Chimeric creatures in Greek mythology and reflections in science

"The Chimaera" in Homer's Iliad, "was of divine stock, not of men, in the f orepart a lion, in the hinder a serpent, and in the midst a goat, ... Belle rophon slew her, trusting in the signs of the gods." In Hesiod's Theogony i t is emphasized that "Chimaera ... had three heads, one of a grim-eyed lion , another of a goat, and another of a snake...". In addition to this inters pecies animal chimera, human/animal chimeras are referred to in Greek mytho logy, preeminent among them the Centaurs and the Minotaur. The Centaurs, as horse/men, first appear in Geometric and early Archaic art, but in the lit erature not until early in the fifth century B.C. The bullheaded-man Minota ur, who is not certainly attested ill the literary evidence until circa 500 B.C., first appears in art about 650 B.C. Attempts, in the fourth century B.C. and thereafter, to rationalize their mythical appearance were in vain; their chimeric nature retained its fascinating and archetypal form over th e centuries. Early in the 1980s, experimental sheep/goat chimeras were prod uced removing the reproductive barrier between these two animal species. La te in the 1990s, legal, political, ethical, and moral fights loomed over a patent bid on human/animal chimeras. Chimeric technology is recently develo ped; however, the concept of chimerism has existed in literary and artistic form in ancient mythology. This is yet another example where art and liter ature precede scientific research and development. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc .