These materials were developed by Matthew P. Rowe, Department of Integrative Biology Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Today we will explore the field of Cryptozoology, which is the study of animals not yet described by modern scientific standards. While considered pseudoscience by some, we will find that new animals – even large mammals – are still being “discovered.” We will also use principles of ecology to help us decide how likely it is that we might ever find documented evidence of the existence of cryptids such as the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot.

You will begin today’s lab by watching the video linked below, and recording the answers to the questions in your lab notebook.

Film Questions:

• What is the primary factor mentioned in the video that limits the distribution of saguaro cacti? Is this a biotic or abiotic factor?
• What is the primary factor that restricts honeycreepers to the higher elevations on the Big Island of Hawaii? Is this a biotic or abiotic factor?
• Three-horned octopotomi are aquatic organisms found only in the high elevation lakes and streams on the planet Zed. One of the factors that might restrict their distribution to highland areas is water temperature. But it might not be water temperature per se; what other factor, mentioned in the video, is influenced by water temperature that could limit the distribution of octopotomi to cold-water lakes and streams?
• Why does the Hawaiian archipelago have so few species of native mammals?
• Imagine results of the experiments outlined at the end of the video suggest that roach-crabs are responsible for restricting three-horned octopotomi to the lakes and streams above the Great Escarpment. Based on what you know about the ecology of roach-crabs, how would you explain these results?

Now, read through the document below, “Crazy About Cryptids: An Ecological Hunt for Nessie and Other Legendary Creatures.” You will complete Parts I and II for this week’s lab. Part III is optional, and may be completed for extra credit.

To complete Part I, you will need to reference the two papers linked below, as well. I recommend that you read through the abstract of each paper – this should provide you with the information you need. It is not necessary to read the entirety of either paper.

Answer these questions in your lab notebook:

1. Two articles were mentioned in the story. The first, titled “Novel North American Hominins, Next Generation Sequencing of Three Whole Genomes and Associated Studies” by lead author Melba Ketchum and her co- authors, was published in the journal DeNovo. The second, titled “Genetic Analysis of Hair Samples Attributed To Yeti, Bigfoot, and Other Anomalous Primates” by Bryan Sykes and his team, was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. The two reports apply similar techniques using similarly obtained samples but reach different conclusions. Summarize the main conclusions of each.
2. Credibility is an important concept both in science and in courts-of-law. Which of the two publications is more credible, and why?
3. Occam’s Razor, also known as the Principle of Parsimony, can be useful when trying to determine which explanation, among two or more, is most likely to be correct. What is the Principle of Parsimony? Apply the principle to the different explanations offered by Ketchum’s team and Syke’s team. Which of the competing explanations best passes the razor test, and why?

To complete Part II, you may wish to review some of the concepts we have talked about this semester by watching this short film:

Answer these questions in your lab notebook:

1. Prior to the meteor-driven extinction at the end of the Cretaceous, the seas teamed with a diversity of large reptiles, including voracious predators like plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, and mosasaurs. What is left of this diversity of marine reptiles? If you wanted to snorkel with our few remnants of this past reptilian glory, where would you go? Could any of today’s marine reptiles survive and breed in Loch Ness? Why or why not?
2. Is Loch Ness old enough, geologically, to have been a refuge for plesiosaurs that may have escaped the mass extinction of 65mya?
3. What is Net Primary Productivity, or NPP? Are all ecosystems equally productive? Where, on the range of NPP values for different systems/biomes, would Loch Ness fall?
4. What is the 10% rule in ecology? A generous appraisal of the mass of fish in Loch Ness is 15,675 kg. Based on Travis’s estimates of the size of Nessie, how many monsters might the lake contain?
5. What is the 50/500 rule, and why is it relevant?
6. Your sleuthing likely revealed additional ecological inconsistencies regarding the plesiosaur hypothesis. Provide a short list.
7. Imagine that, as a good friend of both Travis and Victoria, you’ve joined them in their lemonade-fueled quest for Nessie. Using your answers to the questions above, summarize the results of your investigation. What do your results suggest regarding Travis’s hypothesis that a population of large, predatory monsters (plesiosaur or otherwise) prowls the murky depths of Loch Ness?

You are not required to complete Part III, but you may choose to do so for extra credit. (The amount of credit earned will depend on the quality of your work, up to 10 points). If you would like to complete this section, please label it EXTRA CREDIT in your lab notebook, and answer the following questions in your lab notebook:

1. Science, law, and critical thinking share a common approach. When presented with a claim, the surest way to the truth (or as close as we can come to it) is to work up a list of alternative explanations (referred to as “multiple working hypotheses” in scientific jargon). The next step is to gather all the evidence you can find that challenges or supports the various explanations. The most likely explanation is the one that best survives this thorough and impartial examination. Travis was trapped because he chose not to consider explanations challenging his belief in Nessie. He failed to develop a set of “multiple working hypotheses.” This is a skill that benefits from practice.

2. Start with the 1960 Dinsdale film (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdQUbLKwCvQ), which many claim represents the best cinematic evidence for the monster. The footage, shot by Tim Dinsdale from over a mile away, purportedly shows Nessie swimming at high speed, leaving a wake. What hypotheses other than “I’ve filmed Nessie!” could explain what you observe in the video? Which explanation would best survive Occam’s Razor?

3. Your hunt for Nessie probably uncovered additional types of evidence that “true believers” have offered in her support. Pick one, something different from the “mysterious wakes” reported by Dinsdale and others. Develop a complete list of alternative hypotheses that could account for the type of evidence/observation(s) you selected.

4. Nessie isn’t alone; she comes from a large and diverse family of cryptids. Apply what you’ve learned during this investigation to the claims made in favor of a different legendary creature.