Elmian

Elmian
Notice the elongated rhinarium along the top of the snout. Art by Camille.
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Siosiria
Kingdom:	Thuutia
Phylum:	Photodermata
Class:	Velutia
Order:	Ciceina
Family:	Cicenidae
Genus:	Ciceinum
Species:	C. longirrhinus
Binomial name
Ciceinum longirrhinus

Elmians (Ciceinum longirrhinus) (Áonak: el·lüq) are the native sophonts of Elm, the outermost of two inhabited planets in the juleo-elmian system. They are elmiforms, a cross-specific group of unrelated organisms which independently evolved anthropomorphic body plans. A unique trait of elmians is their system of four distinct sexes. They are determined by which of the four chromosomes in a sequence are "active" and "dormant." Individuals are able to transition between these biologically, though not independently.

Appearance

Body

Elmians are the prototypical elmiforms, therefore they walk upright on their hind limbs, and use their front limbs to manipulate their environment through their hands with opposable thumbs.

Head

Elmian heads are comparable to those of World canines, and extremely similar to those of felds. They are snouted and whiskered, possess a pair of eyes and ears, a nose, and a mouth to both vocalise and ingest nutrients. Over their eyes are a pair of very articulable eyebrows capable of (and mostly used for) emoting. The distinguishing characteristic of an elmian is their elongated rhinarium: on the top of their snout sits a patch of photosensitive skin, the photodermal patch, chiefly called the "third eye." It is comparable in function to a parietal eye, though it has no connection to thermoregulation, as elmians are endothermic. Instead, it regulates the circadian rhythm, detects changes in climate, and plays a secondary role in communication. This last feat is achieved through its ability to see and produce (in a limited capacity) ultraviolet light. The top portion of the organ, where a bump (sometimes called the "horn") sits, has the ability to "blush" in dim ultraviolet frequencies, which is associated with certain emotions.

Eye colour

Elmian eyes are most commonly brown or amber, with rarer colours being blues and greens.

Coloration

Elmians are velutians, and therefore analogous to mammals. This gives them a thick coat of fur that varies in colour, usually among the reddish browns, off-whites, greys, blacks and whites. Their skin pigment is primarily melanin, and skin colours range from light pinks to black-browns.

Reproduction

Nearly every fully-formed elmian has a four-chromosome sequence, two of which are dominant (A, B), while the other two are passive (a, b). Sex is determined by which of these is active in the sequence. A dominant B-chromosome is associated with the inseminator sexes, Ba and Bb, while a dominant A-chromosome is associated with the Aa child-bearing and Ab child-carrying sexes. Sexual transition is an involuntary act and happens with a specific hormonal pattern, or as a stress response, and is limited to combinations with an individual's natal dominant chromosome (eg. an Ab individual may transition to Aa and viceversa, but not to Ba or Bb).

The mechanics of this reproductive strategy imply that, by default, a fully formed elmian has three parents. About a third to a fourth of the elmian population, however, only has two. These individuals, named biparentals, are unable to transition biologically. This is rare given that the chances of an individual being formed without a four-chromosome sequence are slim, and tend to result in a miscarriage instead. About half of the biparental population also presents some kind of neurodevelopmental disorder.

Child-bearing sex (Aa)

Child-bearers are distinguished by the small size of their horns, pseudopenises with no copulatory bulbi, and, tendentially, a medium-sized body frame.

Individuals of the child-bearing sex produce dominant gametes, which carry both A and B chromosomes. These must be inseminated by both inseminator sexes in order to conceive. Initial insemination forms a proto-zygote, containing one copy of each dominant chromosome and one copy of a passive chromosome. It may remain dormant for a year at most. If secondary insemination does not occur, the proto-zygote is excreted. If it does occur, a full sequence (AaBb) is formed. Conception takes place, and an embryo is formed.

As the embryo develops, the breasts, located in the chest area of a child-bearer, engorge, and a kind of milk is produced.

Child-carrying sex (Ab)

Child-carriers are distinguished by their small horns, pseudopenises with no copulatory bulbi, and tendentially smaller body frames. They also tend to not have any kind of sex drive.

They do not produce any gametes and and are essentially infertile, unless transition takes place. The distinguishing trait of this sex is the pouch, similar to a marsupial's, which forms in the abdomen. Children are kept within this pouch. It is important to note that, because no children can ever have an Ab parent by default, these are almost never biologically related to the individual. It is an elmian's highly social nature which leads to them agreeing to keep the offspring in the pouch.

The skin of the pouch is thick, providing safety, and within the pouch sit small teats, connected to glands which are analogous to Aa mammary glands. These produce a kind of milk that, while less nutritious and abundant than that of child-bearers, contains hormones which promote complete growth and sex determination of an individual.

A-inseminator (Ba) and b-inseminator (Bb) sexes

A-inseminators are distinguished by their small-to-medium sized horns and presence of copulatory bulbi. On average they tend to be medium-sized, usually between child-carriers' and b-inseminators' average. B-inseminators have relatively bigger, thicker horns, and copulatory bulbi. They are on average the tallest of the four sexes. They produce passive gametes, which carry a (in Bas) or b (in Bbs) chromosomes.

Evidence suggests that historically the a-inseminator filled the role of nurturer, while the b-inseminator specialised in hunting and foraging.