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June 19, 2009
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:icondinohunter2:
While Plesiosaurus might be the most popular candidate for lake monsters, Basilosaurus is probably a much better match. Natives to the United States, these prehistoric whales had elongated bodies and a narrow, reptilian head. Even though it's popular to depict water cryptids as plesiosaurs or sea serpents, most descriptions of American lake monsters include a crocodilian head, humps or dorsal fins, and a fluked tail like a whale.
In 2003 the Fauna Communications Research Institute recorded the sound of a large animal echolocating in Lake Champlain (this was later showed in an episode of MonsterQuest). The echolocation was similar to that of an Orca or Beluga whale, but was distinctly different, matching the vocalizations of no known animal- this is seen by many as evidence that Champ, and possibly other lake monsters of the US, may indeed be a whale of some sort.

I really don't have a clue how these creatures could stay underwater for so long without having to surface. There has to be a breeding population of them, so even if they're adept at holding their breath they should be coming up for air all the time. Still, it makes a lot more sense than the relic Plesiosaur theory IMO, and the recording of echolocation really suggests a mammalian creature to me. Whether or not it has any relation to Basilosaurus is questionable (it could be convergeant evolution, after all), but regardless I think it's really interesting. It's certainly revitalized my interest in this sort of cryptid, anyway.
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:iconblanham17:
*blanham17 Jun 26, 2009
Wouldn't it be amazing if just once MonsterQuest acctually found something!? But every episode is the same thing, "There may or may not be something here, we may never know."

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"You ever notice that other people's stuff is s#!t, but your s#!t is stuff?"- George Carlin
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:icondinohunter2:
~DinoHunter2 Jun 26, 2009  Student General Artist
Haha. I dunno, they actually find some pretty good stuff now and again. The episodes never end with a bigfoot in a cage, but then again, if that ever happened, I'm pretty sure we'd know about it long before it showed on MonsterQuest. XP

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:iconblanham17:
*blanham17 Jun 26, 2009
True.:nod:

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"You ever notice that other people's stuff is s#!t, but your s#!t is stuff?"- George Carlin
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:iconjacobkaiju:
*JacobKaiju Jun 21, 2009
Yeah, probably I would agree that most lake monsters would work better as small predatory whales like Basilosaurus.
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:iconbeast57:
~Beast57 Jun 20, 2009
Interesting!

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Please Vist :gallery: [link] give me a critique! It will be appreciated!
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:icondinohunter2:
~DinoHunter2 Jun 20, 2009  Student General Artist
Thanks!

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:iconbeast57:
~Beast57 Jun 21, 2009
Your welcome!

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Please repeat the message. It's the music we choose! Keep a mild groove on B-) -Gorillaz-

Please Vist :gallery: [link] give me a critique! It will be appreciated!
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:iconsoirun:
!SOIRUN Jun 20, 2009
I think that they just evolved diferently,and developed a better respiratory system that may be very different from whales.

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:iconbulldan:
~BullDan Jun 20, 2009
you know.... that's a really good theory!

i love MonsterQuest!

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:icondinohunter2:
~DinoHunter2 Jun 20, 2009  Student General Artist
Thanks. It's a fun show! :D

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