When you purchase through links on our land site , we may earn an affiliate commission . Here ’s how it works .
A mysterious , malevolent - lookingmermaidmummy that was brought back to the U.S. from Japan more than 100 years ago seems to be a mix of fish , monkey and lizard part that have been fall in together like Frankenstein ’s demon , initial scans suggest .
The haunting mum , which is around 11.5 inches ( 29 centimetre ) long , is recognise as the " Fiji mermaid " due to its similarities with an object of the same namesupposedly acquired from Fiji by controversial showman P.T. Barnum in the 1840s . The mummy was purchased in Japan by an American naval policeman who donated it to the Clark County Historical Society in Springfield , Ohio , in 1906 . papers supplied to the society with the mummy suggest it dates back to the mid-1800s .
Researchers have begun to analyze the remains of a creepy “mermaid mummy” that was brought to the U.S. from Japan in 1906.
Now , for the first clip , researchers have investigated the mermaid ’s identity by carrying outX - rayandCT scanson the disheveled stay on .
" This allowed us to see [ the mummy ] in almost every proportion in the hopes to see what was inside it , " projection leaderJoseph Cress , a radiographer at Northern Kentucky University , told Live Science .
have-to doe with : Are there any mythological creatures that have n’t been debunked ?
Researchers thoroughly scanned the mermaid from all angles.
The initial investigation detect that the mummy is likely made from the head and torso of amonkeysewed onto the decapitated body of afish , while the mermaid ’s hands are the clawed legs from alizard — most likely a Komodo firedrake ( Varanus komodoensis ) , Cress enjoin Live Science .
The scan also let out a brace of wooden stakes inside the stiff — one running from head to tail and another across the shoulder joint blades — which were presumptively tally to keep the creature intact , Cress said .
The researchers are currently trying to restore a more elaborated framework of the mermaid and its individual parts from their scans . Once the models are unadulterated , the squad plans to send them to zoos and fish tank to help identify the components on a specie level .
Researchers think that the mermaid is a mix of monkey, fish and lizard parts.
This is not the only mummified mermaid to have undergo intensive CAT scan recently .
— Identity of secret ' mermaid globster ' that washed up in Papua New Guinea ' is anyone ’s guess , ' experts say
— 2,000 mummify tup ' capitulum were gifted to long - dead ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II
Researchers look over the initial scans.(Image credit: Fiji Mermaid Project/Joseph Cress)
— Haunting images of ' zombie ' shark and other decaying marine museum animals disclose in eery footage
In March 2022 , researchersanalyzed a similar specimenthat was unearthed in a obscure box in a Japanese temple . Researchers initially expected that this mermaid , which was 12 inch ( 30.5 cm ) long and dates to the mid-1700s , was also a scamp - fish hybrid . But subsequent scans this February revealed that the mummy waspredominantly made from cloth , paper and cotton wool , painted with sand and charcoal and held together by alloy pin . Various fauna parts , including mammal tomentum and Pisces tegument , were bind to the outside of the doll .
Both mermaids most close resemble " ningyo " — mythologic fish - like animate being with human top dog . In Japanese mythology , a woman is legendary to have lived for 800 old age after eat one of these fancied beasts , and so the animal became a symbol of longevity . It is therefore likely that fishers made the cryptid concoctions to sell them to wealthy the great unwashed seeking to prolong their sprightliness , Live Science antecedently reported .
Joseph Cress explains the scanning process to his students.(Image credit: Fiji Mermaid Project/Joseph Cress)
Conspiracy theory quiz : Test your knowledge of unfounded belief , from matted Earth to lizard people
What ’s the scientific explanation for ' ghost encounters ' ?
Hatnefer ’s tenderness scarab : An keen ancient Egyptian amber necklace inscribed with the Book of the Dead
Joseph Cress imitating the head and hand positions of the mermaid.(Image credit: Fiji Mermaid Project/Joseph Cress)
