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Scientists to use DNA to find Loch Ness Monster

Loch Ness Monster - Level 0

A monster might live in a deep lake in Scotland. It is called the Loch Ness Monster. It looks like a dinosaur. People first saw it in 1933. Scientists will use a special technique called eDNA sampling. They will try to find some of the monster's DNA. A professor says this will show if the monster is real.

Scientists tried to find the monster before. They put machines at the bottom of the lake. The monster is often in the newspapers. All photographs of it are not clear. Some people say they are car tyres. The professor will test water from the lake. If he finds new DNA, that could belong to Nessie.

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Loch Ness Monster - Level 1

A monster might live in a deep lake in Scotland. It is called the Loch Ness Monster, or "Nessie". It looks like a dinosaur. It has a small head and a long neck. People first saw it in 1933. Scientists will use a special technique to look for the monster. A research team will use a technique called eDNA sampling. It try to find some of Nessie's DNA. A professor says this will show if the monster is real or not.

Many scientists tried to find the monster before. They put machines at the bottom of the 230-metre-deep lake. Nessie is often in the newspapers. All photographs of Nessie are blurred. Some people say they are car tyres in the water. The professor will test water from the lake for DNA from the monster's skin. He will check all DNA to make sure it is not from other animals. If he finds new DNA, that could belong to Nessie.

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Loch Ness Monster - Level 2

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People say a monster lives in the deep Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is called the Loch Ness Monster, or "Nessie" for short. It looks like a dinosaur. It has a small head, a long neck and humps. People first spotted it in 1933. There have been many sightings and some photographs. Scientists will now use a special technique to see if there is such a monster. A research team will use a technique called eDNA sampling to try and find some of Nessie's DNA. A professor says this will show if the monster is real or not.

Many scientists have tried to find the monster before. They have even sent equipment to the bottom of the loch, which is 230 metres deep. Nessie is often in the newspapers, however, all of the photographs of Nessie are blurred. Some people say they are car tyres floating in the water. The professor will test water from the loch. He wants to find DNA from the monster's skin, urine and other things. He will check all DNA found and make sure it is not from other animals. If he finds DNA scientists don't know about, that could belong to Nessie.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Loch Ness Monster - Level 3

There is a legendary monster that people say lives in the deep Loch Ness lake in the north of Scotland. It is called the Loch Ness Monster, or "Nessie" for short. It looks kind of like a dinosaur, with a small head on a long neck and humps on its back. People first spotted Nessie in 1933. Since then, there have been many sightings and a few photographs. Now, scientists from New Zealand will use a special technique to see if there really is a Loch Ness Monster. A research team, led by Professor Neil Gemmell of the University of Otago, will use a technique called eDNA sampling to try and find some of Nessie's DNA. Professor Gemmell says this will show if the monster really exists or not.

Sightings of the Loch Ness Monster are often in the newspapers. Loch Ness is in the Scottish Highlands. The word "loch" is the Scots word for "lake". Many scientists have tried to find the monster before. They have even sent sonar equipment to the bottom of the loch, which is 230 metres deep. All of the photographs that people have taken of Nessie over the years are blurred. Some people say they are just car tyres floating in the water. Gemmell says he will test water from the loch. He said there should be DNA from the monster's skin, urine and other things. He will check all DNA found and make sure it is not from other marine animals. If he finds DNA not known to scientists, that could belong to Nessie.

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