Dze

Dze
Scientific classification
Domain:	Polykariota
Kingdom:	Amidraloanimalia
Phylum:	Orthochordata
Class:	Trimetrodonta
Order:	Tenacitheria
Family:	Tenacitheriae
Genus:	Tenacitherium
Species:	T. terrible
Binomial name
Tenacitherium terrible

Dze (Tenacitherium terrible) are the most abundant of the Tenacitherians, speficically belonging to the bipedal Tenacitherium, a genus that only contains it and it's closest, all extinct, relatives and ancestors. Characterized by their large brain cavities, enhanced sensory abilities and their face appendages, they developed speech and culture on par with humans and around the same time lapse. They are relatively social creatures that evolved a loose but well mantained system of organization between different comunities and social structures that allowed for a unique form of civilization to arise. Although culturally conservative, or slow-changing, they are an intelligent species with a natural sense of curiosity that has allowed them to fully develop amongst the native sapient races of Sparkalia.

The only extant member of the Tenacitherium family, it seems to have evolved from a more basal member of the genus, Tenacitherium Anthropopsius, by around 350.000 years ago, with behavioral modernity achieved around 200.000 years ago. The Dze were a fairly local species in the biota of the area, only spreading further into the lands nearby them around 50.000 years ago after the Late Dze Neolithic Collapse, but once they reached their territorial maximum, they have become the dominant species in the lands around North-central Pythia; similar to humans, despite their genetic differences, any two Dze are at least 98.8% genetically similar no matter their background.

Dze are omnivorous creatures, known for their particularly efficient and strong digestive system, that can eat basically anything they propose themselves to with a regenerative dentin to protect the teeth from wear and they are well versed in the usage of fire and boiling for cooking of foods. They are diurnial creatures, with an average sleep of 6 hours a day, however they are able to switch between diurnal and a tetraphasic lifestyle, able to sleep in 2 cycles of 3 to 4 hours.