Sunday, November 25, 2012

Sasquatch and DNA news - updated

Dr. Melba Ketchum, a veterinarian by training, has been chasing sasquatch a long time.  She has submitted a paper to an unnamed peer-reviewed scientific publication which indicates, oddly (as if  the whole notion of sasquatch isn't odd enough) that it's much close to humans than anything else: indeed, the DNA is predominantly Homo sapiens.  Contamination or revelation?  While I've maintained what I think is a logical "show me" attitude toward existence of a huge North American primate, I'm willing to be convinced, and we'll wait and see what the science says. 
UPDATE: There's a heck of a kerfluffle going on, from people defending Ketchum to those calling her nasty names.  Here's Cryptomundo's coverage of Dr. Jeff Meldrum's commentary.   It hit news sources all over the world, some reporting the news with a straight face (see this story), some breathlessly, and some with a side helping of ridicule. Ketchum agrees the news slipped out too soon, given how long the whole peer review and publication process can take even if her findings are unambigiously accurate.  As to the more extreme reactions: folks, we're doing science. Either her findings will be confirmed, or they will be rejected in the peer review process.  Yes, the whole thing seems unlikely, especially the human ancestry. But at least the proper review process is underway. 

1 comment:

omegaman66 said...

I am not ever going to believe in big foot in the USA. Impossible IMHO for a population of ape sized animals to exist without a live or dead specimen ever turning up.

One cougar makes a journey to Conn. and its picture gets taken multiple times. But a whole group of even bigger animals goes unproven for hundreds of years in this country?

Show me and I still will not believe because I already know the premise is impossible.