Title Revisiting the Missing Apex: A Hypothesis on the Evolutionary Existence of a Transitional Predatory Hominid — The Vampire-Werewolf Complex Abstract This paper proposes a speculative evolutionary model suggesting that mythological beings such as vampires and werewolves may represent vestigial memory traces of a real transitional species that once existed between higher mammals and early humans. Comparative analysis of aggression expression, craniofacial morphology, and pathogen-induced behavioral parallels (such as rabies) supports the hypothesis that a hominid-predator hybrid — stronger than animals yet more intelligent than Homo sapiens — might have existed in prehistoric or protohistoric times. This hypothetical species could explain persistent global folklore describing bipedal, nocturnal, intelligent predators. 1. Introduction Human folklore across cultures consistently refers to hybrid beings — vampires, werewolves, rakshasas, asuras, or lycanthropes — that share anat...