Precursor species

A precursor species (also precursor race) was a species that eventually evolved into another or several other species. In some cases, the passage from a precursor to its descendants was accompanied by the development of sentience (as exemplified by the sentient Dowutins, whose precursors were herd animals). In other cases, a species that was already sentient to begin with could give rise to several distinct sentient lifeforms (as exemplified by the Pau'ans and Utai, who shared a sentient ancestor).