In a world where the bizarre and the unexplained capture our imaginations, it's no surprise that cryptids, the elusive creatures that straddle the line between myth and reality, have a special place in our hearts—and, as it turns out, our beliefs. A fascinating study published in the International Journal of Communication dives into this phenomenon, revealing just how many of us believe that creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster are really out there.

Would a Bigfoot by any other name still smell as... musky? Skunky? What does a Bigfoot really smell like, anyway? There are still many things we don’t know with certainty about the infamously elusive cryptid, but one thing we do know is that Bigfoot is a phenomenon that has been recognized by diverse cultures on countless occasions throughout history.