How could there be "A" Loch Ness Monster?

Question

Wouldn't there have to be Loch Ness Monsters? At least a male and female consistently being born and bearing offspring to keep the species (supposedly a plesiosaur?) surviving. Wouldn't several "Nessies" be easier to find? Aaaaaand, how did they survive the massive extinction which doomed the dinosaurs? What say thee?

Answer 1

Not necessarily... as you may or may not know... reptilians can sometimes reproduce asexually through a process known as "parthenogenesis" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenogenesis

It is also interesting to note that obviously water dwelling creatures mostly escaped the "mass extinction event" as well as did other life, most notably the reptilians that evolved into todays modern birds. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur-bird_connection

On a side note, Loch Ness is not the only location where sightings of "plesiosaur-like" creatures have occured, Lake Okanagan in British Columbia has a similar legendary creature the "Ogopogo" with the first recorded sightings in 1860, not to mention the local pictographs (of indigenous peoples) in caves showing that the legend existed long before recorded history.
The legendary "Champ" lake monster of Lake Champlain was first reported 50 years before Nessie, and again the local indigenous peoples (Iroquois and Abenaki) had legends of the same creature that pre-dated recorded history.

Whether or not these creatures exist, if they are remnants of previously thought extinct plesiosaurs, a different species altogether...or if they are all just mythological creatures created by legend and folklore remains to be proven. There is absolutely no credible scientific evidence that confirms their existence but.... It is a possibility, based on the adaptability of the lifeforms on this planet, the ability for asexual reproduction in vertebrates especially reptilians, and the staggering number of eye-witness accounts, oral histories and even cave paintings that all proclaim that such a creature exists and has been observed. No one can say with any certainty that lake monsters do or do not exist because to date we have no scientifically verifiable evidence. I think it is possible lake monsters do or did exist and may still exist today in lakes that we have never seen the bottom of or even in the ocean... even today we still find creatures, like the Giant Squid that were once considered to be hoaxes perpetrated by attention seeking people... I think it is not outside the realm of POSSIBILITY that a creature such as Nessie, or Ogopogo may really exist... I guess we will all have to just wait and see because someday if they are real, we will find evidence.

PS Great question by the way! I always ponder the possibilities of the existence of such creatures... hopefully science may definitively answer the "lake monster" legend in my lifetime. Even if they dont exist, I just wish we could KNOW for certain!!

Answer 2

If it's really old, then there would just be one. Say, one living for thousands of years. The usual explanation about these things is that there are hidden passages to other bodies of water (or other realms, or the center of the earth...wherever) and that the sightings are just the occasional surfacings of aquatic monsters (there are more than just Nessie.) Loch Ness is deep and murky, and maybe they're hiding or have a way to escape from pesky researchers. Yeah, several Nessies would be easier to find. Duh. Nessie isn't going to make it easy for you! As far as surviving the "extinction"--not everything died. Crocodiles, dinosaurs, and sea turtles are pretty much exactly like they were in dinosaur times. There have been a few generations between then and now, but they live a long time and they survived OK.

Answer 3

no some lizards are capable of reproduction without a partner. similar creatures have been seen in many sea lochs arround the planet, and in places including the Sea of Japan

Answer 4

There have been several reports of SEVERAL animals at once in a particular spot, therefore, assuming they are real, they could have a POPULATION of them.

Answer 5

I say thee can find it with Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Saint Patric's day dude holding a pot of gold on the other side of the rainbow!

Answer 6

There couldn't be a Loch Ness monster.

Answer 7

There is no monster. A few drunk voyagers on the loch may have been spooked by alligators/whatever that got there by accident!

Answer 8

maybe it is an animal that lives a long long time. there could only be one and he is all there is, when he dies tho, that's it. since there is no female. like you said. but Anything is possible

Answer 9

its just one left, and he's feeding off the hapless tourists who go too close to the water ;o)

Answer 10

ok thats a good question!