So, I just got a neat idea for an aquamarine species, how they look, what kind of technology they have, and a rough outline of their society/culture. But there is one glaring issue, they started out underwater. To be more specific, the stone age. We humans, as primates, had major developments by learning how to use objects as tools, like wielding a stick, poking something with it, or discovering fire. Such things brought us onto the path to where we are today. Doing the same underwater, is much more difficult. Discovering fire would be virtually impossible. Using tools is also severely limited, not impossible I guess, but I don't see how they could reach a stage, in which they build underwater power plants for electricity, or inventing combustion engines, not to mention a space craft, without leaving the water. The 'leaving the water' part I already solved, but the time before that, basically their stone age, I haven't fully solved yet. The problem is: Intelligence! It doesn't come out of nowhere. We humans made big leaps in intelligence by discovering things, like learning to use objects as tools. This enabled us to become more intelligent and start to invent more advanced tools. The reason: environmental dangers, like predators, wind & weather, temperatures, natural disasters, and so on. The question is, how could this translate to an underwater species? I have chosen squids and octopi as rough basis for the species, but how would they use tools to invent things underwater? What could be there, underwater, for them to become more intelligent, and thus stepping on a similar path as we did? Or have I reached a point of impossibility? A point, where it's just too far fetched?
Explore shipwrecks? Take a look at how Atlantis is explored in other books and comics - Marvel has "the Sub-mariner" and D.C. has Aquaman. Star Wars had adminral ackbar who was from an aquatic pieces. Perhaps some type of alliance or trade relationship with the surface people?
Ouch... seems I did a big boo-boo. I meant submarine... Yeah, but how did they developed underwater? I mean, I'm aware that there are other submarine species in other works, but they usually don't explain how they managed to develop underwater. Think of Admiral Ackbar, or the Gungans (you know, Jar Jar...). Think of their species prehistoric times, which they spend underwater. They most certainly didn't discovered fire, or if they did, they had no use for it, as in 'try getting a camp-fire running underwater'. It's pretty much the same thing with cooking, a pot of boiling water would boil the water around the pot too, turning the 'kitchen' into a potential hazard, because water is such an excellent conductor of heat. Sharp edged stones are probably also quite rare to find, as water usually smoothes out sharp edges. I can see them using spears in a thrusting motion, because it's far more practical then a swinging motion, but that renders many other things we have developed impractical. Like, wielding a club underwater is certainly possible, but quite slow and exhausting, because the water is a retarding force. Things like using clay to make underwater structures also doesn't work, how the heck is it supposed to dry with all the water around? Not to mention the sheer impossibility of mixing any sort mortar. Or think of bow and arrow, anything but practical underwater. The same applies to throwing spears, it's not practical either due to water being a retarding force. With so many things either impossible or highly impractical, I already came to the conclusion that they must leave (or at least partially leave) the water at some point to make further developments. However, I want them to spend enough time underwater to build their first crude society, develop their first language, their first social system. I want to keep it realistic, without loosing their submarine appearance. Problem is, realistically they should leave the waters as soon as possible to make the necessary developments to reach the space age. But at that point, evolution probably would have completely changed them, easily enough that their submarine origins are not visible anymore. It would be like with us humans, our very far away ancestors once came out of the water too. Well, as you can see, my brain is jumping to burning rings while juggling 10+ running chainsaws... I would like to avoid the pitfall of "Here are some submarine aliens, just don't ask how they managed to NOT electrocute themselves while inventing underwater power plants..."
Well, I let it sit for a while in my brain pan. Some thoughts: Geothermal heat for energy - underwater volcanoes. The difference in temperature between the hot and cold waters....? Waves for energy - harness them somehow. Energy......waves, geothermal, could they somehow predict and harness the energy from an underwater "earth" quake? With regards to swinging a club, throwing a spear - your characters would have to have what we would call "super human" strength solely as a result of growing up in an environment that required that strength/durability for survival. To throw things like spears and to survive the pressure of the water at extreme depths. Underwater mountains could have things like rocks with jagged edges, gems, precious minerals which might not be that important to the underwater culture but could be traded to surface dwellers for other things. Could they "harness" fish-type animals as plough animals? Like, oxen or horses on the surfaces, whales/sharks/etc underwater? Harvest kelp or seaweed (I think these are the same thing...) What about some type of parasitic or symbolic relationship where the character makes a union with another speicies character and the whole is greater than the sum of their parts - this would be one way for your character to eventually end up on land if you take him in that direction. Your thoughts have me wondering. Land dwellers fish, right? Could an aquamatic speices herd cows? Harvest wheat? Hmm....set out bait to catch land dwelling animals like bears, wolves, tigers....etc? Building stuff - nails or some other fastener other than mortar? Wooden pegs were used in some furniture and other furniture was cut so well it joined together without any gaps. I'm thinking the Shaker type furniture. I got to say, I love the fact you're trying to pin this down. It always seems that writers/authors don't put any thought into this stuff. Anyways, I'd love to read this book when you're done.
Just because your species has to progress on dry land doesn’t mean they have to abandon the sea. Perhaps cataclysmic events cause them to acquire the ability to breathe air yet retain the ability to breathe water. Perhaps their native landscape is mostly small islands with only a few large land masses thus allowing them to develop on both “surf n turf”. Sorry about that but I couldn’t resist.
Cdn Writer voiced some great concepts. I would swing this with an omnivore. In terms of getting the species into space by having what is basically an octopus(Smart animals) pass through all of the stone ages until they invent the watery equivalent of the wheel(geothermal highways, pushing the things at great speeds from one sector to another?) and gunpowder(harpoon guns seem a safe bet, also, robo-sharks). The apes that insist on mowing my lawn, brushing my moustache and making some of those fine flat cheese breads with pineapple bits, well, their stone age dragged on for 3.4 million years. So you have some great evolutionary scope with such numbers. Initial thoughts: Predator/Competition In order to avoid predators, your species started entering shelters, sea caves etc. Perhaps they then started dragging objects over the entrances of larger caves, making colonies of safely housed octo-pies a possibility, as the entrance was barred for the big baddies.. They even started camouflaging caves to such an extent that only they could enter, a beaver-dam concept in the reef This goes further: They took these skills and started constructing "nets", of whichever substance. This captures food, and alerts them to the movement of other species into their territory Intelligence: Intelligence is the basic value that you want in your squidzies, so creating an environment where intelligence is a very beneficial trait and then rolling ideas from there can get the evolutionary goo runnning. A reef with many apex predators might provide such a setting, much as the African savannah of yore provided it to the ape. See, dolphins are pretty smart, but they are basically wolves with fins: They got a pretty good evolutionary deal going, so why rocket off to the moon? Make the squidopusses suffer, make them earn their brains. Special biological features play a key role here, like the ability to squirt ink, for this will determine how they come to be a stone-age culture. How large are they? How fast do they swim? Hunting is a must, and I'm thinking they plant jagged rocks, or the sharp rib bones of larger species to impale prey in fast currents. This ofc leads to the concept of the held spear(making them gain lethality as hunters, also better at defending against predators, or even banding together and downing big things); it also leads to the lesson: Sharp and pointy is good. Once they get good at killing, and maybe carve out a Safe Space, agriculture comes into play. This is on another planet, so get weird. Giant sea slugs, kelp, gathering whale shit for fertilizer(submarine fertilizer? idk), mussel farms, etc... many possibilities here. Society can easily flow from this, with hierarchy etc. dependent on biological composition. The benefit here is that it is sc-fi, you're not writing a biological thesis. So create an environment where their evolution is very possible, maybe play around with concepts like coral reefs, where a single coral grows many kilometers in diameter, forcing the species to strengthen their memorization skills to safely navigate, esp if danger is nearby.
If you say 'energy', do you mean electricity? If so, I'm trying to figure out the species stone age. They would hit the bronze age in the moment, in which they start to conquer land, where all the 'good stuff' becomes available to them. Of course, I don't talk of them fully converting to a land dwelling species, rather becoming water/land hybrids. Sorry, but super human strength would not change the retarding force of the water. Even a pistol bullet hitting the water would become completely harmless after just a few meters (somewhat like 4 meters, if I remember correctly...), due to extreme deceleration. If I would give them super human strength, they would need to be on the same level as, I don't know, Superman? I'm unsure. My current plan is to work out the species stone age. They would mostly be hunter and gatherer. I also believe, that agriculture became a big thing in the bronze age? Though, I'm unsure if my species would have worked out agriculture in their stone age. But, I can imagine them riding faster fishes. Maybe, but sadly unlikely for my setting. The land dwellers are much more advanced and pose a huge threat, thus the underwater species is somewhat trapped in their underwater stone age. My plan here is, that the land dwellers push themselves to oblivion due to war, I am thinking of radiation, chemicals, designed viruses. Think of 'Planet of the Apes', but with squids/octopi instead of apes. With the land dwellers steering towards extinction, the underwater species gets their chance to conquer the land. And with the ruins and leftovers from the land dwellers, they get a huge advantage for their further development. Yeah, seaweed could make an excellent substitute for ropes. Structures could also be carved into rock. Corals might also be useful for simple structures, though, I still need to research that. But, what kind of furniture would they need/want? It's not like a chair would be interesting to them, when just drifting around is already quite comfy. Or things like walls and roofs would be more interesting as protection from predators, but not so much from wind and weather, I guess. Well, what I imagine is a species with spacecrafts where living quarters, recreation areas and such, are partially flooded, while work areas (where power outlets and machines are needed) would be kept dry. My initial thought were fully flooded spacecrafts... but that would be ludicrous, one mistake and half the crewsquids on a single deck might get electrocuted... Yes, and I already mentioned, that they must leave the water to develop the things that can only be developed at land. Think of it like this, they spend their prehistoric times/stone age underwater and develop/invent what is possible. Then they go on land to enter the bronze age, and from there all the way up to a space traveling species. I think of a water/land hybrid species, basically an in-between stage before they would become a full land species. Well, I already concluded that my species would be forced to go on land at some point to develop further. For robo-sharks they need electricity... can you imagine how hard it would be to invent a power generator underwater? Heck, even the discovery of electricity would be quite deadly, because water is quite good at conducting electricity. So, quick summary: - First, land dwelling species are further advanced and pose a huge threat. Thus, my underwater species is somewhat trapped underwater, and with that trapped in the stone age. This could also give them a general paranoia towards land based aliens later on, let's call it a little racist trait... - Seaweed for ropes to keep stuff together or to knot nets for hunting/gathering, like fishing nets. Crude bags could also be possible, for dragging large quantities of stuff. - Spears, or rather, pointy sticks as held weapons, not for throwing. Sharp edged rocks can also serve as crude knives, not just as weapons, but also as cutting tools in general. - Aside from natural caves, they carve structures, or rather rooms, into rocks as protection against larger predators. Camouflage is also important to hide, either predators or from scuba divers. Can also be used to get a jump on them, "It's a traap!" style. - Trapping with spikes is also possible. Covering an area, like a cave or narrow space, with spikes and running smaller fish into it. - Gems and minerals, I am thinking of the first type of fashion? With tentacles, they could have a knack for crude rings, bracelets, and wristbands. This would certainly bring a first social aspect into the mix. - Hunting partially extends to the shore of the landmasses. Though, I would assume they would pick islands, because mainlands pose the threat of getting killed by the 'big bad land dwellers' who like some sushi... Uhhhh, my species could, later on, dislike people (meaning humans and other aliens) who like sushi? Or at least dislike any serving of food that comes close to squids/octopi? I see potential for conflicts... - Finding/gathering stuff from land dwelling species, either from sunken ships or, well, garbage dumped into the ocean... mh... that's going into an interesting direction. A polluted ocean could also create urgency for the underwater species to retreat into clearer waters, and later on even the urgency to leave the water. Finding a way to clean the oceans can also become a goal. And since the land dwelling species reached nuclear/chemical/biological warfare capabilities, it might as well throws all sort of nasty things into the mix, might even create the urgency to leave the planet... - Taming and riding bigger fish for faster travel is also on the table. But as plough animals? I'm unsure, would that fit for the stone ages? Is ploughing even necessary underwater? Guess I need to research that. - And lastly, discovering fire and inventing the wheel would happen when they get on land (while the land dwelling species goes down the path of extinction), and thus bringing them into the bronze age. From there its smooth sailing for further development... at least in general. Plus the benefit of finding ruins and debris from the land dwelling species, thus giving a nice boost in terms of further development. That looks really good. There are quite a few things I haven't thought of until now, thank you.
Quick status report: I looked into submarine agriculture, though, my findings are little to none. Which is no wonder, since most of our food can't grow fully submerged. However, I found: Nemo's Garden - http://www.nemosgarden.com/ - Think of underwater balloons/bubbles (biosphere) in which they grow vegetables/crops. If I understood correctly, these bubbles are almost fully self-sustainable. Huge benefits are: More then enough water supply due to evaporating and condensing salt water inside the biosphere. Pesticides are also not needed, because the bubbles protects against nearly all the common threats from usual agriculture at land. I mention this, because it pretty much looks like out of a sci-fi novel and is worth considering as inspiration for anyone who writes sci-fi. And for my species, this provides an interesting way to grow vegetables/crops from the land closer to home (meaning underwater) later on. I think of, the land dwelling species pretty much wrecked the planets surface (like nukes, chemical/biological warfare... thus mostly post-apocalyptic wasteland). This could make the oceans the best (and only) option for agriculture (and living in general) and thus creates urgency for my species to stay mostly in the waters, which would be a huge benefit to keep their submarine appearances/traits. As for actual underwater agriculture, I guess I have to make stuff up. Kelp farms, some kind of underwater rice, ocean lettuce,... later, when they unlocked gene manipulation they could customize land based plants to grow underwater too.
We started out in the water too. Aquatic ape theory is something you could consider. As for a species developing technology and having no ancestry on land EVER ... I wouldn’t buy it. They simply have to be able to make pockets of air in order to develop into the kind of thing you’re thinking of. In short, make them land dwellers that returned to the water - you can still go crazy with tech then and only have to address how they transitioned back into the water and why?
I already concluded, that my species must come out of the water at some point. And I concluded, that this point would be late stone age (well, their stone age...). I am aware that many technologies are impossible to invent in a submerged environment. My current plan is, they start out underwater -> develop as much as possible underwater (like crude tools stone age style) -> and for the bronze age they come out of the water, inheriting a wasteland from a land dwelling species that was more advanced. -> By the time they become space travelers, they have evolved into a water/land hybrid species, like dolphins and whales, but more advanced. That is the stage I want to show, where their submarine origin is still reminiscent while they already have become vaguely humanoid, thus foreshadowing their next evolutionary step.
I think you misunderstood. They wouldn’t use stones underwater. I meant they’s have to be amphibious or creatures that developed on land (primates like chimps) and then move back into the sea - for reasons you can come up with. There is no way a species would use stone tool underwater. Sea otters use stones out of the water - they also walked the land before returning to a more watery habitat.
Of course, you can simply gloss over such issues and focus on the story rather than getting caught up in how believable the nuances are.
I am currently doing world building and I want such things explained later in stories. The overall premise is, that a bunch of aliens end up in the same galaxy due to mysterious circumstances. The aliens are not just trying to get along with each other, but also try to find their home galaxies. Plus, lots of the aliens past (humans included) is shrouded in mystery, mostly hearsay. So, unveiling these things, and the conflicts around it, are supposed to be a big part... ...and I am way to obsessed with little details.
I like to ask why. There are lots of land animals who don't use tools either, I don't see what your point is.
Why would they? It’s impractical and inefficient. Very few aquatic animals use ‘tools’ compared to on land. The reason should be obvious enough - hands. Octopuses would be the closest thing I guess and they able to move on land. A species that has evolved in a completely submerged environment wouldn’t use ‘tools’ - at least not in the manner you’re talking.
That most tools we have are highly impractical underwater is exactly the issue I have here. So far I ruled out things like swinging and throwing, water is after all a retarding force. That rules out what? 90%, 95% of all tools and weapons we have ever developed? Thrusting/stabbing could be effective, but is there a need for it? In that regard, you just restated exactly the problem I try to solve here, no offense intended. Currently I look for possibilities, and weighing out how plausible/implausible they are.
Like I’ve said, the only real option would be to make them able to live underwater in air pocket from time to time. Maybe they developed some ritual in those air pockets and developed some form of crafting for said rituals - maybe as part of trade, tribal disputes or mating. They could’ve been forced to stay off the land due to noxious air, radiation and/or some vicious predators. The predators would fit nicely into your theme maybe? Have the society developing and growing in population that forced them into tribal warfare and led some to attempt to conquer these big nasty predators - the need for refining tools and weaponry would make sense then. And if they’re generally a more peaceful kind of people maybe the predators came into the sea so they fought back? Basically have them out of water for part of their lives yet discouraged from coming onto the mainland. You may find it interesting to look into Roche worlds. It is feasible that two fluid-like planets could share an atmosphere. If you consider that maybe these creatures could learn how to float between the planets and find some small land mass ... somehow? If I was going to write a story about aquatic species I’d go for the Roche world option for sure! GL if I think of anything else I’ll let you know.
Mh, the air pockets got me thinking of underwater cave systems that also lead above the waters. Let's oppose, predators in the open sea are too powerful and my species retreats into such cave systems because most predators can't follow. The smaller ones who can, are fierce due to their speed and agility, thus still posing a big threat. It's a cat-and-mouse game in big mazes, which needs to be memorized and gives a nice intelligence boost to my species. One of their tactics is to go up, hiding in small caves above the water. But the predators are patient, they can wait... so, my species needs to look for alternatives. With caves leading on land, they would gain access to land based materials, but also more predators (and at least on further developed species). That could make my species being stuck in the cave systems, from where they slowly adapt. Evolution kicks in and they become better in commuting between water and land. With the cave systems, they could even become able to climb up the walls to avoid being eaten. Climbing would help a lot to develop hands, well, rather hand like limbs at first. Though, I am not sure if this would work well with an squid/octopi like species. I have to look into it. However, I think this holds a lot of potential, thank you.
The question you have to ask yourself is, why did this species not become fully terrestrial? Why do they remain a marine species? In order for them to develop tools and technology, they are going to have to spend a considerable time out of the water, and there's no reason why they then wouldn't become land animals.
Another species on the same planet wrecked the lands and exterminated themselves. Radiation, biological warfare, the ozone layer is wrecked... let's add, that the planet is already closer to the sun, so most of it turned into deserts. That's multiple reasons for them to stay in the cave systems and keep exploration short. Plus, during exploration they will find ruins and debris from the previous species, boosting their technological development. And with the planet, more or less, wrecked, there's also some urgency to get off, thus into space. Well, something like that, the exact details are not yet set in stone.
But they'd need to reach a certain level of technological sophistication to be able to understand the tech left behind by the other species. Think of a caveman discovering a car. They wouldn't know what it was, or how to make it go. A cave dwelling species wouldn't develop technology due to the previously mentioned problem with fire. There would also be issues with a species that evolved in caves, and that was primarily aquatic being unable to move far from the water, especially on a desert planet.
Well, such things, obviously, don't happen within a few years. Evolution usually needs million/billions of years, though, I have read about rapid evolution, which can cause changes in a span of a few generations. Let's oppose, my species spends roughly on million years in the caves, going in and out of the water to avoid predators and even tries to climb the cave walls in desperate situations. I think that's enough time to let evolution do its magic and let my species discover everything they need to invent their first tools. Within the next ten to twenty thousand years, they could figure out what was left behind by the other species. Come to think of it, my species could also be an accident. The previous, land based, species could have messed up the seas with chemicals, radiation, failed gene experiments, and whatnot, which caused my species to develop in a strange fashion. Think of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but with squids/octopi instead of turtles. Mh, that's actually not a bad idea.
