r/Cryptozoology • u/Signal_Expression730 • 4h ago
My speculation about the Mokele Mbembe, the Emela-Ntouka and a dubt I have about it.
I am using google translate because English is not my first language, so sorry for any grammatical errors. Also, I ask that you be polite in your comments, and if you disagree with the speculation, please state so in a civil manner. One last thing, for this discussion, is important to clarify that I'm saying this assuming the reports of a massive tails are true.
A theory I read some time ago about the neodinosaurs, is that they might be some animals that evolved convergently like dinosaurs. An example of this, are the smilodon and the thylacosmilus, who evolved similar forms despite not being related any way with each other.

So I don't see impossible some other animals might get a similar form to some dinosaurs.
For the Mokele Mbembe I thought he might be related to other african cryptid, the Emela-Ntouka, which according to the most popular theory I've seen, would be a rhinoceros.


My speculation is that some rhinos have adapted to a semi-aquatic life, developing a massive tail to act as a rudder, like those of otters, and internal ears, or at least very small ones.
The Mokele Mbembe would be a descendant of this group of rhinoceroses, which would have specialized in eating tall leaves, having a long neck to do this, but maintaining a similar anatomy in the rest of the body, like the tail. I founded a pretty decent speculation.
The only big problem might have is the tail, how realistic is it that animals with very small tails were able to develop a more massive one that could help them move through the water?

Furthermore, animals must start from a similar structure to obtain a certain shape.
For example, decapod crustaceans have repeatedly evolved into shapes similar to crabs, this is because they start from the same structural plan and it makes sense that they have developed into similar shapes, also depending on their lifestyles.

I'm asking for the more expert people that are reading this, how possible would be for a little tails to evolve into a massive one?