Dowutin precursor species

The sentient Dowutin species evolved from a species of non-sentient, omnivorous herd animals native to their homeworld Dowut. The animals lived on the planet's frozen plains, where they would use their spiked fingers and chin tusks to dig for tubers, insect nests and dens of hibernating feeks. These digging elements were retained in the morphology of the Dowutin during their evolution.

Behind the scenes
The precursor species to the Dowutin were first mentioned in the reference book Star Wars: Aliens of the Galaxy,which was written by Jason Fry and released on August 23, 2016.