Researchers: Loch Ness monster could exist, based on fossil discovery in Morocco, of all places

August 1, 2022

Whether you have always believed that the Loch Ness monster exists, or are sure it is a hoax, new evidence could shed some additional light on the matter, reports BGR.

Researchers at the University of Portsmouth in Hampshire, England, have discovered small plesiosaurus fossils in a fresh water in a river system in modern-day Morocco.

Above, the skeletized fossil. (Image source: dewessa/Adobe)

As a result, some have classified the Loch Ness monster’s existence as “plausible.”

The plesiosaurus lived from during the Jurassic Period (201.3 million to 145 million years ago), breathed air, and was twice as long as a horse. But, until now, finding a plesiosaur in a river simply wasn’t plausible. This marine reptile, while similar to the descriptions given of Nessie, was thought to need a saltwater environment to survive—and the Loch Ness in Scotland is fresh water.

However, these new fossils suggest the Loch Ness monsters could have existed (or might still exist) because they were found in a freshwater river.

The researchers from the University of Portsmouth published a paper on the findings in the journal,  Cretaceous Research. The paper suggests that plesiosaurs adapted to tolerate freshwater and possibly even spent their lives in it. This would make them similar to the river dolphins we know today.

The fossils they discovered include bones and teeth from three-meter-long (about ten-feet-long) adults. The bones hint at the plesiosaur living and feeding in freshwater routinely.

Because of this adaptation, the scientists say it’s possible the Loch Ness monster did exist. However, it still wouldn’t have been exactly what the myths have made it out to be.

Research contact: @BGR