I have a thing for scientifically classifying every race and creature I create in Lor-Amar but I've come across a certain problem. While I have (and will) created new orders and such for especially strange creatures, I'm at a loss for where to put the shape-shifters. Even though most of them spend the majority of their lives as the animals they can become I still consider them predominantly "human". so how far down the taxonomy scale should I classify them with humans? I would still consider them vertebrates despite what a few of them shift to but other than that I'm at an impasse for the present.

I consider shapeshifters as a race of humans. Their human form is made in the image of God and thus is higher than the animals.

I have many races that have souls but I still classify them because it was actually a scientist who first came to the world and wrote everything down. I have different "species" of shape-shifters as well so they can't just be a "sub-group" of humans. Plus I really don't want to classify them as primates. That just feels low.

I would do one of two things: either put them in the same genus as humans, but a different species or have like an entire phylum to themselves and separate the different shapeshifters from each other, depending on their history.

Firstly, can they successfully provide children when crossed with a human? If so, then they are of the same species. If not, then give them a species to themselves. And of course, there can be many different phyla for the different shapeshifters.

I found a reasonable classification. I really should start a thread on...breeding.

What was it?!

Ya know, I don't remember now. I already classified them all. I think it was a separate class. I don't hold to humans being classified so closely with primates, I may change that for Lor-Amar.

Strictly speaking, it's not that simple. See mules, ligers, and tigons, among others. However, if they can produce fertile offspring, then they are generally considered the same species.