Encyclopaedia of Cryptozoology
Encyclopaedia of Cryptozoology
Encyclopaedia of Cryptozoology
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Creationism in cryptozoology

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The Biblical and , as imagined by William Blake and John Linnell, have been interpreted cryptozoologically by evolutionists and creationists alike (Public Domain).

The Biblical behemoth and leviathan, as imagined by William Blake and John Linnell, have been interpreted cryptozoologically by evolutionists and creationists alike (Public Domain).

Creationism is "the belief that the universe and living organisms originate from specific acts of divine creation."[1] Various forms of creationism exist, but the term is particularly associated with Young Earth creationism, the anti-evolutionary belief that the Earth was created by the Abrahamic God only several thousand years ago.

Some Young Earth creationists have a strong interest in cryptozoology, mainly in neodinosaurs and living pterosaurs, often due to the notion that the discovery of a prehistoric animal would disprove evolutionary and geological concepts, but occasionally only incidentally.[2] In particular, creationism and the mokele-mbembe have become popularly associated, although creationists represent neither the earliest nor the most prolific seekers of this cryptid. However, a large proportion of recent alleged pterosaur reports, including the ropen, do originate in creationist sources.[3][4] The creationist element in cryptozoology has become a major area of criticism for cryptozoological sceptics, and some cryptozoological organisations have explicitly disavowed creationism. Conversely, some creationist sources complain of a perceived "evolutionary bias" within cryptozoology.[5]

Cryptids of major interest to creationists

Although creationist cryptozoologists such as Chad Arment and Bill Gibbons have written on a diverse range of cryptids, many are interested primarily or solely in reports of surviving Mesozoic animals: dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and occasionally marine reptiles.[6]

Dinosaurs

The mokele-mbembe of the Republic of the Congo and Cameroon is widely perceived to be of interest mainly to creationists,[7][8] although the first cryptozoologists to seek out the mokele-mbembe in the field, such as Roy P. Mackal, James Powell, J. Richard Greenwell, Herman Regusters, and Marcellin Agnagna, were evolutionists.[9][10] During these expeditions, creationists were involved only at second-hand: the Creation Research Society and Institute of Creation Research took an interest,[9][10] and "creation scientist" John Rajca signed up for an abortive expedition to be led by Regusters.[10] The ICR proclaimed in 1985 that the discovery of the mokele-mbembe would "eliminate 65 million years of geologic history needed for the theory of evolution and ... correlate with archaeological and Biblical records."[10]

During his first 1985 expedition to the Congo, cryptozoologist Bill Gibbons underwent a religious conversion,[10] and has subsequently become a high-profile creationist cryptozoologist. In 2000, through missionary contacts, Gibbons and fellow creationist Dave Woetzel realigned mokele-mbembe research from the Republic of the Congo to Cameroon, and from 2000 to 2010, several mokele-mbembe expeditions to Cameroon were led or funded by creationists.[7][11] Accounts of several new cryptids were received during some of these expeditions, including the ngoubous, dodu, j'ba fofi, and yoli. Woetzel plans future expeditions to Cameroon.[12]

Since that period, French cryptozoologist Michel Ballot has become the most prolific investigator of the mokele-mbembe, having visited Cameroon almost yearly since 2004. Many creationists interested in neodinosaurs are now more prolific in other parts of the world: Gibbons and Woetzel have independently investigated previously-established reports of neodinosaurs in Peru[13] and Bolivia,[14] and Brian Irwin has led several expeditions to the islands off New Guinea in search of a bipedal neodinosaur,[11] sometimes referred to as the kaiaimunu by cryptozoologists.

Pterosaurs

Most reports of living pterosaurs around New Guinea were collected by creationists, including the , depicted by creationist artist .

Most reports of living pterosaurs around New Guinea were collected by creationists, including the duwas, depicted by creationist artist William Rebsamen.

Although rare reports of "living pterosaurs" originated in Africa with non-creationist sources,[15][16] since 2000, a large number of such sightings have been reported by creationists, particularly around New Guinea, Umboi Island, Rambutyo Island, and New Britain, where they are supposedly called ropens and indavas. These reports were first investigated by Carl Baugh of the Creation Evidence Museum, who led two expeditions to the islands off New Guinea after receiving accounts from missionary Jim Blume.[17] In the U.S., Baugh was also heavily involved with the Paluxy tracks↗, which he and other creationists promoted as trackways demonstrating the coexistence of dinosaurs and man; according to independent investigator Glen J. Kuban, Baugh may have physically manipulated some of the field evidence.[18]

Many early ropen expeditions were extremely secretive,[19] but reports of the animal reached the cryptozoological mainstream in 2000, via Bill Gibbons.[20] In the following years, several creationist expeditions searched for pterosaur-like animals in New Guinea, and several of their participants claimed sightings. As of 2008, the ropen had supposedly not been investigated by any non-creationists,[19] although it was featured on Destination Truth (2007). Creationist and ropen advocate Jonathan Whitcomb also claims to have received thousands of reports of pterosaurs from elsewhere, including the U.S.[4]

Biblical cryptozoology

Creationist and evolutionist[21][22] cryptozoologists alike have sought to identify certain monsters mentioned in the Jewish and Christian texts as living dinosaurs, marine reptiles, or other unknown animals. Controversial identifications proffered by both sides include the behemoth and the dragon in the Book of Daniel as sauropod dinosaurs,[22][23] and the leviathan as a mosasaur[11] or a many-finned sea serpent.[21]

Artifacts

One area of cryptozoology concerns ancient depictions of unknown animals, and more especially of animals thought to have been extinct at the time the depiction was made ("lingerlings"). The best-known examples are alleged depictions of Pleistocene mammals investigated by evolutionist Christine Janis, but creationist sources also discuss such artifacts, especially those alleged to depict dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and marine reptiles.[24][25][26]

Criticism within cryptozoology

The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience (2002), which described creationists and paranormalists as "[a]n unfortunate problem for cryptozoology," claimed that most serious cryptozoologists dismiss both of these groups as a "lunatic fringe," which is only occasionally tolerated or accepted "by some cryptozoologists, particularly popularizers."[27] The British Centre for Fortean Zoology has been strongly opposed to creationism, describing Young Earth creationists as an "unfortunate breed," and declining to allow creationist voices within the CFZ and its magazine Animals & Men.[28] The organisation's director Jonathan Downes, a practising Christian, wrote that he was disturbed by the number of American creationist cryptozoologists. The CFZ's "tenet of beliefs" originally included sections specifically disavowing creationism and New Age spirituality, which were quickly removed.[29]

Loren Coleman of the International Cryptozoology Museum has highlighted creationist cryptozoologists who "seem ... hell-bent on doing their cryptozoology with the whole idea that they have something to prove, namely, that evolution is wrong," while maintaining that the few creationist cryptozoologists known personally to him, such as Scott T. Norman, were generally intelligent researchers who "[kept their] religious thoughts in check" while doing cryptozoological work.[2]

Bill Gibbons has occasionally criticised fellow creationists, including Claws, Jaws, and Dinosaurs (1999) co-author Kent Hovind, for overzealous claims and poor standards of evidence.[30] Gibbons claims to believe that the discovery of a living dinosaur would not "prove the Bible to be a handbook on living dinosaurs, prove that the earth is 6,000 years old, or disprove evolution."[31]

List of creationist cryptozoologists

  • Chad Arment,[32] American cryptozoological writer and publisher of North American BioFortean Review and BioFortean Notes.
  • Carl Baugh, controversial American creation advocate who was among the first to report descriptions of pterosaurs from the islands off New Guinea, having received information from missionary pilot Jim Blume in 1994.[17] Baugh is also partly responsible for the infamous Paluxy tracks↗.
  • Peter Beach,[7] American biologist and "Biblical creationist" who has searched for the mokele-mbembe and the ropen. With Milt Marcy, he claimed to have seen a pterosaur-like animal on New Britain.
, depicted by Rebsamen, is perhaps the best-known creationist cryptozoologist.

Bill Gibbons, depicted by Rebsamen, is perhaps the best-known creationist cryptozoologist.

  • William J. Gibbons, British field cryptozoologist who has led expeditions in search of the mokele-mbembe, South American neodinosaurs, lake monsters, and the dodo. He is partly responsible for bringing to light reports of the j'ba fofi, ngoubou, dodu, and Nepalese dragon, among other cryptids. Gibbons underwent a religious conversion during his first expedition to the Congo, having previously been a non-creationist.[10]
  • Philip Henry Gosse, British naturalist who has been called a "grandfather of cryptozoology"[33] for his book The Romance of Natural History (1860). Although creationist views were not uncommong among contemporary naturalists, the arguments made by Gosse in Omphalos (1857) were received negatively.
  • Garth Guessman, American creation advocate who searched for the ropen in 2004.[34]
  • Brian Irwin,[35] Australian computer scientist who has collected reports of neodinosaurs during several expeditions to New Britain, and published his data on the Creation Ministries International website.
  • Milt Marcy,[7] American insurance broker and creation advocate, who took Gibbons' place on a 2006 expedition to Cameroon with Beach and Mullin,[11] and later searched for the ropen with Beach; both men claimed a sighting.
  • Robert Mullin,[7][36] American writer who has participated in three expeditions in search of the mokele-mbembe.
  • Paul Nation, American cryptozoologist involved with several expeditions in search of ropens, including some of the earliest.[34]
  • Scott T. Norman,[6] American cryptozoological web designer and populariser who searched for the mokele-mbembe and living pterosaurs. Norman claimed to have personally observed a pterosaur-like animal on the West Coast of the U.S. in 2007.
  • Dale Stuckwish, American creation advocate who authored the book Biblical Cryptozoology Revealed: Cryptids of The Bible (2009).
  • Joe Taylor,[37] American artist, palaeontologist, and fossil restorer who incorporated cryptozoological exhibits into his Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum,[38] and appeared in the documentary Dinosaurs: Dead or Alive (2007). He reported on an historical sabre-toothed cat sighting.[11]
  • Jonathan Whitcomb,[4] American cryptozoologist noted for investigating and popularising reports of "living pterosaurs" in various parts of the world, including the ropen.
  • David Woetzel,[39] American creation advocate and writer who has searched for the mokele-mbembe, ropen, and neodinosaurs in Bolivia, sometimes in collaboration with Gibbons.

Alleged hominological cover-ups

There have been allegations of deliberate hominological cover-ups by creationists, supposedly due to a creationist perception that the discovery of a living hominid would prove evolution. Supporters of the controversial Minnesota Iceman, such as Mark A. Hall and Dmitri Bayanov, speculate that the supposed genuine Iceman was covered up and ultimately destroyed by its creationist owner; in interviews with Hall, the Iceman's promoter Frank Hansen claimed that its real owner "did not want to be the one who presented the missing link that would undercut the truth of Biblical creation".[40] Explorer Attilio Gatti was told that the remains of a giant bipedal primate killed in the Congo's Tchibinda Rainforest, possibly a kikomba, had been burned by a missionary, "who feared that it might be considered a proof of the Darwin theory."[41]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Creation - Oxford Reference
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Coleman, Loren (9 August 2008) Cryptomundo » Creationist Details Papua Dino Sightings
  3. ↑ Whitcomb, Jonathan (2007) Searching for Ropens: Living Pterosaurs in Papua New Guinea, WingSpan Publishing, ISBN 9781595941534
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Coleman, Loren (19 August 2009) Cryptomundo » Author Defends "1400 Witnesses of Pterosaurs" Statement
  5. ↑ Cryptozoology - CreationWiki, the Encyclopedia of Creation Science
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Newton, Michael (2005) Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology: A Global Guide to Hidden Animals and Their Pursuers, McFarland, ISBN 9780786420360
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Loxton, Daniel & Prothero, Donald R. (2013) Abominable Science!: Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids, Columbia University Press, ISBN 9780231153201
  8. ↑ Magee, Tamlin (4 April 2022) Why Darwin-Hating Christians are Hunting for a "Living Dinosaur" in the Congo
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "African Safari," Creation/Evolution Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Summer 1981)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 "Mokele-Mbembe: New Searches, New Claims," The ISC Newsletter, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Autumn 1896)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Shuker, Karl P. N. (2016) Still In Search Of Prehistoric Survivors: The Creatures That Time Forgot?, Coachwhip Publications, ISBN 978-1616463908
  12. ↑ Upcoming Expeditions | Genesis Park
  13. ↑ Peru Expedition Report: September–October 2017 (2017) – Online
  14. ↑ Diplodocus in the Amazon | Genesis Park
  15. ↑ Mackal, Roy P. (1980) Searching for Hidden Animals: An Inquiry Into Zoological Mysteries, Cadogan Books, ISBN 978-0946313051
  16. ↑ Heuvelmans, Bernard (1978) Les Derniers Dragons d'Afrique, Plon, ISBN 978-2259003872
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 PSL Early Expeditions for Living Pterosaurs
  18. ↑ Kuban, Glen J. (1 May 2022) On the Heels of Dinosaurs: A History of the Paluxy Controversy
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Coleman, Loren (4 March 2008) Scott Norman: Pterosaur Eyewitness
  20. ↑ Shuker, Karl P. N. (2010) Karl Shuker's Alien Zoo: From the Pages of Fortean Times, CFZ Press, ISBN 978-1-905723-62-1
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Heuvelmans, Bernard (1968) In the Wake of the Sea-Serpents, Hart-Davis, ISBN 9780246643124
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Mackal, Roy P. (1987) A Living Dinosaur? In Search of Mokele-Mbembe, Brill, ISBN 978-9004085435
  23. ↑ Heuvelmans, Bernard (1955) On the Track of Unknown Animals, Routledge, ISBN 978-1138977525
  24. ↑ Morris, John D. "The Dinosaur Next Door," Acts & Facts, Vol. 37, No. 6 (June 2008)
  25. ↑ Ooparts & Ancient High Technology--Evidence of Noah's Flood?-Literature, Art & History Crawling with Dinosaurs
  26. ↑ [www.genesispark.org/genpark/ancient/ancient.htm Ancient Dinosaur Depictions | Genesis Park]
  27. ↑ Shermer, Michael (2002) The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience, Vol. 1
  28. ↑ "Darwin Wasn't Stalling," Animals & Men, No. 45 (2008)
  29. ↑ Downes, Jonathan CRYPTOZOOLOGY ONLINE: Still on the Track: CFZ 2010 Annual Report
  30. ↑ Gibbons, Bill, 7 July 2012 comment on Crypto-Creationism 2: Return of the Killer Crapgasm | Skeptical Humanities
  31. ↑ Coleman, Loren (30 December 2009) News On Mokele-Mbembe Research
  32. ↑ About ZooCreation - ZooCreation
  33. ↑ Coleman, Loren & Gosse, Philip Henry (1861) The Romance of Natural History, Cosimo Classics Edition, ISBN 978-1605203348
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Pterosaurs and Paleontology
  35. ↑ Brian Irwin
  36. ↑ The Creation Letter
  37. ↑ Creationists Need Bones | Answers in Genesis
  38. ↑ Musico, Josie (3 September 2013) Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum Parades Dinosaurs, Mammoths, More
  39. ↑ About Genesis Park | Genesis Park
  40. ↑ Quast, Mike (2021) Bigfoot Chronicles: A Researcher's Continuing Journey Through Minnesota and Beyond, Hangar 1 Publishing, 9781955471107
  41. ↑ Arment, Chad "Profiles in Cryptozoology: Commander Attilio Gatti," BioFortean Notes, Vol. 6 (2018)
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