Middle Silurian
- You may be looking for Early Silurian or Late Silurian.
Middle Silurians were a Silurian subspecies identified by historians who had been allowed access to the "Monster Vaults" of the databanks in the Doctor's TARDIS. (PROSE: The Monster Vault [+]Loading...["The Monster Vault (novel)"])
Biology[[edit] | [edit source]]
Following the early subspecies, the Silurians adapted to a more desert-like environment, gaining a large carapace like a tortoise shell. Their colouring became lighter and more like sand. Their claws were now hands with opposable thumbs. Most significantly, the Silurians' third eye was now used solely for communication; as individual Silurians were now virtually identical, they used it to indicate who was speaking. As their society had become more technology-based, developing computer manipulators and powerful cutting devices, their telekinetic abilities had atrophied through lack of use. The Middle Silurians were themselves followed by the Late Silurians, who had evolved to hunt apes, losing their third eye whilst developing broadly human features. (PROSE: The Monster Vault [+]Loading...["The Monster Vault (novel)"])
Culture[[edit] | [edit source]]
Whilst historians observed that different triads or tribes of Silurians retreated into hibernation in anticipation of various disasters over millennia, contributing to the evolution of distinct Silurian subspecies, (PROSE: The Monster Vault [+]Loading...["The Monster Vault (novel)"]) one account indicated that Silurian subspecies co-existed in a caste system. Vastra, a warrior, recognised her "brothers" in the scholar caste, whilst their leader, Horlak, acknowledged her as a "sister". (COMIC: The Lost Dimension [+]Loading...["The Lost Dimension (comic story)"])
History[[edit] | [edit source]]
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Silurians with carapaces and third eyes atop their heads were among the disciples of Horlak, whom were organised into Horlak's tribe, sitting alongside him. Silurians without carapaces, whose third eyes were embedded into their foreheads, stood guard on their island with Silurian guns. (COMIC: The Lost Dimension [+]Loading...["The Lost Dimension (comic story)"])
Circa 2084, a group of Middle Silurians allied themselves with the Sea Devils to invade Sea Base 4. They attempted to launch nuclear weapons to provoke a war between the two major power blocs. They were killed when the Fifth Doctor, perceiving no more peaceful option, flooded the base with hexachromite gas in order to kill them. (TV: Warriors of the Deep [+]Loading...["Warriors of the Deep (TV story)"])
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Dapol released action figures for both classic series variants of the Silurians, with the Warriors of the Deep variant being distinguished by the name "Armoured Silurian".
- A figurine of a Silurian from Warriors of the Deep was released in issue 125 of Doctor Who: Figurine Collection under the name "Sea Base Four Silurian".
