I was thinking the exact same thing!!!
In fact, a lot of people (particularly New Age, but that’s neither here not there) think the same thing. Usually it is tied up with theories of “alien progenitors” millenia ago kickstarting the human rrace and other lieforms on Earth. Then they go on to Atlantis and Lemuria and legendary continents and so on and so forth. It gets weirder and weirder.

Those theories really are not really for this website–but I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone in thinking about “genetic manipulation” in reagrds to mermaids. Others have thought about the same thing. Doesn’t mean it’s true, of course—but it is “out there,” so to speak.

The issue is brought up in regards to Unicorns, as well. Actually, unicorns have been known to have been “created,” of course (witness what Oberon Zell-Ravenheart did with his “unicorns” twenty-odd years ago), so the idea of an as-yet-unknown-type of “manipulation” by the ancients regarding certain creatures is not beyond the pale, so to speak. Some creditable researchers like Paul Takon from the Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia and Christopher Chippendale from Cambridge University in England have found ancient cave pictures depicting interactions between humans and centaur-like beings, giving rise to the theory that maybe centaurs MAY have existed in the ancient world. Candidate of historical sciences Alexander Guryev says there may have been horse-human “contact” in the ancient world that gave rise to such beings as “centaurs.”

I ultimately have no idea, but I tell you what—there is SO much we do not know about the ancients and the knowledge they had regarding many subjects. Lately it’s becoming clearer and clearer, at least, that they had a sophisticated knowledge of technology, botany, chenistry, astronomy, etc. Why not genetics?.

Could we be witnessing the results of genetic engineering? I often wonder about manipulation when I see some ancient depictions (dragons, etc.).

A genetically modified creature would not have to follow the logic of biology. It would merely have to be functional. The variety in the sightings could be accounted for by multiple or successive experiments.

The ocean is a fabulously rich environment. Exploiting its resources by combining access (piscene qualities) with evaluation/manipulation (human qualities) seems reasonable. Modern man, without restriction, would certainly be willing to engage in curious genetic alteration (glow in the dark mice, anyone?).

Xtrox – Thanks for the well written and well researched articles, I enjoyed them very much. While I may not be a proponent to merbeings, they are still very interesting to read about, especially the individual sightings and reports from the different locations.

I think alot of the similarities in the individual descriptions have much to do with widespread folklore and the mythology of these “creatures”. Information travels, and stories get sensationalized and spread through different regions, especially in times when people didn’t have modern conveniences to entertain themselves with. The commonality of the physical appearances of the “creatures” may simply be a result of stories being passed along over time and people describing their “encounters” in a way that is familiar.

And back to the dugong/manatee theory, even six months at see, full of grog and out in the sun too long…no way I’m going to say a manatee is anywhere close to any description or rendering of a mermaid:)

I’ll go with Ariel and her kin. Forget the skeptics.

…wondered if merbeings might be wearing some kind of lower clothing as an aid to streamlining or as having a social function.

This is exactly the theory that cryptozoologist Mark A. Hall has discussed in his writings on Merbeings.

I thought the same thing, but wondered if merbeings might be wearing some kind of lower clothing as an aid to streamlining or as having a social function.

Not very likely I know but it might all have happened in the days before ships and nets and guns and the cacophany of mans activities. Doesn’t it seem much more likely- of course under blue skys in clean seas and on perfect sandy beaches, above and below the water?

A man can dream can’t he ?

I doubt that this birth defect actually makes its sufferers into better swimmers. Besides, it seems very unlikely that a human-like appearance would be retained in the upper portions, anyhow. The arms would almost certainly be greatly modified, the neck reduced and the head-to-shoulders transition rounded, etc.