Are Monsters Real?

Nessie isn’t the only fantastical creature to capture the public’s attention. For thousands of years, people have shared stories about mysterious unidentified animals—from Bigfoot in North America to an Asian desert monster called the Mongolian death worm. These animals that are rumored to exist despite a lack of evidence are called cryptids.

Many stories about cryptids are inspired by real animals, says Gemmell (see Cryptids: Myth vs. Fact). But the truth usually isn’t as wild as the legend. In 2007, a rancher in Texas found a dead, hairless animal she believed was a chupacabra—a fabled blood-sucking creature from Latin America. When scientists at Texas State University examined the body, they determined that it was a coyote with a skin disease.

Nessie isn't the only fantastical creature to capture people's attention. People have shared stories about mysterious unidentified animals for thousands of years. North America has the legend of Bigfoot. The Asian desert is supposedly home to a monster called the Mongolian death worm. These animals that are rumored to exist despite a lack of evidence are called cryptids.

Many stories about cryptids are inspired by real animals, says Gemmell (see Cryptids: Myth vs. Fact). But the truth usually isn't as wild as the legend. In 2007, a rancher in Texas found a dead, hairless animal. She believed it was a chupacabra, a mythical blood-sucking creature from Latin America. But then scientists at Texas State University examined the body. They determined that it was a coyote with a skin disease.

Last year, scientists from the State University of New York at Buffalo analyzed body parts that supposedly belonged to yetis, or abominable snowmen. Climbers in the Himalayan mountains of Asia have claimed to see footprints and remains of these large, hairy beasts.

Biologist Charlotte Lindqvist, led the study of the yeti parts, which were collected from homes and museums around the world. Her team carefully scraped off pieces of the specimens and extracted the DNA inside. Then they compared it to the DNA of known animals. One sample, a tooth, turned out to be a dog’s. And the rest? “All of them came from bears,” says Lindqvist.

Last year, scientists analyzed body parts that supposedly belonged to yetis. These large, hairy beasts are also called abominable snowmen. Climbers in the Himalayan mountains of Asia have claimed to see their footprints and remains.

Charlotte Lindqvist is a biologist at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She led the study of the yeti parts. They were collected from homes and museums around the world. Her team carefully scraped off pieces of the specimens. Then they extracted the DNA inside. They compared it to the DNA of known animals. One sample, a tooth, turned out to be from a dog. And the rest? "All of them came from bears," says Lindqvist.

Gemmell’s team is also using DNA to learn what lives in Loch Ness. But since no one claims to have a piece of Nessie, they’re not taking the same approach that Lindqvist did. Instead, the scientists scooped up nearly 260 samples of water from different parts of the lake—including one where the monster had supposedly just been spotted. Then they pressed the water through a fine filter to collect any microscopic material floating in it.

Anything living in and swimming through water leaves traces of its DNA behind in urine, droppings, drool, or flakes of skin, explains Gemmell. By collecting this DNA from the lake’s microscopic particles and analyzing it, scientists can learn which species are in the lake without having to catch or even see them.

Gemmell's team is also using DNA to learn what lives in Loch Ness. But no one claims to have a piece of Nessie. So the team isn't taking the same approach that Lindqvist did. Instead, the scientists scooped up nearly 260 samples of water from different parts of the lake. They included an area where the monster had supposedly just been spotted. The scientists pressed the samples through a fine filter. The filter catches any microscopic material floating in the lake.

Anything living in water leaves traces of its DNA behind, explains Gemmell. That may be in the form of urine, droppings, drool, or flakes of skin. The scientists are collecting this DNA from the floating material in the water samples. By analyzing it, they can learn which species are in the lake without having to catch or even see them.

If the team finds any DNA that doesn’t match a known animal’s, it could be a clue to Nessie’s identity. But learning about the lake’s less-sensational residents is important too, Gemmell says. Loch Ness connects to other waterways and is visited by fish, eels, and otters from around the region. The samples could also tell scientists whether invasive species are moving in.

The scientists expect to announce their results in January. Whether or not they find Nessie, says Gemmell, learning more about the Loch Ness ecosystem will make the expedition worthwhile. “If it happens that we detect something that may explain the monster,” he says, “then that’s the cherry on top.”

The team may find DNA that doesn't match that of a known animal. If they do, it could be a clue about what Nessie really is. But learning about the lake's less-famous residents is also important, says Gemmell. Loch Ness connects to other lakes and rivers. Fish, eels, and otters from around the region visit Loch Ness. The samples could also tell scientists whether invasive species are moving in.

The scientists expect to announce their results in January. They may or may not find Nessie, says Gemmell. But either way, learning more about the Loch Ness ecosystem will make the expedition worth it. "If it happens that we detect something that may explain the monster," says Gemmell, "then that's the cherry on top."