The Menk were one of two native humanoid species on the planet Valakis. They shared the planet with the technologically advanced Valakians. The Valakians regarded the Menk as less evolved, nothing more than hard workers. The Valakians provided the Menk with food and clothing, and housed them in compounds that NX-01 crew member Cutler implied they could not leave of their own choosing. (ENT: "Dear Doctor")
Humanity made first contact with the Menk in 2151, when Enterprise NX-01 picked up a Valakian shuttle and returned them to their homeworld, where it was discovered that a genetic disorder was slowly wiping the Valakians out. When Dr. Phlox was asked to help, he had a hunch the answer might be in the Menk's immunity to it. His thoughts were correct, but they also found that the Menk were on the verge of an evolutionary breakthrough, showing signs of social and intellectual development, which might lead to them becoming the dominant species on the planet.
The universal translator was unable to translate the Menk language as of 2151. (ENT: "Dear Doctor")
While several Ferengi later raided Enterprise, one named Muk found a device in the starship's sickbay and, when told to add it to the Ferengi group's collection of stolen goods, he exclaimed, "Do I look like a Menk to you?" before insisting that he keep the device for himself. (ENT: "Acquisition")
In February 2259 of the alternate reality, Starfleet tracked the movement of Menk representatives in the San Francisco Metropolitan Area. Their current position was ID'ed by a label superimposed over a map of the area. This map was in a collection of graphics and video media that was seen on a powerwall in the office of Admiral Christopher Pike at Starfleet Headquarters. (Star Trek Into Darkness)
The map is visible in the video "Star Trek: Into Darkness - User Interface VFX" at vimeo.com. [1]
In the writers' first draft script of "Dear Doctor", the Menk were said to be "distinctively different physically than the Valakians, with a particular facial structure and body size." They were also referred to as a sub-species of the Valakians. In the final draft script of "Dear Doctor", the description of the Menk instead stated that they "look distinctly different than the Valakians, and are small in stature." Also, the Menk were portrayed as an entirely different species from the Valakians, not a subset of that species.
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