Everything about Humanoid totally explained
The term "
humanoid" refers to any being whose body structure resembles that of a
human. In this sense, the term indeed describes
primates, as well as mythological
creatures and artificial organisms (
robots), especially in the context of
science fiction and
fantasy fiction. An
android or
gynoid is a humanoid robot designed to look like a specific gender, although the words are, in principle, synonymous.
Usually, a fictional humanoid species has the same basic body outline as a human, being bipedal with hands which include fingers and opposable thumbs, but differs in details such as number of digits, coloring, ear form, presence of hair, average height and weight, size of nose, form of skin, "extras" such as horns, plates, claws, tails or multiple appendages, limb structure (such as having
digitigrade legs) and taxonomic lineage (being descended from
reptiles,
fish,
rodents,
marsupials, or a
phylum not evolved on Earth, perhaps, instead of
primates).
Reptilian humanoids are a common concept.
Most of the
aliens in
television and
movies are humanoid, since it's easier for a
fictional character to be a disguised human
actor. However, there are various methods for presenting non-humanoid characters, for example
computer graphics, creative
costuming, and
puppetry, as seen in shows like
Farscape and the new series of
Doctor Who. Many aliens and robots often call humans humanoids, although this probably has more to do with
translating alien languages, as the word
human would appear to be limited to Earth's population only.
Some people find it unlikely to have a universe populated by unrelated creatures that all look human, while others (including some biologists) believe that a species would naturally drift towards bipedalism when achieving sapience as we know it (for example Russell's hypothetical
troödon-descended sapient, the
Dinosauroid). Occasionally, shows present a reason for this to be the case. For example, the episode "
The Chase" of explained the humanoid denizens of the
Star Trek universe by advancing the story of a primordial humanoid civilization, the
Ancient humanoids, that seeded the galaxy with genetically-engineered cells that guide evolution toward humanoid life (see
panspermia). In
Stargate SG-1, many if not all of the aliens encountered are human, and this is explained by them having traveled from Earth in the distant past (See
Children of the Gods). In most cases, like the classic
Doctor Who serials, the reason for the similarity isn't explained, and it's regarded simply as a
dramatic convention or
artistic license, requiring
suspension of disbelief.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Humanoid'.
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