[Merged] Existence of Loch Ness Monster is ‘plausible’ after fossil discovery

[Still Waters]

Plesiosaurs, first found in 1823 by fossil hunter Mary Anning, were prehistoric reptiles with small heads, long necks, and four long flippers. They inspired reconstructions of the Loch Ness Monster, but unlike the monster of Lake Loch Ness, plesiosaurs were marine animals—or were widely thought to be.

Now, scientists from the University of Bath and University of Portsmouth in the U.K., and Université Hassan II in Morocco, have reported small plesiosaurs from a Cretaceous-aged river in Africa.

The fossils include bones and teeth from three-meter long adults and an arm bone from a 1.5 meter long baby. They hint that these creatures routinely lived and fed in freshwater, alongside frogs, crocodiles, turtles, fish, and the huge aquatic dinosaur Spinosaurus.

https://phys.org/news/2022-07-plesiosaur-fossils-sahara-werent-marine.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667122001744?

[Iilaa'mpuul'xem]

The Loch Ness Monster is “plausible”, a British university has declared, after finding that some plesiosaurs may have lived in freshwater.

Nessie proponents have long believed that the creature of Scottish folklore could be a prehistoric reptile, with grainy images and eyewitness accounts over the years hinting that the beast has a long-neck and small head similar to a plesiosaur.

However, skeptics argue that even if a plesiosaur lineage had survived into the modern era, the creatures could not have lived in Loch Ness because they needed a saltwater environment.

Source

[+ouija ouija]

[Timothy]

Only 100 million years ago and 3 metre long adult…

[jethrofloyd]

Now the number of tourists will triple.

[quiXilver]

Good on em.  Enjoy your stay at the Loch.

[diabolique616]

Does anyone know if there are any of these water beasties hanging out in the Southern Hemisphere?  Not that I’ve made an extensive study of this particular phenomenon, but the big hitters I’ve heard of all seem to be in the north, like Champ and Ogopogo and their ilk… 

[jethrofloyd]

15 minutes ago, diabolique616 said:

Does anyone know if there are any of these water beasties hanging out in the Southern Hemisphere?

Nahuelito is a cryptid lake monster purported to live in Nahuel Huapi Lake, Patagonia, Argentina. Like Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, the Argentine creature is named after the lake it supposedly resides in and has been described as a giant serpent or a huge hump, as well as a plesiosaur.[1] Nahuelito has been allegedly shown through photos showing a hump, or a serpentine body.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahuelito

[diabolique616]

Quite a globe-trotting set, eh? 

[Orphalesion]

A modern plesiosaur  being "plausible" because a 100 million year old fossil was found.

...huh?

[Tatetopa]

It is not plausible that "Nessie" is a plesiosaur.  That would require a breeding population of  50-100 (?) large air breathing individuals in a confined loch.  If there are enough fish to sustain a breeding population, how many times a day would 50 creatures be seen coming up for air even every hour? It is like the blind man and the elephant, people see something and try to relate it to something they know about.  Haggis I say.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Tatetopa
initial posting cut off last half of comment.

[MysteryMike]

No because the loch is only 10,000 years old due to the glaciers retreating.

And there's the fact too there'd have to be a breeding population, they'd be surfacing all the time and we'd be seeing them.

We're able to find whales and other creatures in the oceans using sonar radars but we couldn't find a large creature living in a loch?

Edited July 27, 2022 by MysteryMike

[the13bats]

8 hours ago, diabolique616 said:

Does anyone know if there are any of these water beasties hanging out in the Southern Hemisphere?  Not that I’ve made an extensive study of this particular phenomenon, but the big hitters I’ve heard of all seem to be in the north, like Champ and Ogopogo and their ilk… 

Lets just say the OP article theories aside nessie isnt a Plesiosaurs a lot of posts explained why and i will add a Plesiosaurs likely didnt have the ability to swim along with its head and neck way up out of the water.

As far as nessie goes i heard a famous hunter not shine that other cat cant think of his name suggest it was wells catfish released decades back for sport fishing, that sounds plausible.

Now as far as salt water creatures hitting fresh or brackish water of course it happens, here in florida that door swings both ways and the story jaws was based on was a shark that swam up fresh water channels.

As far as my speculations on champ or ogopogo, my guess is if its anything its huge lake sturgen and or eels.

Ill share my lake monster story, here in fl people have dumped into lakes about every exotic one can think of and the thrive and grow ive seen huge picos and chiclids,

Back in orlando in the early 90s for a spell i walked around a small lake near my house fishing,  this lake was only a few feet deep until you got out a 100 ft or more, it was late afternoon after a rain and was still misty i rolled up my pants left shoes in car and was wadding about a ft deep about 10ft from bank.

I was having a lot of my mental issues kicking back then so while i wasnt it was like i was stoned a very dreamy feeling im just strolling fishing not paying attention and i walk into a huge carp, it freaks out i freak out, i fall backwards into the water and the crazy fish scared the hell out of me for a few moments until i realize what just happened.

So sure that was a lake monster to me.

[csspwns]

Zero multiplied by any number is still zero.

[stereologist]

Earlier tales of a monster by the Loch talked about the monster walking on land. Are plesiosaurs able to shape shift?

[the13bats]

Heres a good ( to me ) read i always thought DH was a full of bull profiteer.

death of a lake monster

If a person is really bored google dennis hall and champ its good for laughs.

 

[psyche101]

16 hours ago, diabolique616 said:

Does anyone know if there are any of these water beasties hanging out in the Southern Hemisphere?  Not that I’ve made an extensive study of this particular phenomenon, but the big hitters I’ve heard of all seem to be in the north, like Champ and Ogopogo and their ilk… 

How about a story about a giant tadpole?

Edited July 28, 2022 by psyche101

[psyche101]

19 hours ago, Uncle Yammy said:

The Loch Ness Monster is “plausible”, a British university has declared, after finding that some plesiosaurs may have lived in freshwater.

Nessie proponents have long believed that the creature of Scottish folklore could be a prehistoric reptile, with grainy images and eyewitness accounts over the years hinting that the beast has a long-neck and small head similar to a plesiosaur.

However, skeptics argue that even if a plesiosaur lineage had survived into the modern era, the creatures could not have lived in Loch Ness because they needed a saltwater environment.

Source

And food sources to maintain a population of large animals.

[the13bats]

48 minutes ago, psyche101 said:

How about a story about a giant tadpole?

Afaik this one hasnt ever been debunked as in showing how it was hoaxed.

So i like it to this day.

[psyche101]

26 minutes ago, the13bats said:

Afaik this one hasnt ever been debunked as in showing how it was hoaxed.

So i like it to this day.

Most likely answer is a school of eels.

Like so.

 

[ThereWeAreThen]

3 hours ago, psyche101 said:

And food sources to maintain a population of large animals.

How many tourists go "missing"? 

[Myles]

12 hours ago, the13bats said:

 

Now as far as salt water creatures hitting fresh or brackish water of course it happens, here in florida that door swings both ways and the story jaws was based on was a shark that swam up fresh water channels.

 

I know when I lived near St. Louis, they would catch a bull shark every few years.   Long trek up the Mississippi from the gulf to St. Louis. 

[the13bats]

28 minutes ago, Myles said:

I know when I lived near St. Louis, they would catch a bull shark every few years.   Long trek up the Mississippi from the gulf to St. Louis. 

Iirc the shark that swam up river to eat people and inspire jaws was a bull shark

[Myles]

8 minutes ago, the13bats said:

Iirc the shark that swam up river to eat people and inspire jaws was a bull shark

https://www.britannica.com/story/the-1916-shark-attacks-that-gave-sharks-a-bad-rap

I don't know that it was ever determined what type of shark it was.   Most likely a bull shark though.

[Timothy]

7 hours ago, stereologist said:

Earlier tales of a monster by the Loch talked about the monster walking on land. Are plesiosaurs able to shape shift?

They might have been wearing ballet/pointe shoes and tiptoeing on their fins?