Are Mermaids Real or Fake? Here’s Why It Isn’t Scientifically Accurate

We see mermaids in the movies and books but haven't encountered a real one. Although there are various reports about them, most claims do not prove their existence.

Are Mermaids Real or Fake?

Legendary sea creatures known as mermaids, half-human, half-fish sirens of the sea, have been recorded in maritime cultures for ages. They are mentioned in "The Odyssey," an epic poem by Homer of ancient Greece. During ancient times, mermaids were the dependable messengers between their spouses and the land-based emperors in the Far East. They were the wives of strong sea dragons. Australian aboriginal people refer to mermaids as "yawkyawks," a moniker that can allude to their captivating singing.

Mermaid beliefs may date back to the very beginning of human history. Around 30,000 years ago, during the late Paleolithic (Stone Age), when modern humans first acquired control of the land and, presumably, started to sail the seas, the first magical feminine characters were shown in cave paintings. In mythology, chimeras, or half-human creatures, are common. In addition to mermaids, other examples include intelligent centaurs, reckless satyrs, and terrifying minotaurs.

But do mermaids really exist? Aquatic humanoids have never been found to exist. Why, then, do they seem to be present in almost everyone who lives on the sea? It is preferable to leave answers to that query up to historians, philosophers, and anthropologists.

ALSO READ: 300-Year-Old Okayama 'Mermaid Mummy' Origin Investigated: Could It Be a Gruesome Fish and Monkey Mix?

Mermaids From Japan

Scientists are trying to figure out the mysteries of a weird mermaid from Fiji, Japan, that resembles a cross between a fish, a monkey, and a reptile. A returning American sailor from Japan donated the mummy to the Clark County Historical Society in Springfield, Ohio, in 1906.

The Fiji mermaid rocks a grimacing face, strange fangs, enormous claws, a fish-like lower half, and a downy covering of grey hair. It has long given museum visitors the chills. However, the so-called Fiji mermaid's mysteries might eventually be revealed after it has been X-rayed and CT scanned for the first time to comprehend its genuine nature.

"It seems to be a hodgepodge of at least three different species externally," said radiologist Joseph Cress of Northern Kentucky University. "It appears to be a jumble of at least three different species."

The head and body are those of a monkey, but the hands resemble those of an amphibian, almost like an alligator, crocodile, or lizard of some type. The fishtail is another unidentified species. Cress went on to say that they are curious about what parts were put together because it seems like it was fashioned, almost like a Frankenstein creation.

They could separate "slices" of the artifact using CT scanning and ascertain whether any of it had ever been a live animal. Cress asserted that they obtain more information in this way. Given that they can see it from the front, back, and side, they would measure the depth of those nostrils and see if they extend into what they assume to be a genuine nasal cavity.

In addition to the head and facial region, Cress and his colleagues would also look at the thoracic region, the tail end, and all other parts of the Fijian mermaid. To find out what species, if any, were combined to create the enigmatic mermaid, the data will be given to experts at the Cincinnati Zoo and Newport Aquarium.

Earlier this year, another mermaid from Japan was proven to be fake. The bizarre creature, a purported 300-year-old mummified mermaid with hair on its head, pointed teeth, a body, and a tail similar to a fish, was also examined using CT scans and other cutting-edge tests, and the experts learned it had no skeleton and the body was made of paper, cloth, and cotton.