The Loch Ness Monster is not merely a giant eel.
The Loch Ness Monster is not a giant eel
Some experts have disregarded the legendary Scottish beast as a very large fish but scientist Floe Foxon believes that her new theory debunks the "eel hypothesis".
It is commonly believed that Nessie is around one metre long and new analysis explains that there is just a one in 50,000 chance of encountering an eel of that size.
Foxon, a researcher at the Folk Zoology Society, analysed data on the distribution of European eel masses to estimate the probability of finding an eel of extraordinary size and concluded that it is extremely unlikely.
She said: "In this new work from the Folk Zoology Society, a much-needed level of scientific rigour and data are brought to the topic that is otherwise as slippery as an eel.
"Contrary to popular conception, the intersection between folklore and zoology is amenable to scientific analysis and has the potential to provide valuable insights into anthrozoological phenomena.
"This work also champions open access science and non-traditional publishing – the future of scientific publication."