What is Cryptozoology?

Cryptozoology is one of those strange scientific fields that nearly everyone has heard of, but not many really know what it is or how such studies are carried out. We typically associate cryptozoology with urban legends like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and other beasts of folk lore, with men and women attempting to track down monsters based on local stories and sightings. Generally, the field is dismissed by the public (and much of the scientific community) as rubbish.

Officially, cryptozoology is defined as the study of  hidden or unknown animals, a pseudoscience that relies on fossil evidence and folklore to identify (possible) existing animals. The term cryptid has been coined to describe these organisms however "there are no accepted, uniform, or successful methods for pursuing cryptids" (Source). While many cryptozoologists do still chase the legends of Bigfoot and the chupacabra, many focus on searching for a huge variety of other cryptids around the world (some of them are far more plausible than others). A cryptozoologist by the name of George M. Eberhart classified the 10 types of animals that would be incorporated into the mysterious science.

1.  Distribution anomalies (known animals reported outside their normal range)
2.  Undescribed, unusual, or outsized variations of known species 
3.  Survivals of recently extinct species 
4.  Survivals of species known only from the fossil record into modern times 
5.  Lingerlings, or survivals of species known from the fossil record much later into historical times than currently thought 
6.  Animals not known from the fossil record but related to known species 
7.  Animals not known from the fossil record nor related to any known species 
8.  Mythical animals with a zoological basis 
9.  Seemingly paranormal or supernatural entities with some animal-like characteristics 
10.  Known hoaxes or probable misidentifications 

Cryptozoology is not recognized as a branch of zoology or folkloristics and many argue that it is does not represent a scientific field at all. It has been rejected from the academic world because crytozoologists do not follow the scientific method, and rely almost entirely on anecdotal information. Historian Mike Dash pointed out that many scientist do still believe there exist thousands of undiscovered species (especially invertebrates), however crytpozoologists are uninterested in discovering the vast majority of them; you don't see them cataloging new species of ants or beetles. They instead commit their time and efforts to searching for "more elusive" creatures...creatures that have defied years or even decades of studies attempting to confirm their existence.

 "Cryptozoology is not valid science or even science at all. It is monster hunting." -Dan Ward, President of National Association of Biology Teachers Source

Paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson describes cryptozoology as human gullibility (controversially alongside creationism).

 "Humans are the most inventive, deceptive, and gullible of all animals. Only those characteristics can explain the belief of some humans in creationism, in the arrival of UFO's with extraterrestrial beings, or in some aspects of cryptozoology. … In several respects the discussion and practice of cryptozoology sometimes, although not invariably, has demonstrated both deception and gullibility. An example seems to merit the old Latin saying 'I believe because it is incredible,' although Tertullian, its author, applied it in a way more applicable to the present day creationists." -Simpson Source 

Despite its lack of academic acceptance, cryptozoology has had some successes, revealing hidden species that few people believed actually existed. When foreigners arrived in the Congo of Africa, natives told them stories of a rare creature that was described a combination of a zebra and a giraffe; such stories were quickly dismissed. Like the griffin and centaur, the foreigners believed a creature made from parts of different existing animals was likely a myth, and even the evidence of bizarre skins did not persuade the doubters. The creature remained a symbol of folklore to outsiders until the arrival of Sir Harry Johnston, a man who believed the stories and tales of the natives. Johnston sent skulls and skins to scientists in a campaign to weaken skepticism surrounding the beast and to fund his search for the truth. The last doubt was extinguished when Johnston captured a live okapi, one of the last significant large animals accepted by science. The okapi is still an important symbol to cryptozoology as one of the field's biggest successes.

Cryptozoologists have also discovered species that backed up predictions and theories made by zoologists and other scientists. During his trip to Madagascar in 1861, Charles Darwin discovered an unusual star orchid; Angraecum sesquipedale, had nectaries eleven and a half inches long but only the last inch and a half held nectar. The different orchid species were pollinated by specific insect species that landed to obtain the nectar, but the nectar of A. sesquipedale was far too deep to be reached by any known species. From his observation, Darwin "predicted" the existence of an unknown moth species that would explain the bizarre shape of the flower.

 “It is, however, surprising that any insect should be able to reach the nectar: our English sphinxes have probosces as long as their bodies ; but in Madagascar there must be moths with probosces capable of extension to a length of between ten and eleven inches !” -Charles Darwin Source

Darwin's prediction was justified in 1903 with the discovery of the Darwin's Hawk Moth, Xanthopan morgani praedicta. The proboscis of the moth measure to over 25 cm long, allowing it to feed on the delicious nectar and pollinate the orchid, just as Darwin hypothesized. Though not discovered by true crytozoologists, the find is still important to the field as there was little hard evidence to suggest the existence of such a creature (the oddly-shaped star orchid was the only lead they had).

https://media1.britannica.com/eb-media/01/150201-004-21075C01.jp

Despite their successes, cryptozoology remains a largely discredited study. While they are recognized for their contributions, such as the okapi, the failure to follow any sort of  concrete scientific process has hurt the mysterious science. Others argue that the nature of the hidden animals simply makes it impossible to rely on the scientific process as it exists today. While is it is unlikely that many of the monsters of cryptozoology will ever be discovered, it is very possible that the men and women of the field will continue to discover new organisms that we simply didn't believe could be real.

Photo Links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Links: 

http://cryptozoology.freeservers.com/success.htm

http://cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/darwins-xanthopa/

http://www.newanimal.org/