ape, human, or...neither?

bigfoot may have originated in north america as a completely different species

Although typically associated with the Middle East and Africa, camels actually originated in North America about 45 million years ago. They migrated to the middle east, and also down to South America, where they evolved into llamas and alpacas. Another animal that many do not know originated in North America is the Cheetah. An international team of scientists recently discovered that cheetahs descend from a relative of American pumas. Now how does this relate to Bigfoot? Due to the record of discovered fossils, scientists believe that all hominins and apes originated in Africa and Asia. We typically associate Bigfoot with either Gigantopithecus or Paranthropus. However, perhaps Sasquatch originated in North America as a completely different creature all together. The only reason we associate this species with ape or human is because of their seemingly similar physical attributes and anatomy. Take a look at 2 known animals that look alike. Deer are part of a family known as Cervidae, while Antelope belong to the Bovidae family. These animals look extremely similar, but are not closely related & originate from different parts of the globe. Could this be the case for Bigfoot, a creature seen all over the world, but primarily in North America? Is it possible that this species migrated, evolving into variations like the yeti? Just because it looks like an ape or human, doesn’t mean it is. We cannot underestimate the origin of this species and how different they may be from our own. Dr. Jeff Meldrum and Dr. Henner Fahrenbach examined several hair samples from unknown sources. Dr. Meldrum explains that in non-primate mammals, hair is grouped into 3 types including longer, coarser hairs, a finer undercoat, and whiskers. Out of all the hair types, the coarse hair layer is what yields the most evidence. In order to identify a species, scientists observe overlapping scales, which can be different in color and thickness, diameter of the hair, cross-sectional shape, and length of the hair shaft. Human hair grows differently and longer than other species, therefore showing its own characteristics such as a cut end and distinctive follicle structure. After Fahrenbach gathered nearly a dozen samples that were not linked to any known animal, the two scientists began studying their similarities. Their findings were interesting in that two of the samples had the same structural characteristics, making them the same species, however their hair color and hair length varied, as it does in Homo sapiens as well. Although the samples were ultimately inconclusive, they did point to the probability of an unknown hominin species, with origin that resembles both human and ape. The key word in this equation is, "resembles." Does this mean Bigfoot is a hominin or an undiscovered great ape? Perhaps it is entirely different than humans and apes, much like the antelope and deer. Many Native tribes talk of Bigfoot being the "first people," saying, "they've been here forever." If there is truth to these words, perhaps this species originated in North America much like the camel or cheetah.  If it is an entirely different species than human or ape, it wouldn't be unlikely for its origins to stem from North America.  After all, scientists do say that we have only scratched the surface of discovering all ape and human species that ever lived. Imagine the  creatures that once walked this earth, some of which, we will never know, and some of which...we choose to ignore.

“Antelope vs Deer.” Diffen, www.diffen.com/difference/Antelope_vs_Deer. 
Estes, Richard. “Antelope.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 9 Mar. 2020, www.britannica.com/animal/antelope-mammal. 
Cohen, Jennie. “Giant Ancient Camel Roamed the Arctic.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 5 Mar. 2013, www.history.com/news/giant-ancient-camel-roamed-the-arctic. 
Meldrum, Jeff. Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science. New York: Forge, 2006. Print.