======Sape======

Sape is the collective designation given to the world's various bipedal, sentient, and sapient species, comprising five classes: [[Mammal]], [[Bird]], [[Reptile]], [[Amphibian]], and [[Fish]]. Sapes are physically characterized by their bodily orientation of two arms terminating in hands with opposable thumbs, two legs terminating in feet, defined shoulders, and an upright posture with a vertical spine. Sapes are capable of speech, written language, complex thought, oral and written tradition, diverse social activity, and elaborate architecture, as compared to their [[Feral|non-sape counterparts]]. 

=====Biology=====

====Evolution====

The creation of sapes is assumed to have been the intentional and final act of the [[Dreadwyrm]] civilizations in the aftermath of the [[Void War]], which resulted in the creation of both [[dragon|dragons]] and sapes. As all vertebrates who lived on Mersia were uplifted by this act, the current scientific consensus on Mersia is that the evolution of sapes was not a natural process. 

====Taxonomy====

The taxonomic representation of sapes, as an 'engineered sub-species' of all vertebrates, is written with the feral animal species name first, followed by 'sapiens'. For example, a brown rat has the species name of Rattus norvegicus. A sape who is a brown rat has the species name Rattus norvegicus //sapiens//. 

====Reproduction====

Any sape can produce viable offspring with any other sape. Sapes can also produce viable offspring with dragons. When reproducing with another sape, the mother of the sape will determine the species of the offspring. The infant may inherit some morphological traits from their father (such as skull shape, stature, or skin type).

A sape who is impregnated by a dragon will give birth to a [[speaker]], typically with the same basic appearance as the birth giver, for example, a mammalian sape will give birth to a speaker with a generally mammalian appearance in addition to draconic features. A sape who instead impregnates a dragon will have [[demiwyrm]] offspring.

====Lifecycle====

===Infancy===

In infancy, sapes more closely resemble their feral animal counterparts, although with much larger heads proportionally, and hands with opposable thumbs. Until the third year of development, sapes more closely resemble their counterpart species than other sapes. Depending on the specific species, the eyes may not open for several months after birth.