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Creatures, Myths & Legends

Loch Ness Monster is not a giant eel, mathematician claims

By T.K. Randall
January 23, 2023 · Comment icon 8 comments
Model of the Loch Ness Monster in Drumnadrochit.
A model Nessie found at Drumnadrochit. Image Credit: Pixabay / GregMontani
One expert has called into question the theory that the Loch Ness Monster is actually a type of giant eel.
Back in 2019, New Zealand geneticist Professor Neil Gemmell revealed the results of a biological study which involved analyzing the DNA contained within 250 samples of water collected from Loch Ness to determine exactly what type of animals are living there.

Part of the study involved investigating the validity of various monster hypotheses such as whether or not the infamous creature could be a prehistoric reptile, a sturgeon or a giant catfish.

In the end, the study findings indicated that the most likely candidate for the Loch Ness Monster was a giant eel - a plausible explanation given that there have been sightings of large eels in the loch.

But how large would an eel need to be in order to be mistaken for a monster?

In a new study, mathematician Floe Foxon has calculated the likelihood of actually finding an eel in Loch Ness large enough to account for sightings of the creature.
His findings indicated that while the odds of finding an eel around 3.3ft long are 1 in 50,000, the odds of finding a 20ft eel in the loch are so exponentially tiny that they may as well be discounted entirely.

"Some eels may account for purported sightings of somewhat large animals at the loch surface," he wrote. "Over the course of a few generations, an eel one meter in length may be expected."

"However, this is not quite the 'monster' postulated."

So could this mean that the Loch Ness Monster - if it exists at all - is definitely not an eel ?

The search for answers continues.

Source: Mail Online | Comments (8)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #1 Posted by Jon the frog 1 year ago
That's the eel: https://metro.co.uk/2016/09/16/photographer-spots-loch-ness-monster-and-not-three-seals-playing-together-6131884/   With a bit of sarcasm.
Comment icon #2 Posted by MysteryMike 1 year ago
Floating logs Waves Seals Sturgeons Mystery solved.
Comment icon #3 Posted by Trelane 1 year ago
"Loch Ness Monster is not a giant eel, mathematician claims" Thank God for that.   I still would like for him to show his work.
Comment icon #4 Posted by Tatetopa 1 year ago
I would also suspect that the Loch Ness monster is not  an aquatic elephant, although it would explain the hump, and the trunk could be mistaken for a neck..  If we have to do this by the process of elimination, we will be at it a long time.
Comment icon #5 Posted by the13bats 1 year ago
You never know...
Comment icon #6 Posted by the13bats 1 year ago
And other stuff, but not a monster in the way some want to claim. When i was a kid in orlando the old fishermen told me lots of tales they said catfish could get bigger than me and over 100pounds in the lake we hung at, it was almost 1 mile excatly around like adare, So i asked how do i catch one, i end up with an old surf fishing rig, wire leader and a big chunk of scrap meat from the butcher, i cast it out there like that day after day and nothing. One day i cast it out and something grabbed it, the line is running off that old big salt water reel, i put on the drag and something is hooked, ... [More]
Comment icon #7 Posted by Unusual Tournament 1 year ago
Separately, in various combinations or all together at once?
Comment icon #8 Posted by Cho Jinn 1 year ago
Ridiculous headlines, and conclusion from the data which the author analyzed with the fervor of a 4th grader. https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/01/23/10/66864503-11665753-image-a-28_1674468663184.jpg Anguilla anguilla doesn't get 20ft long...so we need a distribution to show that the likelihood one would get to be 20ft is zero?  Who said Nessie was Anguilla anguilla?  This guy has a PhD.  Someone find the pub this guy is at at knock the pint out of his hand.  Whatever is in Loch Ness, I hope it remains unknown and is spared humanity's collective idiocy.


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