LONDON (Reuters) - Traces of a 150-million-year-old dinosaur have been found on the banks of Scotland's Loch Ness -- but they are definitely not those of the lake's legendary monster, scientists say.

A Jurassic-era fossil of four perfectly-preserved vertebrae from what is believed to have been a 35-foot long plesiosaur was found by a man who plucked it from shallow water on the bank of the loch.

Gerald McSorley, 67, turned it over to the National Museum of Scotland, who are conducting tests on the rare find, the first of its kind in Scotland for more than a century.

"Chances that the fossil originated where it was found are very slim... it was deposited there either by natural or artificial means," said museum spokesperson Hannah Dolby.

"Borings on the fossil show it comes from a marine environment rather than a fresh water


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Interesting discovery, but i doubt it will help to prove one way or the other whether the Loch Ness Monster exists. As the article says, the fossil would have to have been deposited there, because Loch Ness itself didn't exist before the last Ice age.

Still, it's great that a dinosaur fossil has been found so close to home.

Awesome article, I always find this stuff interesting. It may not BE the Loch Ness, but it could be a form of the loch Ness, no??

I personally very much doubt that the Loch Ness Monster, if it exists at all, is a Plesiosaur. For a start Plesiosaurs breathe air, and we do not see a forest of necks protruding from the water every few minutes.

In answer to your question Lillian, it certainly would not be from 'the' Loch Ness Monster given that it's 150 million years old, and it is not likely to be related to it either. It's just a coincidence that a fossil of the creature that the Loch Ness Monster is alleged to be, has been found at that location.

huh...
not the nessie. Just a bone. Bones in a rock.

unless, of course, the Loch, besides monsters, also posesses magical powers for turbo fossilization.

Personally, I don't think there is a Loch Ness monster, there's too many folks picking around in that loch to miss something that large. If nothing else, it'll prove there were big animals in that part of the world millions of years ago.