Or maybe it’s not what Xlyp and Bulg say, but that Yannick asks the spirits to bless them. And when Xlyp and Bulg add Grok to become a thruple, Yannick is again called upon to bless that household.
I dunno, i expect some kind of rituals to develop around long-term sexual unions.
I remember a science fiction book about almost this topic.
A technological civilization far in the future receives data containing complete DNA genomes for humans, and decides to recreate them from this.
The aliens were not at all humanoid, in fact I seem to remember they were more like starfish?
But they developed social and emotional connections to the newly recreated humans.
Darn, what was the book called…? My search skills are falling short…
Might be “Genome” by Brian Aldiss. Wow, that’s an old memory.
I don’t think it was Aldiss?
Though that does bring up a memory of a slightly similar story by James Blish in the ‘Seedling Stars’ stories (Surface Tension) where microscopic humans are somehow introduced on a water world by a crashed colonization ship.
But that’s not the one I was thinking of. I seem to recall it was not by any of the well-known writers, and the author didn’t, as far as I know, write anything else…?
ChatGPT suggests The Genesis Quest by Donald Moffitt.
That’s the one, thanks.
The Genesis Quest, as said. He also wrote a sequel, and at least one earlier book titled The Jupiter Theft. Looking him up he wrote a fair amount, but mostly short stories.
I know that the point of this thread is to ask about language and tool development, and such, but I wonder if the caretakers can really match the emotional needs of the children.
I think that would be a hijack so I get into it.
Socioemotional and group development as well. So have at it!
The question is really how much is innate given some level of basic stimulation and other children to grow up with and interact with.