Why do Au Ra females have boobs?

[KageTokage]

The lore doesn't outright deny that they're related to dragons, but suggests that they aren't in their character creation blurb due to having decidedly un-draconic traits like size dimorphism and horns that are used for hearing.

Nothing in the DRK or WHM quests mention it, either. The former quest brings up that Ishgardians did what most of us probably did when we first saw Au Ra and assumed they were related to dragons because of their features. The WHM quests only state that whatever tribe Alaqa was from was subject to heavy racism and it doesn't specify whether or not it was the Ishgardians who were responsible (The Garleans would be the other major candidate).

[BillyKaplan]

Dark Knight and White Mage Heavensward questlines

Neither of those deny it in measures that would really debunk this.

the lore description in the race selector in the character creator

That's the best thing yet, but I'm still not convinced, especially depending on the precise nature of their creation which we do not know yet. I keep thinking about Leviathan distorting the pirates in Sastasha (HM) where they took on traits similar to him but not a single creature in there looked just like him.
And then there are things to support it still, as I agree with Romilda - you don't go tying the Au Ra to the Dawn Father and Dusk Mother and then give Bahamut and Tiamat matching titles for no good reason. While not impossible they did that, I'll wait until we get more concrete evidence about the Au Ra's origin to give up on this - or not.

[Gumbercules]

boobless au ra woulda been awesome for traps =D

[Annana]

decidedly un-draconic traits like size dimorphism and horns that are used for hearing.

That and the fact that dragons are mono gendered. They choose pronouns based on how they feel they are best represented.

[BillyKaplan]

That and the fact that dragons are mono gendered. They choose pronouns based on how they feel they are best represented.

I feel like that's a moot point. If dragons influenced humans, who aren't mono gendered, to create the Au Ra as a sub-species, some traits would still remain from the original, assuming it's not a complete transformation like intake of dragon blood. That could also explain things like the size differences, traits in the original specimen that were pulled to extremes due to the process that were completely lacking in dragons.

[Cilia]

Didn't I resolve this like... a year ago? Guess I need to reiterate.

Why do Auri women have visibly developed breasts?
-The same reason human (hyuran) women do. Au Ra are placental mammals like the rest of the playable races; this was proven in Stormblood both with the supposed instance of an Au Ra / Hyur crossbreed in the distant past as well as Shar being pregnant with Geser's child after his death. The common misconception is that this means they must have visibly developed breasts, but this is not the whole truth. Of all the mammals in the real world, humans are the only species whose females have enlarged breasts their entire adult lives - the breasts of other mammals do enlarge and engorge, but only during pregnancy and while nursing, and return to being similar to males afterward. The mammary glands of all females vary in size and quantity, but the visibly developed breast itself is mostly fat and connective tissue (with milk ducts running between the nipple and mammary glands, which are closer to the chest wall rather than inside the breast itself). Exactly why human females have these is unknown; the leading hypotheses are that they help to garner male attention even when a female is not capable of producing offspring and that they help infants suckle. Female breasts are a sign of fertility, after all, as they develop during puberty.

There is no proven relationship between Au Ra and dragons. Even if there were, it's a moot point - Auri women having breasts is most likely a design choice, since human forms are easier to identify and sympathize with. Breasts are a part of the human female form, ergo Auri women have breasts. Simple as that. If you want to ask such an inane question, apply it to all non-Hyur races, since Hyur are designed to be humans in all but name. (Why do Roegadyn females have boobs? Why do Elezen women have boobs? Why do Miqo'te women have boobs? Why do Lalafellin women have raisins boobs?) The only thing driving this particular question is the idea that the Au Ra are related to dragons, voidsent, or scalekin, and there is no proven relationship between Au Ra and any of the three. Remove that and it becomes a nonissue.

I hope I've been thoroughly professional about this. It's a difficult subject to broach without sounding sexually charged, and I'm trying to be cold and scientific about it to take the subject seriously.

[Cybylt]

I feel like that's a moot point. If dragons influenced humans, who aren't mono gendered, to create the Au Ra as a sub-species, some traits would still remain from the original, assuming it's not a complete transformation like intake of dragon blood. That could also explain things like the size differences, traits in the original specimen that were pulled to extremes due to the process that were completely lacking in dragons.

Though we do see instances of dragons influencing humans and they become aevis, diresaurs and syricta. All of them become substantially more dragon-like including loss of sexual dimorphism, and none of them as I recall developing distinctly non-dragon traits.

[Yuriane]

I feel like I may have said it before but I'll go into more detail for the sake of people coming into this thread again.

Two things - firstly, Au Ra only have one feature that indicates reptilian origins, the scales and tail (not the horns). Every other indication of an Au Ra's class points to being mammalian in nature. Not least of all the fact they can cross breed with Mammals.

Secondly - Because I've seen a few sarcastic people ask why Miqo'te don't have six nipples, I'mma give a serious answer. Human-like breasts are a bipedal thing. They most likely developed because it would be impractical for a constantly moving nomadic species to lie down to feed an oversized litter. So we developed, and in turn fantasy races based on humans developed, to better be able to feed infants while cradeling them in our arms. True, the devs probably didn't think of this, but if you ever want a profound explanation as to why any bipedal mammal has tits, now you know.

[Matriqona]

Thought that Au Ra's are suppose to be more "demonic" then "reptilian" in their origins.
On side note, a shame they didn't make them look more akin to those concept art drawings.

[Yuriane]

On side note, a shame they didn't make them look more akin to those concept art drawings.

With you there, as much as I love my horns I honestly prefer the horns in concept art.