Human
Humans were a species of sentient primates. (DWA: The Monster Upstairs) Though humans could trace their evolutionary past to Earth, (BFA: Bloodtide, DW: Doctor Who and the Silurians, The Hungry Earth) many billions of humans were eventually born on other worlds, after humanity spread through the cosmos. (DW: The Long Game, Planet of the Ood, New Earth and others) In fact, humans became so widespread that they eventually came to emphasise their relationship to worlds other than Earth, choosing to identify not as Earthlings, but as Venusians or Martians. (DAN: The Dalek Book, and many others)
Earthbound, or at least Earth-identifying, humans went by a variety of other names over the course of Earth's long history. For a time, they were commonly known as Tellurians or Terrans — both derived from alternate names for Earth. (DW: Carnival of Monsters, The Two Doctors) According to Mesanth, the word "human" could refer to any human-like creature, so a more specific term, like Earthon, should have been used to refer to the inhabitants of Earth. (NSA: Shining Darkness) Earthling was also sometimes used. Ape, a reference to humans' evolutionary cousins, was a more pejorative alternative, particularly favoured by Silurians and, especially in his ninth incarnation, the Doctor himself. (DW: Rose, Father's Day, The Hungry Earth)
Nevertheless, the Doctor had an especial affinity for the species, claiming on at least one occasion to be part human himself. (DW: Doctor Who, IDW: The Forgotten) The overwhelming number of his travelling companions were human. He also admitted in a Gallifreyan high court that he had a special affinity for Earth and its inhabitants, thereby determining the location of his Time Lord-imposed exile. Moreover, he often waxed lyrical about the intrinsic spirit of humanity, revelling in their innate desire to explore, their "indomitability", and their ability to survive until at least the year 100000000000000. (DW: The Impossible Planet, The Waters of Mars, The Ark in Space, Day of the Moon, Utopia and many others)
Characteristics
Powers and abilities
Humans were special in the universe, as they had an innate skill with time travel, rivalling that of even the Time Lords. (PDA: The Quantum Archangel)
Innate psychic abilities were rare but not unknown. Many humans had telepathic powers, though in almost all cases it was weak or suppressed. (NA: The Left-Handed Hummingbird)
Individual humans displayed psychic powers such as psychometry, telepathy, or time-sensitivity. (DW: Planet of the Spiders, Image of the Fendahl, The Unquiet Dead)
Humans had little in the way of telepathic emissions and were difficult to track telepathically. (NA: Blood Heat)
Humanity had an instinctive need to protect their own genetic line. This could make them resistant to control, such as cyber-conversion. (DW: Closing Time)
Unusual traits of humanity
- Jack Harkness mentioned offhandedly that humans were the only species who went camping. (TW: Countrycide)
- The Tenth Doctor claimed humans were the only species in the Mutter's Spiral who invented edible ball bearings. (DW: Fear Her)
- The I-Spyder Book of Earth Creatures stated that the humans were the only species native to Earth who voluntarily wore clothing. (NSA: The Last Dodo)
Perceptions by other species
Other species ascribed a variety of traits to humans.
The Doctor praised the species for their indomitable spirit (DW: The Ark in Space, DW: Utopia) and for their daring explorer's spirit. (DW: The Impossible Planet). On the other hand, he also believed they were possessed of amazing cruelty (DW: The Christmas Invasion, 42), and an innate talent for self-deception (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks). Whether by accident or intent, most of the Doctor's many companions have been human, specifically, humans from Earth. (DW: An Unearthly Child, The Rescue, The Chase, The Myth Makers, The Daleks' Master Plan, The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve, et al.)
The War Lords considered humans the most aggressive and war-like species in all of Mutter's Spiral and hoped to conquer the galaxy with them. (DW: The War Games)
The Veltrochni thought humans were a stubborn species, but very vicious. They also knew of their trait of banding together against common enemies. (MA: The Dark Path)
Dalek Sec of the Cult of Skaro described humans as "the ultimate survivors", citing the fact that versions of New York City would continue to exist throughout history, as opposed to the Dalek race, which was wiped out. (DW: Daleks in Manhattan)
The Silurians thought of humans as primitive apes. (DW: Doctor Who and the Silurians et al.)
History of human evolution
- For a detailed, human-focused history, see timeline. For the social developments and beginnings of humans, see Earth.
Humans evolved due to the influence of a variety of species, such as the Silurians, who caused the development of racial fear, (BFA: Bloodtide), the Silents, (DW: The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon), the Fendahl, who caused the development of much of humanity's cruelty and capacity for evil (DW: Image of the Fendahl) and the Dæmons (DW: The Dæmons).
Humanity had official first contact with aliens after the Sycorax leader was contacted by Harriet Jones on Christmas 2006. (DW: The Christmas Invasion) Another account states that first contact was the Arcturan Treaty of 2085. (NA: The Dying Days)
In the year 2009, the entire human race on Earth were temporarily transformed into genetic and physical duplicates of The Master and dubbed the Master Race. This was later undone by the Time Lord Rassilon. (DW: The End of Time)
In 2011, on Miracle Day, death ended for a time for every human simultaneously thanks to the Blessing modifying humanity's morphic field. This was reversed later that year once Jack Harkness and Rex Matheson used Jack's mortal blood. (TW: The New World, Rendition, The Blood Line)
At some point after the 20th century, some of humanity's latent psychic powers were awakened using special drugs. (NA: The Left-Handed Hummingbird)
In the late 21st century, humans begin to develop interplanetary travel. (DW: The Waters of Mars)
By the 26th century, human genetic engineering had eliminated wisdom teeth. (BNA: Dry Pilgrimage)
By the 42nd century, intergalactic travel was common for humans. (DW: Planet of the Ood)
By the 51st century, humans engineered themselves advanced pheromones which made them naturally nice-smelling and attractive to others. (TW: Fragments) Humans had also developed time travel. (DW: The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The Empty Child )
By the year 5,000,000,000, interbreeding and evolution had resulted in there being only one "pure" human left, Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17, although this individual no longer had a recognisable human form due to the life-extending surgeries she had undergone. Although believed killed soon after the destruction of the Earth, (DW: The End of the World) she survived, only to die several decades later after a failed attempt at transferring her consciousness to Rose Tyler. (DW: New Earth)
Despite O'Brien being described as the last human (DW: The End of the World), the human race in some form continued. At some point in their history, the humans spent millions of years as a gas, and also spent time as downloads before eventually re-evolving into humanoid form.
Humans continued to exist until the year 100,000,000,000,000, becoming one of the universe's last surviving races; by this point they had re-evolved to be virtually indistinguishable from the humans the Doctor encountered during the 21st century and earlier. (DW: Utopia) This fulfilled a legend that humans would be one of three species left at the end of the universe, one of the others being the Sycorax. (IDW: Agent Provocateur)
The last known humans, transported to the world called Utopia and under the influence of the Master, underwent one final evolution into a machine-clad race called the Toclafane. The Master attempted to conquer the Earth of the early 21st century with the Toclafane, but after the Doctor and his colleagues reversed time, the Toclafane invasion was erased from history. It was expected that the Toclafane, no longer able to travel through time and space, would eventually die out with their cousins, resulting in the final extinction of humanity. (DW: The Sound of Drums, Last of the Time Lords)
