Humans were a species of sentient primates. (COMIC: The Monster Upstairs) Though humans could trace their evolutionary past to Earth, (AUDIO: Bloodtide, TV: Doctor Who and the Silurians, The Hungry Earth) many billions of humans were born on other worlds, after humanity spread through the cosmos. (TV: The Ark, Colony in Space, The Sontaran Experiment, New Earth, et. al.) Humans became so widespread that they eventually came to emphasise their relationship to worlds other than Earth, choosing to think of themselves not as Earthlings, but as Venusians, Martians (The Dalek Book and many others)
Earthbound or Earth-identifying humans went by many names over Earth's long history. For a time, they were commonly called Tellurians or Terrans — both derived from alternate names for Earth. (TV: Carnival of Monsters, The Two Doctors) According to Mesanth, "human" could refer to any human-like creature, so a more precise term like Earthon should have been used to refer to the Earth's inhabitants. (PROSE: Shining Darkness) Earthling was also sometimes used. Ape, a reference to humans' evolutionary cousins, was a pejorative alternative particularly favoured by Silurians and, especially in his ninth incarnation, the Doctor himself. (TV: Rose, Father's Day, The Hungry Earth)
Nevertheless, the Doctor had an especial affinity for the species, claiming at least once to be part human himself. (TV: Doctor Who, COMIC: 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 would wax 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. (TV: The Ark in Space, The Impossible Planet, The Waters of Mars, et al.)
Characteristics
Traits and abilities
Humans were special in the universe. Humanity had an instinctive need to protect their own genetic line. This could make some individuals resistant to control, such as cyber-conversion. (TV: Closing Time)
Like other creatures, humans generated pheromones, chemicals that used scent to subconsciously affect the responses of others. Enhanced pheromones, both natural and artificial, were capable of altering sexual behavior in humans. These pheromones could be packaged in spray bottles or emitted by a body, such as the gaseous creature who possessed Carys Fletcher. (TV: Everything Changes, Day One (TV story))
Innate psychic abilities were rare but not unknown. Many humans had telepathic powers, though in almost all cases it was weak or suppressed. (PROSE: The Left-Handed Hummingbird) Individual humans displayed psychic powers such as psychometry, telepathy or time-sensitivity. (TV: Planet of the Spiders, Image of the Fendahl, The Unquiet Dead, Human Nature)
Humans had little in the way of telepathic emissions and were difficult to track telepathically. (PROSE: Blood Heat)
Unusual traits of humanity
- Jack Harkness said that humans were the only species who went camping. (TV: Countrycide)
- The Tenth Doctor claimed humans were the only species in the Mutter's Spiral who invented edible ball bearings. (TV: Fear Her)
- The I-Spyder Book of Earth Creatures stated that the humans were the only species native to Earth who voluntarily wore clothing. (PROSE: The Last Dodo)
- A gaseous entity that possessed a young woman fed on sexual energy. It considered the energy produced by the human male at climax superior. (TV: Day One (TV story))
Perceptions by other species
Other species ascribed a variety of traits to humans.
The Doctor praised the species for their indomitable spirit (TV: The Ark in Space, TV: Utopia) and for their daring explorer's spirit. (TV: The Impossible Planet). On the other hand, he also believed they possessed the potential for amazing cruelty (TV: The Christmas Invasion, 42) and an innate talent for self-deception (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks). Whether by accident or intent, most of the Doctor's many companions were human, specifically humans from Earth. (TV: 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. (TV: 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. (PROSE: 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. (TV: Daleks in Manhattan)
Many aliens were dismissive of humans. The Rutans considered them them "primitive bipeds of no value". (TV: Horror of Fang Rock)
The Silurians thought of humans as primitive apes. (TV: 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 under the influence of a variety of species, such as the Silurians, who caused the development of racial fear, (AUDIO: Bloodtide), the Silents, (TV: The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon), the Fendahl, who caused the development of much of humanity's cruelty and capacity for evil (TV: Image of the Fendahl) and the Dæmons (TV: The Dæmons).
Humanity had official first contact with aliens when the Sycorax leader was contacted by Harriet Jones on Christmas 2006. (TV: The Christmas Invasion) Another account states that first contact was the Arcturan Treaty of 2085. (PROSE: The Dying Days)
In the year 2009, the entire human race on Earth were temporarily transformed into genetic and physical duplicates of the Saxon Master and dubbed the Master Race. This was later undone by the Time Lord Rassilon. (TV: 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 when Jack Harkness and Rex Matheson used Jack's mortal blood. (TV: The New World, Rendition, The Blood Line)
At some point after the 20th century, some of humanity's latent psychic powers were awakened with special drugs. (PROSE: The Left-Handed Hummingbird)
In the late 21st century, humans begin to develop interplanetary travel. (TV: The Waters of Mars)
By the 26th century, human genetic engineering had eliminated wisdom teeth. (PROSE: Dry Pilgrimage)
By the 42nd century, intergalactic travel was common for humans. (TV: Planet of the Ood)
By the 51st century, humans engineered themselves advanced pheromones which made them naturally nice-smelling and attractive to others. (TV: Fragments) Humans had also developed time travel. (TV: 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. Cassandra no longer had a recognisable human form however, due to the life-extending surgeries she had undergone. Although believed killed soon after the destruction of the Earth, (TV: The End of the World) she survived, only to die several decades later after a failed attempt at transferring her consciousness to Rose Tyler. (TV: New Earth)
Despite O'Brien being described as the last human (TV: 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 gas. They also spent time as downloads before 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. At this time, humans on the planet Malcassairo were hunted by a race of humanoids called the Futurekind. Some believed that the Futurekind were what humans would later become, while others dismissed this idea. (TV: 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. (COMIC: Agent Provocateur)
The last known humans, transported to what they called Utopia and under the influence of the Saxon Master, underwent another evolution into a machine-clad race which he called the Toclafane, after a Gallifreyan fairy tale. The Master conquered the Earth of the early 21st century with the Toclafane with the help of a Paradox machine. The Doctor, psychically supported by the good will of humanity of the 21st century, defeated the Master. He and his colleagues reversed time, erasing the invasion from history and sending the Toclafane back to their proper place in time. (TV: The Sound of Drums, Last of the Time Lords)
