Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-173.25.47.250-20140330183106

The Tyranid meta-species has to have a origin somewhere, considering as a Hive Mind generally doesn't appear out of nothing.

I hypothesize that Tyranid evolution begins with two species, the ancestral form of the Norn Queens and Hive Tyrants. Over time, these two developed side-by-side as a form of symbiosis into the superorganism we all know and love.

After absorbing the Zoats to create the Warrior bioforms, they continued on to create several divergent bioforms, with Zoat traits soon becoming quite common. I point to Gaunts as a example for this.

I'll cite the origin of Zoanthropes and Tyrant Guard as further examples of Tyranid species being formed from external sources. 