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The galaxy was not unfamiliar with hybrids. On occasion, members of very similar species would come together, and a mixed spawn was the result. But we were not prepared for what would happen with humans when they entered galactic society.
For one, humans were a lot less… discerning in their partnerships. Even when they were biologically divergent to an extreme degree. In fact, some even seemed to be eager to couple with aliens of various kinds. Some took it as their mission to “teach aliens the ways of human love.” For another, human biology seemingly is remarkably capable of mixing with that of other species. There have been astonishingly few instances of genetic and/or physical compatibility experienced by humans, and they’ve been very… enterprising in finding ‘fixes’ for these instances.
Due to this, whenever humans were in the presence of another species for an extended period of time, there would soon be many hybrid children. After only a few generations, dozens of new hybrid species spun off in colonies cohabitated with humans. Further, these “near-humans” took after their namesakes, creating increasing numbers of hybrid species of up to dozens of other species.
This proved to be a boon to galactic civilization. The gene pool massively expanded, and beneficial traits were spread like wildfire across the galaxy. It also created fonder relations across species, as now many had kin that were mixed with others.
Still, it is generally recommended that unless one is prepared for the consequences, they resist the apparent charm humans naturally have. A combination of cuteness and social capabilities allows them to quickly win hearts. If you have humans on your crew, be careful, unless you want a lot of… philandering.