A precursor species, sometimes referred to as a precursor race, represents a species that, over time, transformed into one or more different species. The emergence of sentience sometimes occurred during the transition from a precursor species to its evolved forms, as seen with the sentient Dowutins, which evolved from herd animals. Alternatively, a sentient species could also branch out, giving rise to multiple distinct sentient lifeforms. A clear example of this is the Pau'ans and Utai, who both originated from a single sentient ancestor.