{
  "id": 18127789,
  "title": "A Feejee Mermaid on display in Colorado may shock and intrigue – but it’s no longer considered a ‘missing link’ on the evolutionary tree",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/a-feejee-mermaid-on-display-in-colorado-may-shock-and-intrigue-but",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-04T13:28:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Conversation",
    "slug": "the-conversation",
    "url": "https://theconversation.com/a-feejee-mermaid-on-display-in-colorado-may-shock-and-intrigue-but-its-no-longer-considered-a-missing-link-on-the-evolutionary-tree-294775"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Feejee Mermaid, a traditional art form originating from Japan and the East Indies over 400 years ago, is currently on display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Mermaids have been a part of world folklore and mythology for centuries, appearing in ancient Babylonian and Greek mythology, as well as in fairy tales. In the 19th century, American showman P.T. Barnum brought the Feejee Mermaid to the American public, displaying it as the \"Greatest Curiosity in the World\" at his American Museum in New York City.\n\nSome people believed the Feejee Mermaid to be a missing link in the evolutionary chain between aquatic and terrestrial life. My recent visit to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science allowed me to view a replica of this fascinating creature as part of the \"Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids\" temporary exhibit.\n\nThe Feejee Mermaid is a hybrid creature, typically made by sewing together the upper part of a monkey and the lower part of a fish. In Japan, these half-monkey, half-fish beings, known as ningyo, were often grotesque and associated with both curse and eternal life. The Feejee Mermaid that Barnum displayed was created by a Japanese fisherman in the early 19th century, who claimed the creature prophesied a sterility epidemic and offered a cure through the possession of its image.\n\nBarnum's Feejee Mermaid was a result of a hoax involving letters sent to newspapers and pamphlets distributed throughout New York City. The displayed specimen at the American Museum was described as an \"ugly dried-up, black-looking diminutive specimen, about three feet long,\" with a turned-over tail and arms thrown up, giving the appearance of great agony. This monstrous hoax sparked intellectual debates in 19th-century America, as it blended human and animal characteristics, folklore, and science, showcasing the interplay between sideshow gaffs and American folklore.",
  "summary": "All hoax – no science – the Feejee Mermaid startled American audiences that imagined it a real sea creature.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}