Bigfoot is described as a hairy, bipedal ape-like man that roams the dense forests of the United States. They are often characterized by their sheer size, strong odor, large footprints, and striking resemblance to our own kind. How can we know that they exist? What clues has nature given us that many scientists choose to ignore? In this post, we will take a look at the evidence nature has provided us with, that signals a strong correlation between Bigfoot sightings and prime habitat conditions.
 
A rainforest can be described as a luxuriant, dense forest rich in biodiversity, found typically in tropical areas with consistently heavy rainfall. Most often, one may relate the term “rainforest” to South America, Asia and Africa. However the seemingly secret dense, tropic-like areas of the Pacific Northwestern United States are unknown to many. The Olympic Rainforest lies within Washington State, and soaks up an average annual rainfall of 170 inches, making it the wettest place in the U.S. Imagine a creature 3 times the size of a large Chimpanzee. What might they be thriving on in a Pacific Northwestern rainforest? The answer lies in the diet of known rainforest apes. Primates are omnivorous, however while most of their diet consists of fruits, leaves and other plants, most apes will also eat insects, spiders, bird’s eggs and occasionally rodents. Chimpanzees have actually been seen hunting full-grown colobus monkeys. The Olympic National Park is not so different from your average Asian or African rainforest.  However, for a large hominin like Bigfoot, the prey must be larger for an animal of such size to thrive. Species that dwell in these forests include plenty of deer, moose, grizzly bears, river otters, pine martens, and an abundance of edible plants and insects. If Bigfoot is an intelligent hominin, perhaps its species creates tooling to assist in hunting large prey. However, if Bigfoot is classified as a Great Ape, (Click Read More)

Interview with Cliff Barackman:
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1.Bigfoot has been described as a bipedal ape-like man. Do you believe it could be a surviving hominid, or do you believe it to be an ancestor of Gigantopithecus?

Cliff: "Sasquatches are definitely a surviving hominid, but all apes and humans are hominids, which means they are in the family Hominidae.  The question would be if they are a surviving hominin, which is defined as being in the lineage or an offshoot of human beings.  Hominins include Australopithecus all the way up to present day Homo sapiens sapiens, and all the offshoots thereof.  This is most likely the case for sasquatches as well.  At the same time, it is entirely possible that Gigantopithecines were also an offshoot of the Hominin lines. So little is known about them (though much is speculated), that it is impossible to say at this point."
 
2.What are some common behaviors that you’ve seen/heard in a Bigfoot report?

Cliff: "Most of the time when a Bigfoot is encountered, besides the mere shock of the event, it is rather a dull affair.  The Sasquatch typically either walks/runs away, or it watches the observer and then walks away.  Some atypical reports would include intimidation displays, such as yelling, growling, throwing and breaking objects, stomping, or even bluff charges."
 
3.If Bigfoot is so large, how could it remain so elusive?

Cliff: "They are large, but not significantly larger than a brown/grizzly bear.  Many members of the species, if not most, are smaller, perhaps the size of a large black bear.  These animals also largely stay out of sight.  Sure, there are many reports of seeing bears, but there are probably at least 100 bears for every Bigfoot.  The numbers are in favor of Bigfoots being rarely seen.  When one adds to this that Sasquatches seem to be mostly nocturnal, very smart, hyper aware of their surroundings, and want nothing to do with us, it seems natural that they would rarely be seen."  
 
4.Could you give me your best description of a Bigfoot’s features?

Cliff: "In general, adult Sasquatches range from six to eight feet or so in height, and they probably weigh between 400 and 1,200 pounds.  They are generally human-like in shape, but covered, with hair (except on parts of the face, the palms, and bottom of the feet) with wider shoulders, longer arms, and a lower-placed head that often seems to rest on the shoulders (they do have a neck, of course, but their muscles can often obscure this).  The hair covering is dark, usually brown or black, with a reddish tinge when seen in the right lighting conditions.  They are often described as having an overhanging brow ridge, and a head that slopes away from the forehead in a conical shape.  Their noses are wide and broad, though not ape-like." 
 
5.How many do you think there are?

Cliff: "I guess that there are probably between 8,000 and 10,000 individuals in North America, give or take a few thousand.  This sounds like a lot, but would make them one of the rarest large animals."
 
6.Based on your research of footprints, how does Bigfoot’s anatomy differ from humans or apes?

Cliff: "The footprints indicate that the Sasquatch foot is proportionally wider than a human foot.  It also seems to be flexible in the mid section of the foot, just like the feet of other apes.  In other words, Bigfoots lack the rigid arch that the human foot has.  The ankle is shifted forward on the foot, which is a biomechanical redesign of the human foot in order to accommodate their larger mass."  
 
7.Have you come across many hair samples? What were the results of DNA testing?

Cliff: "I've seen a couple purported hair samples, but the ones I've been directly involved with have not produced testable DNA."
 
8.If one were to come across a Bigfoot, what would your advice be?

Cliff: "Savor the moment.  It might never happen again. Oh, and take a photo if possible."​

​In the Great Rift Valley of Ethepoia, about 300,000,000 years ago, an upright hominin lived. Her name? Lucy. She was determined to be the first Australopithecus africanus found in the region. By examining her knee bone structure and spine, scientists determined that Lucy walked primarily upright, however she did climb trees to seek shelter, which resulted in her death from falling. This species of hominin (an early human ancestor) measured about 3 feet tall and weighed 60 lbs. Their brain was the size of an orange and they began to evolve human-like features. Because of this discovery, scientists are able to further link ape and human, and determine how modern humans were the species to ultimately out-live other hominins….or so we think. Bigfoot is described as a bipedal ape-like creature, and whose description has a striking resemblance to a hominin. Could it be that a mystery species survived along modern humans, remaining undetected? What would it take to make it through millions of years? Lucy, and other hominins might reveal the answer.
 
Archeological research shows that Homo erectus, our early ancestor, actually constructed stone tools. Because of their ability to hunt, they were now consuming high-energy food: meat. This energy would be enough to power and grow the brain, increasing intelligence. This would eventually lead to an increase in population. Research suggests that the Bigfoot population remains in the thousands, which many assume will lead to extinction. However, the early Homo-Sapiens population was extremely small, and bones are rarely found. The early Homo-Sapien resembled something of a modern man from Africa, with a round braincase and a flat face. Similar to Homo erectus, Homo-Sapien used stone tools to gather high energy food. This could be how Bigfoots hunt their prey, and combined with their massive size and power, they could have easily competed with Homo-Sapien.
 
Because of their newly created stone tools, humans began to hunt. However, they would soon run into some major dilemmas while catching prey: becoming prey themselves. Humans had to be extremely organized while hunting in order to avoid large cats and other predators. This need for organization eventually evolved the intelligence of the Homo-Sapien brain.  This type of social culture would evolve us into what we are today. Similar organization has been reported in many eye witness accounts of Bigfoot. Many witnesses report seeing more than one creature in the same area, and some have even heard a sort of signal system using whistles and tree knocks back and forth in order to catch deer. This similarity to the style of ancient Homo-Sapien hunting is striking. ​Aside from eating, the human brain development took place when migration kicked in. When land became bone dry, humans were forced to regroup and migrate. Evidence discovered of a 100,000 year old artifact suggests that the Sans people stored water in empty Ostrich eggs while traveling, and during migration they hunted and cooked over fire. Experts believe Homo-Sapiens may have used similar methods. Their brains were growing and they were evolving. During this time, a form of verbal language was also present. Such language can be compared to Bigfoot’s language which is often described by eye witnesses as a gibberish grunting sound.
 
Although another species of hominin, Neanderthals, were skilled hunters with large builds, their intelligence wasn’t enough to compete with Homo-Sapiens. Homo-Sapiens had greater technological skills and the ability to relate objects with one another. While Neanderthals developed stone tools, humans developed more intricate hunting tools along with representations of them.  *CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE* 

​Bigfoot- a 6-10 foot tall bipedal ape-like man, possibly a hominid, dwelling in the rainforests of North America. Many questions arise when discussing the possibility of such a creature, however the biggest skepticism lies in the absence of Bigfoot remains. A body of the creature has never been brought to the attention of science, and undeniably remains the most vital missing piece of evidence we have.
 
However, there may be a clear explanation as to why we haven’t found a body. After all, gorilla remains are few and far between due to the humidity and rainfall that occurs in their habitat.  In Indiana, a body farm serves as a research facility for determining criminal acts. The Blow Fly and its maggots are examined in order to determine the age of the decaying body, and often, the cause of death. Dr.Neil Haskell, one of the world’s leading entomologists recalls a record during the early 80’s indicating a pig of 50 pounds that was reduced to 18 pounds within 96 hours by a species of Blow flies, which inhabit most of the world. By using a mathematical proportion, and basing it off of an estimated 800 pound Bigfoot, this would mean that the entire body of a Bigfoot could decompose in 100 days with just the influence of the Blow fly. This calculation would not include the influence of vultures, who have been known to decompose a human body in just 5 hours. It would also leave out the influence of other insects, bugs, animals, and weather. Bigfoots habitat is the Pacific Northwestern U.S., an area with a large amount of rainfall. In a rainforest, the average time for a leaf to decompose is 6 weeks, as opposed to 7 years in a pine forest.

​ The climate of Bigfoot’s habitat can leave huge clues as to why we haven’t found remains. Another important point to recall, is the possibility of Bigfoot burying their dead, as seen in many hominid groups’ behavior. Bigfoot sightings usually occur deep in the woods, mountains, and rural terrain. If such a creature is roaming the Pacific Northwest, its remains would lie in the deepest parts of the forest. Many animals have an instinct to hide when they are sick, hurt, or dying. If such a creature seeks cover, their remains may lie in a hidden location. The legend of Bigfoot will forever remain a mystery if a body is not discovered. However, because of the creatures’ illusiveness along with the nature of its habitat, scientists may want to consider the other evidence we have of the creature, such as footprints revealing anatomical features, hair samples, and the countless sightings by credible witnesses. Could Bigfoot be intelligent enough to bury their dead? Leave a comment below! 

Bigfoot evidence can be considered credible at times, and a complete hoax at others. But how can one tell the difference? The answer lies in the anatomy of the creature-anatomy that cannot physically be recreated by a human. Through digital analysis of the famous Patterson-Gimlin film, the creature’s size of 7’6.5” was determined. However, one does not need scientific skill to distinguish a Bigfoot from a human hoaxer. In fact, there is a 21 degree difference between Bigfoot’s stride and a human’s, which is often the line that draws the two apart. When a human walks, they lift their foot 52 degrees off of the ground, whereas a Bigfoot lifts theirs 73 degrees. Such an anatomical difference is why the Patterson-Gimlin film has been proven not to be a hoax. In the most credible photography and videography evidence of the creature walking, it represents the same image: a back leg that bends at an extremely abnormal angle, not possible for modern human anatomy to recreate. Such anatomy can be supported in the way the creature steps.
​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, and weight is pushed to the ball of the foot. The bending happens on the toes, providing traction. In a foot with mid-foot flexibility, like the subject in the film, the weight is not concentrated on the ball of the foot, but rather the midfoot. A Mid-tarsal break causes weight to transfer from rear to forefront and is most commonly present in apes. By piecing the evidence together, it can be determined that the way the footprints are formed lies in the way the creatures walks, which can be proven by geometry, to be 21 degrees different than a human.
Many skeptics in the Bigfoot community believe such footprints to be pure hoaxes. However, large, humanlike footprints do not stray far from current scientific discoveries. About 9 miles from the Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano in Tanzania, Africa, a huge collection of Homo sapien (modern human) footprints were found solidified by a previous lava spill. However, just because the word “modern” is used in our name, one must not draw the conclusion of these prints being recent. The prints date back to up to 12,000 years ago, and imply a lot of jogging that took place by our own kind. Some suggested up to a 12 minute-mile running pace, and others revealed a misshapen big toe. Interestingly enough, protruding big toes are often seen in Bigfoot tracks, and many eye witnesses report seeing the creature running at a shocking speed. As much as many do not wish to admit, this creature is eerily close to us in the sense of anatomy, and even behavior. Our own kind left evidence of running, stepping, and jogging through the natural elements. How could Bigfoot be much different? If this creature is-in-fact, a hominid, it would surely leave tracks just as we once did some 12,000 years ago. The real question becomes: What is the creature leaving these tracks? 
 
What do you think? Leave a comment below & stay tuned for more posts!

For thousands of years, Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, has been a legend. However, recently, researchers have come up with the solid evidence that may just prove the creature's existance. Sasquatch footprints have been hoaxed time and time again, however under close examination, scientists are able to distinguish fact from fiction. In credible footprints, anatomy is extremely evident. A pair of tracks cast in Boksburg, Washington are just that. One of the footprints appears as a much larger version of the average human foot, however its partner does not appear so normal looking. Under close examination, Dr. Jeff Meldrum, professor of Anatomy and Anthropology at Idaho State University, made a compelling observation. A set of bulges on the left side of the left footprint indicate a clear injury, possibly resulting from a spinal injury, or a crushing accident. Such an injury has caused the soft tissue of the foot to form in bulges, and displace the toes. The bulges are located more distally on the footprint than a human’s would be, as humans have a shorter calcaneus. The position of the bulges on the Sasquatch footprint indicate the creature’s long calcaneus, which exits in creatures with massive weight and whom need greater leverage while walking. A hoaxer would have to have a vast knowledge of such pathology in order to conceive the idea to create such a deformed footprint.
 
 Other credible footprints demonstrate mid-foot flexibility, not present in humans. Such anatomy distinguishes hoaxes from actual footprints, and is the reason why publicity seekers are proven liars very quickly. A man by the name of Ray Wallace, a construction company owner in Bluff Creek, California, claimed that he and his family constructed faux footprint boards to wear around the woods, creating all of the famous footprints found in the Western United States. Such hard wooden feet were exposed to the public by Wallace, and at first view are extremely non-anatomical. Despite the news media grabbing up the story, independent scientists knew the truth. Bill Miller, researcher and Historian, compared the pictures of the Wallace carvings with photos of actual footprints. The difference between the carvings and the actual footprints is very much evident. Such crude carvings could not have possibly made the many variations of the anatomical prints found all over the Western U.S.
 
Aside from self-proclaimed footprint hoaxers, the Patterson-Gimlin film was said to be a hoax itself. Many individuals provided confessions of being the man in the suit, however, their stories clearly did not add up. Bob Hironimus claimed to have joined forces with Philip Morris, a famous costume designer, to hoax the film. The only problem was that they both told completely different stories from each other, each providing contradicting details. So, if the Patterson-Gimlin film was proven not to be a hoax, how can scientists prove it an actual animal? In the film, the creature walks swiftly across the creek, something a hoaxer would have trouble doing without stumbling. However, the most provoking evidence is the way the creature walks. As the creature takes a step, its foot becomes vertical to the ground. When humans walk, our feet do not lift higher than a few inches. A human has a longitudinal arch, which means the entire foot is incorporated into the lever which propels it off of the ground, and weight is pushed to the ball of the foot. The bending happens on the toes, providing traction. In a foot with mid-foot flexibility, like the subject in the film, the weight is not concentrated on the ball of the foot, but rather the midfoot. A Midtarsal break causes weight to transfer from rear to forefront and is most commonly present in apes.
 
In credible prints, the toes and mid-foot sink in deeper than the heel, due to such anatomy. No evident arch has been found present in tracks, which points to the way weight is distributed in a heavier animal. Because of longer toes and shorter legs, Sasquatch has a greater stepping gauge, causing its leg and foot to be parallel with the ground when lifting for a step. Humans only lift our feet a few inches with each step, as we are conditioned by sidewalks and flat ground. Sasquatch’s typical habitat is uneven, thick brush, causing their steps to become higher. Such high steps can be observed in the Patterson-Gimlin film. National Geographic not only touched upon this anatomy, but used photogrammetry and optic measuring to determine the size of the subject in the film. The animal was determined to be 7’, 6.5” high, ruling out the possibility of a human in a suit. The Patterson-Gimlin film alone seems to prove the existence of Sasquatch, however evidence has been arising for years.
 
In the mid 1930’s a jawbone was found in a cave in China, and was examined by an Anthropologist who determined it to be ape-like in nature. The mysterious thing about the jawbone was that it was spread to sit on a spine, meaning that the creature was bipedal. They determined the creature to have been about 8’ tall. Teeth were also found within the jawbone, and since then, 4 more jawbones have been found between Vietnam, India and China. The latest bone has been dated back to 100,000 years ago. Although such evidence was found halfway across the world, China and the U.S. were once connected during Pangea, pointing to the possibility of migration of the creatures to the U.S. Sasquatch has been seen mostly roaming the vast habitat of the Pacific Northwestern United States, as well as many other areas and even other countries. The United States military has even acknowledged these creatures in their 1975 records including survival maps for air force personnel and army corps’ descriptions of the creature in the Washington environmental atlas of 1975.  Evidence has been accumulating for hundreds of years, but recent technology has allowed researchers to thoroughly explore current evidence. Scientists and media claim that the only proof of existence would be a body. Researchers and believers argue. If the Patterson-Gimilin film has been proved credible, thousands of anatomical footprints have been found, and sightings by region correlate with a specific habitat, then the creature is sure to exist. The questions that remain: What is it? How smart is it? How dangerous is it? 

 ​The oldest documentation of Bigfoot was thought to have occurred in 986 AD by Leaf Erikson and his men. During their first landing in America, they wrote of a monster that was ugly, hairy and with great black eyes. Stories of Bigfoot were abundant during the 1800’s by White pioneers heading west. In 1840, E. Walker, a missionary to the Spokane Indians, wrote a fascinating letter after his journey to the America’s. He described a race of giants that lived in the mountains. He reported that they hunt, do all their work at night, and have a strong smell that is most intolerable. Even President Teddy Roosevelt, an avid hunter, reported seeing such a creature in the woods that walked on two feet and uttered “sinister sounds”. In 1884, in the town of Yale, British Columbia, a strange creature was captured that some believed was a young Bigfoot. It stood about 4’7” in height, and slightly resembled a gorilla in appearance. Mysteriously, the creature disappeared while being transported by train. Despite such early stories, Bigfoot’s worldwide recognition and name did not appear until 1958. That summer, a road crew working in Northwestern California, discovered huge, human-like tracks and 300lb fuel drums tossed around several feet from where they were placed. One of the workers casted tracks of the creature, and made the newspaper. The workers nick-named the creature, “Bigfoot”.
 
Bigfoot’s new worldwide popularity after the worker’s discovery attracted many researchers and inspired many expeditions, including the famous Patterson-Gimlin sighting. However, sightings of the creature actually date back hundreds of years, and have reported by Native tribes all across the world. The Pacific Northwest has been home to Native Americans for thousands of years, even before the European settlers arrived. A large, hairy beast known to many natives as, “Hairy Man” is described as being covered in coarse, dark hair, is massive in size, is similar in proportion to humans, and has immense strength. They have often been seen throwing large, heavy rocks at anyone posing a threat. Many native tribe members tell stories handed down through many generations. David Severns, a member of the Yurok tribe, describes a time when animals and humans lived in harmony, until humans began feeling superior and became destructive. David’s elders refer to the Hairy Man as the “ancient people”, and describe them as ancestors rather than inferior animals. Native Americans from the Yurok tribe tell of somewhat peaceful beings that inhabit the forest. Tribe members are told not to stare the creature in the eyes, as it will kill if truly threatened. This advice carries through many tribes, and the description of Bigfoot remains the same: a bipedal, hairy, ape-like creature.
 
While tribal stories of Bigfoot carry from generation to generation, archeological proof has possibly validated them. Kathy Moskowitz Strain, an archeologist and anthropologist who works closely with artifacts from different tribes, has examined such artifacts. One of the earliest record of Bigfoot comes from the Tuley River tribe, who drew the Hairy Man in a family-like group. A father, a mother, and a child are seen clear as day in their most striking 500-year-old pictograph located near the Tuley River in California. These pictographs also include drawings of known animals next to the hairy man, indicating that perhaps such a creature was not made up, but something they actually saw. The images are life-sized and range from 4 feet to 8 feet tall. Stick man, Basket woman, and Sasquatch are just some of the many names assigned to the creature by different tribes- whose distances are so great, that information about such a creature could not have possibly been exchanged. The Zelus Indian tribe in Northern California call the creature, Sasquatch, meaning “wild man of the woods”. The Hoopa Valley Indians call it, “Oma”, meaning, “boss of the woods”. Jimmy Jackson, a Hoopa elder, speaks of a creature that protects the mountains, similar to the Sasquatch of the Zelus tribe. A common physical description and behavior is reported by many tribes, but, how could these reports be so similar with no contact to each other? Similarly, the Columbia River in Oregon has offered artifacts that have baffled scientists. Native American carvings were uncovered near the river’s edge, representing an ape-like face. These Oregon Natives had to have had an understanding of the way an Ape’s face appears, which remains a mystery in modern science, as there are no apes existing in Oregon...or so we think. Dr. Roderick Sprague reflects on the mystery: “Why would people be interested in making a carving of something they’ve never seen?” He continues to explain that many beliefs and artwork from natives is inspired by things they actually saw.  How is it that this creature shares the same ape-like characteristics throughout every tribe, without having any known apes discovered in these regions? 

          Many skeptics of Bigfoot believe that there is no DNA evidence supporting its existence. On the contrary, decades of hair samples have been collected, and extracting DNA is beginning to become easier in the world of science. In 1968, hairs collected in central Idaho were sent to an instructor of police science at the California State College in LA. Ray Pinker determined that the hair samples did not match any known animal, and in fact demonstrated characteristics from both humans and nonhuman primates. The hairs showed many characteristics of apes like the changing of thickness and tint along their length however their scale pattern was eerily similar to humans. In 1993, another analysis of suspected Bigfoot hair (this time found in northern California) was done by Dr,Sterling Bunnel, M.D, of the California Academy of Sciences.  He examined the hairs of humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan, and pygathrix to compare and contrast the specimen. He concluded that the assumed Bigfoot hair sample was closely related to the human-chimpanzee-gorilla group, but was also clearly different than each of these apes in its pigmentation. These other apes show medullary streaks while the Bigfoot sample showed no observable medullary structure. In most all studies, the DNA from the hairs was not able to be sequenced due to damage. Although hair samples may not completely point to a Bigfoot, many do rule out the possibility of them being from a human or ape. Samples show a common pattern of relating to human and ape, but are not identified as one or the other due to slight differences.
          Aside from hair samples, scat (otherwise known as poop) has provided a “large” source of evidence. A very quiet analysis done by a medical lab in Oregon proved to contain some intriguing evidence. The assumed Bigfoot scat analyzed was said to have contained the eggs of a parasitic nematode worm whose size of their eggs depends on the species they feed on (the larger the animal, the larger the eggs). The largest eggs found in the suspected Bigfoot scat were far beyond the size of human parasites, but have been reported in many primates.  Dr. Vaughn Bryant, an anthropologist at Texas A&M University, was on the case for two scat samples originating in the Pacific Northwest of America. After microscopic examination, he determined that the cells present in the scat were able to rule out the possibility of it being from human, moose, elk, deer, and bear. After all this evidence, why have scientists not concluded the existence of Bigfoot? Good question. Even though the samples can rule out human and ape, they do not point directly to a Bigfoot. In order to compare human and primate hair to that of a Bigfoot, we must have Bigfoot DNA sequences. How do you think we will we obtain them? Comment below and lookout for my next post! 

Bibliography:
Meldrum, Jeff. Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science. New York: Forge, 2006. Print.

Make sure to check out Jeff Meldrum's book all about Bigfoot theories, DNA, evidence, and much more!