Bipedaliforma
Bipedaliforma (Packilvanian: LeDashpramantan) is a theoretical taxonomic classification (specifically at the level of suborder) which was created with the aim of classifying and outlining the potential evolution of the omnivorous bipedal sapient mammals of the planet Urth. Unfortunately, the group is heavily contested and has not gained universal acceptance. The Bipedaliforma are characterised by being able to walk upright all the time and are among the only group of mammals which posses this capability. Their most closely related relatives are believed to be the Primates (with which it is grouped in the clade Omnivora) however primates cannot walk on their hind legs all the time. The Bipedaliforma are not the only clade that contains sentient beings for instance the Reptile order contains the Cava and Aurians.
All the extant species of Bipedaliforma are believed to fall under the Ambidactylyforma infraorder. The Ambidactyliforma infraorder is characterised by the use of opposable thumbs. It is believed that this group quickly outcompeted the Unidactyliforma (the extinct second branch of Bipedaliforma) for resources and space and led to their extinction. The Ambidactyliforma are further subdivided according to their preferred form of ambulation, either digitigrade (i.e., the Digitigradidae) and plantigrade (Plantigradidae). Priminimorpha is by far the biggest source of disagreement in the scientific community. According to a survey conducted by the Auroran Continental Press Organization (ACPO), 49% of scientists in a sample of 12,350 respondents wanted to place Tieflings and Nekomimi in a separate tribe from Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Orcs due to their highly distinct physical features while 51% supported the status quo (as depicted in the table below). Secondly, the same survey found that 31% of scientists wanted to place Dwarves outside of Primus primus as Primus pumilio instead. Debates and disputes in this regard are ongoing. Nikolai Kudaivili, a scientist from the University of Akhalibisi in Tuvaltastan stated in his response to the survey that he hoped advances in genetics, archeology and zoology would improve the ability to classify these groups and conclude the debate, sentiments which were echoed universally by the the other respondents.
The history of Elves is particularly contentious. Orcs and Elves share such close genetic traits that some scholars have suggested that they should be grouped together. Some anthropologists have suggested that Elves consist of subspecies (refer to this for a list). Others have vehemently opposed the idea that morphological variation in the Elves is sufficient to justify taxonomic distinctions with some going so far as to call this system of classification scientific racism. The following table contains a list of all extant groups of the Bipedaliforma clade.
| Class | Order | Suborder | Infraorder | Family | Subfamily | Tribe | Genus | Species | Subspecies | Common names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mammalia | Omnivora | Bipedaliforma | Ambidactyliforma | Plantigradidae | Priminiforma | Primus | Primus buccinus | N/A | Tiefling | |
| Primus nekomimi | N/A | Nekomimi | ||||||||
| Primus primus | Primus primus chavliodontus | Orc | ||||||||
| Primus primus homo | Human | |||||||||
| Primus primus dryadalis | Elf | |||||||||
| Primus primus pumilio | Dwarf | |||||||||
| Carnivoraforma | Maridae | Vidrus | Vidrus vidrus | N/A | Lutryne | |||||
| Terradae | Kokkinopantis | Kokkinopantis kokkinopantis | N/A | Ailurine | ||||||
| Arcoudiforma | Arcoudis | Arcoudis arcoudis | N/A | Ursine | ||||||
| Digitigrade | Lycaniforma | Alepis | Alepis alepis | N/A | Vulpine | |||||
| Lycanis | Lycanis lycanis | N/A | Lupine | |||||||
| Gatiforma | Gatis | Gatis gatis | N/A | Feline | ||||||
| Unguligrade | Pecoriforma | Cervis | Cervis cervis | N/A | Cervines | |||||
