A hybrid; a creature that is or appears to be a combination of animals. The classical chimera is strong, swift, able to breath fire, and can be multi-headed, or winged.

In Greek mythology it had the head of a lion, a goat, and a dragon or serpent. It was one of the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, and the sister of Cerberus. After wrecking havoc throughout Lycia and beyond it was finally was destroyed by Bellerophon with the help of Pegasus.

Today, we have another creature called a chimera which is completely different but equally as fascinating. These chimeras are artificially created in labs by taking cells from one embryo and adding them to another.

Male human cells have been added to female human cells to create a female/male combination, also pig-humans, mouse-humans, sheep-humans, sheep-goats, quail-chickens and others have been created.

There are laws in place to prevent the creation of human-monsters, but no law can ever prevent such a thing - they can only make it illegal.

The word chimera refers not only to composite animals but to any monstrous, imaginary, or impossible creature.

In science the word chimera means mixing cells from two different species, which is not the same as a hybrid. A true hybrid is created by mixing sperm with the egg of a different species.

Also known as Chimaera (Latin).

See Also: Creatures by Type » Hybrids

References

Vinycomb, John. Fictitious & Symbolic Creatures in Art. London: Chapman & Hall, 1906.

Chambers's Encyclopaedia. London: Chambers, W. and R, 1876.

Green light for hybrid research. BBC News. Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7193820.stm. Retrieved on 05/28/2008.