The legend of Loch Ness Monster has been circulating for many years, but does it really exist? This has always been an unsolved mystery.
Is the legend of Loch Ness Monster true?
Earlier, scientists believed that it was not realistic to wait for the water monster to appear by shooting methods, so they collected a large number of DNA from creatures at the bottom of the lake and prepared to use these DNA samples to solve the mystery of the water monster. Unexpectedly, the detection results were amazing. What are the results of DNA collected by scientists?
Loch Ness is also called Lake Ness . It is located in the canyon in the north of the Scottish Highlands in the UK and is the third largest freshwater lake in the UK. The entire lake is 37 kilometers long, with an average depth of about 200 meters, and a water area of about 1,800 square kilometers.
Loch Ness is 37 kilometers long
From the perspective of Loch Ness' "basic measurements", there is nothing special about it, and the real reason why it is famous is the water monsters in the lake.
In addition, it should be noted that the water temperature in Loch Ness is not high, the lake water is not clear, and the visibility is very low. It is said that it is because there is a large amount of peat in the water. Perhaps this is why the monsters in the lake can be hidden.
But scientists believe that no matter how hidden the water monster can be, it will inevitably leave clues in the lake. So Geneticist Neil Germel of the University of Otago in New Zealand and other scientists formed a research team to go to Loch Ness to collect environmental DNA in June 2018.
Neil Gemel collected Loch Ness environmental DNA
After this, they clearly classified and cataloged various biological DNA samples collected at the bottom of the lake, and screened out the "similar" water monsters.
After careful analysis and study of the samples, scientists believed that the Loch Ness monster was not the legendary plesiosaur or sturgeon , but more like eel .
The result is indeed amazing, because in people's impression, how can the eel grow as big as a "water monster". However, Gemmel believes that there are a large number of European eels living in Loch Ness, and they should have moved here along the river very early. Therefore, it is normal for an eel with extremely huge heads to appear.
Research indicates that the Loch Ness monster is probably an eel
Germel said, "Eels are about 4 to 6 feet long, and there may be one or two that will grow to very extreme sizes, perhaps 50% larger than the normal size, or even larger. I am not sure about this."
And judging from the biological DNA found alone, there are indeed no creatures that everyone speculates or expects. It can only be said that everyone has too much imagination and has too many expectations for the Loch Ness Monster.
However, although the DNA sequencing results point the true body of the Loch Ness monster toward a giant eel, this conclusion is far from the previous legend, but this is not a conclusion.
DNA sequencing results are not conclusive
because new research results were released in June 2020.
According to the report published in "Express", after scientists analyzed the Loch Ness sample, they screened a large number of organisms and found that about 20% of DNA is that cannot be recognized or explained. Although this is a normal thing for e-DNA, it also leaves more suspense for the truth about the water monster.
. Most people cannot accept the statement that the Loch Ness monster is just a giant eel, because everyone is looking forward to it being an plesaurus.
Pleptosaurus Concept diagram
This ancient creature born in the late Triassic period and spread all over the world in the Jurassic century is obviously more in line with people's conjecture about water monsters.
So, when did the legend of the Loch Ness monster begin? What creatures are there in its prototype?
The long-standing legend of the Loch Ness monster
The above briefly introduces the basic situation of Loch Ness. Although the visibility of the lake is not deep, the water level always rises and falls, just like there is a "water monster" flapping in it.
In addition, it should be noted that Loch Ness is relatively closed, with only one river connecting the water source inside and outside the lake.In terms of this environmental condition, the "water monster" should be the native here, because if it grows too big, it is more difficult to enter the lake from the narrow passage.
The geographical conditions of Loch Ness limit the size of the "water monster"
In fact, the legend of Loch Ness monster can be traced back to as early as in the 1st century BC, because at that time, the Picketts , who lived in the Scottish Highlands , left a creature that looked like an elephant on the stone carvings, and it stood in the water at that time.
Later in 565 AD, a Irish missionary swam in the lake with his servant, and then his servant was attacked by unknown creatures. In this way, the saying that there is a water monster in Loch Ness is becoming more and more mysterious.
1880, the "Loch Ness Monster" suddenly appeared and overturned a yacht, causing all the people on the ship to fall into the water and die. However, since the deceased can no longer speak out the truth, the rumors about its slender neck and a triangular head should also be compiled based on the legend.
"Loch Ness Monster" attacks people on the sea movies and TV series pictures
It is obvious that if you just live in the legend, you cannot convince everyone. There must be evidence such as photos to make the Loch Ness Monster famous all over the world.
The first photo of the water monster appeared in 1933. A doctor passed by here and happened to see the water monster wandering in the lake, so he took this scene with his camera. Judging from the photos, it does look a lot like a plesiosaur with a long neck and a triangular head.
1933 famous Loch Ness monster photos
After that, people kept claiming to witness the appearance of the Loch Ness monster and described it more and more like a plesiosaur.
In this case, scientists studying paleontology still couldn't sit still and went to Loch Ness for investigation, trying to find clues about the water monster here.
However, after more people came, the water monster seemed to be "socially terrified". No matter how hard people waited, it would not show its head.
Until 2009, according to the report of the British " Daily Mail ", a British netizen accidentally found traces of a water monster when checking photos taken by Google satellite.
The trace of "water monster" found on Google Maps
In short, people have wild speculation about water monsters, and people who think it is definitely a plesiosaur said that vertebrae fossils of plesiosaur were found on the banks of Lake Ness, which shows that this creature has lived here. Since this is the case, it is normal to leave some "descendants". Some people also think that this should be some kind of shark that accidentally entered freshwater.
data shows that Bruce Wright, a scientist at the Pribilov Islands Association of Aleush, believes that the Loch Ness Monster may be an Greenland Shark . It has a very ugly appearance and slow movement. It can grow to 20 feet (6 meters) long and weighs 4 tons.
Want to know what the real body of the Loch Ness monster is, maybe the answer can only be obtained when scientists find more fossil evidence or DNA evidence.
need scientists to find more evidence
Before this, let the water monster stay quietly in the lake. If it is really confirmed to exist, it may also face the risk of being harassed or captured by humans.
It is worth mentioning that in addition to the rumors of water monsters in Loch Ness, water monsters also appear in many lakes around the world. Let’s briefly talk about it.
Not only Loch Ness has "water monsters"
World water monster archives
First of all, it is the water monsters of my country Kanas Lake . Kanas Lake in Xinjiang is not only beautiful in scenery, but also famous for the rumors of water monsters. According to folk legend, the water monsters in the lake are dozens of meters long and often devour cattle, sheep or horses on the shore.
However, according to research, this water monster is more likely to be zheluo salmon . It has grown in the water for too long, and its size has exceeded people's cognition.
Introduction to Zheluo Salmon
Next is , located in Lake Okanagan, Columbia, Canada. Unlike other lakes, there are only one water monsters here, it is said that there are more than a dozen.
According to the description, has a head like a horse and a body like a snake. In this way, it is somewhat similar to the appearance of the Loch Ness Monster.
