Chapter 1
Unmasking the Kraken with giant squids and deep-sea scans
Chapter 2
Decoding the Chupacabra through ice age DNA and desert predators
Chapter 3
Yokai under the CT scanner with VTubers and fossil folklore
Ch 3 · Yokai under the CT scanner with VTubers and fossil folklore
streetspirit A legendary Tengu guardian with magnificent wings and a sharp, raptor-like beak.
streetspirit Merchants halt their camel caravan along the Gobi Desert's red Flaming Cliffs.
suaz Yokai Fossil CT Scans
We're scanning fossils on the video stream (oh-oh!) / To prove the monsters aren't just a dream (yeah-yeah!)
suaz Scientists use medical CT scanners to peer inside historical taxidermy hoaxes once sold as real sea monsters.
Fun Fact
Salamander breathing: The Japanese giant salamander has lungs but absorbs most of its oxygen directly through its slimy, folded skin.
suaz Fossilized skulls of prehistoric birds reveal how early mountain communities imagined the beak-faced Tengu spirits.
Glossary
yokai (noun)
A class of supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons in Japanese folklore. Japanese VTubers and Smithsonian scientists scanned prehistoric elephant fossils to trace the physical origins of these spirits.
A class of supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons in Japanese folklore. Japanese VTubers and Smithsonian scientists scanned prehistoric elephant fossils to trace the physical origins of these spirits.
Quiz
What real-world amphibian can grow up to five feet long and inspired Japan's Kappa legend?
BETA
suaz Scan 3D fossils to discover the real prehistoric creatures behind famous urban legends.
Quiz
In which desert were dinosaur fossils frequently found and historically sold as 'dragon bones'?
Quiz
Which bird-like mountain spirits from Japanese folklore are associated with sharp beaks and wings?
Quiz
What is the name of the academic field that studies how geological features and fossils inspired ancient myths?
Quiz
Which dinosaur's fossilized remains in the Gobi Desert are believed to have inspired dragon legends?