![[A medieval map with a giant, green sea serpent entangled around a ship as it’s crossing the ocean.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/12/leecy-1.jpg)
Cryptozoology is the “study of the unknown, legendary, or extinct animals whose existence or survival to the present day is disputed or unsubstantiated.” It was made a field of study in 1955, however, cryptozoology has been around since the 15th century BC. There’s significant misinformation concerning the field, with the majority of individuals not understanding what cryptozoology is or it’s beginnings. Cryptozoology isn’t people running around trying to catch vampires and werewolves, but rather one where scientists analyze both folklore and biological data to understand the phenomena of our world…
Tag: zoology
Seven species that used to be cryptids
![[an image containing about a dozen drawings of different animals, including a giant squid and a komodo dragon, in front of a light blue background. The image is labelled “Cryptids” at the bottom center.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/11/CreepyCyptids.png)
Cryptozoologists study cryptids: creatures whose existence has yet to be (or cannot entirely be) proven. Bigfoot, Nessie the Loch Ness Monster (yes, she has a name!), the Jersey Devil, El Chupacabra, Mothman, and werewolves are just a few of the many creatures that are studied in the world of cryptozoology. But, did you know that some real species we know about today were once considered cryptids?