The_Resurrectionist_The_Lost_Work_of_Dr

KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Mammichthyes
ORDER Caudata
FAMILY Sirenidæ
GENUS Siren
SPECIES Siren oceanus
THE SIREN, NEREID, AND mermaid are oft confused. The folklore of these creature
predates the conventions of the scientific method; nonetheless, the legends denote an accurate
account of some of the evolutionary aspects regarding their species. I will begin with the
homogenous nature of them as a species, differing only as dogs may differ in breed––albeit significant
differences, indeed.
The siren was described as a bird in ancient times; only later did it become a woman of the water.
There was, at some point in the past, a need to make specific distinctions between the water-human
and the bird-human animals. Whether it was an error in classification or that the siren evolved into an
aquatic mammal is not well understood.
Nereids, or naiades, share many of the traits of the deeper ocean-born species, but they are far
more human than the mermaid; and, in many cases, they are nearly entirely human, save the distinct
physiological aquatic attributes. This would explain their geographic preference for shallow, fresh
water.
The mermaid (the female of the species Siren oceanus) was less common and certainly more
elusive than the siren. It breathed underwater without any need to surface. I speculate the possibility
of several variants of the species that exhibit more mammalian traits and therefore required the
occasional breath, as do the dolphin and whale. The task of discovering any such animals intact by
means of good fortune alone are nearly impossible.
This animal would need to have a fully evolved and substantially unique respiratory system;
similar to the gills of a fish but conforming to the structure of the human rib cage. If my theory is
correct and there was once indeed an air-breathing mermaid, this would suggest the existence of a
vast variety of species still occupying many shapes, sizes, and functions in the depths of our waters.
The pelvis and femur would be robust and generous in length. Considering the large size of the
lumbar vertebrae and the thickness of the caudal and anal spines, this particular species of mermaid
would have exhibited a greater agility and speed than nearly any other sea animal hitherto
documented. The superficial tendons weave over the muscular tissues, allowing for greater tension,
strength, and resistance. The presence of massive muscular tissue supporting all the fin spine regions
would grant this animal superiority: a champion in the water.