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Okay. This has actually been spawned by several threads I have been in and reading. So please bear with me, because this is going to sound way out of character.

How many Myths and Legends about Paranormal and Supernatural Creatures do you believe were based on Spontanious Genetice Mutation? Now before you all go X-Men plot on me, hear me out. Even here on the Rave we discuss the Medical and Scientific possiblities for Vampires and Werewolves. How many more may have the same possible genetic answers? Now Paul Bunyoen and John Henry aside. really think. I have seen reasonable scientific explanations for the cyclops, the gryphon, the roc and possibly the dragon. What medical explanations can you think of for other Mythical Creatures and even Deamons. Look at what medical Science has learned so far. How many Myths have we actually based on possible Carni Freaks?

(No offense to Lobster Boy or the Bearded Lady intended)

I have been to a few Ripleys and they're all amazing. A lot of things there are real and true. However, one thing Ripley was, was a master of the illusion along with being a great historian. For example, the mermaid (I think it was called) was actually the top half of a monkey and the bottom of a fish yet he made a lot of money on such displays.

As for genetic mutations, I see no reason at all why many odd creations throughout myth and mystery could not be attributed to that explanation. I am a firm believer in the theory of evolution. It makes sense to me that all of these different creatures could come either before or after us in the chain. According to the evolutionary theory, our form had to spring up somewhere down the line and here we are. A natural progression from ape to the everyday human we see now. Basically, the ape form HAD to start changing some how in order for us to appear.

i would love to see there dispays . The only problem i have with evolution is there have been no recorded evolutions since written history but i do find it possible

That's exactly why it's a THEORY and not a definate. As far as I can tell, NOTHING has concrete proof when it comes to how we all got here, how the earth was created, etc.

Skittles-That is my question though. Could these creatures of Myth and Legend be Evolutionary steps the were seen as Paranormal and Supernatural occurances. Could the Vampire just be another evolutionary Step? Or anyother Mythical creature out there?

I think some of them could be... I mean really you never know. That is why we ask if they coulkd be or not... isn't it?... because there are some aspects about them that COULD make them real. Wiith some of these things it is just all of the sightings and with others (like vampires) it is just that they are so close to humans that no one really knows. With a lot of these there is at least one thing that makes a person stop and wonder if they were real.

That is a great and very valid point . I don't see why not . Befor modern medicine and a more open minded culture things like people with extra toes or birth defects were cast out or killed so i don't see why not

so how much of it do you belive our dear thread starter

I believe in a great many things. As for what can be explained with Science and Nature. I have seen agreat many things.
Mammoths Skeletons labled as Cyclopes.
Protoceratops Skeletons as Gryphons.
Giant and Dwarf Skeletons discovered around the world.
I personaly feel that Evolution plays a bigger role than people care to believe. And that even though we may chalk stuff up to "supernatural" terms, there may be very Natural causes behind them.

I think that it was predjudice that spawns myth and not a lot of knowlede at the time of the first appearance of the medical condition.

it is truly impossible to know how many or much of any myth is based on genetic or other causes.

It makes sense to me that the legends of unicorns and sea-monsters could be at least partly explained by such mutations...

its hard to be deffinite on any such matter, owing mainly to the fact that there is very little proof to show how myths were spawned, we can only speculate.
a lot of myths are believed to have come from 'mothers tales' e.g. if you play near the river you risk attack from jenny greenteeth. and were created to keep children safe, these stories, when told repeatedly to a child when young, can then become ingrained into their adult thinking and although they may not believe it,they will use it to explain the unexplained.

others come from misunderstood findings e.g. a dinosaur skeleton unearthed could easily be mistaken for a dragon.

but there are many that i must agree could well be explained by genetic mutation. stories of were-wolves for example, could easily have been spawned from people with hyperactive hair growth disorders.

You got to think before modernization of scientific studies came along, peoples imaginations about things were loose to run wild with ideas of creatures that they themselves in their own minds deemed to be real.

There are still oddities that even science itself can not explain though, like the jump in a species from one thing to another with a gap in the middle that seems impossible to explain.

Very interesting thread makes you to think quite a lot. From what I read in previous answers and what would be my opinion is that yes, it is possible that people's superstitions and lack of knowledge in previous times could have caused some "mythical being's " appearance in nowadays. All these not so successful mutations could be very easily a basis for some myth today. Small and short people some longer time back could be easily mistaken or thought to be a dwarf . So here we go, the same with dinosaurs and dragons.

i would think most of it is fake just to sell a show

genetic anomalies...

Because of some freak genetics we tend to get things like siamese twins occurring not only in humans but in the animal kingdom as well. I have seen the scientific proof of the mystical "unicorn" mind you it is only a 1 horned goat

to me, anything is possible

I believe that the belief in supernatural beings comes from the combination of our perception through fear, evolution, genetic mutations, and medical conditions. Many ancient societies used fear to control the population, in fact, our politicians do it to this day. Stories are often created to instill fear, joy, love, hate, envy, ect... Therefore, I believe society will use half truths to confirm a belief that will further their agenda...

I believe that many myths and legends are based on genetic mutations. But also that there are other causes for the myths and legends out there.

well if you keep an open mind then many things are true and real I mean as was said that the myths and ledgends come from somewhere ...

There have been alot of good points brought forth but I still have to say . Untill something is proven to be false the possiblity is still there

Going back to things starting with wives tales, etc. How many have played the game where something is said to the first person, they each whisper to the next, and by the time it gets back the the first it's completely changed? Hundreds of years is a long time for the story to get back to where it originated from, completely different than when it started. Perhaps that is why so many myths and legends have similarities to those from other countries, civilizations, etc. And now in this day and age, we have hollywood putting their imaginative fingers in the cooking pot.

I don't think any were. No myths, as most myths are too far out there too be considered genetic mutation

Thats a cool place to visit.

i am a science geek so yes i believe that there is very good possibilty of this

beliving is seening the impossible. and i belive in demons i actully have seen one

Very Interesting thread indeed and I find it plausible that genetic mutations could have indeed spawned many myths.

I believe it may account for some myths and legends..However, It most likely does not apply to all. I have known a few carnies in my time. I once lived in Gibsonton Florida... (where lobster boy lived)

While this theory could incorporate some of the things I doubt that everything could be covered by this. Some things will always just remain a mystery.

I do believe that many myths and legends are formed on the rare genetic mutations that have happened throughout the years. The rest could be based on actual things, or they could be products of overactive imaginations.

There may be many answers. Various things such as manatees were interpreted as mermaids. Perhaps walrusses and seals contributed. Definitate possibilities exist for many creaturs.

I believe that genetic mutations are normal paths in evolution.
However in dealing with the Ripley factor, seeing is believing, but what exactly you see may be a hoax. There was a post to this topic above, which mentioned the goat that was passed off by the Ringling Brothers Circus as The Living Unicorn a while ago. I was a friend of the creators of the "unicorn", and the goat had both horns twisted together to form one horn. It was no mutation, just a ingenius hoax by two very enterprising witches.
I think that seperating the genuine genetic mutations from the constructed ones, especially hundreds and thousands of years after the fact, is pretty remote. Even anthropologists have been duped, case in point, the hominid skull which was constructed and passed off for years as a genetic mutation called the Pittledown Man (spelling may be inaccurate). Seeing is believing....not.

I agree with what you said, DemianA.



There are, also, many hoxes in everything.

i just love the ripleys books, I have never seen them in person though

no myths based on them. some myths may be based on certain medical conditions, and the like

LOL I have been enjoying all of the posts so far. But I am sorry the Original Post is not really about the Ripley's Believe It or Not Show or books. While they are an excellent form of entertainment.

What I am wondering is if anyone has any ideas of medical diseases or know genetic mutations that could be possible explainations for some of our Known Mythical Monsters.

I am also looking for possible fossil explanations aswell. >;]

oh i love that show ripleys

Have you ever been to the buildings that have all the weird stuff in it there WAS one in New Orleans but thanks to Katrina its gone

Getting back on track here, I feel that many of the myths about cyclops and other creatures, are more often conjured up by primitive humans who discovered dinosaur bones and didn't know what to make of them. They knew they were bones, but so large and often looked at from the wrong angle, some bones were thought to have been creatures like the cyclops and dragons etc. etc.

As for genetic anomalies, those are actually real people afflicted in such ways, as to be shunned by society, but find fame and sometimes fortune in carnival circus sideshows.

Countless TV shows have attempted to prove the existence of many mystical creatures, from the Sasquatch to the Loch Ness Monster to the Yeti, but none have ever shown real proof of their existence.

So I remain skeptical as to most of these myths, and simply enjoy the unique anomalies found in nature all around us. :)

i believe that anything is possible here on earth,some might believe that 1 thing dosent exist while others think that it does,some things arent worth arguing over,just have to wait and see what is real and what is not :D

Thank you jens for getting this back on track . While not yet proven , to many people belive in the myths for me to not think there is some truth behind them .

genetic mutations can be caused by one of many things. i dont think anyone really knows why they occur. mabey darwin was right about his theory of evolution. sometimes an animal, or a human gets something extra when its born. if this new atribute seems to be an improvement, then more of the same species might be born with this same charecteristic. (sp). as for vampires, and warewolves (sp) i do believe they exist. i saw ripleys one time about this guy that had Hypertrichosis (werewolf syndrome). and he had hair all over his body. then on the history channel, i saw this documentary about old time alleged Vampires. they talked about Vlad Dracula, and The Blood Countess. but they also talked about present-day people who have whats called "Vampire Syndrome". apparently these people acctually have to live off human blood to survive. in other cases, psyciatrists just think they're crazy, and write it off that the just think they need to survive off blood. they think that these people just need therapy. i think these "Doctors" are crazy. THEY need professional help. thats just how i feel though.

i am with 2007skittles first comment .. id like to see the stuff

I have also been to Ripleys. I think there is alot more out there that we don't know about that has contributed to the myths of what we call paranormal because of genetic mutations. I think possibly the myth of vampires and werewolves, aliens, and more came from these mutations.

ripleys awsome that show is soo true to the core

Man I love that show but remember every thing on there they have done lots of test to make sure it is real like the fugi mermaid that turned out to be a monkey and fish put together lol

I've been to a couple of their museums throughout the states. It is some bizarre stuff.

I must say though that I agree entirely that a disorder or mutation would be mistaken as some magical or "devilish" sign.

Which is actually pretty sad, considering how many people were harmed just because they were different and it wasn't their fault.

Like leprosy, to this day, in some smaller villages throughout the world, if someone has leprosy, it is viewed as them being punished for a terrible sin, and they are shunned by the community.

I do think a lot of creature related myths are due to genetic mutation taken the wrong way

i would have to say in my own opinion that if you want to believe then you will but if you know for a fact it is camera trickit's a lie.

I'm sure a lot of stories are based on the poor people that have been born with a mutation.

I agree definate possibilities of genetic mutations. Somebody somewhere is making a new species or hybrid something or other with plants and species. Could be considered an Xfile if you think about it.

i think your right OniKumo

Like what, Queenie?

I miss freak shows and the loss of them have left people with oddities out of income as well sadly.
the do gooders ruined another American past time.

I believe there are still a few traveling freakshows in the U.S.

Savage Magazine I believe has one but that is pierce and daring the abnormal freaks are gone the way of the horse and buggy.
However there is a midget wrestling team called Half Pint Brawlers who are making midgets bleed all across the world.

In my own crazy little emo world upstairs in my head...lol anything is and can be possibe

The Bar for freak or even creepy is so high I think it may reset some day to ankle lenght skirts being fad.

LOL Dabbler. The cycle always continue. LOL What was old will become new again. Retro for life. LOL

When a high school kid tells you something is weird you better believe that it is creepy....

LOL Very true indeed. LOL Have learned that the hard way once or twice myself. LOL

now the fire crews are my latest freak fest.

I think people jump too quickly to judge others just because they are different. We think creatures that are odd looking and do things "not-normal" are monsters

or we shun them because "it is not nice to stare"I think that initial awkwardness is natural.I care take for an autistic child and people are put off by his aluffness they lose their ability to speak normal to him.The speak-like-this--to -him.like he cannot understand them.he does but he hears through echos.

I mean mr math is a matmatical freak and he has people lined up to catch him off guard in a mistake.So we seek their normalacy but "shiver"at their freakishness.