Loch Ness Contains No 'Monster' DNA, Say Scientists

Started by Vetus Ordo, September 09, 2019, 03:31:43 PM

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Vetus Ordo

Loch Ness Contains No 'Monster' DNA, Say Scientists

If "Nessie" exists, she's doing a good job of hiding.

In Live Science.



This famous photograph of Nessie from 1934 turned out to be a hoax created with a toy submarine and a fake "sea monster" body.

The Loch Ness monster has haunted a deep Scottish lake for more than 1,000 years — in imagination, at least. But a scientific survey of the waters of Loch Ness found it contains no traces of "monster" DNA at all, adding weight to the already-likely prospect that "Nessie" doesn't really exist.

Geneticist Neil Gemmell of Otago University in New Zealand said an environmental DNA survey of Loch Ness saw no signs it was home to any giant reptiles or aquatic dinosaurs – a theory sometimes used to explain the mysterious monster, which has reportedly been seen several times since the 1930s. Gemmell said the survey revealed DNA traces of more than 3,000 species living beside or in Loch Ness – including fish, deer, pigs, birds, humans and bacteria. But "we did not find any giant reptiles; we didn't find any reptiles at all," Gemmell told Live Science. "We tested a variety of ideas about giant sturgeons or catfish that might be here from time to time, but we did not find those either."

One thing the researchers did find is that Loch Ness contains a lot of eels. And the researchers say it is possible, although unlikely, that sightings of Nessie may actually be sightings of overgrown eels. "Out of the 250-odd water samples that we took, pretty much every single sample has got eels in it," he said. "But are they giant eels? I don't know," he said.

Monster tales

The Loch Ness monster first appears in a legend from the sixth century, when the Irish monk Columba — later a Catholic saint — is said to have stopped Nessie as it was attacking a swimmer, by invoking the name of God and ordering the monster away. The legend of a monster in the vast Scottish lake — one of the largest in Britain, containing more than 245 billion cubic feet (7 billion cubic meters) of fresh water — survived until the 1930s, when a Scottish newspaper reported on a Nessie sighting. A few years later, a London newspaper published a famous photograph of the alleged beast in Loch Ness. But the photograph was later found to be a hoax that used a toy submarine fitted with a fake "sea serpent" body.



Neil Gemmell, who led the New Zealand team that carried out the environmental DNA study, on the shores of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands.

Later efforts to track down the Loch Ness monster failed to find anything, including a sonar search in 2003, BBC News reported. But the story of the Loch Ness monster has grown with its telling. A small tourist industry has built up around the monster at the village of Drumnadrochit on the shores of Loch Ness — and sightings of the monster are still reported today. Gemmell said two sightings of the purported monster were reported at Urquhart Castle beside Loch Ness a few days before the survey began. "We immediately sampled there as soon as we arrived," he said. "So you would like to think that, if there is something there, that we might have nabbed it."

Surveying Loch Ness

The scientific team surveyed Loch Ness in June 2018, taking more than 250 water samples from the surface and depths of the lake over a two-week period. They then amplified tiny amounts of the genetic material DNA in the samples to detect different plant and animal species, from cells they had left in the waters of the loch or in water that had run off from the land nearby. Gemmell said the samples showed which animals and plants had interacted with the local environment in the previous 24 to 48 hours.



The team didn't find any DNA from plesiosaurs, catfish or sharks in Loch Ness – but they couldn't rule out that Nessie is an overgrown eel.

"These big bodies of water are very nice ways to understand a larger dynamic landscape," he said. "[Environmental DNA] is a very powerful and surprisingly elegant way to understand our rich world."

The hunt for the Loch Ness monster, Gemmell explained, gave the team a chance to showcase environmental DNA techniques to the world. "We have used the monster as the bait on the very big science hook," he said. "As soon we talked about doing it in Loch Ness, we had a platform on which to communicate our science in a way that we never have been able to communicate it before." He admits that he was skeptical about the existence of the Loch Ness monster even before the survey was carried out, but said the result left a very slim chance that it could still be real. "Right from the get-go, I said I don't believe in the monster — and that is still my position," Gemmell said. "But wouldn't it be amazing if I was wrong?"
DISPOSE OUR DAYS IN THY PEACE, AND COMMAND US TO BE DELIVERED FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION, AND TO BE NUMBERED IN THE FLOCK OF THINE ELECT.

Fleur-de-Lys

#1
QuoteThe Loch Ness monster first appears in a legend from the sixth century, when the Irish monk Columba — later a Catholic saint — is said to have stopped Nessie as it was attacking a swimmer, by invoking the name of God and ordering the monster away.

This story is from the Life of Saint Columba:

When the blessed man was living for some days in the province of the Picts, he was obliged to cross the river Nesa (the Ness); and when he reached the bank of the river, he saw some of the inhabitants burying an unfortunate man, who, according to the account of those who were burying him, was a short time before seized, as he was swimming, and bitten most severely by a monster that lived in the water; his wretched body was, though too late, taken out with a hook, by those who came to his assistance in a boat. The blessed man, on hearing this, was so far from being dismayed, that he directed one of his companions to swim over and row across the coble that was moored at the farther bank. And Lugne Mocumin hearing the command of the excellent man, obeyed without the least delay, taking off all his clothes, except his tunic, and leaping into the water. But the monster, which, so far from being satiated, was only roused for more prey, was lying at the bottom of the stream, and when it felt the water disturbed above by the man swimming, suddenly rushed out, and, giving an awful roar, darted after him, with its mouth wide open, as the man swam in the middle of the stream. Then the blessed man observing this, raised his holy hand, while all the rest, brethren as well as strangers, were stupefied with terror, and, invoking the name of God, formed the saving sign of the cross in the air, and commanded the ferocious monster, saying, "Thou shalt go no further, nor touch the man; go back with all speed." Then at the voice of the saint, the monster was terrified, and fled more quickly than if it had been pulled back with ropes, though it had just got so near to Lugne, as he swam, that there was not more than the length of a spear-staff between the man and the beast. Then the brethren seeing that the monster had gone back, and that their comrade Lugne returned to them in the boat safe and sound, were struck with admiration, and gave glory to God in the blessed man. And even the barbarous heathens, who were present, were forced by the greatness of this miracle, which they themselves had seen, to magnify the God of the Christians.


Life of Saint Columba, Founder of Hy (Iona). Written by Adomnan, Ninth Abbot of that Monastery, ed. William Reeves, (Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas, 1874). http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/columba-e.asp

Michael Wilson

Of course there is no "Monster DNA"; Nessie is quite clever about hiding her tracks, similar to the ability of a squid to shoot black ink to throw off pursuers.
"The World Must Conform to Our Lord and not He to it." Rev. Dennis Fahey CSSP

"My brothers, all of you, if you are condemned to see the triumph of evil, never applaud it. Never say to evil: you are good; to decadence: you are progess; to death: you are life. Sanctify yourselves in the times wherein God has placed you; bewail the evils and the disorders which God tolerates; oppose them with the energy of your works and your efforts, your life uncontaminated by error, free from being led astray, in such a way that having lived here below, united with the Spirit of the Lord, you will be admitted to be made but one with Him forever and ever: But he who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit." Cardinal Pie of Potiers

Fleur-de-Lys

Perhaps monster DNA can camouflage itself to look like other species' DNA, like a chameleon? That would explain it.

red solo cup

non impediti ratione cogitationis

Fleur-de-Lys

Cup, it doesn't matter how much photographic or video evidence you provide, the "experts" will just claim it's fake.

Vetus Ordo

The pious account of St. Columba confirms the existence of the monster.

In the absence of definite scientific proof, which is not likely to occur, the longstanding tradition of the Loch Ness monster cannot be disregarded.
DISPOSE OUR DAYS IN THY PEACE, AND COMMAND US TO BE DELIVERED FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION, AND TO BE NUMBERED IN THE FLOCK OF THINE ELECT.

Michael Wilson

Nessie is lying low until people get used to thinking that she isn't around any more, then Wham! She'll strike!
"The World Must Conform to Our Lord and not He to it." Rev. Dennis Fahey CSSP

"My brothers, all of you, if you are condemned to see the triumph of evil, never applaud it. Never say to evil: you are good; to decadence: you are progess; to death: you are life. Sanctify yourselves in the times wherein God has placed you; bewail the evils and the disorders which God tolerates; oppose them with the energy of your works and your efforts, your life uncontaminated by error, free from being led astray, in such a way that having lived here below, united with the Spirit of the Lord, you will be admitted to be made but one with Him forever and ever: But he who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit." Cardinal Pie of Potiers

mikemac

There are suppose to be Nessie like creatures in Lake Champlain, in upper New York state (Champ), in Lake Memphremagog, a long, narrow lake that runs across the Quebec border into Vermont (Memphre) and in Okanagan Lake in British Columbia (Ogopogo).

Don't tell anybody, but I actually seen the large v shaped wake of Ogopogo as he was swimming just under the water.  A friend that lived in Penticton for a while claims that he seen Ogopogo.

Ogopogo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogopogo
Like John Vennari (RIP) said "Why not just do it?  What would it hurt?"
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"We would be mistaken to think that Fatima's prophetic mission is complete." Benedict XVI May 13, 2010

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Fleur-de-Lys


Vetus Ordo

Quote from: Fleur-de-Lys on September 10, 2019, 10:25:19 PM
Actually lake monsters similar to Nessie have been attested all over the world:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lake_monsters

The famous monster of Lake Albano is missing on that list.

It's a reptilian creature called Benedict that sometimes takes the form of true pope when in the presence of conservative Catholics.
DISPOSE OUR DAYS IN THY PEACE, AND COMMAND US TO BE DELIVERED FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION, AND TO BE NUMBERED IN THE FLOCK OF THINE ELECT.

Mono no aware

Quote from: Vetus Ordo on September 11, 2019, 03:35:35 PMThe famous monster of Lake Albano is missing on that list.

It's a reptilian creature called Benedict that sometimes takes the form of true pope when in the presence of conservative Catholics.

Like the Beatles with their hidden clues to the fact that "Paul is dead," and like Stanley Kubrick with the subtextual, confessional Apollo 11 references in The Shining, the true pope Benedict leaves "bread crumbs" in his utterances and writings for the gnostics to find, so that they will know he still reigns.

Oddly, he can be blackmailed, but he is unwilling to be martyred.  Quite a papal monster.

Vetus Ordo

Quote from: Pon de Replay on September 11, 2019, 05:34:33 PM
Quote from: Vetus Ordo on September 11, 2019, 03:35:35 PMThe famous monster of Lake Albano is missing on that list.

It's a reptilian creature called Benedict that sometimes takes the form of true pope when in the presence of conservative Catholics.

Like the Beatles with their hidden clues to the fact that "Paul is dead," and like Stanley Kubrick with the subtextual, confessional Apollo 11 references in The Shining, the true pope Benedict leaves "bread crumbs" in his utterances and writings for the gnostics to find, so that they will know he still reigns.

Oddly, he can be blackmailed, but he is unwilling to be martyred.  Quite a papal monster.

The Gnosticism surrounding the Pontifical Chimera is a guarantee of its perpetual cultus.
DISPOSE OUR DAYS IN THY PEACE, AND COMMAND US TO BE DELIVERED FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION, AND TO BE NUMBERED IN THE FLOCK OF THINE ELECT.