A large number of people believe that bigfoot or yetis exist, perhaps in the snowy peaks of Urals, Himalayas or Rocky Mountains. But a scientific analysis of dozens of DNA samples linked of the sightings of yeti and its cousins such as bigfoot, migyur, sasquatch and almasty proved otherwise. Oxford University geneticist and an expert on ancient DNA, Bryan Sykes published the results of its study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.
None of those samples belonged to a bigfoot or yeti
Sykes and Michel Sartori, an entomologist at the Museum of Zoology in Switzerland, brought in and analyzed 36 samples of fur and hair purportedly left by the bigfoot or yetis. They sought the help of cryptozoologists and monster-hunters to collect samples. The samples were from India, Bhutan, Russia, United States, Nepal and Indonesia.
Sykes and Sartori used DNA sequencing to compare the samples to DNA from known animals. But those mysterious fur fragments turned out to be hairs of depressingly familiar animals such as a bear, a serow, a Malaysian tapir, horses, cows, raccoons, sheep, dogs. Surprisingly, one sample from Texas was of a human being.
However, the research did reveal some interesting facts. Sykes found that a golden brown bear sample from Indian Himalayas and a reddish-brown bear sample from Bhutan were a genetic match for a 40,000-year old jawbone of a polar bear that lives in Norwegian arctic. The sample collected from India was reportedly of an animal shot 40 years ago by a hunter. The hunter said the animal’s behavior was entirely different from the brown bears. The sample was brought to the West by a French explorer.
The bigfoot myth isn’t finished yet
Latest findings do weaken the case for the existence of bigfoot. But scientists haven’t given up yet. Sykes says it doesn’t finish the bigfoot myth. He believes the absence of evidence doesn’t mean evidence of absence. But a hair sample isn’t going to be enough for skeptics. Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm says that there is not such thing as bigfoot.
New York University anthropology professor Todd Disotell said that he would want a physical or visual proof like a body part, besides the DNA evidence.
