Humans

The Human species, also known as Humanity, Mankind or Man, is the most dominant intelligent species in the Milky Way Galaxy in the late 42nd Millenium. They are bipedal mammals who have proven to prefer highly stratified, hierarchical societies.
Humanity is an aggressively violent, territorial and expansionist species that, under the rule of the Emperor of Mankind, has proven to possess little tolerance for other forms of intelligent life. They exist divided into a multitude of factions, either working for or against the overall interests of Mankind in its attempts to retain control over the galaxy and survive unscathed in an incredibly hostile universe.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Humans, known taxonomically as Homo sapiens (from the ancient language of the Roma which meant "wise man" or "knowing man"), are the only living species in the Homo genus of bipedal primates in Hominidae, the great ape family. Anatomically modern-appearing Humans originated on the world of Terra about 250,000 standard years ago, reaching full behavioural modernity only around 90,000 standard years ago.
Humans have a highly developed brain, capable of abstract reasoning, language, introspection, and problem-solving. This mental capability, combined with an erect body carriage that frees the hands for manipulating objects, allowed Humans to make far greater use of tools than any other living species on Old Earth.
Due to the far reaching nature of the species, several distinct genetic offshoots of the "primary" Human race exist that diverged as a result of adaptation to the variety of planets settled by Mankind. Generally viewed with distain by their baseline cousins, those Abhumans that possess only "mild" deviation, such as Ogryns, Ratlings, and Squats, can attain full citizenship in the Imperium, albeit just barely.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Primary senses include sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Present in Humanity exists a mutation that provides a sixth sense, known as the "Psyker" gene. Psykers can peer into the Warp and manipulate local reality to an extent. Navigators, a specific type of Psyker, allow Humanity to traverse the currents of the Immaterium thus travel throughout the Galaxy relatively freely. Psychic powers are typically viewed with extreme prejudice and superstition by a majority of Mankind, as Psykers are much more susceptible to the perils of the Warp, such as mutation and possession.

Scientific Name

Homo Sapiens

Origin/Ancestry

Terran

Geographic Distribution

• The Milky Way Galaxy