The mystery behind one of the infamous ‘Fiji mermaids’ may soon be solved by radiology testing. This bizarre creature seems to be part fish, part monkey, and part reptile, and has baffled scientists for over a century. It had traversed the seas from Japan to Ohio, brought back by an American sailor in 1906, and donated to the Clark County Historical Society. With a grimacing face, strange teeth, oversized claws, fish-like lower half, and downy layer of grey hair, it's been giving museum visitors the creeps for decades!
According to Japanese legend, consuming the flesh of mermaids is believed to bestow immortality upon the person who eats it. However, given that the composition of this particular mermaid is uncertain, biting into it could mean consuming any number of animals or other substances hidden within!
However, it was recently taken down as the historical society embarked on a multiyear inventory project that has revealed a fair share of curiosities, not yet revealed to the public in entirety. These curiosities include items connected to historical figures like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln's signature, and even a purported piece of Noah's ark, reports The Northerner.
Dr. Cress explained that the CT scanning would enable them to identify 'slices' of the artifact, with the hope of determining whether any part of it had once been a real animal. He stated that by doing so, it would provide them with more data, such as whether the nostrils continue up into what they believe is a legitimate nasal cavity and the depth of these structures.
This scanning method allows them to examine the artifact from front to back and even from side to side. They can also assess whether the ear cavity extends to where it would connect to the brain. In summary, the CT scanning process is being applied to all sections of this Fiji mermaid, including the head, facial region, thoracic region, and tail end.
X-rays and CT scans have uncovered that the specimen possesses a genuine fish's lower body, jaws, and teeth. It has been taxidermied using a traditional method, encompassing a wooden core. This aspect allows for dendrochronology analysis of the wood, offering a more precise means of determining the time when the specimen was created. The information will be sent to specialists at the Cincinnati Zoo and the Newport Aquarium in the expectation of identifying the creatures, if any that were merged to create the mermaid.
This article originally appears https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-mysterious-phenomena/fiji-mermaid-0019648
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