They are humans.

This explains it very well http://www.imperial-library.info/content/childrens-anuad

Btw. the Ayleids are Altmeri Elves, just another branch. They are called "The Wild Elves", they are like the "Forsworn" of the Altmer race, holding on to old believes etc.

Race seems to be a huge issue in this world just as much as in real life I'd say. And to the mixed races I don't know if I'm remembering correctly but there were a few instances of interracial couples in oblivion. Also since Bretons have both man and Mer ancestry I'd assume mam and Mer can mate, although I believe it is said among the lore that offspring takes the race of the mother.

If you look at the2crows' post, you can see that it is very likely for the Nedes and Cyrods to have always been on the main continent.

Also, if I've gathered the information correctly, I believe that some giants left for Atmora, but then returned as Nords. Or perhaps Giants and some humans left and the Nords returned because the giants were jerks (among other conditions)

Bretons are result of crossbreeding between an elf and a human. Since elf could reproduce with a human, by your theory elves are human too.

There is an in-game book which explains it all. It says something about how the first men were spread over three continents Atmora, Akavir and Yokuda.

The Yokudans and Atmorans migrated to Tamriel and became the Redguards and Nords/Imperials.

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/notes-racial-phylogeny-and-biology

Its not a theory it's a definition of species.

Anyways bethesda didn't spend a lot of time with this, nor do I think they have an evolutionary biologist on staff. Reading to much into this sort of thing just gets messy.

or

The laws that define our earthly universe are not the same as those that define the Mundus.

Yeah, it's pretty much an ad hoc explantion, but it seems to be a popular one.

Wouldn't the Hist be more related to the Spriggans? Both being plant-based sentient lifeforms after all.

Regarding the "Racial Phylogeny"-book:

- It's a bit surprising that the reproductive biology of orcs is so badly understood by Imperial scholars, as they're supposedly well integrated into the Imperial society. I figure orcs wouldn't be too coy about the spesifics either, if someone just asked.

- The different races of man clearly mix and take traits from each parent, given the diversity of skin colors and other traits within individual races. The results of interbreeding between man/mer are less clear, even though it's of course possible, as we've seen with Bretons and Bosmer.

- Also: Unreliable Narrator.

Quoted from Wiki:

"Redguards do not share the same blood as the other human races, and they have no connection with the ancestral human homeland of http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Atmora."

So it says same blood as the OTHER human races, which means they ARE human.

I can see where this is going to go...

The Bretons and Imperials are decendants from the Nede IIRC, which originated on Tamriel.
The Imperial is a healty mix of Nordic and Nedic while Breton is basicly Aldmer/Nede. More or less.

well this is really just getting into what particular level of developmental drift you would consider two people the same species. "human" really doesnt have a meaning in TES. there are men, mer, and "other", or beast races. in the context of what the games consider who is what, i think redguards qualify as "other". men are the people descended from the atmoran immigrants, mer are the people with the pointy ears, and redguards are neither, so i think they technically qualify as a beast race, which makes them a hidden racist joke i guess.

Read the book called "A Children's Annuad" which can be found in the game. That describes the origin of men and elves at the beginning of time.

"The Old Ehlnofey realm, although ruined, became Tamriel. The remnants of the Wanderers were left divided on the other 3 continents.
Over many years, the Ehlnofey of Tamriel became the Mer (Elves).
On the other continents, the Wandering Ehlnofey became the Men: the Nords of Atmora, the Redguards of Yokuda, and the Tsaesci of Akavir.
Eventually, Men returned to Tamriel. The Nords were the first, colonizing the northern coast of Tamriel before recorded history, led by the legendary Ysgramor."

The Bretons, Redguards, Imperials and Nords are all humans. Bretons and Imperials descended from the Nords, who hailed from the lost continent of Atmora. Geography had an impact on each of the races. Cyrdoiil, where it is mostly sunny and warm, is the heartland of Tamriel, alot of diversity there which I think inspired the Imperials to care more about commerce and education than well... smashing things. And I think there might have been Elven influence in High Rock which is why the Bretons turned to Magic instead of, again, smashing things.... I'm pretty sure the Red Guards came from a different continent than the Nords as their features are way too different to be descendants(hair type, skin shade, etc).

Brettons were humans who bred repeatedly with elves and so attained magical prowess.
Darn humans taking our magic.....

In the beginning there were the Ehlnofey and the Hist.
Some Ehlnofey wandered and some stayed on Tamriel.
Those that left for Atmora eventually became the Nedes, who became the Nords, Cyrods.
Those that left for Yokuda became the Redguards.
Both proto-Nords and Yokudans are considered mannish races.

Bretons are a result of long time intermarrying of a mannish race (I forget which, probably Cyrods or Nedes) with clan Direnni, who are Altmer.

Khajiit became Khajiit when Ehlnofey were blessed by or made a pact with Azura.

Argonians are a great unknown. They have a symbiotic relationship with the Hist and the Hist exert a form of control over Argonians, changing their physiology at will.

*Insert racist (or Mormon) comment here*

They are human.

Lore wise the Nords arent from Skyrim either, they are from Atmora. The only humans actually native to Tamriel are extinct because of enslavement of the Mer. Before the nords arrived The ones that did survive intermingled with the other human races and eventually their genetics are all thats left among a few families. Redguards hail from a different continent not Atmora. Imperials are simply Nords who moved to Cyrodyll while Bretons are a mix breed of Man and mer or half elves in truth. I personally wonder this as well, i also wish to see Atmora someday and find out the truth of why the Nords left Atmora.

@Merari, cool didnt know that where can i find that info.

Atmora is the ancestral homeland of the Nords, which were not the only original human sub-race. There were the Ra Gada of Yokuda, now known as Redgaurds. The Nedes of Cyrodiil which have become Cyrodiilics and Bretons through interbreeding with Nords and Altmer, respectfully. There are also rumors of a human race on Akavir, but they were supposedly 'eaten' by the Tsaeic (sp?).

So Redgaurds are humans, they are just not of Atmoran descent.

Those who are trying to twist the TES lore about humans into a racist joke on Bethesda's part are being childish. Nowhere in game-lore is it indicated that Redguards are not humans. As has already been stated in this thread, Redguards are descended from the Wandering Ehlnofey as are all humans in TES Lore. Redguards remained separated from Tamriel for a little while longer than the other humans, but they are still human and eventually they too had their Tamrielic home-coming.

I've never heard the actual phrase human in a TES game (at least I don't remember it, been playing since MW), it's always Man or Mer.

They are, actually. I don't remember the exact source (somewhere on TIL), but "humans" is a term that encompasses both Men and Mer. They can reproduce, and as such, are considered to be the same species. Witness the Gray Prince in Oblivion, an Imperial/Orsimer crossbreed. Or the entire Breton race. Plus in the games, you don't really hear the word "human" thrown around, it's mostly Men or Mer. Well, that Talos-preaching dude in Whiterun is an exception.