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The Loch Ness monster may be more fact than fiction, one of the UK's top dinosaur experts has claimed.
Paleontologist Dr Darren Naish reckons there have been too many sightings for 'Nessie' to be a hoax.
Boffin Dr Naish, who lectures at the University of Portsmouth, said: The huge number of 'sea monster' sightings now on record cant all be explained away as mistakes, sightings of known animals or hoaxes.
At least some of the better ones some of them made by trained naturalists and such probably are descriptions of encounters with real, unknown animals.
Because large marine animals continue to be discovered various new whale and shark species have been named in recent years the idea that such species might await discovery is, at the very least, plausible.
Some experts reckon Nessie is a plesiosaur - a long-necked reptile that lived at the same time as the dinosaurs.
But Dr Naish and another dino expert dismissed this idea in speeches at a conference, 'Cryptozoology: Science or Pseudoscience?', in London.
Dr Charles Paxton, of the University of St Andrews, said: If there are prehistoric animals alive today it would imply that theres something very wrong with our understanding of the fossil record.
Dr Paxton added it could not be assumed all large animals living in the oceans have been discovered.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...-fact-than-fiction-claims-paleontologist.html
Question: Do you think the Loch Ness monster is fact or fiction and why?
Paleontologist Dr Darren Naish reckons there have been too many sightings for 'Nessie' to be a hoax.
Boffin Dr Naish, who lectures at the University of Portsmouth, said: The huge number of 'sea monster' sightings now on record cant all be explained away as mistakes, sightings of known animals or hoaxes.
At least some of the better ones some of them made by trained naturalists and such probably are descriptions of encounters with real, unknown animals.
Because large marine animals continue to be discovered various new whale and shark species have been named in recent years the idea that such species might await discovery is, at the very least, plausible.
Some experts reckon Nessie is a plesiosaur - a long-necked reptile that lived at the same time as the dinosaurs.
But Dr Naish and another dino expert dismissed this idea in speeches at a conference, 'Cryptozoology: Science or Pseudoscience?', in London.
Dr Charles Paxton, of the University of St Andrews, said: If there are prehistoric animals alive today it would imply that theres something very wrong with our understanding of the fossil record.
Dr Paxton added it could not be assumed all large animals living in the oceans have been discovered.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...-fact-than-fiction-claims-paleontologist.html
Question: Do you think the Loch Ness monster is fact or fiction and why?
