Provolve

BY LETTER

Provolve

[1] [noun] Any species of subsapient or presapient animal, plant or other non-sophont biological organism, that has had its genotype modified and intelligence enhanced by whatever means to the level of sophonce, along with any genomic and/or bionic augmentations required for manipulation of objects, interfacing with tech, communications, and other necessities of civilized life. (abbrev. Prolve)

[2] [verb] To provolve, to raise, enhance, or augment the intelligence of a non-sophont species to sophonce

It is often said that love of provolution is a purely Terragen trait. However it is known that extinct xenosophonts like the Builders of the Black Acropolis also practised provolution enthusiastically and some branches of the Muuh were involved in the creation of the Soft Ones. In any case, it is true that the Terragens have been especially prolific. Humans, Terragen AIs and vecs, the provolves they created, and even xenosophont races that have come in contact with Terragen civilization have all shown themselves to be prolific provolutionists.

No fewer than 138,000 indigenous Terragen species - representing all major metazoan phyla, and in some cases even plants, fungi, protists, and colonial prokaryotes, have been provolved, some with more success than others, and some, like human domestic companion animals (felids, canids, etc.) many times. This number does not include sophont clades that evolved or gengineered themselves further from their provolved ancestors. Many xenobiota have been provolved as well, leading to the peculiar fact that the majority of "xenosophont" citizens of the Terragen galaxy are actually provolves. Lazurogened animals are another popular choice for provolution; some assert that it is not just necessary to restore these long-extinct species to life; one should also maximize their intelligence as well. Dinosaurs, therapsida, Paleogene mammalia, ammonites, trilobites — there is no limit to the type and diversity of prehistoric animals that have been provolved. Today, provolves number in the many trillions, and many have gone on to establish their own polities, cultures, and religions, to radiate into daughter species and clades, and to provolve other species in turn.

Articles

Acties (Ray-Finned Fish Provolves) - Text by Mike Parisi
Actinopterygian or Ray-finned fishes (as opposed to lobe-finned, from which all Terragen land vertebrates are believed ultimately to be derived) were not originally considered by many to be promising candidates for provolution - being cold-blooded, small-brained, generally non-social, and lacking fine manipulators or anything that could easily be adapted as such.
African Grey Parrot - Text by Kirran Lochhead Strang
An intelligent, talkative bird originally from rainforests in Western and Central Africa. Successfully provolved during the early Interplanetary Age, it became the first non-mammalian provolve
Albertosaurus sapiens - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Large dinosaur provolve.
Alseid - Text by Tony Jones
The first successful sophont plant provolves.
Amboseli - Text by Steve Bowers
Provolved Ungulate colony
Anttechians - Text by Tony Jones
A form of ant that is sophont, not at the level of individual ants, but at the level of their nest as a whole.
Ao Lai - Text by Stephen Inniss
Ao Lai (Gamma Leporis A and B) contains two Klemperer rosettes of artificial planets, and hosts a rich complex of civilisations under the umbrella of the Institute for Primate Provolution.
Architeuthis - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
The baseline Architeuthis harveyi (Order Teuthoida, Family Architeuthidae) is the giant squid of Earth. It is the largest post-Mesozoic baseline invertebrate, and inhabits a bathypelagic environment. It has the largest eyes of any Cenozoic animal (only some ichthyosaurs had bigger eyes), reaching up to 25 cm in diameter. Specimens may reach 17.5 meters in length (including the tentacles), and weigh 900 kg or more. It is preyed on by sperm whales. Even more so that other terragen life, there is a lack of information on the current status of Architeuthis on Earth, due to the species deep ocean habitat.
Aroostai - Text by Todd Drashner
Avianoid provolve species based on the Terran ostrich.
Aruan, Clade - Text by Stephen Inniss
Provolved snail clade; one of the smallest sapient biont clades, and a notable example of Frankenstein Syndrome.
Bitenic Squid - Text by Anders Sandberg
Squid provolve clade that gives cephalopods a bad reputation.
Blue Whale - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Balaenoptera musculus musculus - the largest animal that lived on Old Earth, the baseline blue whale was, like all the Mysticeti, a gentle plankton feeder that fed on krill and small fish and attained a length of over 30 meters and a weights of around 150,000 kg. They were hunted to extinction by the whaling nations during the Atomic and early Information Age. A wealth of evidence suggests that the species has been lazurogened by GAIA, certainly there must have been baseline blue whales to serve as a template for the provolve species.
Bolobo - Text by Steve Bowers
A planetary system with no large planets, but several smaller worlds which have been shephereded over time into stable orbits.
Bradychronic Plant Provolves - Text by Bill Glover
Plant provolves who perceive time more slowly than do typical Terragens.
Brain Kelp - Text by Tony Jones
Seaweed with intelligence.
Bright Cats - Text by Achaz the Transavant
Bufos, Bufies - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Safrog provolves.
Calebs (Talking Dogs) - Text by Mike Parisi
It was perhaps inevitable that the first species domesticated by humans would also be the subject of some of the earliest attempts to increase intelligence in a non-human species.
Conchoid - Text by John B
Originally designed as a pet for some clades of cephalopod provolves, and designed primarily for aquatic environments.
Cymbium sapiens - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Provolved marine snail species and clade, Utopia Sphere and elsewhere.
Dendrosequoia sapiens - Text by Steve Bowers
150 meter high sophont trees with biocomputronium cores; developed in the Biopolity and have spread to many worlds. Revered as spiritual leaders in some parts of the Sophic League.
Dixolutionists - Text by AI Vin
Experimental evolutionists and biosphere designers, responsible for (amongst other products)the Ton-e-mite clade.
Dorrahsa - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
A race of small dinosaur provolves, the Dorrahsa spread widely during the early Empires period. Only one clade of Dorrahsa were settled on Owen, where they have reverted to a primitive culture. Those that are distributed through space are generally more intelligent, technologically savvy, and assimilate well into hu culture (mainly as companion sentients), although a few clades have a predilection for violent employment (mercenaries and piracy are common occupations, but only in conjunction with other races).
Eja, Clade - Text by Stephen Inniss
A clade of provolved bonobos, famous for their skill as empaths.
Enhanced Dolphins - Text by Anders Sandberg
Image from Arik
Large and important dolphin provolve clade.
Envome - Text by Tony Jones
Environmental Minds; entire ecosystems which have become intelligent.
Eudore, Clade - Text by Luke Campbell
Clade Eudore is an extreme case of provolution; a species with very little brainpower modified to full sophont status. Like their ancestors, Eudorae are large errant polychaete worms. While they often occur in large numbers, their flexible nature and thigmatropic (tight space loving) habits often conceal their true population in many aquatic habitats.
Everypath - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Secular keterist splice-tweak culture, together with Fredholm regarded as masters of genetic provolution.
Familiar Perentie - Text by Luke Campbell
A popular reptilian pet dating back to pre-Technocalypse Earth, descended from monitor lizards. It has expanded with humanity to the stars, typically fulfilling a role as a pest-control predator or a companion animal. The clade has diversified to many different breeds, including a number of provolve lines.
Federal Institute of Provolution, The - Text by Liam Jones
Institute created in the Vesta Convention of 937 AT with the specific aim of protecting the rights of provolved clades.
Gaian Whale - Text by Anders Sandberg and M. Alan Kazlev
Following the Great Expulsion, the archailect GAIA (perhaps at the suggestion of some of the Children of Gaia) resurrected many or even all the species of great whales, some representatives of which were then provolved. Hence the term "Gaian Whales", which refers to those species that were restored by GAIA and to derived provolved clades.
Handtech - Text by Stephen Inniss
Technology that replaces, or augments, biological limbs, or acts as manipulators for aioid entities.
Harrroh - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
One of the most respected species of sufants, originally descended from Indian elephants. Most live on the terraformed planets of Yhrraini and Jhairrn in the (Utopia Sphere). They are widely admired as philosophers, playwrights, and artists.
Hobo Sapiens - Text by Steve Bowers
Tweaked and provolved space spiders Hobo sapiens that can produce buckytube from their spinnerettes.
Hrruuaiih - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
One of the most successful sufant clades, developed from African elephants, they have established a competitive sapient culture based on Hhrraiirah and a number of colony worlds. Bioborgization is common.
Huginn and Muninn - Text by Mark Ryherd
Provolved Corvids with interdependent mental specializations.
Humanimal - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
An animal provolved by means of human genome. A splice. (Contra rianth.)
Iguanaphont - Text by A Pork Chop
Provolved humanoid iguanas
Iniliak - Text by Tony Jones
Clade of provolved, sophont polyps which are rather like a cross between coral and sponge, created around 4500 A.T. by a Pan-Sophontist group on the ocean world of Vanora in the Pan-Sophontist League.
Kanuma, Clade - Text by Stephen Inniss
Successful splice/provolve clade; large proportion of their genome is derived from Mormyrus kannume, an "electrical" fish species from Old Earth's Africa. Sophont individuals are polysomatic, based on small schools of fish rather than on a single organism.
Keelan - Text by Grant Thomas with additions by M. Alan Kazlev
The Keelan are a race of cat provolves (apparently originally from the Utopia Sphere) that developed in isolation with the loss of wormhole links following the Version War.
Keruing, Clade - Text by Stephen Inniss
Provolved plant clade based on seeds. In their baseline form members of this clade give rise to a tree at the end of their lives.
Kriavuks - Text by Michael Walton
Sapient war-dogs.
Madi, Clade - Text by Liam Jones
Manta sapiens, sometimes known as Enhanced Mantas.
Marsupial Lion Provolves - Text by Steve Bowers
Former clade of provolved marsupial lions, now presumed extinct although sightings continue to be reported.
Mawas, Clade - Text by Stephen Inniss
A clade of provolved orang-utans.
Megasiber - Text by Darren Ryding
Immense, catlike marsupials of the frigid planet Kragliath.
Metal Monkeys - Text by Stephen Inniss
Rhesus monkey cyborgs, originally purpose-built with a "slave" mentality to serve a small polity on the Periphery but freed by avatars of Sun Wu K'ung.
Neo-Pigs - Text by Tony Jones with updates by bibliophile20
Important and influential porcine provolve species.
Ness - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Clade of plesiosaur provolve, named after a mythical creature from Old Earth.
Ngagi, Clade - Text by Stephen Inniss
Clade of provolved gorillas.
Octoperiors - Text by Arik
Su-level octopus provolves
Oro Mistral - Text by D. David Barbeau
Utopia Sphere whale and dolphin world.
Pan-Sophontism - Text by Tony Jones
Provolve movement that says that as it is possible for subsapient life to be raised up to sophonce, it is only ethical that they should be.
Pod - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
A social group of baseline whales. Among cetacean provolves (enhanced dolphins, gaian whales, etc.), pod has various meanings, ranging from a small family or social group to a community, a ship's crew, a polity, or (rarely and usually poetically) an entire clade.
Post-provolve - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
An provolve who has attained to S1 or above. They can be as varied and diverse in origin as provolves themselves.
Prevolution - Text by Alphadon
Many clades have nonsophont ancestors, such as provolves, alifes, and assorted items of sentient technology that achieved sophonce. However, many were created as they are now, without undergoing any evolution. The process of creating simulated evolutionary precursors of these clades is known as prevolution, a pun on "provolution" using the ancient Anglic prefix "pre-", meaning "before".
Provolution Timeline - Text by Stephen Inniss
Significant dates in the history of efforts to raise non-human species to full sentience and sophonce.
Provolved Reef squid - Text by Kirran Lochhead Strang
Provolved Reef Squids.
PsySquid - Text by Mark Ryherd
PsySquids (Paratodarodes spp.) a gengineered superclade of species descending from Todarodes pacificus, which produce tailored psychoactive ink
Putorians, Neputons, and Nanputons - Text by Tony Jones
Provolved ferret clades.
Raffin - Text by Glen Finney
A rat provolve clade of ancient pre-Technocalypse origin.
Rat Provolves - Text by Steve Bowers
Rats of several species with artificially enhanced intelligence.
Requiem, Clade - Text by Liam Jones
Provolved lemon sharks.
Rufus - Text by Steve Bowers
A planet with five moons, mostly inhabited by Dog provolves.
Sapient Hyenas - Text by Liam Jones
Crocuta Crocuta Sapiens
Sapientbonobos and Sapientchimpanzees - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and Steve Bowers
Chimp and bonobo races raised to sophonce, and sometimes beyond.
Shepbra - Text by John Edds
Intelligent clade derived from Geckos.
Siberoo - Text by Darren Ryding
Zoosplice/Provolve sapient based on synthesis of Siberian tiger and red kangaroo.
Soomia - Text by M. Alan Kazlev from original concept by Kevin Self
A clade of neogen-splice artist provolves, originally designed as companions to human artists. They long ago established an independent homeland in the Utopia Sphere and their own reputation for artistic talent. Soomia or gorups of Soomia tend to travel widely for extended and so are known throughout Terragen space.
Splice and Provolve Universalist Church - Text by D. David Barbeau
Major religion derived from the Universal Church.
Streyas - Text by Michael Walton
Early provolve echinoderm clade originally designed for underwater construction work.
Sufants - Text by Tony Jones
Proboscidian Terragen mammals (that is, elephants), or derivatives thereof, who have been provolved to full sophonce.
Supenguins - Text by James Rogers
Provolved penguin clade.
Tavi, Clade - Text by Stephen Inniss
Provolve/splice group of terragen mammalian stock. Genetic analysis shows that the clade is derived primarily from the meerkats of Old Earth, but with significant additions of genetic material from other species
Tien-schu - Text by Steve Bowers
System which is host to several species of provolved mouse
Toh Chi Lok - Text by Darren Ryding
Tweaked superbright deinonychus provolves; the dominant species of the Toh Chi Lok-Nar.
Ton-E-mites - Text by AI Vin
Termite derived clade evolved by Dixolutionist techniques.
Transapient Whales - Text by Darren Ryding and Steve Bowers
First and Second Singularity transcended Whales.
Turo-ro Singer - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Neo-frog clade.
Tvekna - Text by Tony Jones
A race of tree provolves created on the Zoeific Biopolity world of Sanobar, they first achieved sophonce in roughly 6500 A.T. Like the Alseid they have been modified to have ganglionic brains spread throughout their bodies, as well as eyes, ears and chemical senses and defenses.
Vedokiklek - Text by Anders Sandberg
Insect provolve-neogen clade.