Mermaids & Mermen: Facts & Legends Benjamin Radford, LiveScience Contributor

[PearlieMae]

Mermaids have long fascinated us. Humans have always wondered what it would be like to fly high above the clouds or dive deep into the briny seas. With nearly three-quarters of the Earth covered by water, it's little wonder that centuries ago, the oceans were believed to contain many mysterious creatures, including sea serpents and mermaids. Merfolk (mermaids and mermen) are of course only the marine version of the half-human, half-animal legends that have captured human imagination for ages (half-animals on land include werewolves, and half-avian creatures include harpies).

http://www.livescience.com/39882-mermaid.html

If this is a duplicate posted elsewhere, let me know and I'll remove it.