of
5768-511: The Ranat's jaw to produce growth hormones. Unchecked, this caused the incisors to grow up to a centimeter in a standard hour. The only way to counter the growth was to gnaw even more and wear the teeth down. Some members of the species managed to keep these teeth small enough to fit inside the mouth, but others had incisors that poked out and overlapped the upper lip like tusks. Coupled with their sharp teeth and powerful jaws, these incisors gave Ranats
5871-512: The Rishii live in nests built on cliffs. The Rishii are a kind species, but have an ability to mimic other languages, which, at times, is a little annoying to the people they are mimicking. Rodians are a species of green, antenna-sporting, bug-eyed humanoids from the planet Rodia . The Rodians are born hunters; they killed most of the wildlife and grew restless with the lack of creatures and began to hunt each other in gladiatorial combat, until
5974-572: The Rodian race. Old Rodian slowly ceased to be a written and spoken language. Huttese was adopted as the official language and soon came to be spoken by the Rodians. Some Rodians are enlisted in the public service of the Hutts and tend to fare better than others of their race. Any association with the Hutts often brings great rewards but sometimes can bring heavy consequences. Rodians are well suited for
6077-468: The Skywalker twins when Padmé Amidala was rushed to the asteroid facility in critical condition. Only two members of the team were trained physicians. The rest were exobiologists. Although the twins were delivered safely with the help of a midwife droid, the Polis Massans could not mend Padmé's broken heart, and she died at the medical center. The Priapulin are a caterpillar-like species from
6180-453: The Utai, the two species were able to co-exist peacefully, although inhabitants of the different Utapaun cities often had conflicts due to philosophical differences. Still, these conflicts rarely developed into bloodshed, and it was more common for the cities to ignore each other. Each city had its own culture, and competition was fierce between the groups. However, they were able to cooperate when
6283-590: The Utapauan Security Force when needed. Pau'ans represented 30%—or approximately 28.5 million—of Utapau's total population of 90 million inhabitants, although their influence as administrators and leaders more than made up for their lack of numbers. Darth Desolous was a Pau'an as was the Imperial Grand Inquisitor . The Phlogs are peaceful giants living on planet Genesia . Phlogs are giant sapients. They are used throughout
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#17327802910856386-1034: The Vriichon brothers once owned the Mos Eisley Cantina. During the Galactic Civil War, the Imperial military tested Ranat mercenary bands for possible use against Rebel Alliance forces. Ranats were also found in the employ of the mage Orloc, who attempted to start his own Jedi Order. The Ranat Rik-tak was a member of the Justice Action Network who operated in the Tapani sector. Ranats were omnivores and strongly preferred meat, especially that of Aralia's native robas. Their sharp incisors and claws were useful as both weapons and tunneling tools. Burrowing wore down their teeth but also released hormones that stimulated tooth growth; unchecked,
6489-405: The abbreviation "sp." in the singular or "spp." (standing for species pluralis , Latin for "multiple species") in the plural in place of the specific name or epithet (e.g. Canis sp.). This commonly occurs when authors are confident that some individuals belong to a particular genus but are not sure to which exact species they belong, as is common in paleontology . Authors may also use "spp." as
6592-570: The amount of hybridisation is insufficient to completely mix their respective gene pools . A further development of the recognition concept is provided by the biosemiotic concept of species. In microbiology , genes can move freely even between distantly related bacteria, possibly extending to the whole bacterial domain. As a rule of thumb, microbiologists have assumed that members of Bacteria or Archaea with 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences more similar than 97% to each other need to be checked by DNA–DNA hybridisation to decide if they belong to
6695-641: The average Ranat could expect to live to be 20 standard years old. A song from the Max Rebo Band , the fictional band in the Star Wars universe that is playing in Jabba the Hutt 's palace in Return of the Jedi , is dedicated to them known as "Kick That Ranat". Native to the planet Rattatak, the Rattataki were noticeable for their pale white skin color. They developed a violent culture, like fierce combat involving gladiators of their home world. Asajj Ventress
6798-474: The biological species concept, "the several versions" of the phylogenetic species concept, and the idea that species are of the same kind as higher taxa are not suitable for biodiversity studies (with the intention of estimating the number of species accurately). They further suggested that the concept works for both asexual and sexually-reproducing species. A version of the concept is Kevin de Queiroz 's "General Lineage Concept of Species". An ecological species
6901-505: The biological species concept, a cladistic species does not rely on reproductive isolation – its criteria are independent of processes that are integral in other concepts. Therefore, it applies to asexual lineages. However, it does not always provide clear cut and intuitively satisfying boundaries between taxa, and may require multiple sources of evidence, such as more than one polymorphic locus, to give plausible results. An evolutionary species, suggested by George Gaylord Simpson in 1951,
7004-428: The boundaries between closely related species become unclear with hybridisation , in a species complex of hundreds of similar microspecies , and in a ring species . Also, among organisms that reproduce only asexually , the concept of a reproductive species breaks down, and each clone is potentially a microspecies. Although none of these are entirely satisfactory definitions, and while the concept of species may not be
7107-517: The bristles in front of their spiracles, or breathing vents. They need to constantly be in water. One notable Priapulin is Charza Kwinn , who assisted Obi-wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker in their quest to obtain a living starship from the mysterious planet Zonoma Sekot. One of the indigenous races of the planet Wayland . This race appeared in the last novel of the Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn . In The Last Command , they are one of
7210-433: The concept of a chronospecies can be applied. During anagenesis (evolution, not necessarily involving branching), some palaeontologists seek to identify a sequence of species, each one derived from the phyletically extinct one before through continuous, slow and more or less uniform change. In such a time sequence, some palaeontologists assess how much change is required for a morphologically distinct form to be considered
7313-416: The concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. The most recent rigorous estimate for the total number of species of eukaryotes is between 8 and 8.7 million. About 14% of these had been described by 2011. All species (except viruses ) are given a two-part name , called a "binomial". The first part of a binomial is the genus to which the species belongs. The second part
7416-427: The core of Polis Massa to recover prized artifacts. They analyze the artifacts for organic tissue suitable for cloning. For this reason, they set up a medical facility on the asteroid. Although they have little contact with humans, Polis Massans are known for their extraordinary medical skills, and are regarded as compassionate beings who understand the value of life. Polis Massan medics and technicians helped to deliver
7519-589: The dust is rough on their hide). They begin life as individuals, however, at the age of choosing, they become bonded to their other half, and grow together as a single, complete being, sharing their brains, vision, hearing, and speech. There are two Paaerduag in Knights of the Old Republic : one in Javyar's Cantina on Taris, the other is a merchant in the docking area of Tatooine. The Pa'lowick are native to
7622-435: The evidence to support hypotheses about evolutionarily divergent lineages that have maintained their hereditary integrity through time and space. Molecular markers may be used to determine diagnostic genetic differences in the nuclear or mitochondrial DNA of various species. For example, in a study done on fungi , studying the nucleotide characters using cladistic species produced the most accurate results in recognising
7725-476: The fact that they live in the sinkholes of Utapau, giving them limited access to light. Pau'an society is generally friendly, and they are happy to welcome guests to their often-overlooked world. Pau'ans have four fingers and toes. They often wear elaborate clothes intended to heighten their impressive stature. Most Pau'ans speak both Utapese and Basic. Due to living in the Outer Rim Territories,
7828-596: The formation of the Republic. They are responsible for Tatooine's desert climate due to their razing of the planet, and Kashyyyk's lush overgrowth from their terraforming. During the travels of Revan ( Knights of the Old Republic ), it is discovered that this race went into decline due to the combination of a civil war and genetic plague. It is not known exactly when this happened, but by around 30,000 years before their rediscovery they became nearly extinct. The Rakata also used their technological skills and knowledge to build
7931-413: The galaxy as guards, thugs, and gladiators, on planets such as Genesia. One group intended for slavery became stranded on the forest moon of Endor. Polis Massans are humanoid aliens who inhabit the asteroid colony of Polis Massa . These thin, mute beings lead mining expeditions and medical research on their remote settlement. Polis Massa is actually the largest remnant of their original homeworld, which
8034-406: The governmental and administrative duties on Utapau, as the Utai did not desire such work, serving as labourers instead. Most Pau'ans served as leaders early in their lives, often managing teams of Utai laborers. This gave them experience that would be used throughout their long lives. Pau'ans were kind leaders, and sympathetic to their subordinates. Despite the many differences between the Pau'ans and
8137-472: The incisors could reach prodigious lengths, so most Ranats gnawed constantly to keep them filed back. Ranats were a species of small rodents. They shared many features in common with sentient species such as their distant cousins, the Tintinna,[14] and with other sentient mammals of similar physiology, including Chadra-Fan and Squibs. Nevertheless, the status of Ranats as fully sentient or merely semi-sentient
8240-550: The instinct for food, Ranats demonstrated hostility toward both outsiders and members of their own kind. In response to the threat posed by pest-control teams seeking to eliminate them, the tribes cooperated to counter this common adversary. Upon the arrival of entrepreneurs intending to transform Aralia into a planetary amusement park, Ranats resisted the intrusion and coordinated efforts to thwart these developments. The Antemeridian sector government designated Ranats as semi-sentient, allowing sentient beings to defend themselves against
8343-554: The lowest jobs in Ssi-Ruuvi society. Notable P'w'ecks include Lwothin , a leader of the P'w'eck Emancipation Movement. The Pykes are a fish-like humanoid species from the planet Oba Diah. One notable group of Pykes was the Pyke Syndicate, a criminal organization and one of the most prominent spice dealers in the galaxy. The Pykes first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars , in which the Pyke Syndicate has
8446-483: The numerous fungi species of all the concepts studied. Versions of the phylogenetic species concept that emphasise monophyly or diagnosability may lead to splitting of existing species, for example in Bovidae , by recognising old subspecies as species, despite the fact that there are no reproductive barriers, and populations may intergrade morphologically. Others have called this approach taxonomic inflation , diluting
8549-593: The paper is accepted for publication. The type material is usually held in a permanent repository, often the research collection of a major museum or university, that allows independent verification and the means to compare specimens. Describers of new species are asked to choose names that, in the words of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature , are "appropriate, compact, euphonious, memorable, and do not cause offence". Books and articles sometimes intentionally do not identify species fully, using
8652-571: The person in the eye if they are not force sensitive to perform this task. Among the more noticeable of this species is Jedi Master Yarael Poof . He served on one of the last Jedi High Councils and was present when Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn presented Anakin Skywalker to the Jedi Council for training. The Rakata are an amphibian-humanoid species from the planet Lehon. They ruled an "Infinite Empire" of 500 worlds, several thousand years before
8755-674: The person who named the species, while the antonym sensu lato ("in the broad sense") denotes a wider usage, for instance including other subspecies. Other abbreviations such as "auct." ("author"), and qualifiers such as "non" ("not") may be used to further clarify the sense in which the specified authors delineated or described the species. Species are subject to change, whether by evolving into new species, exchanging genes with other species, merging with other species or by becoming extinct. The evolutionary process by which biological populations of sexually-reproducing organisms evolve to become distinct or reproductively isolated as species
8858-403: The planet Pria . They have extremely flexible bodies, with five knobby notochords arranged along their tubular length. Their eyes are arranged in three pairs, one above the other, along the upper portion of their bodies, and can see in all directions at once. Their undersides are covered with thick brushy bristles. Thick, flexible spines emerge along the edges of their bodies. They speak by rubbing
8961-421: The planet. The species is taller on average than Humans are, at approximately 1.9 meters. They are bald, and their head is striped with furrowed, grey skin. Pau'ans weigh seventy kilograms on average. They have large, sunken black eyes in red eye sockets and jagged, fang-like teeth used for tearing into raw meat, as they are carnivores . The species has pale, wrinkled skin, and is able to see well in darkness due to
9064-520: The races that the cloned and insane Jedi master Joruus C'baoth kept under his rule at the foot of Mount Tantiss . The P'w'ecks are a warm-blooded, dinosaur -like species similar in appearance to the Ssi-Ruuk but with lower intelligence, smaller size, short tails and drooping eyes. The Ssi-Ruuk have dominated the P'w'ecks for thousands of years, enslaving and controlling their lives. They are used as slaves , guards and beasts of burden and perform
9167-487: The result of misclassification leading to questions on whether there really are any ring species. The commonly used names for kinds of organisms are often ambiguous: "cat" could mean the domestic cat, Felis catus , or the cat family, Felidae . Another problem with common names is that they often vary from place to place, so that puma, cougar, catamount, panther, painter and mountain lion all mean Puma concolor in various parts of America, while "panther" may also mean
9270-581: The rigors of being a bounty hunter. This is because of their harsh jungle home world, Rodia, and the guerrilla style clan-warfare that they witness (or participate in) on an almost daily basis. Roonans are a bulbous-headed, almond-eyed alien species from the planet Roona. Notable characters of this race include the Galactic Senate representative Edcel Bar Gane, and the Jedi Knight Halsey. Species A species ( pl. : species)
9373-586: The ring. Ring species thus present a difficulty for any species concept that relies on reproductive isolation. However, ring species are at best rare. Proposed examples include the herring gull – lesser black-backed gull complex around the North pole, the Ensatina eschscholtzii group of 19 populations of salamanders in America, and the greenish warbler in Asia, but many so-called ring species have turned out to be
9476-513: The rodents while prohibiting the arming of the species. The movement of well-armed groups to Aralia was restricted to conceal the existence of the Ranats and the controversial assessment of their sentience. Few Ranats were seen away from Aralia, and those that left the world occupied the lowest levels of society. Ranats established themselves on Tatooine, where they lived in the more populated areas as scroungers and traders. One group overran crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure's Palace after his death, and
9579-508: The same species. This concept was narrowed in 2006 to a similarity of 98.7%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) method quantifies genetic distance between entire genomes , using regions of about 10,000 base pairs . With enough data from genomes of one genus, algorithms can be used to categorize species, as for Pseudomonas avellanae in 2013, and for all sequenced bacteria and archaea since 2020. Observed ANI values among sequences appear to have an "ANI gap" at 85–95%, suggesting that
9682-529: The same species. When two species names are discovered to apply to the same species, the older species name is given priority and usually retained, and the newer name considered as a junior synonym, a process called synonymy . Dividing a taxon into multiple, often new, taxa is called splitting . Taxonomists are often referred to as "lumpers" or "splitters" by their colleagues, depending on their personal approach to recognising differences or commonalities between organisms. The circumscription of taxa, considered
9785-559: The sides of the head, varied in color from beady and black, to red. Their hairless, pink ears were small and round and typically lay flat against the head. A Ranat's long, pointed snout was full of sharp teeth and terminated in a yellowish-white nose surrounded by long, black whiskers. Their senses were acute: they could see in the dark and detect others' moods by scent. Ranats spoke in a voice of squeaks and screeches. A Ranat's bottom two incisors were sharp, pointed, and discolored yellow or brown from tartar and dirt. Gnawing stimulated glands in
9888-535: The situation necessitated it, such as during the Confederate invasion of the planet in 19 BBY. Pau'an society is characterized by a fusion of various styles and cultures, a result of the ancient integration with the Utai. Their settlements, such as the Pau City spaceport that is built into sinkhole walls, showcase a mix of architectural styles and unique designs. The Pau'ans have a penchant for art, engaging in
9991-506: The species concept and making taxonomy unstable. Yet others defend this approach, considering "taxonomic inflation" pejorative and labelling the opposing view as "taxonomic conservatism"; claiming it is politically expedient to split species and recognise smaller populations at the species level, because this means they can more easily be included as endangered in the IUCN red list and can attract conservation legislation and funding. Unlike
10094-495: The study of sculptures and integrating diverse artistic styles into their architecture. Despite their seemingly primitive appearance, Pau'ans have developed an industrial society, with the Utai undertaking the labor-intensive tasks. The Pau'ans utilize wind power, harnessed through massive windmills, to generate over ninety-nine percent of the planet's energy. Notably, many Pau'ans prefer riding living beasts like varactyls and dactillions instead of using speeders. Each city on Utapau
10197-491: The swampy world of Lowick. They have bulbous bodies supported by long, thin legs. Their eyes are on short stalks that jut from their heads, and their mouths are located at the end of a long, thin proboscis. Most Pa'lowicks do not leave the planet. Other species travel to Lowick to mine the rare and beautiful Lowickian firegems. A notable Pa'lowick is Sy Snootles, the singer of the Max Rebo Band and former girlfriend of Ziro
10300-540: The wild. It is difficult to define a species in a way that applies to all organisms. The debate about species concepts is called the species problem. The problem was recognised even in 1859, when Darwin wrote in On the Origin of Species : I was much struck how entirely vague and arbitrary is the distinction between species and varieties. He went on to write: No one definition has satisfied all naturalists; yet every naturalist knows vaguely what he means when he speaks of
10403-946: Was fractured by a natural cataclysm. The survivors took up residence there and began mining the asteroid for artifacts from their former civilization. These archaeological digs were in progress for so long that the mining supervisors came to be known as Polis Massans, having adopted the asteroid as their new homeworld. Polis Massans are characterized by their short, thin stature, flat and pale faces, and grey hands with four long, dexterous fingers. Due to their lack of speech, they communicate using sign language and devices. They also possess limited telepathy. Polis Massans have osmotic membrane faces and growth rings encircling their wiry bodies. Many of them engage in professions such as mining, medicine, or exobiology. Their typical attire consists of form-fitting bodysuits equipped with various signaling devices, medical equipment, and utility pouches. Most Polis Massan miners are seasoned spelunkers who dig deep into
10506-605: Was originally a Rattataki but with the release of season three of the Clone Wars cartoon her back story has been rewritten by the writers of the show and was the most famous member of their species. They were a playable race in Star Wars: The Old Republic . The Rishii are an avian species from the planet Rishi. They have human-like hands at the ends of their wings. They fly at great speeds from cliffs to catch rodents in their talons. Like most avians,
10609-461: Was the subject of galactic debate for centuries. With few exceptions, Ranats stood about a meter high. This small size made them seem innocuous to many who encountered them and belied their power. They had short, well-muscled limbs with four digits on each forepaw and three per hindpaw. All four paws were nimble and capable of fine manipulation. Ranats had short, heavy-duty, retractable claws that, while of limited use in hunting or self-defence, allowed
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