From WoWWiki

Species (aka race) is a term used to split various unique creatures into separate groups. There are numerous species throughout Azeroth, including orcs, humans, gnomes, trolls, and murlocs, among many others.^{loM 141} There can also be generations of offspring from interfertile parents of two different species.^{MG 175} They maybe the first generation of a new hybrid species^{MG 175}. Many races can interbreed including dwarves, high elves, night elves, trolls, goblins, orcs, tauren^{MoM 200} - producing races like half-elves, half-night elves, half-ogres, half-human half-ogres, half-draenei, half-giants, mongrelmen, harpies and dragonspawn. These offspring are often called half-breeds.

Satyr, dryads, keepers of the grove, centaur, magnataur and nerubians, may also be truly hybrid races.

Contents 1 Definition 2 Known lore "species" 2.1 "subspecies" 3 Speculation based on real-world definitions 3.1 Species speculation (based on known half-breeds) 4 References

Definition

In World of Warcraft, Blizzard interchanges the terms species and race giving them roughly the same meaning.^[1]

Humans are the dominant (as in, “most obvious”) intelligent species on Azeroth, but they are by no means alone. Elves, dwarves, tauren, imports such as orcs, and so on all share the world with humanity. In some cases, such races have proven far more influential than humanity over the long term.^{WRPG 38}

In the Warcraft Universe races like elves, dwarves, humans, orcs, draenei, ogres, goblins, tauren, etc, are considered separate species^{[2]RotH 251 WRPG 38 LoC 80 LoM 141CoH 43APG 61, 82 HPG 139, 154 MG 88, 175} and separate races.

For example, since the beginning of the First War, orcs have interbred with a number of species that vary largely in appearance; mostly with humans, but half-ogres and half-draenei are not unheard of.^{HPG 139}

In the RPG each separate playable race is considered a species/race and/or depending on source a subspecies/subrace within a base type. For example high elves, blood elves, night elves and highborne are considered separate race/species or subspecies/subrace within the elven type.^{WRPG 144APG 88, 175} The terms subspecies amd subrace are used in the context that they are subtypes within another species/race.

Unfortunately Blizzard isn't always consistent on how they use the terms. Sometimes using the term 'race' when they meant the biological definition of 'species'. This has lead conflicts between sources, where one source says blood elves and high elves are the same 'biological race'('biological species' would have been a more proper use of words in that syntax), when most sources say they are separate races (culturally and biologically).

Known lore "species"

This is a list of sapient "species" established in lore. Additionally, each grouping within the same group such as various types of dwarves, elves, or trolls are considered separate species/race or subspecies/subrace depending on the source.^{WRPG 144APG 82, 86}

• Centaur^{LoM 31}
• Human^{WRPG 38LoC 80LoM 141APG 61HPG 139MG 88}
• Orc^{LoC 80LoC 80LoM 141APG 61HPG 139, 154, 222MG 88}
• Elf^{LoC 80MG 88}
• Tauren^{MoM 82LoC 80}
• Dwarf^{LoC 80}
• Troll^{LoM 141}
• Titan^{S&L 107}
• Magnataur^{LoC 125}
• Murloc^{LoM 141}
• Nerubian^{LoM 141}
• Pandaren^{MoM 82}
• Harpy^{MoM 56MG 88}
• Half-ogre^{MoM 200}
• Dragon^{W3Man 80MoM 27}
• Scalebane^{LoM 123MG 49}
• Flametongue^{MoM 41LoM 123}
• Furbolgs^{W3Man 54}
• Ogre^{APG 61HPG 139, 154}
• Gnome^{LoM 141}
• Gnoll^{MoM 51}
• Draenei^{HPG 139}
• Quilboar^{W3Man 54MoM 82MG 111}
• Wyrmkin^{MoM 41LoM 123MG 49}
• Wyvern^{HPG 222}

"subspecies"

Subspecies (aka subraces^{WoWRPG 50}) are generally considered lesser groups within a main race/species. However, even these subgroups are considered separate race or species themselves in some sources.

• Dwarf subspecies can include Wildhammer, Ironforge, or Dark Iron dwarves.^{APG 82, 86}

• The various types of trolls are usually considered separate subspecies, though occasionally separate species^{LG #? MoM #? HPG 143APG 82, 86}. The terms appear to be interchangeable to Blizzard.

• Aesir and Vanir are considered two of the titan's various subspecies.^{S&L 107}

Speculation based on real-world definitions

This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore!

In English race and species can be synonyms, i.e. mean the same thing or have similar meaning in certain contexts.

Main Entry: race

Part of Speech: noun 2

Definition: ethnic group

Synonyms: blood, breed, clan, color, cultural group, culture, family, folk, house, issue, kin, kind, kindred, line, lineage, nation, nationality, offspring, people, progeny, seed, species, stock, strain, tribe, type, variety.[1]

However, usually in science, such as biology, a species is more accurately defined as "the major subdivision of a genus or subgenus, regarded as the basic category of biological classification, composed of related individuals that resemble one another, are able to breed among themselves, but are not able to breed with members of another species"^[3] and the term is not to be confused with race (usually synonymous with 'subspecies'). It should also be noted that;

race is now under dispute among modern biologists and anthropologists. Some feel that the term has no biological validity; others use it to specify only a partially isolated reproductive population whose members share a considerable degree of genetic similarity.[2]

In reality there are examples of two separate species mating and having offspring. Usually this produces sterile offspring, but this is not always the case^[4], see Hybrid, for a few examples of fertile hybrids (and details how hybrid species happen). Because of this the term "species" is hard to truly define.

A good example is the debate on whether neanderthals and homo sapiens are the same species, separate subspecies (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens sapiens), or different species (Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis), and if they could reproduce together (including whether the young would be fertile or infertile).

Based on real world definitions, orcs and humans, may or may not belong to the same species (Homo sapiens), but not the same race (subspecies). It would be within the realm of science that orcs and humans could still be classified as two separate species even though they produce fertile offspring, similar to hybrids like the beefalo.

If orcs and humans were the same 'species' this would make them both Homo Sapiens, which would make them both 'human', probably separate human subspecies. However this would go against how subspecies is already used within Warcraft literature.

Species speculation (based on known half-breeds)

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┐

├  Orc┐

│ └ (Alleged: Fel Orcs)

├  Draenei┐

│ └ (Alleged: Eredar, Broken, Lost Ones)

├  Human

├  Troll┐

│ └ (Alleged: Night Elves, High elves, Blood elves, Wretched, Naga, Satyrs, Harpies)

└  Ogre

┐

└  Earthen — (Alleged: Iron Dwarves, Dwarves, Troggs)

┐

└  Gnome — (Alleged: Leper Gnomes, Sand Gnomes)

┐

└  Tauren — (Alleged: Taunka)

┐

└  Furbolgs — (Alleged: Pandaren)

┐

├  Cenarius' Children

└  Centaur

┐

└ Aqir┐

│ └ (Alleged: Qiraji, Nerubians)

└  Silithid

┐

└  Mo'arg — (Alleged: Felguard, Gan'arg)

┐

└  Nathrezim — (Alleged: Tothrezim)

References

1. ^ High Elves and Blood Elves. World of Warcraft Encyclopedia > Mortal Races. Blizzard Entertainment.
2. ^ The Dark Portal and the Fall of Stormwind
3. ^ results for: species. dictionary.com.
4. ^ results for: species. reference.com.