An interesting new study of accounts from individuals claiming to have spotted the Loch Ness Monster found that only a tiny percentage of witnesses observed something resembling the iconic depiction of the legendary creature. Dr. Charles Paxton of the University of St Andrews and Adrian Shine from the Loch Ness Centre reportedly conducted the research that looked at the prevalence of the classic Nessie image featuring a head, a series of humps, and a tail emerging from the water. While they found this portrayal of the 'monster' in around 25% to 32% of postcards, that percentage was in stark contrast to what witnesses said they had actually seen.

Remarkably, the researchers determined that a mere 1.5% of Nessie sighting reports included mention of humps emerging from the water. Reflecting on the study's findings, Paxton mused that they contradict scholars' frequent assumption that "monsters are generated by cultural expectations." Additionally, he noted that their research lends some credence to Nessie reports in that the iconic image of the animal is that of a creature that physiologically could not exist in nature. "In this case," Paxton observed, "it really seems witnesses do not generally report the impossible" despite how widespread such a depiction of the famed monster has become over the years.