The most popular theory to explain the Loch Ness Monsters (from the believers' point of view, at least) is that the creatures are surviving plesiosaurs.
Plesiosaurs were marine reptiles that lived during the age of the dinosaurs. The first plesiosaurs appeared during the Triassic Period, about 205 million years ago, the same time some of the first dinosaurs appeared. They had four paddle-like flippers and long necks, like the sauropod dinosaurs. Plesiosaurs breathed air (being reptiles) and gave birth to live young.
Most witness descriptions of the Loch Ness Monsters describe a creature that looks similar to one of these ancient marine reptiles.
I used to be one to support the theory that the Loch Ness Monsters were surviving plesiosaurs. They definitly look quite similar. But, in the last year, I began to have some doubts, as many others have. It would not surprise me if creatures like plesiosaurs were still alive in the deep oceans. But in Loch Ness?
First off, Loch Ness is a cold lake. Plesiosaurs were reptiles. Could they maintain their body heat in the Scottish lake? Some people think that plesiosaurs were actually warm blooded, so if they were, they probably could survive in the lake.
One theory to what the Loch Monsters are is that they are some sort of giant pinniped with an elongated neck. Simply put, a giant long necked seal. As crazy as it seems, this theory could actually fit lots of descriptions of lake and sea monsters. If the Loch Ness Monsters are long necked seals, that would mean they are mammals, which would make them warm blooded. It would not be hard for a species of pinniped to survive the cold temperatures of Loch Ness. And, if there was a species of pinniped that grew to a large size, and had a long neck, it probably would look somewhat like a plesiosaur.
The website www.loch-ness.org has a page on the subject of what the Nessies may really be. Concerning the plesiosaur theory, the page points out that if Nessies are plesiosaurs, then there would have had to have been a population of them in the North Sea about 12,00 years ago, and some of them (enough for a breeding population) must have gotten stuck in Loch Ness. But, the site goes on to say, if there were plesiosaurs in the North Sea that got stuck in the Loch, why aren't there reports of plesiosaurs in the sea today? And, why would they have moved to Loch Ness?
There is one theory, however, that may explain why the Loch Ness Monsters could be plesiosaurs, and why they can remain undiscovered in Loch Ness.
If you are someone who does not like it when people speculate that some cryptids could have a paranormal or supernatural aspect to them, you're going to probably be annoyed right now.
Some think that the Loch Ness Monsters are supernatural creatures. Now, as crazy as that sounds, it actually could explain why no one has ever found a population of 30-ft plesiosaur-like animals in a lake that has been searched many, many times, and where sightings of the creatures have been reported for literally thousands of years.
What do you think the Loch Ness Monsters are? Are they really surviving plesiosaurs? Are they some sort of long necked seal? Could the supernatural be involved? Do you think the whole thing is stupid and that the Loch Ness Monsters don't exist? If you think that, why are you reading this? There are many questions I'd like the answers to.
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| Plesiosaur |
Plesiosaurs were marine reptiles that lived during the age of the dinosaurs. The first plesiosaurs appeared during the Triassic Period, about 205 million years ago, the same time some of the first dinosaurs appeared. They had four paddle-like flippers and long necks, like the sauropod dinosaurs. Plesiosaurs breathed air (being reptiles) and gave birth to live young.
Most witness descriptions of the Loch Ness Monsters describe a creature that looks similar to one of these ancient marine reptiles.
I used to be one to support the theory that the Loch Ness Monsters were surviving plesiosaurs. They definitly look quite similar. But, in the last year, I began to have some doubts, as many others have. It would not surprise me if creatures like plesiosaurs were still alive in the deep oceans. But in Loch Ness?
First off, Loch Ness is a cold lake. Plesiosaurs were reptiles. Could they maintain their body heat in the Scottish lake? Some people think that plesiosaurs were actually warm blooded, so if they were, they probably could survive in the lake.
One theory to what the Loch Monsters are is that they are some sort of giant pinniped with an elongated neck. Simply put, a giant long necked seal. As crazy as it seems, this theory could actually fit lots of descriptions of lake and sea monsters. If the Loch Ness Monsters are long necked seals, that would mean they are mammals, which would make them warm blooded. It would not be hard for a species of pinniped to survive the cold temperatures of Loch Ness. And, if there was a species of pinniped that grew to a large size, and had a long neck, it probably would look somewhat like a plesiosaur.
The website www.loch-ness.org has a page on the subject of what the Nessies may really be. Concerning the plesiosaur theory, the page points out that if Nessies are plesiosaurs, then there would have had to have been a population of them in the North Sea about 12,00 years ago, and some of them (enough for a breeding population) must have gotten stuck in Loch Ness. But, the site goes on to say, if there were plesiosaurs in the North Sea that got stuck in the Loch, why aren't there reports of plesiosaurs in the sea today? And, why would they have moved to Loch Ness?
There is one theory, however, that may explain why the Loch Ness Monsters could be plesiosaurs, and why they can remain undiscovered in Loch Ness.
If you are someone who does not like it when people speculate that some cryptids could have a paranormal or supernatural aspect to them, you're going to probably be annoyed right now.
Some think that the Loch Ness Monsters are supernatural creatures. Now, as crazy as that sounds, it actually could explain why no one has ever found a population of 30-ft plesiosaur-like animals in a lake that has been searched many, many times, and where sightings of the creatures have been reported for literally thousands of years.
What do you think the Loch Ness Monsters are? Are they really surviving plesiosaurs? Are they some sort of long necked seal? Could the supernatural be involved? Do you think the whole thing is stupid and that the Loch Ness Monsters don't exist? If you think that, why are you reading this? There are many questions I'd like the answers to.
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