Evidence

sasquatch

Bigfoot is a large, bipedal ape species that has been seen in North America for centuries. The name "Bigfoot" was coined in the late 50's by a journalist in CA describing large tracks found at a logging site. Another name for this animal is "Sasquatch," which is an anglicized version of the Coast Salish word "se'sxac," meaning, wild men. The evolutionary origins of Bigfoot are widely debated, however, evidence shows close ties to humans & other great apes.

origins

An ape is a primate without a tail. All primates (including apes) have forward facing eyes, hair-covered bodies & most importantly, fingerprints! Primates are the only group in the animal kingdom that have dermal ridges, the unique lines on the pad of each finger & toe that identify an individual. How do we know that Sasquatch is an ape? It's simple. Sasquatch has forward facing eyes, is hair-covered, without a tail, & has fingerprints. In fact, citizen scientists have gathered several hand & footprint casts that clearly show dermal ridges.

We often debate how humanlike Sasquatch is. However, scientists have struggled throughout history to pinpoint what exactly differentiates us from other apes.

'Hominin' is a term given to humans & all of our extinct bipedal ancestors (who walked upright on two feet.) 'Hominid' is the term given to all modern & extinct great apes, including humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, & orangutans.

Homo sapiens (modern humans) are highly intelligent, with the ability to think complexly & speak to our thoughts. We are the only recognized ape to evolve such a high intelligence. But what if we aren't alone? By studying hundreds of footprints & several hair samples, scientists have determined that Sasquatch is an ape. However, many researchers are offended by the idea that they could be called anything but human. After all, they appear to be highly evolved with a potential complex language. We must remember that humans are in the ape family. Whether we classify Sasquatch as a Homo species or not, they will still be part of the ape family too.

behavior

Because of the tough competition between Homo sapiens & other hominoids, the Bigfoot species seems to have adapted to avoid us humans. Here's some behavior you can expect from Sasquatch:

Howling, whooping & whistling
Throwing rocks or sticks
Peeking out from behind a tree
Swiftly running away from you
Foraging or hunting
Bluff charging

Most of the time, Sasquatch just wants to avoid you! Remember to respect their space & back away slowly if you run into one.

Evidence strongly suggests that Sasquatch sleeps on the ground just like us humans. The Olympic Project of Washington has documented several nesting sites containing over 20 ground nests that resemble those of known apes & measure between 4-9 feet. Between credible eye-witness reports, ground nesting sites & no evidence of nesting in trees, we can conclude that Sasquatch spends their time sleeping on the ground.

According to Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, English scientist & professor of neuroscience & psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, sleep is essential to intelligence, memory function, & evolution. Why are we smarter than other primates? It may just have something to do with sleep. REM, or Rapid Eye Movement sleep, is a deep paralysis that boosts social complexity & cognitive intelligence. Because primates sleep in trees, they cannot achieve REM sleep, as the sleep paralysis would cause them to fall to their death. Humans spend 20-25% of our sleep in the REM state, compared to a 9% average across other primates. Other apes sleep longer, but we sleep deeper, leaving us more time for social learning & innovation! What does this mean? If modern humans evolved our social complexity & cognitive intelligence through REM sleep, Sasquatch may have too!

Bigfoots have been reported to range in color, size & stature. There are males, females & juveniles, just like any other species!

sasquatch origins

Sasquatch shares many characteristics with us & other apes. This is because they are likely part of our family tree. A hominin describes the group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species & all our immediate ancestors. These hominins ranged in physical appearance, intelligence & capabilities. Here are a few species within our fossil record that share striking similarities with Sasquatch, making them potential ancestors!

evidence

After close examination of hundreds of credible footprints, scientists have been clued in to why the creature walks the way it does. A human has a longitudinal arch, which means the entire foot is incorporated into the lever which propels it off of the ground, & weight is pushed to the ball of the foot. The bending happens at the toes, providing traction. In a foot with midfoot flexibility, the weight is not concentrated on the ball of the foot, but rather the midfoot.

Red arrows represent where the foot bends

Midfoot flexibility causes weight to transfer from rear to forefront & is most commonly present in apes. This anatomy shows itself in the form of a midtarsal break within footprints. The midtarsal break is a feature of the print that occurs when the midfoot bends, causing the dirt or sand to lift up into a small mound in the middle of the footprint.

Although midfoot flexibility is attributed to apes, Sasquatch footprints also suggest human anatomy in the form of an aligned big toe. Other great apes have a divergent big toe, which is used for climbing. Humans & Sasquatch have transitioned to bipedalism, causing their big toe to align with the other toes as their need for climbing trees has diminished.

hair samples

In addition to footprints, hair samples have also been analyzed & determined to originate from an unknown ape. Dr.Jeff Meldrum and Dr. Henner Fahrenbach examined unknown hair samples to determine their origin. In order to identify a species, scientists observe overlapping scales, which can be different in color & thickness, diameter of the hair, cross-sectional shape, & length of the hair shaft. Human hair grows differently & longer than other species, therefore showing characteristics such as a cut end & 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 & hair length varied, as it does in Homo sapiens. Although the samples were ultimately inconclusive, they did point to the probability of a relict hominoid species, with origin that resembles both humans & other great apes.

history

Native Americans have stories of Sasquatch dating back thousands of years. "Sasquatch" is an anglicized version of the Coast Salish word "se'sxac," meaning wild men. Almost every group across North America has a name for this species & they are often depicted in indigenous art!

PATTERSON GIMLIN FILM

On October 20th, 1967, Roger Patterson & Bob Gimlin headed out on horseback to Bluff Creek, California, as part of a search for this species. After spending about 2 weeks in the field, Roger captured a one-minute film of a Sasquatch. What sets this footage apart is the muscle structure observed with each of the creature's movements, her pendulous breasts, & the footprints she left behind. To this day, the Patterson Gimlin footage has remained the most credible evidence of this species, as attempts to prove it a hoax have failed. The individual in the film, nicknamed, "Patty" is estimated to stand between 6-7 feet tall. About 9 days after the footage was shot, a taxidermist/tracker named Bob Titmus cast 10 of Patty's footprints that had been well preserved in the sand. These prints offer insight into the anatomy of this species, as they show midfoot flexibility in the form of a midtarsal break, a detail that wouldn't be discovered for another 30 years.

eye witness accounts

Illustrations by @mohr.art

Thousands of people have reported Bigfoot encounters across the country. The earliest reports are represented through Native American lore. European settlers, prospectors & explorers like Teddy Roosevelt all share stories of hairy, bipedal creatures roaming the North American forests. To find sightings near you, visit the reports tab!

food sources

Sasquatch are opportunistic hunters & have been seen eating everything from deer, to berries, to leaves, to small mammals to fish & more. There have even been reports of them dumpster diving!