Editing Loch Ness Monster (section)

==={{anchor|Exotic species of large animals}}Exotic large-animal species===
{{Undue weight section|date=July 2023|to=fringe sources and hypotheses|section=yes}}

====Plesiosaur====
[[File:Lochneska poboba museumofnessie.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Model of a dinosaur in water|Reconstruction of Nessie as a plesiosaur outside the Museum of Nessie]]
In 1933, it was suggested that the creature "bears a striking resemblance to the supposedly extinct [[Plesiosauria|plesiosaur]]",<ref>R. J. Binns (1983) ''The Loch Ness Mystery Solved'', p, 22</ref> a long-necked aquatic reptile that became [[extinction|extinct]] during the [[Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event]]. A popular explanation at the time, the following arguments have been made against it:
* In an October 2006 ''[[New Scientist]]'' article, "Why the Loch Ness Monster is no plesiosaur", Leslie Noè of the [[Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences|Sedgwick Museum]] in [[Cambridge]] said: "The [[osteology]] of the neck makes it absolutely certain that the plesiosaur could not lift its head up swan-like out of the water".<ref>{{Cite journal |year=2006 |title=Why the Loch Ness Monster is no plesiosaur |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19225764.900-why-the-loch-ness-monster-is-no-plesiosaur.html |url-status=live |journal=New Scientist |volume=2576 |page=17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223214947/http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19225764.900-why-the-loch-ness-monster-is-no-plesiosaur.html |archive-date=23 February 2007 |access-date=8 April 2007}}</ref>
* The loch is only about 10,000&nbsp;years old, dating to the end of the last ice age. Before then, it was frozen for about 20,000&nbsp;years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Legend of Nessie – Ultimate and Official Loch Ness Monster Site – About Loch Ness |url=http://www.nessie.co.uk/htm/about_loch_ness/nessgeo.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929200634/http://www.nessie.co.uk/htm/about_loch_ness/nessgeo.html |archive-date=29 September 2018 |access-date=31 October 2007 |website=www.nessie.co.uk}}</ref>
* If creatures similar to plesiosaurs lived in Loch Ness they would be seen frequently, since they would have to surface several times a day to breathe.<ref name="firstscience1" />
* Due to the lack of plankton, there is not enough food in Loch Ness to sustain a family of Plesiosaurs.

In response to these criticisms, [[Tim Dinsdale]], Peter Scott and Roy Mackal postulate a trapped marine creature that evolved from a plesiosaur directly or by [[convergent evolution]].<ref>Roy P. Mackal (1976) ''The Monsters of Loch Ness'', p. 138</ref> Robert Rines explained that the "horns" in some sightings function as breathing tubes (or nostrils), allowing it to breathe without breaking the surface. Newer discoveries of plesiosaurs such as [[Leptocleididae]] could handle fresh water, along with [[Morturneria]] which thrived in Antarctic waters. While this supports the idea that a Plesiosaur could handle the environment of Loch Ness, it doesn't support the idea that Nessie is one.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-01 |title=Freshwater plesiosaur fossils spark Loch Ness Monster questions |url=https://earthsky.org/earth/freshwater-plesiosaur-fossils-spark-loch-ness-monster-questions/ |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=earthsky.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

====Long-necked giant amphibian====
[[R. T. Gould]] suggested a long-necked [[newt]];<ref name=Gould/><ref>''The Times'' 9 December 1933, p. 14</ref> Roy Mackal examined the possibility, giving it the highest score (88 percent) on his list of possible candidates.<ref>R. P. Mackal (1976) ''The Monsters of Loch Ness'', pp. 138–139, 211–213</ref>

====Invertebrate====
In 1968 [[Fredrick William Holiday|F. W. Holiday]] proposed that Nessie and other lake monsters, such as [[Morag (lake monster)|Morag]], may be a large [[invertebrate]] such as a [[Polychaete|bristleworm]]; he cited the extinct ''[[Tullimonstrum]]'' as an example of the shape.<ref>Holiday, F.T. ''The Great Orm of Loch Ness'' (Faber and Faber 1968)</ref> According to Holiday, this explains the land sightings and the variable back shape; he likened it to the medieval description of [[dragon]]s as "worms". Although this theory was considered by Mackal, he found it less convincing than eels, amphibians or plesiosaurs.<ref>R. P. Mackal (1976) ''The Monsters of Loch Ness'' pp. 141–142, chapter XIV</ref>