Dragon



Dragons are a type of beast that have a negative reputation with most. They are known as one of the most widespread and variable animals. Dragons are defined as any animal closer related to Widewings and Spirals than to Cockatri and Hippalectryons. They evolved from a Dromaeosaur ancestor, and retain many traits, including long tails, feathers, at least partial carnivorous diets, 'killing claws', and normally high agility. Dragons are split into two sub-orders: Gravibusenae, or 'heavy-headed', and Avemconversae, or 'bird-headed.'

Genuses
Gravibusenae

♦Spirals

♦Corals

♦Tsunamis

♦Sulkers

♦Glaciers

♦Burrowers

♦Pythons

♦Cloudcutters

Avemconversae

♦Wyverns

♦Avians

♦Widewings

♦Lungs

♦Lacewings

♦Waveskippers

♦Aboreals

Biology
The evolution of all Drakinoforms was started and influenced by the deity Draike. They are known for some of the wildest of traits - including the vast variety, horns, an extra pair of limbs with 5 toes, cartilaginous 'ears', and the re-emergence of (secondarily evolved) non-overlapping scales. Dragons sport high intelligence, even the 'dumbest' Dragon showing self-awareness and problem solving equivalent to a Crow. They are resourceful, and are notorious for turning to raiding village food stocks and livestock in times of hardship. The smartest dragons are considered to be Lungs, a wingless genus of dragon, capable of language and communication, and self-identifying as 2 races based on the two sub-genuses.

The 5-toed extra limbs likely begun as small arms held close to the chest, incapable of holding weight, as the pre-existing limbs shifted in position to be higher on the torso, which elongated. In all genuses, save for Wyverns, the limbs remained. Some genuses had reduced wings or lost them entirely, such as in Sulkers, Spirals, and Lungs.

Drakinoforms sport what appear to be mammal-like ears. However, in function, they still have bird-like ears, and the cartilage structures do little to aid in hearing as a flat structure. It instead holds long branched feathers. These feathers can move to communicate and show emotion, and used as display. Scaled species only have the quills left from this display structure in Drakinoforms, and can't function the quills. The cartilage structure itself cannot move.

Relations
Dragons are the only extant members in the Drako family. There is evidence that all dragons are rooted deeply in dinosauria, more specifically the dromaeosauridae group. Dragon species are split into 2 clades: gravibusenae and avemconversae, meaning heavy-headed and bird-headed respectively. All species have feathers at some point in their lives, be it just as a hatchling and molting off to reveal non-overlapping scales in adulthood, through their entire lives, or just as crests. Some odd cases show an adult dragon still retaining it's downy feathers from juvenile growth stages.

Dragon ancestors, Drakinoforms, also went on a different path and evolved into Dragon's closest living relative, Basilisks, or by family name Basilia. As Dragons evolved from a dinosaur ancestor, they are considered dinosaurs. This also means their closest living cousin are Birds. Comparatively, Dragons behave and function very similiarly to birds, as do Basilisks.

Human Mythology
Dragons are varied in human mythology just as they are in lore, with a variety in appearance, status and powers. In western culture, dragons are said to breathe fire and are seen as unwanted and something a hero must work to get rid of. These dragons kill townsfolk, and are illustrated with great wings and sharp claws. Meanwhile, in eastern culture, dragons are used in ceremonies and parades, and can occasionally be personified negatively like a western dragon. These dragons are a Chimera, made of different animal qualities and parts, and symbolize heroism and are protectors, and are symbols of beauty and power.