How can sharks be domesticated to become man's best friend?
I have had an ingenious idea of combining the two most dangerous creatures the world has ever seen by using my massive and titanic intellect. Mankind, the deadliest land mammal, and sharks, the most feared creature in the sea. For decades, these two species have been at odds due to Spielberg. But together, they make an unstoppable force!
This ocean world is covered in mostly water, with small islands dotting the surface and large landmasses being rare. Ocean life is far more diverse, with many larger predators. I have had dogs become extinct due to some virus because they suck and are boring. Sharks are much cooler, so I had them take their place as loyal servants to humanity.
These humans use sharks for a number of things, specifically to hunt for food. Hunters ride on the backs of sharks to search for prey. The riders use spears as weapons of choice while sharks assist by catching and ripping chunks out of the animal. Then the carcass is towed back home.
How can I make this vision possible? To what extent must I change a shark to allow for this compatibility ?
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1 answer
I don't think real-life sharks have that level of intelligence. But maybe I'm wrong or we can just assume that the sharks in your world do.
What do humans offer the sharks? Dogs became domesticated because humans offered them warmth by a fire, the protection of a pack when finding a dog pack might have been difficult, a steady source of food, etc. Love too, but that wasn't what drew them to humans.
But what do sharks get out of this deal? Aren't they better off just eating the humans? Or ignoring them? (Or getting out of the way of their spears)
Maybe the sharks really value certain prey but they can't get it very often. With the humans, they get it almost any time they want. That doesn't seem like enough though. Humans and sharks don't live together so there isn't that kind of benefit. But maybe humans can create coves where the sharks can rest and feel safe (safe from?? who are their predators? Killer whales who don't fit in the coves?). Or the humans farm fish the sharks love and feed them from it regularly.
I can see why the humans would be drawn to domesticate sharks in the ways you suggest. But you're going to have to find the motivations (should be multiple ones) that are going to convince the sharks. And to keep them from going wild again. If you don't find enticements then maybe your answer is entrapments. Either way, that's your answer.
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