Morlock

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35

The Time Machine
Morlocks are one of the two post-human races in H.G. Wells' The Time Machine. Set in the year 802,701 AD, the Morlocks lived in a troglodyte civilization, characterized by caveman behavior.

Biology and Appearance
The physical features of the Morlock's are the result of thousands of generations of living without sunlight. They have dull great-to-white skin, chinless faces, and large greyish-red eyes that reflect light.

The protagonist of the story, the Time Traveler, finds out later on that the Morlocks and the other post-human race in the era, the Eloi, maintain a relationship characteristic of many present-day organisms. The Morlocks, having been used to heavy labor and what was left of technology, feed and clothe the Eloi. In return, the Morlocks eat the Eloi. It may seem that the Morlock-Eloi relationship is like that of a farmer and his livestock.

Evolution
Morlocks are said to be humanoid creatures, descended from humans. Through time, they have evolved into a different species better suited to their subterranean habitat. They possess characteristics of apes with little or no clothing, gray fur, and large eyes to compensate the darkness underground.

thumb|300px|right|Morlocks as depicted in the 1960 film adaptation of The Time Machine

The evolution of the Morlocks to their biological and social functions are said to be a result of a widening split between different classes. The Morlocks are assumed to be of the working class of society while the Eloi belonged to the elite. As resources become scarce, the Morlocks, who have been used to labor, prove to be the stronger of the two classes.