Wednesday, December 20, 2006

The Loch Ness Monster

One of the prevailing theories for the is that, if it exists, it is most likely a species that has survived to contemporary times. Specifically, it is thought to be the , a marine reptile that lived 160 million years ago. This is mainly because the typical description given by witnesses closely matches the appearance of that aquatic dinosaur. It sported long neck -- in many cases as long as its body and tail combined. That neck, as it turns out, is why scientists are now saying that could have never been a plesiosaur. A new study has determined that plesiosaurs used their long necks to reach down and feed on soft-bodied animals living on the sea floor. Calculating the articulation of the neck bones, scientists concluded the neck was flexible and could move easily when pointing down. However, the osteology of the neck makes it absolutely certain that the plesiosaur could not lift its head out of the water - as most pictures of Nessie show. Either the traditional sightings of the Loch Ness monster reaching it's head out of the water like a giraffe are incorrect, or the creature is not a plesiosaur.
But the important question is Whatever it is...Where is it?

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