Uplifted Animals

Uplifted Animals are the result of transforming certain non-human species into sapient beings by either humans or some other intelligence. The process would be accomplished through genetic engineering, but instead of devolving them to resemble a certain extinct animal or splicing their genes with another organism, genetic engineers would simply make alterations to the brains of their chosen species to grant them higher intelligence. The concept of uplifting was introduced in 1896 by H.G. Wells in his book The Island of Doctor Moreau, where the titular character creates animal-human hybrids on an uncharted island through the art of vivisection and psychological abuse. The novel was made to bring to light the concerns held by many people during The Victorian Era on the subject of vivisection and of the power of unrestrained scientific experimentation on animals or more worryingly on humans.

Ever since then, uplifting has been a concept that has frequently appeared throughout science fiction, most notably in David Brin's Uplift Universe. However, ever since CRISPR gene editing came into public use for the first time, the idea of uplifting animals started to become a possibility. Many Post-Naturalists believed (and still believe) that it was mankind's duty as the dominant species on Earth to help other species towards a better future, which includes granting some of them higher intelligence. And so, genetic engineers, funded by both public and private companies, got to work on giving the gift of sapience to the select few species that they believed truly needed it the most. Thus far, uplifting has been limited to the population of animals who are in captivity, as they are often more readily available than their wild counterparts.

## Animal Rights

Uplifting animals has also been a subject of debate and controversy, this ranges from the level of uplift (such as being on par with Humans or below) to the issue of rights. Only a limited population of the select few species has been uplifted, enough for self-suffiency and greater autonomy, but not to the level of human intelligence.

## Effects of Uplifting

The effects of uplifting has varied effects on each animal species. There is a degree of change in behavior but this highly depends on the biology.

Animal species who are often used as pets, such as cats or dogs, has gained the ability of self-awareness and self-recognition. Uplifted cats, for example, have since adapted greater variation in their vocals and thus been able to display a greater degree of communication and recognize their own name when called, along with developing more complex 'beauty standards'. Uplifted dogs, on the other hand, are able to perform much more complex tasks than their non-uplifted counterparts, and make split-second decisions, which makes them invaluable for law-enforcement and military work. Uplifted parrots are capable of using and memorizing hundreds of human words, instead of merely repeating what they hear, and are now widely used as assistants for elderly and disabled people. While no attempts have yet been made to uplift a non-human animal to the point of human-like sapience, many experts believe such a development is inevitable in the late 22nd or early 23rd century.

## Human-Level Uplifts

As of 2160, genetic engineering has succeeded in producing animals of various species (listed below) that are significantly more intelligent than their ancestral stock. All of them, however, fall short of true human-level sapience to some degree, and there is an ongoing debate over whether to take the next step and create a truly sapient species of human-level intelligence or greater. Proponents of this idea point out that humans owe it to their fellow species to allow them to share in the benefits of civilization as well as the costs. Opponents, however, point out that there is a degree of human-chauvinism and colonialism to this sentiment-- that it essentially amounts to humans turning other species into more of themselves.

## Mammalian Uplifts

* Gorillas
* Orangutans
* Chimpanzees
* Bonobos
* Snow Monkeys
* Rhesus Macaques
* Bears
* American Dwarf Elephants
* Dolphins
* Killer Whales
* Dogs
* Rats
* Cats

## Avian Uplifts

* Magpies
* Ravens
* Crows
* Blue Jays
* African Grey Parrots
* Budgerigars
* Hog-Parrots (genetically engineered parrots from Mars)

## Reptilian Uplifts

* Tegu Lizards
* Monkey Skinks
* Anoles
* Perenties

## Invertebrate Uplifts

* Harlequin Octopi
* Bees
* Myrmidons
* Weavers