Difference between revisions of "104-115"

Latest revision as of 11:09, 23 October 2015

Return to *History 8 Human Origins from Bone From a Dry Sea

15. relationship with dolphins

Li's tribe works with the dolphins to hunt the shoal of fish. The group of dolphins coral the fish into the narrow opening of the bay, where the hominids frantically grab and fling the fish from the narrow and on to to the rocks. The dolphins, "raced past the shoal, turned it, and headed back toward the bay... As the shoal rushed through, packed by the narrows into almost a solid mass, they were able to snatch fish after fish and fling them over their shoulders to flounder on the rocks."(1, 94-95). After the fish are scarce and the tribe is content with their hunt, they generously ration the fish to the dolphins and the members of the tribe. This relationship demonstrates the willingness of the hominids to cooperate with other species.

Image: [1]

16. prestige and leadership

There are conflicts between Tong and Kerif in the tribe as to who will take the position of leader because Presh, the previous leader of the tribe, is injured and is irrelevant for the time being. But "Tong and Kerif were still disputing the leadership, with three other males joining in temporary alliances which stopped anything from being settled.", and Presh's leg heals enough so that he is relatively mobile and can make an appearance to the tribe as a leader, so the other males do not matter any more (1, 97). The males of the tribe compete for the others prestige because that is what they must desire to become a leader (2).

17. Beginnings of beliefs

When Presh sees that Li seemed to have called the dolphins to the bay, he believes that Li has a special ability to call the dolphins and bring food to the bay. Presh knew that "she was the one who could call the dolphins" and began to believe that she had that power (1, 103).

Cameron Howley

Sources: 1. Bone from a Dry Sea by Peter Dickinson 2. [2] Broken link