Could the Loch Ness monster's DNA finally reveal her hiding place? That’s what a team of New Zealand scientists think, and they’re going to put their theory to the test.
The theory is that creatures moving in water leave behind small fragments of DNA from their skin, scales, feathers and bodily fluids.
The international team will embark on an expedition to the Scottish Highlands next month where they will take samples of the murky waters of Loch Ness to conduct DNA tests that will determine what species lurk beneath, especially "Nessie," Time reported.
The scientists could solve a really, really cold case if they come across DNA fragments of "Nessie," the subject of interest in an old, old mystery capturing the imagination and attention of the world.
Sightings of the Loch Ness monster date back 1,500 years, but there hasn’t been any credible evidence to prove the creature's existence, according to the History channel.
Despite this, the public remain wildly enthusiastic about "Nessie," with various accounts filtering in over the years, not to mention dozens of searches – some serious and many wacky.
Even Google jumped on board for a sighting the Loch Ness Monster by taking images from its Street View cameras above and below the surface of the water for monster hunters to examine.
At the helm of the latest project is University of Otago professor Neil Gemmell. While he said he's not necessarily a believer in the Loch Ness monster, he has harbored the idea of testing DNA from the lake for several years and said it would be an exciting adventure to take people along on.
Besides, his children aged seven and 10 happen to think its a really great idea and he will be able to communicate some science along the way, Time noted.
"I don't believe in the idea of a monster, but I'm open to the idea that there are things yet to be discovered and not fully understood," Gemmel said, according to the BBC News. "Maybe there's a biological explanation for some of the stories."
If Nessie is swimming beneath the surface, scientists will pick up its DNA.
If not, well believers have some theories about that.
According to Gemmel, some have already said Nessie may be extraterrestrial and not leave behind DNA, or may not even be in the Loch Ness anymore, but swimming to the ocean through underwater caves.
Some even fear the creature may be dead.
Gemmel is not deterred.
"While the prospect of looking for evidence of the Loch Ness monster is the hook to this project, there is an extraordinary amount of new knowledge that we will gain from the work about organisms that inhabit Loch Ness – the UK's largest freshwater body," he said, according to BBC.
"If we find any reptilian DNA sequences in Loch Ness, that would be surprising and would be very, very interesting."
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