Valar reproduction

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

But the question remains, would Orcs be a distinct species? Would they then just be Maiar/Elves or what? We know they could not be a new species, and we have to presume they did eventually breed/reproduce independently given all the evidence (dispersed populations, many body types etc), but were they ever more than simply ugly half-breed Elves?

I can't see torturing elves into becoming orcs, and so there's got to be something more. Once you get a small population of 'something more,' then you can let things take their course.

By the by, are there orc females, and if the orcs come from elvish stock, what gives them (the orcs) the significantly higher birth rate as compared to the elves? Sure, elves read lots of poetry, which you'd think would be good for romance (as indicated by the greeting card industry), but then again, maybe they're too busy writing it, or thinking about writing it, to actually go out on a date.