Oxford Scientists To Analyze Yeti DNA
It’s nice to know that someone out there takes the nut jobs seriously. A team of researchers from Oxford University and Lausanne Museum of Zoology have decided to take on the mystery of Bigfoot, Sasquatch, the Abominable Snowman, or the Yeti, all extremely large, hairy creatures who tend to shy away from humans.
Museums, other scientists, and those who have had encounters with these creatures have already offered various samples for the scientists to test, from blood and hair to items that they claim have been chewed by Bigfoot.
Bryan Sykes, former professor of Human Genetics at Oxford, tells The Australian that the testing will commence in a few months after choosing which specimens to test, the results of which will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Other scientists are a little skeptical, but support the mission. Hypotheses range from a mix between homo sapiens and Neanderthals, or other early human relatives, or a small but distinct hominid species. The chances of their existence is low, but as a professor of evolutionary genetics of University College London Mark Thomas states: “If we don’t look, we’ll never find out.”
If they do exist, their population would be close to extinction, and of course, rather miserable. Imagine surviving for 30,000 years in utter seclusion, popping out now and then to forage for food, only to be confronted with obnoxious, shrieking Homo sapiens paparazzi with flash photography. It’s a pity Michael Jackson isn’t alive still, he’d really be able to empathize, and maybe offer the entire clan of shaggy Chewbacca lookalikes a safe home at Neverland Ranch.
So will all of the fanatics who’ve lived in camouflaged shelters in the woods, armed with nothing but cameras and devotion finally get their chance to say “I told you so?” We’ll just have to wait and see.
