Loren Coleman

Loren Coleman

New Prehistoric Crocodilian

This image released by Rio de Janeiro Federal University, shows a new pointy-nosed prehistoric crocodile species that inhabited the Earth’s oceans 62 million years ago. Brazilian scientists unveiled a model of the nine foot (three meter) long Guarinisuchus munizi on Wednesday, March 26, 2008. The discovery may shed new light on the evolutionary history of the extinct group, which was a predecessor to modern crocodile species, and the theorized spreading of the species from Africa to South America.

Milestone: 3000

The last posting was the 3000th blog published here at Cryptomundo. We reached 40,000 comments earlier in the week. Thank you all for making this the number one cryptozoology blog worldwide!

European Humans: 1.2 Million Years Ago

The March 27, 2008, issue of the scientific journal Nature has announced the earliest finds of human fossils in Europe, pushing back the accepted date by a half-million years. A jawbone and teeth discovered at the famous Atapuerca site in northern Spain have been dated between 1.1 and 1.2 million years old. The fossils have been linked to Homo antecessor, or Pioneer Man, possibly a common ancestor to Neanderthals and modern humans, which was first found in 1997, at this same site. The new find appears to be from the same species, researchers said. The new specimens have tentatively been [...]

An Old Chestnut

Ohio has a secret, which has been revealed a bit. A secret tree, that is. The state has kept their secret for seven years. They retain part of the hidden knowledge about the above pictured tree, because they aren’t telling anyone where it is located. This Ohio treasure’s existence was closely guarded until last week when the director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources revealed that a full-sized American Chestnut tree still stands in a marsh near Lake Erie. For tree experts, it’s a big deal. American chestnuts that grew up to 120 feet once accounted for about 25 [...]

Night of the Demon Remembered

Nick Redfern alerts me to the fact a character actor of some note, Brian Wilde, 80, died on March 20, 2008. Like Nick, I recall Wilde for his role of Rand Hobart in the classic 1957 UK movie Night of the Demon (Curse of the Demon in the USA). For me, the film was a pure Jungian psychological look at strange phenomena and “paranormal” events, including the appearance of a mystery felid and a “demonic” creature. (Years later, I would write two books ~ The Unidentified & Creatures of the Outer Edge, with Jerry Clark, which touched on these same [...]

Zorgy Awards Announced

I have really enjoyed reading your blog postings. Obviously, law school was not wasted on you. If your postings are any indication, your forthcoming book will be a welcome breath of fresh air, not to mention a delight to read.~ the late Karl Pflock, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, speaking of Paul Kimball’s blog, “The Other Side of Truth”. The Zorgy Awards for 2007 and thus the 2008 inductees to The Other Side of Truth Halls of Shame and Fame have just been announced on this early Monday, March 24, 2008. No doubt due to the heavy voting by [...]

Beyond Loch Ness And Beyond

When Beyond Loch Ness was first broadcast on Sci Fi Channel on January 5, 2008, I didn’t get a chance to watch it. Tonight, from 7-9 PM Eastern, I viewed the film. It was my first chance to see this one. But then, I had to. After all, I am a cryptozoologist. The body count was ten people, one coyote, and several so-called “Nessies.” The experience was your typical cable B-movie sci-fi fare. The plot wasn’t too bad for a revenge film, the acting was first rate, and the special effects were mostly good. The creatures (a “60-foot plesiosaur mother” [...]

Yeti Enlightenment and Freeing Tibet

Three images: A documentary film crew finds Yeti tracks in Nepal, December 2007. A monk is beaten in Kathmandu amid protests by Tibetan refugees in Nepal, March 2008. Chinese troops kill Tibetans in the most violent protests in Tibet in 20 years, March 2008. In a region of the world where the Chinese killing of Tibetans has been in the news all week, it seems strange to read the travel article in today’s New York Times. Entitled “As Turmoil Subsides, Tourism in Nepal Surges,” it allegedly heralds the return of visitors to a nation raked by its own bloodshed in [...]

Pinky Expedition: Monster Considerations

A major conclusion from my “Pinky Expedition” is the same one that I have found over and over again. There are no simple answers to the mysteries of monsters in our midst. Looking at other “cryptids,” additionally, we have to consider the other pieces of the puzzle. The long-term sightings of strange creatures from the St. Johns River, Lake Monroe, and surrounding areas, from the 19th century, during the mid-20th century, and at other times, appear to involve many varied cryptids. Bipedal dinosaurs, sauropods, traditional long-necks, and big blobs in the water have all been descriptions for the St. Johns [...]