As for the sharks, you guys are confusing domesication with training. A Tiger can be trained, but isn't domesticated; meanwhile a chicken is domesticated, but can't be trained (at least, not like a Tiger can be). Domestication refers to a wide range of anatomical and behavioral traits that make a species easy to exploit as an agricultural resource.
Most carnivores make poor domesticated animals—they are too dangerous, and their food is too expensive. Dogs are an exception because they are highly social animals, making it easy to integrate them into human society as puppies. That's not going to work for sharks, I don't think.
Try whales and dolphins, they make much better candidates for domestication.
I can't exactly change the name of this thread though
You could ask a mod to do it for you, if you want.
How do I do that? I'd like to change it too something like "what would mermaids, underwater weaponry and underwater farming look like if they evolved naturally"
You just PM a mod. A partial list of them can be found here: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Administrivia/KnowTheStaff
Actually, a moderator saw (me) saw this request and has now done it. Please note though that PM'ing individual moderators is not generally the recommended technique to request general moderator attention.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Tell us what is the generally recommended technique?
Like reflections in the glass!
related question, how would martial arts (some use weapons) be adapted to work underwater. Capporiea, Bajiquan, Karate, etc.
Typical martial arts wouldn't work properly. Strikes get weakened by water resistance and throws would be entirely useless. Many pins and locks wouldn't work because they depend on the ground or are useless when the target can spin freely in 3 dimensions. Chokeholds would work because they constrict the arteries rather than just the windpipe.
In terms of weapons, axes and maces are out. There's just too much surface area and the water saps too much inertia. Spears would kinda work. You'd need to focus more force behind each blow but it's possible. Swords would work so long as you can use push and pull cuts. Daggers would be entirely unaffected.
A 3-D grappling technique would be interesting.
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Indeed; I imagine that it would focus primarily on locks and chokes—but the actual moves could be quite different from our land-bound styles!
Octopus stance!
would mermaids be able to speak dolphin and how would having two different methods of vocalization affect language?
Edited by Wild-Starfish on Dec 8th 2023 at 4:46:20 AM
Like reflections in the glass!
I'd say "that depends" and "would likely lead to unique dialects, and more sounds to construct language around derived from dolphin noises." respectibly
ok but dolphin sounds (or something like that) would be used exclusively for underwater communication so the question is more about having a second context specific way to communicate and how they would relate to each other
I would say that it depends on whether the dolphins have a language.
they do have a language in the world i've created
Then it comes down to the mermaid's vocal range, and whether they can physically reproduce the sounds dolphins use to communicate. Bear in mind that they are much more likely to use low pitched than high pitched noises for that.
Anyways Here's Darude Sandstorm
Being underwater I think there would be no need for wheels. Fire is almost impossible and the only sources of heat would be volcanic vents, the in shallows and the thick fur of sea mammals. I'd imagine any kind of civilization would be primitive if any kind of civilization exists at all. Maybe they're less like humans and more like extremely intelligent animals with some rudimentary tools like simple spears and maybe nets.
GIVE ME YOUR FACE
The OP does mention "mermaid cavemen", so I think that's already assumed.
Submarine Chomper
Oh, so they are on the society-scale of "Mermaids: The Body Found" or something similar?
"If there's problems, there's simple solutions."
Not familiar with that one.
Submarine Chomper
It's basically a documentary-style movie that includes the question of "What if mermaids are real?" and showed the entire evolutionary line it would take for a mermaid in the modern day to become a real thing, among other things. It's an interesting watch.
Edited by Trainbarrel on Feb 21st 2024 at 3:50:06 PM
"If there's problems, there's simple solutions."
It seems like these mermaids would be amphibious if they are like Selkies and are capable of interbreeding with humans. So do they have tails or legs?
Maybe they live mostly in warm water areas? How do they sleep? Do they migrate with fish? They might build rafts.
They probably wouldn't use tridents. I believe tridents are mainly used for fishing because of the refraction of light in water. That is only a issue if you are standing outside the water.
They would probably wear coral jewelry.
Yeah, ok I just thought it might be advantageous in some way for sweating to be used to get rid of excess salt, but I didn't consider how this would react with clothes that the Selkie-like mermaids would be wearing.
Edited by Wild-Starfish on Jul 3rd 2023 at 11:46:37 AM