尼斯湖水怪的传说由来已久，但一直没有得到证实。最近一个新西兰科学家团队将前往苏格兰尼斯湖进行科学探测，以基因检测方式来判断水怪是否真实存在，如果存在，将鱼现有生物基因进行比对，已确定属于哪种生物。进展顺利的话，今年年底就会出考察结果。让我们拭目以待！
Legend of Loch Ness Monster will be tested with DNA samples
By Nick Perry Associated Press
May 30, 2018
Legend of Loch Ness Monster will be tested with DNA samples The undated file photo shows Scotland's 23-mile long Loch Ness, home of the elusive monster, Nessie. In foreground is Urquhart Castle. (AP Photo, File)
The stories seem as tall as the lake is deep - f`or hundreds of years, visitors to Scotland's Loch Ness have described seeing a monster that some believe lurks潜伏 in the depths.
But now the legend of "Nessie" may have no place left to hide. A New Zealand scientist is leading an international team to the lake next month, where they will take samples of the murky暗沉的 waters and conduct DNA tests to determine what species live there.
University of Otago professor Neil Gemmell says he's no believer in Nessie, but he wants to take people on an adventure and communicate some science along the way. Besides, he says, his kids think it's one of the coolest things he's ever done.
One of the more far-fetched牵强的 theories is that Nessie is a long-necked plesiosaur蛇颈龙 that somehow survived the period when dinosaurs became extinct and another theory is that the monster is actually a sturgeon鲟 or giant catfish鲶鱼. Many believe the sightings are hoaxes恶作剧 or can be explained by floating logs or strong winds.
Gemmell said that when creatures move about in water, they leave behind tiny fragments of DNA, coming from their skin, feathers, scales and urine.
He said his team will take 300 samples of water from different points around the lake and at different depths, filtering the organic material and extracting the DNA, and he said, sequencing排列 it by using technology originally created for the human genome project.
He said the DNA results will then be compared against a database of known species and that they should have answers by the end of the year.
"I'm going into this thinking it's unlikely there is a monster, but I want to test that hypothesis," Gemmell said. "What we'll get is a really nice survey of the biodiversity of the Loch Ness."
He said the real discoveries may come in determining things like the prevalence扩张、流行 of invasive入侵的 species.
Gemmell, 51, said he first visited Loch Ness in his late 20s while on vacation and like thousands of tourists before him, he gazed out over the lake trying to catch sight of a monster. He said he first came up with the idea of testing DNA from the lake a couple of years ago and it resonated产生共鸣 with many, including his children, aged 7 and 10.
Graeme Matheson, chief of the Scottish Society of New Zealand, said he, too, has visited Loch Ness and gazed out over the water, and that he wishes Gemmell all the best.
"I hope he and his cohorts团队，同伴 find something, although I think they'll be battling," Matheson said. "Still, it's a good way to get a trip to Scotland."
Gemmell said that even if they don't find any monster DNA, it won't deter阻止 some Nessie believers who have already been offering him theories, like that Nessie might be on vacation after swimming to the sea via hidden underwater caves, or that the creature might be extraterrestrial外星生物 and not leave behind any DNA.
"In our lives we want there still to be mysteries, some of which we will ultimately最终 solve," Gemmell said. "That's part of the spirit of discovery. And sometimes, what you find may not be what you were expecting."