Cava: Difference between revisions

 

== Evolution ==

 

An omnivorous species of treeclaw entered a trend of rapidly increasing cranial capacity approximately 10-15 Mya, resulting in a range of new species capable of creating and using basic tools and achieving a rudimentary use of fire. This alongside the long-term aridification of Central-East Aurora led to upright bipedalism evolving as a response to the thinning forests and the expanding plains biome as a means of faster locomotion and predator detection. Anatomically modern cava evolved 2 Mya in the [[Ethaln Plains|Ethaln Plain]] and quickly spread to dominate the continent, however without any continuous land bridges to Yasteria at the time they remained geographically isolated.

 

Although highly disputed, evidence from uncovered tools suggests that cava hunter gatherers in modern Staynes may have domesticated and farmed several crops for a brief period of time approximately 500-300 Kya. It is unknown how developed this culture became, how long it lasted or why reversion to hunter-gathering occurred due to the advanced decay of the recovered artefacts. Agriculture was likely developed a second time approximately 100 Kya onwards from which tentative evidence of basic metalworking exists, entirely localised in the Axdelian peninsula. However, the onset of glaciation and more extreme climate conditions, expansion of a large tundra steppe and the subsequent failure of crops likely forced a return to hunter gathering.

 

Falling temperatures lead to a land bridge forming between Yasteria and Aurora at various points from 200 Kya onwards, leading to cava encountering migrating elves. Whilst there are signs of intraspecies violence, there is also significant evidence of coexisting communities in many regions. It is unknown why no Cava migrated northwards into Yasteria during this time. Humans arrived on the continent 50 Kya, but by that point the Cava were limited to the extreme and isolated regions of the continent.

 

Cava have an upright, humanoid appearance, but their skeletal structure differs significantly from most other sapient species. Like many therapods, parts of cavan skeletons are pneumatised and hollow, strengthened with criss-crossing struts. This provides great strength comparable to mammalian bones whilst being much lighter. Cava possess a vestigial keel bone on their sternum, which often appears as a noticeable bulge on the chest. Cavan Legs possess a digitigrade arrangement and their digits are tetradactyl, with four for each limb. Cavan feet have an anisodactyl arrangement and the hands consist of one opposable thumb and three main digits. Their skulls and beak are remarkably similar to that of corvids, indicative of their ancestors' generalist lifestyle and omnivorous diet. Intracranial volume is typically somewhat smaller than other sapient species, however neuron density is much greater and seems to result in equivalent general intelligence.