Apparently, proof of REAL "Mermen/Mermaids" exists

[Aurabolt]

Note: Above picture is a CGI Image of what they're believed to look like.

Link: http://dsc.discovery...body-found.html

More Videos: http://animal.discov...out-history.htm

Discuss.

Ignoring the impressive CGI representations of the creatures this show is about, you have to remind yourself it's all hypothetical. Even if you were to take the scientists', Retired Soldier and Fishermens' stories/footage at face value, the idea that these creatures are our genetic relatives isn't something I'm willing to believe without more proof than what was given. I was almost convinced these creatures exist but I certainly haven't been convinced they're an aquatic version of us. The evidence presented may lead you to believe that but given the decisive evidence was never produced AND the evidence discovered was discounted because of how insufficient it was...can't say they're part man.

I did take three things from this 2-hour special, though:

1. The US Navy might know something about this (obviously). I'm not denying that *Dons Tin Foil Hat* I'm not gonna claim ignorance but if they're going out of their way to keep this creature's existence from the public (Investigating all alleged sightings worldwide), they must have their reasons. Considering the US Navy is the most powerful in the world and has a presence prettymuch EVERYWHERE you can put a boat...yeah.

2. One of the scientists falsely stated we know more about the moon than we do the deepest reaches of the oceans. That's only half-true and goes a bit with the above statement. The US Navy has been testing deep-sea vehicles in the Marinara Trench (Called "The Final Frontier On Earth" by some) for nearly 20 years. If the cellphone video and the CGI videos are to be believed then these Merfolk are constantly on the move. Therefore, the scientist is contradicted there.

3. Most obviously: If there have been worldwide sightings throughout the ages as this "Shockumentary" and myth would suggest, the creature would have been identified by now. The "teaser" shots only showing the creature from behind (humanoid head and fin) or an arm waving in a fisherman's net AND the lack of a followup investigation of these sightings by the science community is very telling. See, the NOAA Scientists must have been doing some stuff not mentioned in the documentary to have been followed by US and South African Officials. It's the only possible explaination otherwise the South African Government would have wanted their research to be made public (given South Africa is considered by most to be the birthplace of humanity).

When it comes down to it for me: These creatures might exist and if they did they're probably not related to humans. The science community has already discounted the Aquatic Ape Theory presented in the film.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Aurabolt

[cyron]

interesting i dont think they exist but if they do i think they would share some genetic similiarity to us simply due to the theorized form of mermiads upper body structure i think that if mermaids exist they would be of a common ancestor to humans they may have been from a group that lived by and spent a lot of time near and in the sea and then began to evolve traits that are helpful in swimming such as shin webbing bettween fingers and toes this could slowly spread up they leg to lead to a tail although this would completly screw up thier reproduction wich is why i dont think mer people exist additionaly they would likely still need to breath air simply becuase of thier mamilain descent this means they would live in shallow water if they wanted a permanent residence or if nomadic they would need to stay near the surface

[Aurabolt]

For the record this "Shockumentary" is a work of fiction. Sorry for not saying that in my OP.

The only parts that have an factual basis are the Bloop Recordings and the fact Sonar does effect whales. The Bloop Recordings mentioned really exists but no one knows what it is. Some people believe the US Navy's Sonar testing is resposible for the mass beachings in recent years.

[Strawman]

That second video where the mermaid sacrifices himself was SO SAD. Oh my gosh.

I dunno, I've always just accepted that people mistook Dolphins/Manatees/Dugongs as mermaids. But also I think is just kind of assuming past humans were really dumb, which I also don't think they were. Also they are probably just created mythical creatures, like the centaur.

i'm watching those videos, but did they even find any even close to certain evidence? Did they actually find a body like the name suggests? Or are they just making crazy speculation?

Also, wading in the shallows was not(or, is not accepted as) the first place Apes became bipedal, as the videos said. I mean MAYBE there could have been some that went to the ocean instead of towards the plains at the edge of the forest. But there isn't any fossil evidence to prove that, iirc.

Edited August 7, 2012 by StrawSloththeSawSlothStraw

[Aurabolt]

This should answer all your questions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfPWHPyU1u4

That's the film in full uploaded to You Tube.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Aurabolt

[Arim]

My thoughts.

Do I think they exist? Probably.

Do I think they're related to us? No.

There are probably PLENTY of creatures that exist that we don't know about that are either (a. Hiding from us, or (b. being hidden from us.

Although, I've never really been one to be all too skeptical. I don't see any reason why they can't exist. But to be honest, I'd say they're more similar to fish than they are to humans.

"I've always just accepted that people mistook Dolphins/Manatees/Dugongs as mermaids."

That's a very believable theory.

"But also I think is just kind of assuming past humans were really dumb, which I also don't think they were."

Agreed.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Arim

[cyron]

Do I think they're related to us? No.

why do you think they (if thy exist) are not related to us it would be ilogical for a fish or dolphin to evolve the upper body of a human as that is not a practical set up for swimming a fishes body is far more preferable under water than a human upper body with a fish tail when it comes to moving quickly through the water

[Rewjeo]

Well, if anything like this exists, I don't think it would be like the Disney mermaids... I imagine it would basically be an aquatic creature with a tail fin but human-like front limbs. A whale's front fins separating into multiple digits again doesn't strike me as unlikely within the situation. More likely than a homonid (whose defining feature is that they walk upright) losing its legs and growing out a tail or having its legs fuse into a flipper.

[Original Alear]

Well, if anything like this exists, I don't think it would be like the Disney mermaids... I imagine it would basically be an aquatic creature with a tail fin but human-like front limbs. A whale's front fins separating into multiple digits again doesn't strike me as unlikely within the situation. More likely than a homonid (whose defining feature is that they walk upright) losing its legs and growing out a tail or having its legs fuse into a flipper.

Something like this?

http://www.4myup.com/viewer.php?file=47478667027344038189.jpg

[Rehab]

Something like this?

http://www.4myup.com/viewer.php?file=47478667027344038189.jpg

I saw Vodyanoi and thought these guys

I wonder exactly which parts of the ocean remain unexplored, assuming we even know enough to block all of it out.It really is a big place, and I can only imagine how different times of year affect where all the different species would be traveling. Obviously we don't have it all worked out, since we're still discovering new species etc.

That said, I still wonder how we haven't managed to find mermaids if they do exist. I wonder if they could've evolved to live in the really deep parts, under what we'd consider crushing pressure? I should look up how life down there has managed and evolved.

[Anouleth]

If intelligent life exists deep in the oceans, it will be some sort of freaky squid rather than some sort of freaky human.

[cyron]

and since it would be pointless for a fish or dolphin to evolve such a similiar upperbody to humans it leads me to think they are descended from humans (if they do exist(which i doubt) and humans being mamalian they would be very simliar to dolphins in lower body structure and skin texture

[MacLovin]

Back in Florida, there's a legend called "THe Swamp Ape"

Don't know the full story, but it could be a sort of aquatic hominid.

[Mew]

Back in Florida, there's a legend called "THe Swamp Ape"

Don't know the full story, but it could be a sort of aquatic hominid.

nope, coming from someone who lived near the Everglades for most of my life, Swamp Ape = Skunk Ape = basically bigfoot of the everglades

and yeah this whole conversation made me think of Vodyanoi in the Witcher haha. I'm a pretty big skeptic about conveniently humanoid creatures existing at all (star wars/trek piss me off because of how humanoid many of the aliens are)--I don't doubt that evolution could bring us to the point of being fish-esque, but at the same time, I doubt it would manifest so plainly in a fish tail like so. I'm with Anouleth here, whatever intelligent life may be down deep in the ocean is likely not going to look like a human. I don't like saying things are impossible, but I think humanity is too desperate to make traditional fictional creatures real, and too quick to perceive the only possible intelligent life manifesting in a human shape. :V

[Rewjeo]

and since it would be pointless for a fish or dolphin to evolve such a similiar upperbody to humans it leads me to think they are descended from humans (if they do exist(which i doubt) and humans being mamalian they would be very simliar to dolphins in lower body structure and skin texture

Unless I'm mistaken, dolphins (and their close relatives) are unique amongst whales due to the fact that they no longer have bones for rear limbs at all, simply a tail. In comparison, humans have lost their tail and only have rear limbs. That would not be a very similar structure. I wouldn't exactly say that a fish/dolphin transitioning to a human-like upper body is likely, but humans and dolphins basically took opposite routes with their lower body structure.

Thinking about this more, an aquatic hominid seems to me to be the most likely scenario, but I'm imagining something more like LoZ Zoras than Disney Mermaids here. A hominid getting a full on tail doesn't seem possible to me given the timespan involved (a quick google search suggests that whales took ~6 million years to go from living in semi-aquatic environments to being fully aquatic, and homonids have only been around ~3 million years and evolved to live on the African plains, which isn't really semi-aquatic) and a whale's front fins becoming ape-like doesn't seem particularly likely to me on the grounds of "how does it help?" A hominid's rear limbs becoming more sea lion-esque seems... possible, at least.

But, well, we would know about them if they existed based on them having lungs and probably living close to shore if they evolved from hominids. A mermaid is not going to be some deep-sea intelligent life form.

[Aurabolt]

But, well, we would know about them if they existed based on them having lungs and probably living close to shore if they evolved from hominids. A mermaid is not going to be some deep-sea intelligent life form.

That was the main contradiction that confirmed for me this film was definitely fiction.

Well, that and this clip.

Based on what we know about whale and Dolphin births, Mermaids probably wouldn't give birth at the seafloor. Whales and Dolphins birth near the surface so that they can help the newborn can take its first breath. Sharks birth further below because they don't breathe air. The area this mermaid gives birth in is at least 100 feet below the surface. WAY too far to quickly bring the newborn to the surface to take its first breath.

Even if the Aquatic Ape Theory had factual basis, the fact of the matter is these Merfolk would HAVE to live near the the shore because it's unlikely they would have traded legs for a fin as this film would have you believe. At least not so quickly. And I'm pretty sure that if there WERE Mermaids based on this theory, we would know about it, their intelligence would be closer to us than Apes AND naturally people would take care not to pollute the oceans. It's one thing to have Greenpeace advocating for marine life. It's another to have the Mermaid version of Greenpeace boarding and kidnapping ships worldwide until the pollution stops.

[Rehab]

But, well, we would know about them if they existed based on them having lungs and probably living close to shore if they evolved from hominids. A mermaid is not going to be some deep-sea intelligent life form.

Let me have at least some speculation :p though you're right, it'd be counter-intuitive.

[marcus90]

Best mermaids are fantasized mermaids. That merrmaid there, if existed, sucked balls phisically. Hope they found attractive among themselves lol.

Still, interesting. Yet, if they existed, they are not existing now. Unless they start clonating them somehow or creating chimeras.