Since the first supposed behemoth sighting at Loch Ness was record in the 6th century , mass have been search for logical explanation . sturgeon , Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , and evenelephant trunkshave all been blamed , but scientist ( and fans ) have n’t fall on a single culprit . AsThe Washington Postreports , one scientist from New Zealand lay claim he ’s finally discovered Nessie ’s true identity : She ’s not a prehistoric plesiosaurus — she ’s an outsized eel .
That ’s the suggestion made by a recent environmental DNA project that analyzed the genetical material of every live affair in Loch Ness . In2018 , Neil Gemmell of the University of Otago and his team embarked on a mission to gather up 250 body of water samples from various touch in Loch Ness in Scotland . This was hard than it sounds : The freshwater lake is23 mileslong and 788 groundwork deep . But the team succeeded in capturing a biological shot of the lake , with enough " eDNA"—the genetic cloth organisms impart behind in their surround — for 500 million sequences .
After comparing the sequenced DNA against world DNA databases of know organisms , the scientist did n’t see anything to indicate the lake is hiding an unknown specie , prehistorical or otherwise . The finding also ruled out Greenland sharks , catfish , and sturgeon as the standpoint - inch behind the Nessie sighting . ( It ’s unclear if the study has been write or peer - reviewed . )
They did , however , rule an unusually in high spirits amount of eel DNA in their samples . " The stay on theory that we can not refute based on the environmental DNA data point obtained is that what people are seeing is a very large eel , " a summary of the finding on theproject ’s websitereads . " Eels are very plentiful in Loch Ness , with eel DNA found at passably much every location try — there are a lot of them . "
eel indigenous to the British Isles can grow to incredible length . conger eel eel grow up to 10 feet or more , and in 2001,two 7 - infantry specimenswere find on the shoring of Loch Ness ( though it ’s potential the seawater metal money were plant there by someone looking to stir up freak - related press ) . When swimming near the surface , a gravid eel can maybe be mistaken for the linchpin of an aquatic beast . The eDNA projection did n’t discover whether the eels living in Loch Ness are gigantic or smaller in size .
Despite the Modern evidence , the enquiry in all likelihood wo n’t be enough to deter Nessie believers . The most celebrated photo of Nessie has been turn up to be fake , and there ’s a lot of skill debunking the world of a monolithic aquatic reptilian hiding in Loch Ness . Nonetheless , multiple demon sightingsare still report each twelvemonth .
[ h / tThe Washington Post ]
