Oxford University Yeti DNA Study Results
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on February 7th, 2013
Bigfoot: It’s Yogi not Yeti
Russian monster is bear
A “YETI” which has terrorised Russians for three years and sparked a global bigfoot frenzy is really a bear from the US, a Sun probe reveals.
Our decisive DNA tests — by a leading genetics expert from Oxford University — show the creature is an American bear that could have fled a circus.
It is more closely related to famous cartoon bear Yogi than a mythical man-like snow monster.
For three years, there have been scores of sightings of a towering, long-haired beast roaming the Mount Shoria region of southern Russia.
The “bigfoot” has shed its unusual black and grey coarse coat in clumps in various caves which have been collected and claimed to be yeti hair.
The samples have never been analysed by top geneticists — until now.
We gave three hairs from different areas of Shoria to yeti-hunter Prof Bryan Sykes of Oxford’s Wolfson Institute.
His tests reveal one, a long, thick, distinctive hair, comes from a rare type of black bear from North America — Ursus americanus. They can reach 7ft — just like the yeti sighted at Shoria.
The other two hairs turned out to be from a racoon and a horse.
Experts are baffled as the bear is never found native outside the US. The hair is not from an Asiatic black bear, which can be found in Russia.
Prof Sykes — leading a global genetics project to test hair samples from possible bigfoots — revealed: “The hairs did not come from a yeti. The American black bear result was highly unusual. An explanation could be an animal escaped from a circus, zoo or private collection, but it is extraordinary.”
Source: The Sun
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
yup.
next….
Just to be clear on this.Sykes is still working on all the other samples, including ones from the U.S, Sumatra and other parts of Russia.He has not finished his research on these specimens.
The DNA result doesn’t prove anything. Anyone who spends time out in the wilderness will know the difference between a bear and a Yeti. The results might have been poor, but sightings still support the existance of the creature!
So, in a roundabout way, the hair is of a cryptid – an ABB if you will (Alien Big Bear).
My faith in a living species of upright walking ape is all but gone.
I hold out some hope for a creature in Southeast Asia.
Why is it when an unusual animal is found, there’s always the story about escaped circus animals? Could not a brown bear population have gone backwards on the ice floes? Let’s not give skeptics any more ammo than we have to.
All efforts need to be concentrated in Washington State. Over 1/3 of worldwide Bigfoot sightings occur there. Lets stop looking in places like Texas and Russia and go to the most plausible habitat we have in the world. If a strong/collaborative effort was focused in that region and this research sustains itself for a year we will find something. Vancouver Island is another option if US authorities have an issue. Enough of this Yeti B.S. and please keep Igor off list of scientists/researchers.
cant argue with the proof.
although people are seeing something right?
I mean if they’re not used to seeing that type of bear, since its not native… then that could be a reason they dont know wtf they’re seeing…. possibly?
but to me, at the end of the day, the onus is on those who insist it is real to provide evidence that says undeniably that this thing is real.
we need to raise the level of what type of proof is accepted. Until that happens, most of the stuff we see is crappy at best.
“His tests reveal one, a long, thick, distinctive hair, comes from a rare type of black bear from North America — Ursus americanus…”
“Rare”? You can tell this was written by some boob from the UK. Ursus americanus, the common black bear, is found in nearly every state in the union and throughout Canada. My home state of NH has an estimated population of @5,000 bears. The neighboring state of Maine has a population of @23,000.
Isn’t anyone else wondering how a raccoon slipped into this story?!?
PoeticsOfBigfoot: On a horse, it says…
Maybe it’s me Craig but don’t you find it rather odd the woods and mountain frequenting locals who’re surely familiar with native bears couldn’t recognise a different kind of bear especially when the species concerned weighs around 400kg whereas their own local species weighs around 600kg ? I mean would even city based Alaskans encountering an unknown type of bear weighing a third less than local ones throw their hands in the hair and run back down the mountain screaming “Monster/Sasquatch!”?
And then there’s the matter of where the Sun’s science editor acquired this sole hair. What proof do we have it was even found in Russia? What proof does Emma Little have it was found at one of the Russian sites and not simply plucked off the floor of some zoo in Moscow? And given we’re told it’s left innumerable traces all over the show why only one hair?
And isn’t it a tweaky bit odd if the hair’d been a local bear’s this story as an explanation would’ve died before it had a chance to develop legs but because it’s an anomalous bear’s somehow that explains everything?
Normally creatures raised by circuses have a poor history of surviving in the wild so it’s remarkable this bear’s managed to survive for three years in a terrain populated by considerably larger native bears.
Luckily though because it’s a different colour and third smaller than local bears Russian hunters take one look and flee for their very lives.
MR. JOSHUA:
My only issue is with your assertion that Washington State has the best potential sasquatch habitat.
The number of reports, I am convinced, is an artifact of two things: popular focus fed by media reports, and a generally bigfoot-friendly attitude fed by a large Native population and a non-native population reading the media reports. Not saying the reports aren’t genuine; just that people might have a greater tendency there to report what they see.
Meanwhile, sightings and other evidence across the continent – from TX to FL to VA to ME to OH and PA – equal the PNW evidence in quality and may actually owe themselves to better habitat, as John Bindernagel, a former PNW-only booster, realized when he visited the East and Midwest to check out reports. Richer vegetative forage; a superabundance of deer (and stray dogs and cats); and more agriculture (including more livestock, contrary to popular belief). There is no more inherent reason to mistrust these reports than any to come out of Washington.
I’d agree with you, of course, about a strong collaborative effort, no matter where it’s applied. The closest we are coming right now, and it’s close but no cigar, yet, is actually in OK, where the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy’s efforts haven’t generated proof yet, but have generated virtually 100% researcher sightings, much other evidence of the kind long compellingly associated with sasquatch, and confirmation for all researchers of behavior (wood-knocking) that all previously considered doubtful at best.
I know some of these folks personally. Alton Higgins, for one, is identifiable as an extremely serious scientist from a distance of approximately 500 yards.
They ain’t chasing unicorns.