In Star Trek - TNG S6E20 The Chase, the apparently first humanoid species in the Galaxy from around 4.5 Billion years ago appear, travel the galaxy and spread their genetic material on terraformed planets. In the episode, it is stated that they were the only humanoids and seeded genetic information for new humanoids to evolve on some of the primordial worlds they discovered. The recording asserts that no other humanoids existed when these seeders existed and that they specifically seeded humanoids like themselves (or at least raw material which would eventually evolve into a humanoid species with very similar co-compatible DNA)
We also know that this original species was obviously warp capable, and others likely existed at that time (such as the Crystalline Entity, and likely the Founders). I'm not asking about the first warp-capable beings in the universe. This is about a sort of "space race" between the humanoids these guys spread around - a limited set of species.
This has nothing at all to do with "inventing" warp technology either - not interested in the smartest race. If someone stole the technology from the Dominion, they won the race. If someone rides around on saddles on a Crystalline entity first, they won the race. It's about which species evolved into a humanoid and then knocked on a neighbor's door first, no matter how they got there.
The answer will be based on in-universe current information. The exact number of different species which evolved is unknown and all the different species created this way are unknown. But from what we DO know, which species was warping around the galaxy first?
Disambiguation
This question specifically does not want speculation about ancient civilizations before The Chase founders (who traveled the galaxy by some arbitrary and undocumented means.)
Inventing warp doesn't answer this question. (Some races steal technology which leads to advances without invention, & sometimes technology travels back through time in a temporal incursion. Those were excluded from the other question but are all valid contenders here.
This question is NOT asking about the entire galaxy. Many species have traveled at warp for a very long time before humanoids did (The Founders have been exploring the galaxy from the Gamma quadrant since 7,600 BC. But the Founders are not in this race. Did they give warp tech to a humanoid species? Now THAT is relevant.
This question is NOT asking for political or ethnic collectives like“The Borg” or “United Federation of Planets.” This is about a species - distinct genetically identifiable and who share a common ancestor via this "seeding" process.
In Star Trek time travel sometimes brings things into existence without ever inventing them - Watch The Voyage Home. No one on earth invented the transparent aluminum used in 1986 San Francisco which spontaneously arose in a predestination paradox.
Answer
Warp capability evolved naturally in a species which converted organic matter into energy known as the crystalline entity. This is likely the first warp-capable species and the date this species evolved is unknown, however such an evolution would necessarily be measured in many millions of years. However, referring only to humanoid species, none are known to naturally travel at warp speeds.
Based on genetic similarity to earth humans, the Voth evolved from Terran ancestors 20,000,000 years ago and traveled to the Delta quadrant (presumably to escape the asteroid extinction event Earth was about to experience). According to “VOY: Distant Origins” the Voth DNA contains 47 genetic markers of humans.
Based on this episode, it seems from our best information the Voth had won the space race among seeded humanoid species.
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