Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience involving the search for animals whose existence has
not been proven. The animals cryptozoologists study are often referred to as cryptids, a
term coined by John Wall in 1983. This includes looking for living examples of animals that
are considered extinct, such as non-avian dinosaurs; animals whose existence lacks physical
evidence but which appear in myths, legends, or are reported, such as Bigfoot and Chupacabra;
and wild animals dramatically outside their normal geographic ranges, such as phantom
cats. Cryptozoology is not a recognized branch of
zoology or a discipline of science. It is an example of pseudoscience because it relies
heavily upon anecdotal evidence, stories and alleged sightings.
Overview The coining of the word cryptozoology is often
attributed to Belgian-French zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans, though Heuvelmans attributes coinage
of the term to the late Scottish explorer and adventurer Ivan T. Sanderson. Heuvelmans'
1955 book On the Track of Unknown Animals traces the scholarly origins of the discipline
to Anthonie Cornelis Oudemans and his 1892 study, The Great Sea Serpent. Heuvelmans argued
that cryptozoology should be undertaken with scientific rigor, but with an open-minded,
interdisciplinary approach. He also stressed that attention should be given to local, urban
and folkloric sources regarding such creatures, arguing that while often layered in unlikely
and fantastic elements, folktales can have small grains of truth and important information
regarding undiscovered organisms. Phantom cats are a common subject of cryptozoological
interest, largely due to the relative likelihood of existence in comparison to fantastical
cryptids lacking any evidence of existence, such as Mothman.
Another notable book on the subject is Willy Ley's Exotic Zoology. Ley was best known for
his writings on rocketry and related topics, but he was trained in paleontology, and wrote
a number of books about animals. Ley's collection Exotic Zoology is of some interest to cryptozoology,
as he discusses the Yeti and sea serpents, as well as relict dinosaurs. The book entertains
the possibility that some legendary creatures might be based on actual animals, through
misinterpretation of the animals and/or their remains. Also notable is the work of British
zoologist and cryptozoologist Karl Shuker, who has published 12 books and countless articles
on numerous cryptozoological subjects since the mid-1980s. Loren Coleman, a modern popularizer
of cryptozoology, has chronicled the history and personalities of cryptozoology in his
books. Hallmarks
Many species appear in cryptozoological literature, including mythical and folkloric animals,
such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, which have appeared commonly as cultural references,
and within TV, movies, and other media. A few extant species such as the okapi and mountain
gorilla are also commonly used by cryptozoologists as examples of animals they say were previously
thought to be cryptids, but are now known to exist. These species are rarely anticipated
by cryptozoologists before their discovery by science, but are nonetheless often depicted
as hallmarks of cryptozoology. Bigfoot is one of the most well known cryptids.
The Yeti. The okapi was discovered in 1901, and had
been hinted at by Henry Morton Stanley in his travelogue of exploring the Congo. The
okapi later became the emblem for the now defunct International Society of Cryptozoology.
Before 1912, the komodo dragon was thought to be a mythological creature, and was called
the giant monitor. The Hoan Kiem Turtle.
The mountain gorilla. The 2003 discovery of the fossil remains of
Homo floresiensis was cited by paleontologist Henry Gee, editor of the journal Nature, as
possible evidence that humanoid cryptids like the Orang Pendek and yeti were "founded on
grains of truth." "Cryptozoology," Gee said, "the study of such fabulous creatures, can
come in from the cold." While cryptozoologists are often unable to properly follow the scientific
method due to the nature of their work, the vast majority still reject supernatural explanations
for cryptid sightings, preferring to keep explanations as plausible as possible without
ruling out the cryptid's existence. Criticism
Cryptozoology has been criticised because of its reliance on anecdotal information and
because some cryptozoologists do not follow the scientific method and devote a substantial
portion of their efforts to investigations of animals that most scientists believe are
unlikely to have existed. Cryptozoologists contend that because species
once considered superstition, hoaxes, delusions, or misidentifications were later accepted
as legitimate by the scientific community, descriptions and reports of folkloric creatures
should be taken seriously. According to Mike Dash, a Welsh historian,
few scientists doubt there are thousands of unknown animals, particularly invertebrates,
awaiting discovery; however, cryptozoologists are largely uninterested in researching and
cataloging newly discovered species of ants or beetles, instead focusing their efforts
towards "more elusive" creatures that have often defied decades of work aimed at confirming
their existence. The majority of mainstream criticism of cryptozoology is thus directed
towards the search for megafauna cryptids such as Bigfoot, the Yeti, and the Loch Ness
Monster, which appear often in popular culture, but for which there is little or no scientific
support. Some scientists argue that megafauna cryptids are unlikely to exist undetected
in great enough numbers to maintain a breeding population and are unlikely to be able to
survive in their reported habitats owing to issues of climate and food supply.
Another criticism is that actual discoveries of new species have rarely, if ever, been
predicted by cryptozoologists. Critics note that while other researchers have stumbled
upon real animals, cryptozoologists have focused on finding legendary creatures with no success.
See also
Cryptobotany Teratology
List of cryptids List of figures in cryptozoology
Lazarus taxon - fossil 'coming back to life' Living fossil
Fringe science List of topics characterized as pseudoscience
Journal of Scientific Exploration Fortean Times Magazine
Paranormal Magazine References
Further reading Arment, Chad. Cryptozoology: Science & Speculation.
Landisville, Penn.: Coachwhip, 2004, ISBN 1-930585-15-2.
Arnold, Neil. MONSTER! The A-Z Of Zooform Phenomena. Bideford: CFZ Press, 2007, ISBN
1-905723-17-2. Budd, Deena. The Weiser Field Guide to Cryptozoology
. Redwheel, Weiser, 2010, ISBN 978-1-57863-450-7. Coghlan, Ronan. Dictionary of Cryptozoology.
Bangor: Xiphos, 2004. Eberhart, George M.. Mysterious Creatures:
A Guide to Cryptozoology 2. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 722. ISBN 1-57607-283-5.
Retrieved December 7, 2010. and at Google Books.
Ley, Willy. Exotic Zoology ISBN 0-517-62545-8. North American BioFortean Review, Index to
issues. Shuker, Karl. The Beasts That Hide from Man:
Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals. New York: Paraview Press, 2003, ISBN 1-931044-64-3.
External links Cryptozoology at DMOZ