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Are Monsters Real?

Scientists are on the hunt for the true identity of mysterious beasts

Illustration by Jake Murray

Jim McMahon/Mapman

Dakota Frandsen was on vacation in Scotland this past March when something unusual happened. As he peered out over a murky lake, he saw a large shape in the water. He told local tabloids that it was 40 feet long and the color of a hippopotamus. Before Frandsen could snap a photo, it disappeared beneath the waves.

The lake was Loch Ness, one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Frandsen, visiting from Idaho, wasn’t the first to notice something mysterious there. For centuries, people have reported seeing strange moving shapes in the lake’s cloudy waters. Many believe they’ve spotted a swimming reptile-like creature known as the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie for short.

Last year brought a record number of Nessie sightings, according to a list kept by the Loch Ness Monster Fan Club in Inverness, Scotland. There were 11 supposed glimpses of the monster—more than in any other year in the 21st century. Although many people swear they’ve seen Nessie, there’s no scientific evidence that the creature really exists.

Does something spooky really lurk in Loch Ness? We may soon know for sure. In June, a team of 14 scientists from around the world traveled to Scotland to collect water samples from the lake. Now they’re analyzing the samples, looking for DNA from living things. “If there is such a thing [as the monster], then maybe we could detect it using this technology,” says Neil Gemmell. He’s a geneticist at the University of Otago in New Zealand and the leader of the hunt.

Dakota Frandsen was on vacation in Scotland this past March when something unusual happened. He was looking out over a murky lake and saw a large shape in the water. He told local tabloids that it was 40 feet long. It was the color of a hippopotamus. Before Frandsen could snap a photo, it disappeared under the waves.

The lake was Loch Ness. It's one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Frandsen, visiting from Idaho, wasn't the first person to see something mysterious there. People have reported seeing strange moving shapes in the lake for centuries. Many believe they've spotted a swimming reptile-like creature. It's become known as the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie for short.

The Loch Ness Monster Fan Club in Inverness, Scotland, keeps track of Nessie sightings. Last year set a record, according to the club. There were 11 supposed glimpses of the monster in 2017. That's more than in any other year since 1997. Many people swear they've seen Nessie. But there's no scientific evidence that the creature really exists.

Does something spooky really lurk in Loch Ness? We may soon know for sure. In June, a team of 14 scientists from around the world traveled to Scotland. They collected water samples from the lake. Now they're analyzing the samples to look for DNA from living things. "If there is such a thing [as the monster], then maybe we could detect it using this technology," says Neil Gemmell. He's a biologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand. He's leading the hunt.

TALL TALES?

Nessie isn’t the only fantastical creature to capture the public’s attention. For thousands of years, people have shared stories about mysterious unidentified animals—from Bigfoot in North America to an Asian desert monster called the Mongolian death worm. These animals that are rumored to exist despite a lack of evidence are called cryptids.

Many stories about cryptids are inspired by real animals, says Gemmell (see Cryptids: Myth vs. Fact). But the truth usually isn’t as wild as the legend. In 2007, a rancher in Texas found a dead, hairless animal she believed was a chupacabra—a fabled blood-sucking creature from Latin America. When scientists at Texas State University examined the body, they determined that it was a coyote with a skin disease.

Nessie isn't the only fantastical creature to capture people's attention. People have shared stories about mysterious unidentified animals for thousands of years. North America has the legend of Bigfoot. The Asian desert is supposedly home to a monster called the Mongolian death worm. These animals that are rumored to exist despite a lack of evidence are called cryptids.

Many stories about cryptids are inspired by real animals, says Gemmell (see Cryptids: Myth vs. Fact). But the truth usually isn't as wild as the legend. In 2007, a rancher in Texas found a dead, hairless animal. She believed it was a chupacabra, a mythical blood-sucking creature from Latin America. But then scientists at Texas State University examined the body. They determined that it was a coyote with a skin disease.

Last year, scientists from the State University of New York at Buffalo analyzed body parts that supposedly belonged to yetis, or abominable snowmen. Climbers in the Himalayan mountains of Asia have claimed to see footprints and remains of these large, hairy beasts.

Biologist Charlotte Lindqvist, led the study of the yeti parts, which were collected from homes and museums around the world. Her team carefully scraped off pieces of the specimens and extracted the DNA inside. Then they compared it to the DNA of known animals. One sample, a tooth, turned out to be a dog’s. And the rest? “All of them came from bears,” says Lindqvist.

Last year, scientists analyzed body parts that supposedly belonged to yetis. These large, hairy beasts are also called abominable snowmen. Climbers in the Himalayan mountains of Asia have claimed to see their footprints and remains.

Charlotte Lindqvist is a biologist at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She led the study of the yeti parts. They were collected from homes and museums around the world. Her team carefully scraped off pieces of the specimens. Then they extracted the DNA inside. They compared it to the DNA of known animals. One sample, a tooth, turned out to be from a dog. And the rest? "All of them came from bears," says Lindqvist.

MONSTER HUNTERS

Gemmell’s team is also using DNA to learn what lives in Loch Ness. But since no one claims to have a piece of Nessie, they’re not taking the same approach that Lindqvist did. Instead, the scientists scooped up nearly 260 samples of water from different parts of the lake—including one where the monster had supposedly just been spotted. Then they pressed the water through a fine filter to collect any microscopic material floating in it.

Anything living in and swimming through water leaves traces of its DNA behind in urine, droppings, drool, or flakes of skin, explains Gemmell. By collecting this DNA from the lake’s microscopic particles and analyzing it, scientists can learn which species are in the lake without having to catch or even see them.

Gemmell's team is also using DNA to learn what lives in Loch Ness. But no one claims to have a piece of Nessie. So the team isn't taking the same approach that Lindqvist did. Instead, the scientists scooped up nearly 260 samples of water from different parts of the lake. They included an area where the monster had supposedly just been spotted. The scientists pressed the samples through a fine filter. The filter catches any microscopic material floating in the lake.

Anything living in water leaves traces of its DNA behind, explains Gemmell. That may be in the form of urine, droppings, drool, or flakes of skin. The scientists are collecting this DNA from the floating material in the water samples. By analyzing it, they can learn which species are in the lake without having to catch or even see them.

Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images

Neil Gemmell dips a tube into Loch Ness in Scotland. He will test the water to see if it contains DNA from an unknown creature, like Nessie.

If the team finds any DNA that doesn’t match a known animal’s, it could be a clue to Nessie’s identity. But learning about the lake’s less-sensational residents is important too, Gemmell says. Loch Ness connects to other waterways and is visited by fish, eels, and otters from around the region. The samples could also tell scientists whether invasive species are moving in.

The scientists expect to announce their results in January. Whether or not they find Nessie, says Gemmell, learning more about the Loch Ness ecosystem will make the expedition worthwhile. “If it happens that we detect something that may explain the monster,” he says, “then that’s the cherry on top.”

The team may find DNA that doesn't match that of a known animal. If they do, it could be a clue about what Nessie really is. But learning about the lake's less-famous residents is also important, says Gemmell. Loch Ness connects to other lakes and rivers. Fish, eels, and otters from around the region visit Loch Ness. The samples could also tell scientists whether invasive species are moving in.

The scientists expect to announce their results in January. They may or may not find Nessie, says Gemmell. But either way, learning more about the Loch Ness ecosystem will make the expedition worth it. "If it happens that we detect something that may explain the monster," says Gemmell, "then that's the cherry on top."

Answer the following questions to learn more about cryptids. Round your answers to the nearest whole number. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

Answer the following questions to learn more about cryptids. Round your answers to the nearest whole number. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

A. Of the 11 reported Nessie sightings in 2017, only 55% were made in person. The other 45% were spotted by people watching an online feed from a camera on the shore of Loch Ness. How many of the 2017 sightings were from the webcam?

A. Of the 11 reported Nessie sightings in 2017, only 55% were made in person. The other 45% were spotted by people watching an online feed from a camera on the shore of Loch Ness. How many of the 2017 sightings were from the webcam?

B. The webcam is located near a medieval ruin called Urquhart Castle, which is also a popular spot for Nessie sightings. Of the 2017 total sightings, 64% were in that area. How many sightings was that?

B. The webcam is located near a medieval ruin called Urquhart Castle, which is also a popular spot for Nessie sightings. Of the 2017 total sightings, 64% were in that area. How many sightings was that?

Loch Ness is 741 feet deep. But it’s so murky that, you can’t see more than 4% of the way down from the surface. How many feet deep can people see?

Loch Ness is 741 feet deep. But it’s so murky that, you can’t see more than 4% of the way down from the surface. How many feet deep can people see?

A. Charlotte Lindqvist analyzed 9 “yeti” samples. Of those, 44% were hair and 11% were bone. How many of the samples were hair?

A. Charlotte Lindqvist analyzed 9 “yeti” samples. Of those, 44% were hair and 11% were bone. How many of the samples were hair?

B. How many were bone?

B. How many were bone?

A. DNA analysis revealed that 89% of the 9 yeti samples Lindqvist analyzed were actually from bears. How many samples was that?

A. DNA analysis revealed that 89% of the 9 yeti samples Lindqvist analyzed were actually from bears. How many samples was that?

B. Of those, 12.5% were from Asian black bears, 12.5% were from Himalayan brown bears, and 75% were Tibetan brown bears. How many samples were from each bear species?

B. Of those, 12.5% were from Asian black bears, 12.5% were from Himalayan brown bears, and 75% were Tibetan brown bears. How many samples were from each bear species?

A. In 2016, pollsters surveyed 1,515 people in Canada about their beliefs in the supernatural and 26% of the respondents said they believe cryptids like the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot are real. How many people was that?

A. In 2016, pollsters surveyed 1,515 people in Canada about their beliefs in the supernatural and 26% of the respondents said they believe cryptids like the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot are real. How many people was that?

B. In the same poll, 79% of respondents said they believe there’s intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. How many people was that?

B. In the same poll, 79% of respondents said they believe there’s intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. How many people was that?

Urquhart Castle is a popular tourist attraction. In 2015, it had 348,691 visitors. But only 0.0006% of the visitors logged official sightings of the Loch Ness Monster. How many sightings was that?

Urquhart Castle is a popular tourist attraction. In 2015, it had 348,691 visitors. But only 0.0006% of the visitors logged official sightings of the Loch Ness Monster. How many sightings was that?

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