Cryptozoology is the study of still unknown species of animals. These cryptids, as they are called, include not only the Loch Ness monster, sasquatch and other "mega-monsters", but also many lesser known mystery creatures. (Some of these have more evidence going for them than the monster super-stars.) Cryptozoology often receives a bad rep because it is often practiced with little skepticism, or regard for scientifically supported facts and theories. Likewise, paranormal cryptozoologists do little to help the integrity of cryptozoology. It can, however, be a level-headed, interesting and possibly even scientific subject, if examined with open-minded skepticism and a scientific viewpoint.
Such an approach is the basis of this web site on cryptozoology. Ockham's razor, which basically states that the simplest explanation is probably the correct one, is a rationale that looms large here.
This web site is undergoing a major revamp--please disregard any juvenile grammar and credulity (I started this web site when I was rather young)!
Introducing Cryptozoology...
A Critical Approach to Cryptozoology
This originally appeared as an editorial in my periodical The Cryptozoology
Review.
Is
Cryptozoology a Science? I tackled this controversial question in
this recent essay for forteantimes.com.
Topics in Cryptozoology
The Myakka Ape Photos
Loren Coleman's take on recent photos from Florida appearing to show an
ape-like animal.
The Cryptozoology Review is an
exciting cryptozoology periodical published since 1996 that features in-depth
news, well-written research
articles, book reviews, and more. More details will soon be available on
the web, but in the mean time e-Mail me for more details.
Books are essential to cryptozoologists, who
must read up on many different topics so as to best evaluate cryptozoological
claims. Check out my Cryptozoology Book Picks,
a collection of books of cryptozoological interest. Each book features a
review, and if you want to buy it, simply click on the title for a link to
Amazon.com. Add it to your shopping cart and then return to my book picks
for more!
I've added two items of interest to
to my Shark
Page. One is on a photo of a giant
nurse shark. The other involves the truth behind rumours of giant
cookiecutter sharks.
Vietnam's tropical forests have been a hotspot for discoveries of new
species of large mammals over the last few years. Click here to find out
why.
The Zuiyo-maru
Carcass There has always been controversy over the identity of the
famous Zuiyo-maru "sea monster" carcass, but scientifically speaking there is
little doubt that it was really a decayed basking shark.
About 15 million years ago, a huge
shark known as Carcharodon (or Carcharocles)
megalodon appeared in the warm Miocene seas. This 15 m super
predator, related to the extant white shark, probably fed on large fishes,
small whales, and everything in between. Luckily for us, it appears to
have died out at the beginning of the Pleistocene era, around 1.5
million years ago. Some researchers (mainly cryptozoologists), however,
believe there is evidence that suggests that megalodon is still alive. Like
most shark specialists and paleontologists, I do not subscribe to this
theory, which is based on scant, poor evidence and requires an ignoration of accepted
ecological and paleontological facts. I wrote a paper, published in The
Cryptozoology Review, criticizing the theory of megalodon
survival: "A Critical Evaluation of the Supposed
Contemporary Existence of Carcharodon megalodon". (NEW!)
In a recent issue of Wild About
Animals (vol. 12, no 2), a British magazine about pets, Karl Shuker (a
prominent cryptozoologist) reiterated his claims that Megalodon may still
be around, breezily dismissing my research linked above. I wrote a
response to the article, but Wild About Animals felt it would be
inappropriate for publication as it was too long and not of great import to
them (this is unfortunate, but understandable as they are a popular
magazine, not a journal). So, I have instead posted it here.
I have written extensively about sea serpent carcasses, and have
found that virtually any case where good details exist,
the carcass turns out to be a basking shark, a whale, or some other known
sea creature. Whales sometimes wash up and create carcass that appear to
have tusks, thus confusing eyewitnesses. Learn how this happens in an
article I wrote for Fortean Times on-line about the tusked sea
serpent carcasses.
Ben S. Roesch's On-Line Cryptozoology
Archives
This is the main feature of this site: Tons of
news and reports are waiting for you! Visit Ben
S. Roesch's On-Line Cryptozoology Archives
If you have reports, news clippings, or
articles of a cryptozoological nature that you would like to submit,
e-mail me.
Links and More
For more information on cryptozoology, check out
my cryptozoology links page.
Curiosities of Biological
Nomenclature Ever heard of the wasp Olemistus chewbacca?
This is a great site listing many hilarious or otherwise interesting
scientific names of organisms. Who says scientists don't have a sense of
humour?
Check out this
cool review by
the UK Internet mag "The Web" about this web site!
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Copyright 1996-2003 Ben S. Roesch
