These images combining human and animal features reference myth and folklore across many cultures. The fused animal-human is the ultimate symbol of the polarities of mind and body, of identification with the "other". Hybrid creatures conjure associations that are ancient, primal, and universal to all cultures. They lurk on the margins of consciousness and serve as intermediaries between the "civilized" world and the dark netherworld of the unknown and untamed. From Greek myths of the fifth century B.C. to modern scientific experimentation with bioengineering, the inter-species composite occupies our imagination and challenges our notions about natural order.