Cryptids - Sasquatch, the Loch Ness Monster, and the like

[Intelligent Calcium]

Otherwise, giant squid are sort of a cryptid that we know exists. I also always wondered about dragons, since a few different cultures have dragon myths. I assumed that it was due to finding fossilized dinosaur remains, but someone recently told me that may not be the case?

Might be that, kinda like Cyclopes may be based on elephant skulls. Another theory is that they're a subconscious amalgamation of the predators we evolved to fear, as they combine reptilian/serpentine features with four legs (large cats) as well as wings and sometimes feathers (large birds of prey). Or someone just described an animal they saw (or thought they saw) and peoples' minds ran wild. Most likely a mix of all the above and more.

Though if cryptozoology has taught me anything, they were probably just based on owls and whale shark remains.

 

[AnOminous]

For real though, one thing I learned (from here of all places) is that fossils can be really really hard to find sometimes.
Why are there so many gaps in the fossil record for homo sapiens? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denisovan is a human ancestor that we only know about because of DNA sequencing and because they found like, two teeth and a finger bone in one specific cave. Apparently tons of stuff doesn't get fossilized, or we don't find it, or it gets lost in cataloging, there was a really good post on here about it I'll try to find.

The fact these were alive as recently as 40,000 years ago seems to indicate a big push by the part of homo sapiens sapiens, the humans who are still alive, to eliminate anything that wasn't like them enough. Humans have been terrible since prehistory. We learned genocide well before we learned writing.

 

[melty]

Might be that, kinda like Cyclopes may be based on elephant skulls. Another theory is that they're a subconscious amalgamation of the predators we evolved to fear, as they combine reptilian/serpentine features with four legs (large cats) as well as wings and sometimes feathers (large birds of prey). Or someone just described an animal they saw (or thought they saw) and peoples' minds ran wild. Most likely a mix of all the above and more.

Though if cryptozoology has taught me anything, they were probably just based on owls and whale shark remains.

I think I heard a similar theory about aliens? I also did not know that theory about cyclops. I assumed it was because of the rare holoprosencephaly birth defect. (NSFL)

There is enough interesting stuff on this planet and its history to entertain anyone without making up animals, but people are always afraid and intrigued by the unknown.

We learned genocide well before we learned writing.

And then we find the unknown and kill it.

 

[ICametoLurk]

The fact these were alive as recently as 40,000 years ago seems to indicate a big push by the part of homo sapiens sapiens, the humans who are still alive, to eliminate anything that wasn't like them enough. Humans have been terrible since prehistory. We learned genocide well before we learned writing.

My favorite thing is the last place Netherdeals lived was this cave

 

[Intelligent Calcium]

I also did not know that theory about cyclops. I assumed it was because of the rare holoprosencephaly birth defect. (NSFL)

Again, might be either or both but the nasal cavity in an elephant's skull can appear like a single, large eye socket if you don't know what you're looking at (or want to see something fantastical), the same way a decomposed whale shark can look suspiciously like a plesiosaur once its lower jaw rots off.

 

[beansntoast]

not really about cryptids but still:
didn't humans interbreed with neanderthals and denisovans? I definitely know that all humans outside of africa have traces of neanderthal DNA, not sure about denisovans though

baleen whale skulls often get mistaken for sea moster remains, too

 

[Alec Benson Leary]

The fact these were alive as recently as 40,000 years ago seems to indicate a big push by the part of homo sapiens sapiens, the humans who are still alive, to eliminate anything that wasn't like them enough. Humans have been terrible since prehistory. We learned genocide well before we learned writing.

Well, it's not really "genocide" when we just out-compete another species. Resources were scarce before we invented refrigerators and tv dinners.

I've also heard that a lot of the ancient homo species (genus not dix) didn't necessarily die to the last man because of sapiens encroachment, it's more likely they just bred into humanity and sapiens dominated the course of genetic history because we had more numbers or weren't as impacted by some disaster or another.

 

[melty]

didn't humans interbreed with neanderthals and denisovans? I definitely know that all humans outside of africa have traces of neanderthal DNA, not sure about denisovans though

Denisovans shared a common origin with Neanderthals, that they ranged from Siberia to Southeast Asia, and that they lived among and interbred with the ancestors of some modern humans, with about 3% to 5% of the DNA of Melanesians and @Dynastia deriving from Denisovans.[10][11][12][13]

 

[AnOminous]

Well, it's not really "genocide" when we just out-compete another species. Resources were scarce before we invented refrigerators and tv dinners.

I've also heard that a lot of the ancient homo species (genus not dix) didn't necessarily die to the last man because of sapiens encroachment, it's more likely they just bred into humanity and sapiens dominated the course of genetic history because we had more numbers or weren't as impacted by some disaster or another.

I'm sure we were totally nice to them and they just politely fell over and died.

 

[Caesare]

I'm sure we were totally nice to them and they just politely fell over and died.

You don't think primitive savages were considerate then?

 

[melty]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toba_catastrophe_theory

 

[AnOminous]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toba_catastrophe_theory

That would still be tens of thousands of years before the last of the competing subspecies of humanity other than ours died off entirely. Assuming you even consider them subspecies. They were certainly as much like us as dog breeds are like other dog breeds, could interbreed, and at around the same time, had around the same level of civilization.

 

[Sperglord Dante]

Well, it's not really "genocide" when we just out-compete another species. Resources were scarce before we invented refrigerators and tv dinners.

I've also heard that a lot of the ancient homo species (genus not dix) didn't necessarily die to the last man because of sapiens encroachment, it's more likely they just bred into humanity and sapiens dominated the course of genetic history because we had more numbers or weren't as impacted by some disaster or another.

The dingo will eventually dissapear not due to hunting or destruction of their habitat, but because they interbreed too much with domestic dogs, and "pure" dogs outnumber "pure" dingos.

It's not really hard to believe the same thing happened to the homo sapiens and other hominids.

 

[Un Platano]

That would still be tens of thousands of years before the last of the competing subspecies of humanity other than ours died off entirely. Assuming you even consider them subspecies. They were certainly as much like us as dog breeds are like other dog breeds, could interbreed, and at around the same time, had around the same level of civilization.

Neanderthals had several morphological disadvantages compared to humans though. Modern humans have much greater dexterity than neanderthals did, including narrower fingers and limbs (likely a result of their northerly distriburion) and muscle structure that allowed more precision at the cost of strength. That was fine for neanderthals 200,000 years ago when the pinnacle of technology was a slightly pointed rock, but the morphology of the more southerly homo sapiens proved to be more useful for developing and using more advanced technology, which develops much, much faster than evolution does. That made them naturally better at gathering resources, which made them able to out compete and assimilate the other species. Outcompeting in this sense refers to killing more mammoths and by extension starving the neanderthals, which in combination with assimilation makes a far more likely scenario than active genocide.

 

[AnOminous]

Neanderthals had several morphological disadvantages compared to humans though. Modern humans have much greater dexterity than neanderthals did, including narrower fingers and limbs (likely a result of their northerly distriburion) and muscle structure that allowed more precision at the cost of strength. That was fine for neanderthals 200,000 years ago when the pinnacle of technology was a slightly pointed rock, but the morphology of the more southerly homo sapiens proved to be more useful for developing and using more advanced technology, which develops much, much faster than evolution does. That made them naturally better at gathering resources, which made them able to out compete and assimilate the other species. Outcompeting in this sense refers to killing more mammoths and by extension starving the neanderthals, which in combination with assimilation makes a far more likely scenario than active genocide.

Also, prevailing theories are also that they were pretty nice and fairly non-violent compared to us. It's not really that much of a logical leap from that to the conclusion that we out-murdered and out-raped them. The only reason they have any genetic heritage at all is the rape part.

 

[Alec Benson Leary]

Also, prevailing theories are also that they were pretty nice and fairly non-violent compared to us. It's not really that much of a logical leap from that to the conclusion that we out-murdered and out-raped them. The only reason they have any genetic heritage at all is the rape part.

I don't think it really matters what terrible crimes our ancestors committed 30,000 years before we figured out writing.

 

[Jaimas]

Also, prevailing theories are also that they were pretty nice and fairly non-violent compared to us. It's not really that much of a logical leap from that to the conclusion that we out-murdered and out-raped them. The only reason they have any genetic heritage at all is the rape part.

We made Pangaea great again.

 

[Dollars2010]

I remember in my hometown there was something about a "lake monster" siting going around. So everyone got spooked and also nicknamed the thing "Woodsy" due to where I lived--it's a Minnesota place so lakes and woods are everywhere up north by Canada. So then folks started to go fishing a lot more often in hopes to discover the monster, but it just turned out that "Woodsy" was just a giant sturgeon.

Spoiler: not the actual Woodsy but a photo for reference

Also, my hometown believes there's a giant walleye named Willie living in the lake and we have a monument to worship him.

Spoiler: Willie!

Spoiler: we put bras on him sometimes

 

[Xenomorph]

I still think we are the aliens.

 

[Taily Puff]

I don't think it really matters what terrible crimes our ancestors committed 30,000 years before we figured out writing.

I think people with neanderthal DNA deserve reparations from anyone without it.