Where did the humans in Star Wars come from?

[000]

There are all kinds of creatures in the Star Wars universe that look almost exactly like humans but with one key visible difference, like a pair of horns or antenna or head-tails (as well as different skin color, usually)...from a real-life evolutionary point of view, aliens who look that close to humans are only slightly less improbable than aliens who look exactly like humans. So, I think it's reasonable to conclude that the laws of biology just don't work the same way in the Star Wars universe, maybe the Force influences evolution so that many different planets end up converging on nearly-identical humanoid forms.

The vast majority of those 'aliens' are actually technically humans-- offshoots that diverged long ago from baseline humanity after thousands of years of isolation on a planet. Chiss, Theelin, Zabrak, Zeltrons, and such all descendants of basline humans.

[hypnosifl]

There are all kinds of creatures in the Star Wars universe that look almost exactly like humans but with one key visible difference, like a pair of horns or antenna or head-tails (as well as different skin color, usually)...from a real-life evolutionary point of view, aliens who look that close to humans are only slightly less improbable than aliens who look exactly like humans. So, I think it's reasonable to conclude that the laws of biology just don't work the same way in the Star Wars universe, maybe the Force influences evolution so that many different planets end up converging on nearly-identical humanoid forms.

The vast majority of those 'aliens' are actually technically humans-- offshoots that diverged long ago from baseline humanity after thousands of years of isolation on a planet. Chiss, Theelin, Zabrak, Zeltrons, and such all descendants of basline humans.

Interesting, I didn't know that--would that apply to all the "near humans" shown on this page? Thinking in terms of real-life biology, it's still pretty hard to believe that a mammal species could naturally evolve some of these new features (antenna, for example) without any other part of their body being visibly modified...maybe you could explain it in terms of genetic engineering though...

[000]

Interesting, I didn't know that--would that apply to all the "near humans" shown on this page? Thinking in terms of real-life biology, it's still pretty hard to believe that a mammal species could naturally evolve some of these new features (antenna, for example) without any other part of their body being visibly modified...maybe you could explain it in terms of genetic engineering though...

Chalactans, Chiss, Theelin, Miralan, Nagai, Umbraran, and Zabrak are all definitely offshoots of baseline humanity. Chalactans in fact are (like Kiffar) not really even offshoots; they're just referred to as a different species for whatever reason. Quiraash and Balosars I'm unsure about, but they could be-- it's entirely possible that that specific specimen of Quiraash is deformed or that Balosars are the result of genetic engineering.

Twi'lek females look very human-like most likely due to mimicry; they evolved a human like appearance to appeal to human sexual desires and thus better advance themselves. I'd guess that with Anzati it's similar; since they prey on sentients (and humans are the most common sentient) it's reasonable that they evolved or engineered themselves to have a human appearance as camouflage. The human-like appreance of Chagrians, Devaronians, and Togruta are all superficial and probably concidental (in a galaxy of millions of sentients, superficially similar appearances aren't too hard to swallow). Clawdites are of course shape-changers, and Bimms look nothing like the guy in the picture. Don't know why they called him one.

As far as evolution developing the different traits, as you noted most varieties of humans just have different skin colors, which isn't unreasonable. Theelin have three rather than five fingers and patches of odd textured skin, but this isn't unreasonable for baseline humanity-- it could be the result of genetic drift. The Zabrak's horns are a bit odder, but they could certianly have evolved from hair (for whatever reason) much like rhino horns did.

[Gil Hamilton]

Didn't anyone see ET? It's obvious that after tasting Reese's Pieces, ETs folks returned and took enough humans to start a colony in the SW Galaxy in which they originate (as you can see, ET's folks are in the Republic Senate). Obviously some time travel is involved, but that's plausible if ET's folks utilized a wormhole to get to Earth. After all, under certain conditions wormholes not only can connect different points in space, but different times as well. *poof* THere you go.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Easter eggs don't count, asslicker.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Gil was making a joke, IP.

[Gil Hamilton]

Easter eggs don't count, asslicker.

It was a humorous response to an unanswerable question, in other words, just a joke.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Gil was making a joke, IP.

Its hardly unreasonable to assume otherwise. Gil has been known to use out-of-context and intellectually dishonest arguments against strict Suspension of Disbelief before. I expected more of the same.

[Noble Ire]

= Joking perhaps?

[000]

It ain't just an easter egg, Illuminatus Primus.

Valorum recognized some of the voices and many of the faces. Crushed against the left wall he noticed the delegate from New Bornalex. Behind him, Senator Grepps and his trio of large-eyed, puddle-footed delegates from Brodo Asogi.

ET also exhibited telekinetic powers and got excited about the yoda costume... a wayward Jedi, perhaps?

[Cykeisme]

Hypnosifil's post (last post on the first page of the thread) is actually a possibility, and while invoking the Force might sound as a "god of the gaps" explanation, it's the only one that doesn't have any problems... even if it's only due to a lack of quantification of the Force's nature.

The idea that Zabraks, for example, evolved from humans doesn't sound logical. Even assuming such a mutation causing symmetrical horns atop a human's head were to occur in an individual, what evolutionary pressures could possibly favor those possessing the trait? What are the chances of them separating and speciating apart from humans?
Meanwhile, the idea of Twi'leks looking like humans due to mimicry doesn't make sense either. Evolution isn't a conscious process. Natural selection wouldn't work either, because attractive female Twi'leks are kidnapped into slavery and taken off-world, where they don't get to pass on their traits. If anything, this factor should eliminate attractive female Twi'leks.

Returning to the concept of the Force guiding the development of life forms, these different races could have evolved from totally disparate types of animals but gradually moved toward "human-like" shape, though it can be said that humans evolved "Zabrak-like" or "Chiss-like" appearances.

Humans on Earth, meanwhile, may simply be under the same influence of the Force. If that many disparate species can end up looking that much alike, then the probability of two independent species looking damn near identical - indistinguishable- is much higher.

Or, you know, not. Never mind.

[Glimmervoid]

It's non-canon, but I've always liked a scene from a issue of the Marvel Star Wars comics that touched on this question. Han Solo visits ruins on a planet called Seoul 5 and finds a statue of a mother goddess figure with an inscription declaring Seoul 5 to be the birthplace of humanity. Solo comments, "With all due respect lady, there are a half-dozen other planets that make the same claim." (Or words very close to that.) In the absence of more concrete evidence, that's the most anyone can say.

In the new Jedi order books it says that lots of planets clamed to be the birth place of humanity and that "wars have been fort over it in the past".

[Lusankya]

Perhaps the SW God created man in his own image? And then added women in because he thought they were hot (and Luke needed to be attracted to Princess Leia)?

Just a thought.

[Oskuro]

If I may toggle SOD on and off momentarily...

SOD=false;

It is common for settings with a mystical power on the background to sport convergent species. Many fantasy settings have all types of humanoid variants (Minotaurs, Lizardmen, Catfolk, Centaurs...), most of wich originate from ancient legends, and those legends originate from the original storyteller's desire to define the universe according to themselves. But, there is an SOD interpretation that I quite like, and I think it can fit the SW setting nicely.

SOD=true;

The Force has been mentioned as a cause for this strange evolutive process. I must agree that using it as a "Deus Ex Machina" to solve the problem is lazy, but we could argue that the Force itself seems to have a sort of will, probably an echo from all the living creatures that form it. As such, maybe the influence of the minds of the most abundant species have somehow redirected the evolution of other species.

SOD=false;

Also, it might be noteworthy that, upon assuming that SW is a reconstruction of real events (SOD of course), it is sometimes assumed that glitches on the "documentary" explain some discrepancies. We could postulate that the "documentary" we have seen is aimed at humans, so the main species of the Galaxy has been portrayed as human, but that it could really be just any species.


Anyway, just my two cents, as it is usually stated.

[HemlockGrey]

There are millions of planets in the Galaxy, many of them with Earthlike conditions. I don't see why it is so unreasonable to assume that humans evolved in that galaxy, especially when we have absolutely no evidence or reference to Earth (that I'm aware of).

There are frequently earthlike aliens on ST, but we don't conclude that they must be displaced humans.

[Cykeisme]

Perhaps the SW God created man in his own image? And then added women in because he thought they were hot (and Luke needed to be attracted to Princess Leia)?

Just a thought.

Hey Lusankya, come over here and put your neck in my hands. I promise not to squeeze, buddy. Really!

[Glimmervoid]

There are millions of planets in the Galaxy, many of them with Earthlike conditions. I don't see why it is so unreasonable to assume that humans evolved in that galaxy, especially when we have absolutely no evidence or reference to Earth (that I'm aware of).

There are frequently earthlike aliens on ST, but we don't conclude that they must be displaced humans.

And to solve that startrek said some old aliens seeded the galaxy in there own image.

[Lusankya]

Perhaps the SW God created man in his own image? And then added women in because he thought they were hot (and Luke needed to be attracted to Princess Leia)?

Just a thought.

Hey Lusankya, come over here and put your neck in my hands. I promise not to squeeze, buddy. Really!

Why would you want to do that?

When you think about it, George Lucas is the God of SW-verse. Anything that happens in the Galaxy goes through him first.

[Cykeisme]

Lol just kidding.

Anyway, George Lucas doesn't equate into SoD analyses.

[Ender]

I think that the consensus is that SW humans originated on Coruscant. I dont know where it says this but I think I am right.

Coruscant is further from the sun (as in colder), has a higher gravity, and has two already extinct intellegent lifeforms credited with evolving there. Even ignoring the last point, the other two differences means we would not be as we are had we evolved there.

[Kurgan]

As Gil & gladius said, since E.T.'s race exists in Star Wars as well, it's proof positive that Earth exists in the Star Wars (or close enough) galaxy. And doesn't Elliot have some Star Wars toys visible in his room in "E.T."? E.T. has Force powers? CANON!!!!!!1




Just to add some fuel to the flames, and yes I know it's just an easter egg/injoke