Common Origin Theory
Overview
The Common Origin Theory proposes that the human populations of the known planets descended from a single original world. According to the theory, the ancestors of modern humans were dispersed across numerous habitable planets during an unknown period between the Iron Age and the Stars Age. The theory cannot establish who carried out this dispersal, what means were used or whether the humans participated willingly. Most supporters believe that the movement of the populations was connected to a major event on the original world. The hypothetical world of origin is often called the First World or First Earth, although neither name is considered historically verified. Its coordinates have never been identified and no known planet has been conclusively recognized as the place from which humanity originated.
Historical Development
The earliest forms of the Common Origin Theory appeared when humans from different planets began encountering one another during the Stars Age. Explorers discovered that previously isolated populations were biologically compatible and shared numerous cultural similarities. These similarities were initially attributed to divine creation or to natural laws that guided life toward the same forms. The development of genetics and comparative linguistics gave greater support to the idea of common ancestry. The theory remains controversial because no continuous historical record exists between the Iron Age and the Stars Age. This gap includes the period during which the dispersal of the human populations is believed to have occurred.
Human Populations
Humans from different planets display minor physical differences associated with gravity, climate, diet and the radiation of their stars. These differences do not prevent biological compatibility between the populations. Genetic research shows a degree of kinship far greater than would be expected among species that had evolved independently on separate planets. Shared genetic sequences and hereditary conditions appear in populations that had no known contact before their worlds were connected to the beacon network. Supporters of the Common Origin Theory believe that humans spread from one original population. Modern differences developed later as communities adapted to the conditions of each planet.
Comla
Comla provides one of the most important arguments in support of the Common Origin Theory. Variants of it appear in almost every human civilization, including planets that remained isolated until the Stars Age. Comla is now primarily known as "the language of prayers". An ancient belief states that prayers must be spoken in Comla to be heard by the gods. It is therefore used in the ceremonies of the Heptad and the Mother Goddess, as well as in the worship of the Single God within the Order of the One. Comla is rarely used in everyday life. Its ceremonial character limited the changes it underwent and preserved much of its original grammar and vocabulary. Local differences exist in pronunciation and in certain words, but most variants remain mutually intelligible. Comparative linguistics indicates that modern human languages share fundamental elements with Comla. According to the most widely accepted version of the theory, Comla was not always a ceremonial language. It was the common language of the earliest human populations and formed the basis from which the languages of the different worlds evolved. As new languages came to dominate everyday life, Comla survived in prayer. Its religious use protected its structure from the extensive changes experienced by spoken languages. Critics argue that these similarities may have resulted from unrecorded contact or from later intervention by early interplanetary travelers. No sufficient explanation has yet been offered for the presence of Comla in isolated societies before the recognized beginning of interplanetary contact.
Common Religions
The Heptad and the worship of the Mother Goddess appear across many human worlds. Their names, ceremonies and divine attributes differ, but the basic core of their traditions remains recognizable. The Heptad consists of seven divine figures associated with essential aspects of human life and society. Religious systems containing seven corresponding figures have been discovered in isolated civilizations, even when the names and genders of some deities differ. The Mother Goddess is associated with the earth, fertility, birth and cultivation. She is often called Lythara and is depicted holding a child or surrounded by seeds. Similar figures have been found in ancient settlements on many planets. The presence of these two religious traditions supports the hypothesis that they traveled with the earliest human populations. It is not known whether they already existed in their current form or developed from older beliefs that changed independently on each world. Theologians frequently reject the claim that these similarities prove the human transmission of religion. They argue that the recurring divine figures indicate the real existence of the gods and their revelation to separate peoples.
Plants and Grains
Related plants and grains exist on planets with very different ecosystems. Local varieties have adapted to the climate, soil and stellar radiation of each world, but retain shared genetic characteristics. The most important cultivated grains appear to descend from a limited number of original plant species. Ancient storage areas containing vessels intended for seeds have been found near some of the oldest known human settlements. Supporters of the Common Origin Theory believe that the earliest populations arrived on the new worlds with seeds essential to their survival. The plants were selectively cultivated and gradually developed into modern local varieties. There is insufficient evidence to determine which plants were introduced and which already existed on the planets. In several cases, the genetic relationship between cultivated plants and local flora remains unclear.
Fauna
Many animals found on human worlds share common anatomy and behavior. Animals corresponding to Stravan, Bovren, Aga, Ovinor, Kor and Gallis appear on planets that remained isolated for long periods. Differences among local species can usually be explained as adaptations to the conditions of each planet. Their fundamental body structure, reproduction and a large part of their genetic material indicate common ancestry. Rodents are of particular interest. Small related species are found almost everywhere that ancient human settlements exist. Their presence may be the result of deliberate introduction, although they may also have followed humans while hidden in cargo, food containers or stores of seeds. Supporters of the theory believe that animals useful for food, transportation and protection were brought with the human populations. Smaller species may have traveled without being part of any deliberate plan. The independent evolution of similar animals on different planets cannot be entirely excluded. Their genetic relationship, however, makes this explanation difficult to sustain for such a large number of species.
Ancient Objects and Settlements
On several planets, the oldest human settlements contain objects that appear technologically more advanced than the tools of the societies that used them. Some objects were later transformed into religious relics or symbols of authority. Their original purpose was forgotten and their surfaces were covered with later inscriptions. Books and tablets written in languages older than the local languages have also been discovered. Some contain machine diagrams, astronomical tables or information about plants that did not exist on the planet where the texts were found. Dating these objects is difficult. Many were removed from their original locations, used for different purposes or copied several times. They are therefore not considered proof of the Common Origin Theory by themselves.
Myths of Sleep and Awakening
Many worlds preserve myths about ancestors who fell asleep and awakened beneath an unknown sky. The people often discover seeds, tools, books and animals near them. The myths do not clearly describe what happened between the Sleep and the Awakening. Their protagonists remember no journey and do not know who led them to the new world. The widespread appearance of these stories is considered an important indication of a shared historical experience. Critics argue that sleep and awakening are common religious symbols that could have developed independently. It is not known whether the myths preserve real memories or were created later to explain the unknown origin of the earliest inhabitants.
The Book of Sowing
The Book of Sowing is an anonymous text originally circulated through social networks. It was presented as a translation of an ancient work written in an early form of Comla, but its alleged original has never been found. The text describes the destruction of an original world, the Sleep of the survivors and their Awakening beneath many skies. It portrays the dispersal of humanity as a Sowing and states that the first populations found seeds, animals, books and tools beside them. Supporters of the Common Origin Theory believe that the text preserves an ancient memory of the dispersal. Critics believe that it was written by someone already familiar with the theory who used its arguments to create a convincing myth. The unknown origin of the text prevents it from being treated as reliable historical evidence. It nevertheless remains the best known literary expression of the Common Origin Theory.
Alternative Explanations
The primary alternative explanation is parallel evolution. According to this view, similar environmental conditions can create similar forms of life and comparable social institutions. Another explanation proposes the existence of ancient interplanetary travel for which no records survived. Small groups of travelers could have carried languages, religions, plants and animals between worlds before the Stars Age. Religious interpretations attribute the similarities to a shared act of divine creation. According to these beliefs, humans were not moved from one world, but were created as related beings on many worlds. None of these explanations answers every question. Parallel evolution cannot easily explain biological compatibility. Hypothetical ancient travel has left no recognized technological evidence. Religious interpretations cannot be tested through scientific methods.
Current Status
The Common Origin Theory is widely accepted as a possible explanation for the biological relationship among human populations. Its details remain unknown and several of its claims continue to be disputed. The original world, the date of the dispersal and the means by which the populations moved are unknown. It is also unclear whether the event was an organized rescue, a colonization effort or something that modern researchers cannot reconstruct. The theory brings many separate clues together within a single interpretation, but it still lacks the discovery that could transform it from a strong hypothesis into verified history.