T
he idea that new,
large animal
species might be
hiding in the
world’s wilder places has
always been one of the most
romantic and appealing of
scientific concepts. Even
today, it remains possible
that a few big mammals, fish
or reptiles await discovery in
the forests of New Guinea or
Southeast Asia, or in certain
deep-sea basins. But can we
take seriously the possibility,
endorsed by a handful of
die-hards and believers, that
Loch Ness, Scotland’s
largest and most famouslake, is home to a new
species of gigantic, dragon-
like animal more than
10m long?
In May 2018, geneticist Prof
Neil Gemmell of the
University of Otago, New
Zealand, embarked on a
project to collect and test
genetic traces of animals
from the loch, and hoped to
resolve the enigma of Loch
Ness once and for all. He
and his team were set to use
a technique not previously
used on the loch’s water.
They were going to hunt for
environmental DNA, or
eDNA (see box).A Are you there, Nessie?
Most scientists do not think
there is a monster in the lake.
This bold proclamation isn’t
due to arrogant elitism or an
inability or unwillingness to
examine the data that exists,
but to the fact that the
evidence put forward to
support Nessie’s reality has
failed to be persuasive. The
photos and films are fakes,
hoaxes, or misinterpretations
of known objects. Biological
evidence that might support
the creature’s existence- bones, carcasses, feeding
signs or droppings – is
non-existent. And the large
number of eyewitness
anecdotes provides nothing
robust or consistent. Rather
than monsters, there are
instead assorted references
to all kinds of things seen on
the loch, like swimming deer,
birds, seals, waves and
wakes. Few of these things
are familiar to the average
loch-side visitor. A
psychological phenomenon
known as ‘expectant
attention’ is also important
in influencing people’s
experiences at Loch Ness. It
explains how people’s
observations fit an existing
expectation, in this case, that
they will see a large, water-
dwelling monster.
Still, the idea of something
mysterious in the lake has
nonetheless captured the
attention of scientists.
Therefore, the water has
been swept by vessels
emitting sonar, and its depths
have been explored by divers,
submersibles and motion-
detecting cameras. At least a
few authors and scientists
have gone on record to state
their confident belief in the
monster’s existence, the data
that convinced them later
proving inadequate orGETTY X2 ILLUSTRATION BY RAJA LOCKEYTales of a monster in
Loch Ness have been
around for centuries. Prof
Neil Gemmell is finding
out what lurks in the
murky waters once and
for all.Nature
“Can we take seriously the
possibility that Loch Ness is
home to a new animal?”