Fossil Of 'Nessie Monster' Found In Loch Ness

by Pleasuredome 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  Pleasuredome

  Fossil Of 'Nessie Monster'
  Found In Loch Ness By Tom Peterkin
  The Telegraph - UK
  7-16-3
  

  The fossilised remains of a long-necked, carnivorous sea reptile, which existed 150 million years ago, have been found in Loch Ness. The discovery of four perfectly preserved vertebrae of a plesiosaur - the prehistoric creature most commonly associated with modern "Nessie" sightings - has led to claims that the fossil represents the first evidence of an original Loch Ness Monster. The fossil, which is set in grey limestone, complete with spinal chord and blood vessels, was found in shallow water by Gerald McSorley, 67, a retired scrap merchant from Stirling. Mr McSorley said: "I literally tripped over the fossil in the water. When I put my hands down to steady myself I saw something unusual and picked it up. "Once I had cleaned off about an inch of green algae, and I could see the texture of the bone, it became clear I had an important fossil." Scientists at the National Museum in Scotland confirmed yesterday that the fossil - the first of its kind to be found at Loch Ness - proved that a 35ft "monster" once lived in the area. Lyall Anderson, a curator at the National Museum of Scotland, said: "Professional palaeontologists go out looking for things like this and usually find nothing. Mr McSorley is to be congratulated on a very good find." Many of the contemporary photographs, reconstructions and sightings of Nessie have been reminiscent of the long neck, broad body and giant paddles of the plesiosaur. Dr Anderson said: "The plesiosaur is the image people have of the Loch Ness Monster." The find has excited Nessie hunters, who believe that it supports their belief that a similar beast still lurks within the loch, even though the remains date from the Jurassic and Cretaceous period. © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2003. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F07%2F16%2Fness16.xml
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  Nikita

  Hi PD!

  Fascinating!

  Nikita
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  primitivegenius

  no sh*t.................. lets drain the loch and have us a barbeque

  of the hungry redneck class
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  willy_think

  the fossil remains of a dinosaur found on any given land or body of water has nothing to do with the animal life currently living at that location. I believe that two unrelated issues are being combined to sensationalize a tourist hype.
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  xjw_b12

  the fossil remains of a dinosaur found on any given land or body of water has nothing to do with the animal life currently living at that location. I believe that two unrelated issues are being combined to sensationalize a tourist hype.

  Geez Willy. Don't bother applying for a marketing job with the Loch Ness Tourist Dept.
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  rocketman

  I agree with willy_think. The fossils are ancient and have no bearing on any of the so-called 'sightings' of past decades. But, I guess it's a cool story anyway - good to see that something lived there at one time.
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  cruzanheart

  Aw, it's a harmless legend and a lot of fun! Big Tex and I visited Loch Ness once upon a time before children, and had a marvelous time. It is absolutely beautiful around there. We took a bus tour of the loch, which took us around the loch and stopped at interesting little villages and, of course, the Loch Ness Monster Museum. Along the way we also saw bridges built by the Romans that were still standing and in pretty good condition, beautiful foliage, Urquhart Castle (whose owners were loyal to the Protestant king and blew up the castle so Bonny Prince Charlie, the Catholic aspirant to the throne, wouldn't be able to use it) and, oh yes, we strained our eyes trying to catch a glimpse of Nessie. Obviously we didn't have enough beer in us to do that, but it was nonetheless a wonderful experience! Much better than a tour around Dallas' Bachman Lake . . . .

  Nina