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An artist's interpretation of Bigfoot.
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In November of last year, a Texas veterinarian made national news claiming that genetic testing confirmed that not only is the legendary Bigfoot real, but is in fact a human relative that arose some 15,000 years ago.
The study, by Melba S. Ketchum, suggested such cryptids had sex with modern human females that resulted in hairy hominin hybrids: "Our data indicate that the North American Sasquatch is a hybrid species, the result of males of an unknown hominin species crossing with female Homo sapiens," Ketchum said in a statement. The scientific community was rightly skeptical, partly because Ketchum's research — which spanned five years — had not appeared in any peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Now the study has finally been published, kind of, and it raises more questions than answers. The piece, written by a team of researchers led by Ketchum, is titled "Novel North American Hominins: Next Generation Sequencing of Three Whole Genomes and Associated Studies" and published in the "DeNovo Scientific Journal."
The study, which used 111 samples of alleged Bigfoot hair, blood, mucus, toenail, bark scrapings, saliva and skin with hair and subcutaneous tissues attached, were collected by dozens of people from 34 sites around North America. Hairs were compared to reference samples from common animals including human, dog, cow, horse, deer, elk, moose, fox, bear, coyote, and wolf, and were said not to match any of them. [Rumor or Reality: The Creatures of Cryptozoology]
The report concluded, "we have extracted, analyzed and sequenced DNA from over one hundred separate samples... obtained from scores of collection sites throughout North America. Hair morphology was not consistent with human or any known wildlife hairs. DNA analysis showed two distinctly different types of results; the mitochondrial DNAcm was unambiguously human, while the nuclear DNA was shown to harbor novel structure and sequence... the data conclusively proves that the Sasquatch exist as an extant hominin and are a direct maternal descendent of modern humans."
DNA Sampling
So what can we make of this? The most likely interpretation is that the samples were contaminated. Whatever the sample originally was — Bigfoot, bear, human or something else — it's possib
Contents contributed and discussions participated by Kendall T
Bigfoot DNA Discovered? Not So Fast | Sasquatch, Yeti & Cryptozoology | LiveScience - 0 views
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So what can we make of this? The most likely interpretation is that the samples were contaminated. Whatever the sample originally was — Bigfoot, bear, human or something else — it's possible that the people who collected and handled the specimens (mostly Bigfoot buffs with little or no forensic evidence-gathering training) accidentally introduced their DNA into the sample, which can easily occur with something as innocent as a spit, sneeze or cough
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Though the study claims that "throughout this project exhaustive precautions were taken to minimize or eliminate contamination" in the laboratory, the likelihood that the samples were contaminated in the field by careless collection methods, normal environmental degradation, and other factors was not addressed. In some cases the person(s) submitting the alleged Bigfoot sample also contributed a sample of their own DNA to help rule out contamination, but the possibility of DNA contamination by others (such as hunters or hikers) could not be ruled out
Bigfoo articles - 8 views
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B.J. Booth
Bigfoot - Is it possible that a giant, hairy creature called Bigfoot could still inhabit the forested lands of our planet? Many people think so.
This reclusive, unpredictable animal is the subject of much debate, and though it is called a hoax by many, the legend of Bigfoot continues today, perpetuated by eye witness encounters, video and photographic evidence.
The name Bigfoot is often used interchangeably with Sasquatch, although the creature goes by many different names around the world. Most cultures have their own stories: stories of a large bipedal creature, rarely seen, yet often discussed.
The Yeti of Tibet, and the Yowie of Australia are also well known names for the creature.
Many disbelievers claim that ample evidence does not exist to substantiate a Bigfoot creature. Although he is one of the best known names in cryptozoology, until a body, or a living specimen is brought forth for evidence, he will remain in the realm of folklore and legend, and be a good source of campsite stories.
The beginning of Bigfoot sightings in North America, more or less, began in 1958, when a bulldozer operator named Jerry Crew took a cast of Bigfoot prints to a newspaper office. Allegedly, he had found the large footprints at an isolated work site in Bluff Creek, California. The local story took on more meaning when it was republished by the Associated Press.
The legend of Bigfoot had began on a major scale.
Today, we are no closer to solving the mystery than we were 50 years ago. However, with better cameras and video recorders we are hopeful that one of these sly, reserved creatures will be caught, at least on film. This may have already occurred, depending on whom you talk to.
Take a look at the evidence presented on the Mystery Casebook. Judge for yourself.
There is some very compelling evidence that the creature known as Bigfoot really does exist.
Brenda Booth
Near the village of Edmore, southwest of Mount Pleasant, a huge creature haunts homes and people, says one resident.
After learning Animal Planet's "Finding Bigfoot" crew came to Gladwin, Houghton Lake and West Branch this week to seek out the mysterious, hairy ape, Tammy Forrester asked why the film crews aren't coming to her neighborhood.
"There is something in these woods," she said. "There's a lot of things that go on around here with this thing."
She said her family and neighbors have seen Bigfoot for about 15 years. Forrester saw it crouched down in her yard a few years ago.
"It came up and knocked a fan out of our bedroom window. Seriously," she said. "It was a whole lot bigger than me."
The creature, she said, makes bizarre noises that make the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It also has a musty, moldy smell. "That's how people know he's around," she said.
When that happens, Forrester said, she heads indoors.
"Dogs are scared of it," she said, including the family beagle, who would hide when he heard it.
"People out here don't walk these roads after dark," she said.
Stefan Lovgren
It's been the subject of campfire stories for decades. A camera-elusive, grooming-challenged, bipedal ape-man that roams the mountain regions of North America. Some call it Sasquatch. Others know it as Bigfoot. Thousands of people claim to have seen the hairy hominoid, but the evidence of its existence is fuzzy. There are few clear photographs of the oversized beast. No bones have ever been found. Countless pranksters have admitted to faking footprints. Yet a small but vociferous number of scientists remain undeterred. Risking ridicule from other academics, they propose that there's enough forensic evidence to warrant something that has never been done: a comprehensive, scientific study to determine if the legendary primate actually exists.
"Given the scientific evidence that I have examined, I'm convinced there's a creature out there that is yet to be identified," said Jeff Meldrum, a professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University in Pocatello.
Thousands of Sightings
Sasquatch stories go back centuries. Tales of mythical giant apes lurk in the oral traditions of most Native American tribes, as well as in Europe and Asia. The Himalaya has its Abominable Snowman, or the Yeti. In Australia, Bigfoot is known as the Yowie Man.
Bigfoot advocates hypothesize that the primate is the offspring of an ape from Asia that wandered to North America during the Ice Age. They believe there are at least 2,000 ape men walking upright in North America's woods today.
An adult male is said to be at least 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall, weigh 800 pounds (360 kilograms), and have feet twice the size of a human's. The creatures are described as shy and nocturnal, and their diets consist mostly of berries and fruits.
Matt Moneymaker had been searching for Bigfoot for years. In the woods of eastern Ohio, he claims he finally came eye to eye with the elusive primate.
"It was 2 o'clock in the morning and the moon was a quarter full," recalled Moneymaker. "Suddenly, there he was, an eight-foot-tall creature, standing 15 feet away, growling at me. He wanted to let me know I was in the wrong place."
Moneymaker, who lives in Dana Point in southern California, is a lawyer who runs his own marketing agency. In his spare time, he leads the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, a network of more than 3,000 people who claim to have seen the Sasquatch.
Bigfoot is real. That's according to a group of Colorado researchers who say they have hard evidence proving its existence.
Researcher Dave Paulides is convinced the reality of Bigfoot isn't as fuzzy as the photos from people who claim to have seen the mythological creature.
"This DNA is like nothing else in the world," Paulides said.
Paulides says Bigfoot looks approximately 7 to 8 feet tall and weighs in at a whopping 800 to 1,000 pounds.
"It's easy to say a lot of things are crazy. If you lived underground your whole life, the belief that 400 people could fly in a plane would sound crazy," Paulides said. - ...2 more comments...
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Sasquatch stories go back centuries. Tales of mythical giant apes lurk in the oral traditions of most Native American tribes, as well as in Europe and Asia. The Himalaya has its Abominable Snowman, or the Yeti. In Australia, Bigfoot is known as the Yowie Man.
Stefan Lovgren-"Sasquatch stories go back centuries. Tales of mythical giant apes lurk in the oral traditions of most Native American tribes, as well as in Europe and Asia. The Himalaya has its Abominable Snowman, or the Yeti. In Australia, Bigfoot is known as the Yowie Man." -
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Kendall T
There are sightings everywhere on bigfoot.It all began in 1958 when Bigfoot was first sighted.When a Jerry Crew a bulldozer took a cast of Bigfoot prints to a newspaper office.He had found large footprints at an deserted work site in Bluff Creek,California.The last story took on one more meaning when it was published by Associated Press.There has been a lot of sightings in the past 5 years.According to DLC "We assume Bigfoot crossed the road to get to the other side, as the old joke goes, but with the enigmatic hominid, nobody knows for sure. Here's what we do know: On June 22, 2009, at around 6:30 p.m., a 19-year-old college student was driving on a curvy back road near Rhinebeck, N.Y., on the way to a rehearsal at a nearby performing arts center, according to the BFRO report. As he swerved to miss an object on the road - a shopping bag containing, oddly, an open cereal box and a small log - he glanced in his rearview mirror and saw someone or something darting behind his car, apparently to retrieve the bag."When people sight bigfoot there has to be proof.When people sight bigfoot they search for footprint,nest,and skat aka poop.That's why I think bigfoot is real.
There are scientists everywhere trying to figure out what's this Bigfoot thing everybody is talking about.The scientist have done research on Bigfoot.As the scientist have done research,they figured out that bigfoot is a sasquatch.You know all scientist use periscopes right?When one scientist looked really closely the found DNA unlike any others.Most scientists have friends so they have to see him too.When scientist use these cameras they found out good evidence and sightings.That why scientist have a big part in bigfoot's existence.
In the woods,a lot of weird things happening, is where all the Bigfoot things are taking place.In the woods people find a lot of things around.People sight giant nest that could be possibly bigfoots resting place.It does rain in the woods and there is dirt there too so there is mud.In the mud people see footprints that are humongous.Yo know in the stories all the weird thing happen in the woods.You know how you think someone is watching in the woods it just might be bigfoot.That's why the woods play a big part in bigfoot's existence.
Bigfoot is real to me as you see.I wonder if anyone will capture this mysterious creature and reveal him to the world so everyone can believe he is true.What if people never find him and he turns out fake.