Melba Ketchum's Movie Copyright Application: Sasquatch: The Tribe Revealed

Melba Ketchum has filed a copyright for her movie and book titled "Bigfoot:The Tribe Revealed" 

Melba Ketchum is currently the highest profile person working to define Bigfoot DNA. Click the following link to read our  previous coverage of Melba Ketchum. She studied at Texas A&M University where she received her doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. In 1985 she founded DNA Diagnostics, a self-described leader in all types of DNA testing including: human and animal forensics, human and animal paternity and parentage testing, disease diagnostics, trait tests, animal and human identity testing, species identification and sex determination.

In recent news Melba Ketchum, the current queen of Sasquatch DNA research, has announced that the presentation of her research has taken longer than expected and has "assembled a renowned team, each of us with our own specialties."

Looks like Melba has filed for a copyright for her book and potential movie. As you may know Melba Ketchum is spearheading Bigfoot DNA research. You can see the application yourself at this link or read everything in the application below.

Sasquatch: The Tribe Revealed

Type of Work: Entry not found.

Type of Work Preregistered: Motion Picture

Literary Work in Book Form

Advertising or Marketing Photograph

Preregistration Number / Date: PRE000003852 / 2010-09-16

Application Title: Sasquatch: The Tribe Revealed

Title: Sasquatch: The Tribe Revealed

Copyright Claimant: Melba Stinnett Ketchum. Address: P O Box 455, Timpson, TX, 75975, United States.

Creation of Work Began: 2008-04-07 (Approximate)

Date of Anticipated Completion: 2011-06-22 (Approximate)

Projected Date of Publication: 2012-02-15 (Approximate)

Authorship on Application: Melba Stinnett Ketchum.

Description of Work: A film and/or documentary, narration or audio book, supporting photos and literary paper/document/book that will follow the The Sasquatch Project, the scientist and the scientific testing and proof for the existence of Sasquatch/ Bigfoot. Information will include discussion of results including A New Tribe of Living Humans, the complete Sasquatch mitochondrial genome sequence and nuclear DNA variations and text will show complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequences were identified from DNA, analysis of the assembled sequence unequivocally establishes that the Sasquatch mtDNA falls inside the range of modern human mtDNAs and discussions of the origins thereof. The proof that the Sasquatch is not only the closest living human relative but is actually a contemporary living human. Also discussed is nuclear DNA testing performed on the same samples and the variations found in various genes including MC1R gene RUNX2 and FOXP2 as well as other targets genes involved in the perception of sound, transmission of nerve signals, the production of sperm and the lactase gene. Also discussed is how testing has ruled out ape cross and any ancient contributor and that Sasquatch is indeed a modern human with some genetic mutations accounting for their physical appearance. Also included are discussion of the history of samples and circumstances surrounding the acquisition, their testing, the circumstances surrounding the entire Sasquatch DNA Project. Documentary stars Melba Ketchum, et al

Copyright Note: C.O. correspondence.

Names: Ketchum, Melba Stinnett

Robert Lindsay: Bigfoot DNA News Updates

Robert Lindsay continues to be the go-to guy for updates on Bigfoot DNA news. In particular, he takes a pulse on the current status of Melba Ketchum Study/Erickson Project. Below is an excerpt from his post, "Bigfoot News January 25, 2012"

Apparent photos of a real Bigfoot examining and then licking a trail cam revealed. First DNA proven photo of a Bigfoot ever revealed! In the summer of 2009, a Bigfoot apparently approached an Olympic Project trailcam, examined it, and then licked the camera, leaving a large amount of saliva. The OP retrieved the saliva, stored it and sent it in Ketchum’s DNA project. A source has just informed us that this saliva sample from a Bigfoot licking a camera tested presumptive for Bigfoot by Ketchum.

We then went back to the Olympic Project and searched for photos of a Bigfoot examining a camera. We found this set of photos that we believe represents photos of the Bigfoot that licked the camera and left the Bigfoot-positive DNA on the camera. So the photo above is apparently of a Bigfoot 100% proven by DNA. This would be possibly the second photo of a proven Bigfoot. The Matilda the Sleeping Bigfoot photo is from a site where positive Bigfoot DNA evidence was obtained, but we do not know if that evidence included Matilda or not.

A photo of a Bigfoot looking at a camera on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. This is apparently the first photo of a DNA-proven Bigfoot ever released.

A photo of a Bigfoot looking at a camera on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. This is apparently the first photo of a DNA-proven Bigfoot ever released.

The photo above was taken by the Olympic Project. A few Bigfoot footprints had been found in the area before the camera trap was set. Apparently the Bigfoot started licking the camera soon after the photo above was taken. Photo taken July 25, 2009 at 4:23-07-23 AM on the east slope of the Olympic Mountains. The Bigfoot apparently approached and then licked the camera for 16 seconds. The camera was a Reconyx RC60 trailcam.

When the team returned to the site to retrieve the film on August 22, 2009, they found that the camera had been moved about four inches, apparently by the Bigfoot.
In the photo above, the Bigfoot’s left arm is up near the face as if it is scratching its head wondering what the camera is.

An artist's rendering of a the photo of the Bigfoot looking into the camera above. Drawing by Chris Gunter.

Robert Lindsay continues to Revised Ketchum study tally, Ketchum DNA paper has definitely passed peer review. Justin Smeja Bigfoot steak is 90% human, and Adrian Erickson Bigfoot documentary project apparently being worked on in Hollywood. Read all these updates at Robert Lindsay's post, "Bigfoot News January 25, 2012"

Robert Lindsay: Ketchum Bigfoot DNA Research is Death Knell for Giganto Theory

Simple equation: Melba Ketchum's Bigfoot DNA study definitively argues against Giagantopithecus as Bigfoot ancestor. As we have posted earlier, Ketchum says Erectus is a better model.

Below is an excerpt from Robert Lindsays post "Bigfoot News January 20, 2012" The article mentions a possible Erickson Project Movie covered in greater depth by Shawn at BigfootEvidence.

Here is our favorite part of Robert's Post:

Another blow against the Bigfoot is an ape meme. Ketchum has recently changed the description of herself on Twitter. It now says: Scientist, Forensics and Hominid Research (italics ours). Nice!

More death knells for the Giganto/Bigfoot is an ape theory. The precursor of Bigfoot is often said by proponents of the Bigfoot is an ape theory to be something called Gigantopithecus, a giant ape that lived in Asia and went extinct about 300,000 years ago. There are several problems with this model.

1. If it went extinct 300,000 YBP, that’s a long time between then and the present day Bigfoots with no fossils in between.
2. No Giganto fossils in the Americas.
3. While Giganto was probably an ape when it was standing on two feet, there is no evidence that it was bipedal, and it was probably not bipedal. After all, the only bipedal apes are in the human line, the hominids. If it’s a bipedal ape, it’s a hominid, not an ape. This is fundamental.Theorists of the Giganto was bipedal line offer the Giganto fossils as evidence for bipedalism, but all we have is a jaw and some teeth. It seems impossible to prove via meager evidence from the mouth of a creature whether it stood upright or not.
4. While some think that Giganto derived from Australopithecines and went on to Meganthropus and then to modern Homo in Asia, this line is tendentious. It’s true that a Bigfoot tooth found by Mike Rugg resembles a Meganthropus tooth. However, Meganthropus is found only in Asia, and while it appears to be Homo Erectus, it also seems to have gone extinct about 1 million years ago.That’s 1 million years between Meganthropus and Bigfoot with no fossils in between. A new theory that I like suggests that Giganto instead is related to Orangutans. If so and if Bigfoot is related to Giganto, Bigfoot DNA should be far away from human, somewhere near the distance of an Orangutan. Instead, Bigfoot DNA is 37% of the way from a human to a chimp. This would mean that it is in the human line and far away from an Orangutan.
5. Now that DNA has shown that Bigfoots are hybrids between a possible Homo Erectus type on one side and Homo sapiens on the other, this means that modern humans mated with Giganto in the last 10-50,000 years. Assuming such mating is even physically possible, it’s almost certain that no viable offspring could derive from mating between a human and an orangutan type.Further, the breeding between relict hominids and humans that produced the Bigfoots seems to have occurred in both Africa and Southern Europe between 10-50,000 years ago, and Giganto is known only from Asia around China and Vietnam (a likely Southeast Asian location for an orangutan derived type) and is not known from Africa or Europe.

In short, the Bigfoot as Giganto theory seems to have massive problems.

SRC:  http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/bigfoot-news-january-20-2012/

Loren Coleman Hilights a difference between Erickson/Ketchum Project and Pangboche Yeti Finger DNA tests

In a comment to Loren Coleman's post on Cryptomundo titled, "Pangboche Yeti Finger In Context: What Does Human Mean?" An astute reader asks a very important question:

Wendigo Truth Force responds:December 28th, 2011 at 11:34 am

So I’m a little confused here, admittedly. They found this [Pangboche Yeti] finger bone the other day? And DNA testing is already complete? I thought it took much longer, and that was part of the reason the Ketchum/Erickson debacle is taking so long

Loren Coleman has a great response explaining when the Pangboche Yeti finger bone was found and highlights, by example, a difference between the two DNA studies.

Loren Coleman responds:December 28th, 2011 at 11:44 am

The Pangboche finger was found some time ago, filming of interviews were conducted, Peter Byrne was flown in, more taping occurred, and in the meantime the DNA analysis was taking place. A timeline was not published, but it is apparent this BBC program has been in the works for some time. However, unlike the Erickson Project, there were no leaks.

He is referring to the Erickson Project leaks by several sources, the one with the loosest lips may be Richard Stubstad.

Watch this clip from Unsolved Mysteries: Episode #4.29. This 1992 episode talks about the Pangboche Yeti Hand and interviews Loren Coleman at some length.

Erickson What?! Its called the Ketchum Study! Sasquatch DNA Drama Continues

** UPDATE: Please read the correction supplied by Richard Stubstad on Apr 8, 2012  in the comments below.

 A couple of comments from Richard Stubstad indicate Dr Melba Ketchum as the "Official" lead on the Sasquatch DNA research. It is now called the Ketchum Study. Whenever Stubstad refers to the Erickson Project Ketchum Study, "Ketchum" is in quotes. We don't know why. It could be the internet equivalent of underlining her name three times, with arrows pointing to the name.

In a post we did earlier about Dr Meldrum titled, "Meldrum is Interviewed by NPR and is criticized by Wired Magazine" Stubstad responds and breaks the news of the new title of the Sasquatch DNA research:

 "I have discussed with Jeff Meldrum some of the DNA findings and conclusions I reached early on in the "Ketchum" study (as it is now called).

I did not hear the interview, but I think he is extremely intrigued about the progress that other scientists have made in the discovery process, now in terms of complete DNA genomic sequencing.

While neither Meldrum nor I am in possession of irrefutable proof that "sasquatch exists" as a new hominid or subspecies of an existing or past hominid, we do have compelling evidence that this is so -- far beyond the footprints, Double-pleaked normal Distribution of footprint lengths and widths, dermal ridges, and questionable video and film footage.

The latter is at least possible to hoax; but not DNA.

Richard Stubstad

Dec 28, 2011 12:38:00 PM 

In another comment to the post, "Robert Lindsay Gives Biscardi Benefit of the Doubt." Richard offers Biscardi's early role in the Erickson Project Ketchum Study:

Your take on Biscardi is probably correct. It's all about publicity (he's from the Las Vegas show scene, you know?).

Java Bob once told me that Biscardi's MO is: "bad publicity is better than no publicity at all".

The interesting thing is: Now and then he is correct; using the "saturation" method, he's bound to be.

We (that is, an ad-hoc group as the proverbial "we") are currently collecting potential sasquatch DNA samples for a so-called "parallel" study by a non-North American research lab. We have about a dozen samples so far, and we are (of course) vetting these samples before accepting them into the study. Guess who provided the first sample -- once again? Biscardi, that's right. Our vetting procedures indicated his sample was likely from a sasquatch (75% certain; we can't do any better than that without first doing DNA sequencing).

For the "Ketchum" study, he also provided the first samples for the currently ongoing project. Out of five samples, only one tested positively certain as being a hominid other than typical modern human or chimp, etc.

Some of the others were not tested; one may also be from a sasquatch; I just don't know, since it was never tested (to my knowledge).

By comparison, Erickson submitted six DNA samples to the "Ketchum" study; I know for a fact that the first two of these were both from "an unknown hominid", as it were. I have also heard the other four were equally viable -- and non-modern human.

The moral of the story is: Some folks do their homework well; some do not. Both manage to contribute to the state-of-the-art come hell or high water.

Richard Stubstad

Dec 28, 2011 12:27:00 PM

You can go to Richard's Website http://www.sciencealivenews.com/

The Pangboche Five: The Shorter Version of the Yeti Finger History

(left to right: Tom Slick, Peter Byrne, Jimmy Stewart, Gloria Stewart, Dr. Osman Hill)

By now you may know the Pangboche finger has been tested and has been declared human based on DNA evidence. This does not make the story behind the retrieval of the Pangboche Yeti Finger any less intriguing. In a nut shell this is how the PangbocheYeti Finger was found, lost and found again.

Tom Slick Finances (1916 – October 6, 1962) A San Antonio, Texas based inventor, businessman, adventurer, and heir to an oil business. Possibly the the model for the Dos Equis "most interesting man in the world" commercials. In 1957 he finances a 3-year American Yeti Expedition led by Peter Byrne.

Peter Byrne Travels

In his own words: "In 1958, the second year of the three year American Yeti expedition...I and my brother Bryan were camped in a meadow close to the temple of Pangboche." 

Peter ended up talking Yeti stuff with a temple custodian and finds out there is a Yeti hand in the temple and is even invited to see it.

Again, in his own words, Peter describes the hand, "The find-of what looked to me like a partially mummified primate hand, black and glistening from the oily smoke of the temple lamps-was very exciting and I immediately sent a runner off to India with a cable to Tom Slick, telling him  about it."

Tom Slick, "Get That Hand!"

Peter Byrne writes he receives word back, "Slick said that it was imperative that we get  the hand and bring it to England, where it could be scientifically examined under controlled conditions. Failing that we should try and get at least one finger and then get it to London where an associate of his, a Dr. Osman Hill, a renowned British primatologist, would examine it and determine its authenticity."

Peter Byrne asks for a Hand-out

I talked with the Nepalese-speaking lama about borrowing the hand for examination and he consulted with the other custodians. The answer was no. The hand must not leave the temple. Taking it from the temple would disturb the local deities and bring bad luck.”

There are two stories how Byrne was able to overcome this hurdle. According to the first version Byrne told decades ago, he solved the problem by getting the monk on duty that night drunk on rum and, when the monk passed out, switching a human fingerbone for one of the bones in the Pangboche Hand. A later story told to Mike Allsop, an adventurer who was interested in the Pangboche Yeti Hand history.

“So I made a  counter proposition, which was that they give me a just one finger and that this would suffice. They all sat down and pondered on this for a couple of days and then agreed to my request if two things were done. One, I would have to replace the finger with another finger. And, two, I would  have to make a substantial contribution towards the upkeep of the temple."

Tom, Peter and Dr. Osman Shake Hands
Peter Byrne goes to London to meet with Tom Slick and Dr Osman to discus the plans for replacing the hand. Peter decribes the luncheon to Allsop, "we discussed a strategy for getting the finger and replacing it with another one. The problem, of course, was getting a replacement. But this was quickly solved by Osman Hill who had brought a human hand with him…which he produced from a brown paper bag..."  Yes, had probably been carrying a human hand in a brown paper bag and brought it to lunch.

>> Fast forward: Peter returns to the Temple and gets the finger

Tom Slick: Give Jimmy Stewart the Finger
In a letter to Mike Allsop, Byrne recalls instructions from Tom Slick to deliver the finger to Jimmy and Gloria Stewart, "“Another cable arrived from Slick and in it was a further instruction…  go to Calcutta, take the finger with you, get there soon, and plan to meet with a Mr. and Mrs. Stewart at the Grand Hotel, on Chowringhee Road;  they will be expecting you and they will take the finger and get it to Osman Hill in London.

“So I hiked down to the border again, took another train to Calcutta, took a taxi to the Grand and booked in. A few hours later I knocked on the door of an upstairs suite and was warmly greeted by the famous and quite delightful Stewarts, Jimmy and Gloria.

“I handed over the finger, after which we had a most enjoyable evening together and a very good dinner at the Grand’s Casanova restaurant.”

The Stewarts as Stewards
The Toronto Sun recaps the tale. "...Gloria Stewart told the story of how she and Jimmy decided to smuggle the finger out of India in her lingerie case. Yes, as well as smuggling antiquities out of sovereign countries, celebrities and other women of a certain social strata used to travel with special baggage for their undies, etc.

As Gloria later told the story, the lingerie case was missing when the Stewarts finally arrived at the Dorchester Hotel in London. A few days later, Her Majesty’s Customs Service contacted the Stewarts to arrange a meeting.

At the appointed time and place, a young Customs official appeared — with Gloria’s lingerie case in hand. After due courtesies, the awe-struck young movie buff gave Gloria the case, shook the Stewarts’ hands and took his leave from the Hollywood royals."

Dr. Osman Hill Primate Authority
The good doctor was a leading authority on primate anatomy during the 20th century. It says so on his wikipedia page.

"William Charles Osman Hill (13 July 1901 – 25 January 1975) was a British anatomist,primatologist, and a leading authority on primate anatomy during the 20th century. He is best known for his nearly completed eight-volume series, Primates: Comparative Anatomy and Taxonomy, which covered all living and extinct primates known at the time in full detail and contained illustrations created by his wife, Yvonne. Schooled at King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys in Birmingham and University of Birmingham, he went on to publish 248 works and accumulated a vast collection of primate specimens that are now stored at the Royal College of Surgeons of England."-- SRC: Wikipedia contributors, "William Charles Osman Hill," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Charles_Osman_Hill&oldid=451353600 (accessed December 28, 2011).

His Findings?
According to a Toronto Sun Article earlier this year:

Maybe yes. Maybe no. But not human. And not ape. Something in between. Osmond Smith’s  first finding was that the finger bones were “hominid” — the broad anthropological category of upright walkers that includes modern humans and Neanderthals. He later refined that verdict to say the sample was a closer match to Neanderthal than modern human.

Don’t forget, this is  back in 1959 and 1960, loooong before DNA testing.

However, another member of Tom Slick’s scientific team, American anthropologist George Agogino, also received a portion on the Pangboche finger. And in 1991, Agogino turned it over to an NBC program called Unsolved Mysteries — and they did tests.

I’m sorry to say nothing conclusive came from these studies either — not human, not ape — but if you don’t have a yeti to compare your sample to, how ya gonna know it’s a yeti?

Unsolved Mysteries
Below is the clip from unsolved nysteries:

To read what happened next and the DNA results check out our post http://www.bigfootlunchclub.com/2011/12/bbc-news-pangboche-finger-is-human-not.html

BBC News: Pangboche Finger is Human, not Yeti

DNA tests support Pangboche finger is human

If you stayed up late last night (or actually early this morning)  you could hear the conclusion of the DNA test on the Pangboche Finger. As we announced yesterday on our post BBC Radio 4: Full Results of Pangboche Yeti Finger Test the Pangboche Finger was an artifact that was stolen from the Pangboche Monastery and believed to belong to a Yeti.

Below is an Excerpt from the a BBC article that followed the broadcast of the Radio show. The article confirms the results that support the finger is, indeed, human.

Yeti expeditionProfessor Hill's notes recorded that the finger had been brought to him by Peter Byrne, a former explorer and mountaineer. 

Mr Byrne is now 85, and living in the United States, I discovered. When he recently visited London, I arranged to meet him. 

He did indeed bring the yeti's finger to London, he explained. His story began in 1958, when he was a member of an expedition sent to the Himalayas, to look for evidence of the legendary Abominable Snowman. 

"We found ourselves one day camped at a temple called Pangboche," Mr Byrne told me. 

Peter Byrne was photographed in 1958/9 with the head lama at Pangboche monastery

"The temple had a number of Sherpa custodians. I heard one of them speaking Nepalese, which I speak.  

"He told me that they had in the temple the hand of a yeti which had been there for many years. 

"It looked like a large human hand. It was covered with crusted black, broken skin. 

"It was very oily from the candles and the oil lamps in the temple. The fingers were hooked and curled." 

"Osmond Hill said, 'You have got to get this hand. We've got to see it. We want to examine it.' But I had already asked the lamas there if I could have the hand and they said no, it would bring bad luck, disaster to the temple if it was taken away."Prof Hill and Mr Slick asked Mr Byrne to go back and at least try to get one finger with permission from the temple's custodians. 

The plan was to replace the missing finger with a human finger. Prof Hill then brought out a brown paper bag and tipped out a human hand onto the table."It was several months old and dried. I never asked him where he got it from."Returning to the temple, he gave a donation in return for the finger, and then wired the human finger onto the relic. 

The expedition sponsor Tom Slick helped ensure the finger would reach London safely with the help of his friend, the Hollywood actor James Stewart and his wife Gloria who were in India at the time. 

They were to meet in the Grand Hotel in Calcutta, said Mr Byrne.Continue reading the main story"They were a little bit worried about customs, so Gloria hid it in her lingerie case and they got out of India no trouble." 

"They arrived at Heathrow, but the lingerie case was missing," 

A few days later, a customs official returned the case to the Hollywood couple, reassuring Gloria that a British customs officer would "never open a lady's lingerie case." 

The finger was handed over to Prof Hill after which, Mr Byrne explained, he lost contact with him. 

DNA testBut could this finger really have come from a yeti? 

The Royal College of Surgeons granted a request for a DNA test to be carried out on a tiny sliver of the finger. 

The finger is of human origin, according to Dr Rob Jones, senior scientist at the Zoological Society of Scotland. 

"We have got a very, very strong match to a number of existing reference sequences on human DNA databases. 

"It's very similar to existing human sequences from China and that region of Asia but we don't have enough resolution to be confident of a racial identification."

Src: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16264752 

Want to listen to the conclusion? Matthew Hill presents Yeti's Finger on BBC Radio 4.  

BBC Radio 4: Full Results of Pangboche Yeti Finger Test

The Yeti' finger, pictured that was displayed at London's Royal College of Surgeons

UPDATE: Click to read the results of the Pangboche Yeti Finger

The Pangboche finger, as you can guess, is part of the Pangboche hand. The hand was one of two artifacts, (the other was a scalp) that were stolen from a Buddhist monastery in Pangboche, Nepal. We have covered multiple stories regarding the Pangboche artifacts in the past.

Loren Coleman, Cryptomundo contributor, is responsible for confirming many of the stories surrounding the Tom Slick expedition that discovered the Pamboche artifacts. 

Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman rediscovered this story while writing Tom Slick's biography in the 1980s. Coleman confirmed details of the incidents with written materials in the Slick archives, interviews with Byrne, and correspondence with Stewart. -- Wikipedia contributors, "Pangboche Hand," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pangboche_Hand&oldid=451541253(accessed December 27, 2011).

You can read some recent news regarding BBC 4's announcement of the Finger DNA at Cryptomundo by Loren Coleman and an excerpt from the Daily News Article. Below is a reprint from the BBC 4 radio show titled "Yeti's Finger"

Pangboche Hand and Skull Cap.

High up a remote Himalayan Mountain in Nepal is a Buddhist monastery. The monks say there is no doubt yeti's roam the high forest, they see and hear them and they sometimes even attack people. The tantalising prospect of being the first to prove that this mythical ape like creature actually exists has been the goal many explorers - but the beast has always evaded capture. Then the discovery of a supposed yeti's hand kept in the monastery set off a remarkable chain of events that drew in a mountain explorer, an American oil tycoon, a Hollywood film star and a high tech lab for forensic science in Scotland. But is it a yeti? 

Some people will go to extraordinary lengths to be the first. Tom Slick, an American oil tycoon, had the money and the desire to try to prove that yetis really do exist. He used his vast wealth to mount expeditions, sending off climber and explorer Peter Byrne into the most remote areas of the Himalayas to follow any leads he came across, and one seemed worth investigating further - a hand of a "yeti" in Pangboche monastery in Nepal. Byrne did a deal with the monks and replaced one finger of the hand with a human finger and arranged to have the yeti finger smuggled back to London. 

How the finger actually reached London is a most bizarre tale that involved Hollywood film star James Stewart concealing it in his wife's lingerie case. And then the trail went cold. Slick died, Byrne went onto other things and the finger was lost to the world until it was found by chance in a forgotten collection of curiosities in the Royal College of Surgeons in London. New scientific techniques are now applied to see if the yeti's finger really is what it claims to be - or if not - what on earth has a finger like that? 

Presenter: Matthew Hill
Producer: Mary Colwell
Editor: Julian Hector 

You can catch Loren's Take at Cryptomundo
Read the history of The Pangboche Finger at Daily Mail
Listen to The results at BBC 4

Robert Lindsay Gives Biscardi Benefit of the Doubt

Robert Lindsay of robertlindsay.wordpress.com/

"I do not believe that Biscardi is a hoaxer. He’s simply a guy with an average IQ who has a very strong need to believe in things who gets taken for a ride a lot by hoaxers or folks who just don’t have anything." --Robert Lindsay

While we wholeheartedly disagree with Robert Lindsay's assessment of Tom Biscardi he does have some updates on the Bigfoot DNA research from the perspective of Richard Stubstad. They were both interviewed by Biscardi on his radio show last night (11/30/2011)

Our disagreement with Robert Lindsay begins with the assessment of Biscardi's intelligence. We happen to think Biscardi is more clever than Lindsay gives him credit for. True, if Biscardi was of average IQ, it would be a good argument why he has been "hoaxed" himself so many times. It may even provide reason why Biscardi chooses not to look before he leaps when he sensationalizes his newest evidence.

We can debate whether or not Biscardi is a hoaxer or not. We can debate whether he was the victim of hoaxes or not. We can even debate whether Biscardi is clever or of average IQ.

What is not debatable; Biscardi does not verify his own evidence before writing a press release. Not only does this imply that he doesn’t do his homework very well, it also implies that getting attention may be more important then the research.

In our previous post "Finally! A Journalist Does Real Research on Tom Biscardi" Paul Gackle of the San Francisco Examiner two of Biscardi's biggest flops.

"This isn’t the first time Biscardi has been accused of plotting a hoax. In 2005, he went on the radio show “Coast to Coast AM” claiming he knew the location of a captured Bigfoot close to the Oregon border and would air footage online via webcam for a small fee. But on the day footage was slated to be released, he said he’d been “hoodwinked” by a woman in Nevada.

Then in 2008, Biscardi held a news conference in Palo Alto with two Georgia men who claimed they were holding a Bigfoot carcass in their freezer. Biscardi confirmed the creature’s authenticity, saying he had measured its feet and touched its intestines. But soon after, the Georgia men admitted the pictures were nothing more than a Halloween costume stuffed with animal parts."
SRC: San Francisco Examiner

We are still big fans of Robert Lindsay, he does his research, digs deep and has provided the Bigfoot community with lots of food for thought. We just think he's being too generous.

Below is a short excerpt from Robert Lindsay's post describing Biscardi as instrumental in the early days of the DNA project of Dr. Melba Ketchum.

Ketchum needed people to run samples to her and all of the blowhard lions of the scene refused to lift a finger. Only Tom Biscardi would step to the plate. Let’s give credit where it’s due.

Offer to buy the Sierra Kills Bigfoot steak. As we reported earlier, Justin Smeja’s Bigfoot steak from the Sierra Kills is up for sale. Asking price was $10,000. On the show, Biscardi upped the offer to $50,000, with money to go into an escrow account and money transfer to occur upon proof that the steak is what Smeja says it is.

Bloody clothes from the Sierra Kills. Smeja has agreed with us that the juvenile Bigfoot died in his arms. That’s a very strange thing to do to a wild animal. Hunters don’t cradle their dying prey. But I feel that this thing may have looked so human that it brought out Smeja’s compassionate or guilty instincts. This is why he cradled it in his arms as it passed. As a consequence, Smeja got Bigfoot blood on his clothes. These bloody clothes are in storage at the moment, and they may have Bigfoot DNA on them.

Ketchum and Biscardi. In the early days, when Stubstad and I broke this story, Ketchum made a brief appearance on the scene to attempt to shoot the messenger. She said that Richard’s samples were “not useful to the study.”

We do not believe this is a truthful statement. Instead, we believe that the Four Corners toenail and the blood on the plate from Crittenden, Kentucky tested positive for Bigfoot in repeated tests. In addition, Ketchum attempted to trash Stubstad by saying that the samples came from Biscardi. In doing so, it appeared that Ketchum held Biscardi in disdain.

However, the truth is more complex. We actually don’t report much on personal relationships here other than some fancy wording that you can take however you wish. But if two adults, male and female, have a good platonic friendship, we don’t see why we should not report on that. And Ketchum and Biscardi were close friends at one point. I would urge you not to read anything more into that.

The friendship ended rather abruptly. I am happy that Ketchum and Biscardi had a good friendship, and I am sorry it ended on a sour note. Indeed, Biscardi can be a charming fellow. At any rate, Ketchum trashing Biscardi as persona non grata is rather rich considering he was such a good friend at one point.
SRC: Robert Lindsay

Robert Gray Middle School does Bigfoot Comedy

Ian Sloan (standing) and, from left, Gwyneth Bushman, Max Fawcett and Nicole Panet-Raymond star in Robert Gray’s production of “North Woods Nonsense.”
CLAIRE OLIVER / SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CONNECTION)

The very School that Bigfoot researcher Thom Powell teaches at will be performing a Bigfoot Comedy.

'North Woods Nonsense'
RGMS theater department presents upbeat, family comedy as its winter production
BY CLAIRE OLIVER

The Southwest Community Connection, Dec 1, 2011
HILLSDALE – Southwest Portlanders have the chance to catch a glimpse of Bigfoot in this neck of the woods, when Robert Gray Middle School’s theater department presents its production of “North Woods Nonsense,” a comedy by Andrew Ross, starting Dec. 1.

The action in this witty, upbeat comedy centers around the lobby of the rundown Lost Loon Hotel at Moose Bottom Lake, where handyman Pete has written a fictional story about Bigfoot kidnapping a local resident that ends up being published in a national tabloid.

People from all over nevertheless take the account as true and come to the hotel to search for Sasquatch on their own.

This sighting also provides the perfect excuse for Birch and Pine, assistants to inept congressman Oakley, to suggest a trip to the hotel to keep him out of the public eye. The pair is trying to keep Oakley, who is head of Congress’ parks committee, from speaking in public to prevent him from sharing his ideas of turning the Grand Canyon into a giant lake, building a mall at Yellowstone and building condos at Mount Rushmore.

Hilarity ensues with the convergence of the Bigfoot enthusiasts and the reporters hot on Oakley’s trail.

“It’s an amazingly fantabulous blow-you-away comedy the whole family would love,” said eighth-grader Ian Sloan, who plays Rep. Oakley.

Cast members said they’ve all had fun embodying their characters.

“I feel like my character is some part of me,” said eighth-grader Nicole Panet-Raymond, one of the sisters who manages the Lost Loon Hotel.

“I love my character because I get to scream a lot,” said eighth-grader Gwyneth Bushman, who play’s Panet-Raymond’s eclectic sister.
The cast has been rehearsing together since the second week of school, and its members said the group is now like a giant family.

“There’s a lot of love, and it’s a lot of fun,” Sloan said.

“Because we’ve created such a collaboration, it’s amazing to see it come together on stage as well,” Director Jules Moorhouse said. “It’s a great family show.”

“North Woods Nonsense” will open Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. on the school’s stage, located at 5505 S.W. 23rd Ave., and will continue Dec. 2 and 9 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.

Tickets cost $5 for students and $7 for adults and are available at the door or online through www.graypta.org. The theater and box office will open 30 minutes prior to each performance. All money raised through ticket and concession sales will support the Robert Gray PTA Theater Program.

Bigfoot takes to stage, page
Bigfoot isn’t just making an appearance on Robert Gray’s stage.

Thom Powell, a science teacher at the school, published his second book, “Shady Neighbors,” earlier this year, and the sasquatch mystery is the novel’s central theme.

Combining Bigfoot and baseball, the novel follows a rural family threatened by the imminent development of its land, according to the book’s description on Amazon.com. When the family begins to notice strange occurrences in the area caused by an unknown force, they must learn to work together with that force for the greater good.

“Shady Neighbors” is available for purchase on Amazon. Powell’s first book, “The Locals, a Contemporary Investigation of the Bigfoot/Sasquatch Phenomenon,” is a nonfiction investigation of the sasquatch legend. It is also available online.

For more information, visit www.shady-neighbors.com.
SRC: The Southwest Community Connection

The Most Refreshing Bigfoot Research

BLC Editor Guy Edwards (left) doing his best impression of Bigfoot bLog editor Steven Streufert (right) Photo: Tom Yamarone

"...I HAVE been thinking how nice it would be to get my nose out of the old Bluff Creek topo maps, and start thinking about and blogging on new topics. That IS coming up, so watch out. I am going to take on the entire world of Bigfooting, and some of it won't be too pretty."
-- Steven Streufert in reaction to his post

Everything that we felt had been missing in bigfoot research can be found today at Bigfoot's bLog. We recomend you go back to the previous sentence and click that link, read the post and come back here. Don't worry the link will open a new window and we will be here when you get back.

Why do we love the research by Robert Leiterman, Steven Streufert, Rowdy Kelly? because its thoroughly tangible, inclusive and open to review.

THOROUGHLY TANGIBLE
This is research you can almost touch and feel. All the different overlapping maps, photographs and illustrations make the data approachable from multiple angles. The physicality of the bluff creek area feels almost with in reach.

INCLUSIVE
Anybody who's been in the community knows most of the research is exclusive. Information is not easily shared between camps, and more often than not, ideas compete against each other instead of shaping each other. This usually results in a slow roll out of any conclusion (like the recent DNA stuff) or ideological mudslinging from differing camps.

On Streufert's blog, in additional to his teams own fieldwork, he includes others who have researched Bluff Creek in great detail MK Davis and Bill Munns weaving a pretty good tapestry of what we can know about bluff creek.

OPEN TO REVIEW
Another obstruction in Bigfoot research is the ownership issue. Some are possessive over their research, Streufert and the rest throw it all out there. They don't hold on to bits and pieces and tease it out. They share enough information so we can explore the data ourselves. The maps and illustrations are extremely detailed.

For you long-time fans it wouldn't surprise you Bigfoot Lunch Club would have such high praise for this new Bluff Creek research. Inclusiveness is in our editorial DNA.

Bigfoot Lunch Club salutes Robert Leiterman, Steven Streufert, Rowdy Kelly. For giving us something we can dig our teeth into. This is how the community should be sharing research, this is how the community should be sharing each others data.

The Hydra of Bigfoot DNA research

In Greek Mythology the Hydra was a creature that had multiple heads, each of which, if cut off, grew back as two. We couldn't think of a better fitting analogy for the recent Bigfoot DNA research.

Many folks have tried to define Bigfoot DNA via hair samples, saliva, scat, etc. The DNA research was mostly being done by universities and other facilities that were presented with the evidence, but not really interested in the saquatch phenomena as a whole.

The Erickson Project was a means to get serious about Bigfoot evidence and DNA in particular. Melba Ketchum, a DNA expert, joined the team and eventually a statistician named Richard Stubstad. At one point they were working for the same team, but now they seem to be going in different directions like the many haeads of a hydra. recently there have been a few updates to what Melba and Richard have been up to.

Melba Ketchum is currently the highest profile person working to define Bigfoot DNA. She studied at Texas A&M University where she received her doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. In 1985 she founded DNA Diagnostics, a self-described leader in all types of DNA testing including: human and animal forensics, human and animal paternity and parentage testing, disease diagnostics, trait tests, animal and human identity testing, species identification and sex determination.

In recent news Melba Ketchum, the current queen of Sasquatch DNA research, has announced that the presentation of her research has taken longer than expected and has "assembled a renowned team, each of us with our own specialties."

You can read her full statement below:

Ok, for the sake of time ( and I hope all of you understand), I will answer everyone publicly here. I keep getting a lot of emails from everyone wanting to know the status of the project. Though I cannot give details or timing, I will assure everyone that all is well and we are continuing to move forward.

Good science cannot be forced or quickly completed. If it is not extremely thorough, then it will all be for naught and any paper rejected outright. So, I ask you to be patient and understanding and realize that extreme scientific overkill is required in order to convince a world full of skeptical scientists. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof". This is what we are doing. When we started this, I thought we would be finished in a few weeks, but instead as Sasquatch are known to do, they threw us curve balls even with their DNA which can be as elusive as they are. Thank goodness we are past that! As a result, we have assembled a renowned team, each of us with our own specialties to make this project "extraordinary".

If everyone will hang in there, I promise it will be worth the wait. We have the proof, now just give us the opportunity to present it in a form that will even convince skeptics. Thanks so much for all of your emails and support. Best wishes to all.

Richard Stubstad is a Registered Civil Engineer and Statistician who graduated from U.C. Berkeley (MSCE) in 1969.Within a few months, Richard made contact with Adrian Erikson, Robert Schmalzbach (“Java Bob”), Shannon Sylvia and Dr. Melba Ketchum, among others, and initiated the mitochondrial sequencing of several purported sasquatch samples through Dr. Ketchum’s DNA diagnostics laboratory in Texas.

According to Mike Rugg, owner of the Bigfoot Discovery Museum in the video below Richard Stubstad has begun his own independent Bigfoot DNA research.

Kentucky Bigfoot Research Group is in the News

An amateur sketch of Bigfoot drawn by a Bullitt County witness, courtesy of kentuckybigfoot.com

"Some people report tracks; (Bigfoot) are opportunistic, so they will go through trash. If you have fruit trees, they’ll eat the fruit off of them..." -- Charlie Raymond

If you ever wondered why it says "for charlie" on the Bigfoot Lunch Club banner next to the foot of the sasquatch, it's for Charlie Raymond, lead investigator of Kentucky Bigfoot Research Group. He didn't like the placement of the big toe, so we had our artist fix it.

We were smart enough to listen to Charlie, because he's doing great research in Kentucky and fortunately his local media has been listening to him too.

The Pioneer News was founded in 1882 and covers Bullitt County, one of the fastest growwing counties in Kentucky. Read the article below as they lead up to Charlie's expertise regarding the Kentucky Bigfoot.

Bigfoot in Bullitt County?
Louisville man on hunt to track down sightings throughout state
By Alex Wimsatt

Monday, October 31, 2011 at 9:36 am (Updated: October 31, 11:00 am)MOUNT WASHINGTON – Mount Washington residents Jim and Darlene Howard recently noticed something unusual when they walked along their property off Bardstown Road.

Roughly half an acre of land beside their home had been ravaged by someone or something and neither could say what.

The earth beneath the ground was exposed in hundreds of spots, indicating that the turf had been pulled back, but there were no clear signs of animal presence.

“We’ve lived here 40 years and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Darlene Howard said.

Curious about the mysterious phenomenon, the Howards asked folks around town what could have lifted the sod.

Some speculated it was deer foraging for salt or raccoons rummaging for bugs. Darlene Howard said someone joked that it might have been a Kentucky Yeti or Sasquatch, more commonly known as Bigfoot.

While the Howards scoffed the notion that Bigfoot had tore up their yard, Louisville Bigfoot investigator Charlie Raymond said it’s not impossible to think the legendary creature could be lurking around Bullitt County.

Raymond, who works as a fulltime teacher in Louisville, is the lead investigator and founder of the Louisville-based, non-profit Kentucky Bigfoot Research Group and kentuckybigfoot.com.

For the past 20 years, Raymond has tracked Sasquatch sightings around the state.

Raymond said it’s unlikely Bigfoot uprooted the Howards’ grass because it’s not typical behavior, but he did say he’s received at least 15 reports of sightings in Bullitt and Jefferson Counties in recent years.

Raymond said most of the Bigfoot sightings occurred around the Jefferson Memorial Forest in northwestern Bullitt County and Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in the southeastern part of the county.

All in all, Raymond said nearly 200 sightings were reported to the Kentucky Bigfoot Research Group from around the state, though most of them aren’t posted on the organization’s website for confidentiality purposes.

“People say they see them cross the road late at night…A few hunters have reported sightings and some people will see them in their back yards,” Raymond said.

He said people are often in disbelief when they describe their encounters, adding that many don’t report sightings for fear of ridicule.

Nevertheless, he said many of the eyewitness accounts he’s heard fit the same description.

Raymond said Bigfoot are bipedal and typically have reddish brown hair. He said they stand erect, towering seven-feet tall or higher and they inhabit heavily wooded areas.

Bigfoot are thought to be shy, timid creatures that feed on fruit, nuts and deer, Raymond said.

Hair samples thought to belong to Sasquatch have been collected around the world, and while Raymond said it’s difficult to sequence Bigfoot DNA, he said there are scientists close to legitimizing their existence using DNA research.

What are some tell tale signs of Bigfoot?: Raymond said their vocalizations are unmistakable.

“People who have heard them say it’s like nothing they ever heard before…wild unrecognizable screams,” he said, adding Bigfoot have also been reported knocking sticks against trees and making “whoop” sounds to communicate.

Smells described by witnesses have ranged from rotten garbage and methane to wet dog.

“Some people report tracks; (Bigfoot) are opportunistic, so they will go through trash. If you have fruit trees, they’ll eat the fruit off of them,” he said.

Raymond said people in nearly every state report sightings on a regular basis. The quest for Sasquatch has become so widespread; the Animal Planet channel even has a program called “Finding Bigfoot.”

As a matter of fact, Raymond recently visited Renfro Valley in southeast Kentucky, where he participated in a Bigfoot forum with the cast of “Finding Bigfoot.”

For anyone who would like to report a Bigfoot sighting, Raymond asked that they contact him through his website, kentuckybigfoot.com.

As for the Howards, they’re still not sure what’s been tearing up their yard, but Jim Howard said he’s inclined to believe raccoons might be the culprit.

SRC: The Pioneer News

Michigan Bigfoot Prefers Blueberry Bagels

This is a hodgepodge of several Sasquatch news items from the Discovery News Website. It has some updates from the Siberian Yeti, quotes from Jeff Meldrum and opinions from Loren Coleman and a Michigan story of habituation where a women claims to be feeding a family of Bigfoot.

Yes this story is all over the place, but it has a few updates of the Siberian Yeti Expedition.

NEW BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS: PROOF STILL LACKING
A Michigan woman says she feeds a bigfoot family blueberry bagels; others say a "snowman" roams Siberia.

By Eric Niiler

There are new claims of bigfoot encounters -- in Siberia and rural Michigan -- that will likely add to the debate over whether the creatures really exist, although neither holds the smoking gun of a photograph, tissue sample or other scientific evidence.

A group of Russians claim a living "snowman" roams the cold Shoria Mountain area of southern Siberia. Meanwhile a woman in Newaygo County, Mich., told Discovery News that she has been interacting with and actually feeding a large family of close to 10 Bigfoot-like creatures who live in the woods near her home for the past two years.

"They get fish every day, a bucket of fruit, a bucket of dry dog food," said Robin Lynn Pfeifer, a 47-year-old resident of Newaygo County, north of Grand Rapids. "Their favorite thing is blueberry bagels. If I'm not baking them, I go to different stores to buy them. I tell them they are feeding the wildlife."

She said she has collected casts of many large footprints, but says the creatures are too shy and too clever for her to get a photograph. She describes the Bigfoots as ranging from six to nine feet tall and looking like humans, except for hairy coats and broad noses.

"The biggest one I've sat and looked at for 15 minutes was nine and a half feet tall," Pfeifer told Discovery News. "The large male is all black. Others are beige and white. The biggest footprint is 18 and a half inches long."

Skeptics say that big claims need big proof, and so far that hasn't happened when it comes to Bigfoot. Natural history and evolutionary scientists also ask how these creatures could have survived for so long without being detected, and where the evidence is of their body or bones or DNA.

Loren Coleman directs the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine and has been studying and writing about strange sightings of creatures for several decades. He says he's skeptical of anyone who comes forward with tales of lengthy Bigfoot encounters without providing serious evidence.

"All the Bigfoot contactees -- for some reason they never take photographs," Coleman said. "There's a lot of interest in finding these things, but we have to look of the credibility of the people feeding us the stories. I'm always careful of two kinds of people, the debunkers who have no interest and the true believers who will not bring any critical thinking."

Coleman said he hasn't met with Pfeifer, but is doubtful, comparing her story to people who meet with aliens from UFOs.

"They really believe they are having these experiences," Coleman said. "I don't know if its hallucinations or a psychological state."

Pfeifer, however, is convinced her encounters are real and she said she realizes that most people will not believe her because of the lack of proof, such as scat, hair, tissue or a good photograph.

She says the Bigfoot clan began visiting her home shortly after she and her husband and three children moved into a 10-acre rural property back in November 2009. The creatures also engage in some unusual behaviors, she said. Sometimes they make knocking sounds underneath the family home's crawl space, twist and braid a rope used to tie the family's pony, or construct elaborate stick structures in the woods.

Pfeifer said she's tried to snap their picture, but she has not been successful. When she set up automatic cameras in the trees near her home, the creatures turned them upside down.

"I want people to realize that they do exist," Pfeifer said. "They are not aggressive, they are more human-like than an ape and I'm very protective of them."

Michigan has a history of Bigfoot sightings -- and a network of residents who post their findings on a website.

Pfeifer has been traveling in Russia to meet with other Bigfoot believers -- scientists and amateurs alike -- who gathered in the Kemerovo region recently to talk about the existence of a Russian "snowman" in the cold Shoria Mountain area of southern Siberia.

Igor Burtsev of the Moscow-based International Center of Hominology said that after the meeting, researchers from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Estonia traveled for two days to an area that has reported sightings of a large, Yeti-like creature.

Burtsev said he is 95 percent positive that he has evidence to prove the creature's existence: some hair found near a cave entrance, grasses made into a bed, large footprints, and tree branches that form a certain pattern.

"We were just two days in the forest and we found many things," Burtsev said. "We found a lot of confirmation that they exist there."

Burtsev said that he visited Pfeifer's home for a week in June but did not see any of the Bigfoot creatures. The next step, Pfeifer said, is to record the creatures' unusual vocal sounds.

Jeff Meldrum, professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University, was at the meetings in Russia and has been sifting through the various claims about both the Russian Yeti in southern Siberia and Pfeifer's story of a Michigan Bigfoot.

"There's no substance to any of her claims," said Meldrum, who is an expert in the evolution of early hominid gait. "If there were 10 to 12 around her home, she should be opening up a museum with all the artifacts."

Meldrum also has questions about what Burtsev presented during the two-day trip to the cave in the Kemerovo region. He says when the group of scientists entered the cave, there were several large footprints along the muddy floor, but strangely enough, they were only imprints of right feet.


(Image provided by Jeff Meldrum)

"He must have been playing hopscotch," Meldrum quipped.

Meldrum says that while he's doubtful about the evidence for this particular creature, he is keeping an open mind when it comes to the possibility of a new species of hominid that could be alive today.

He points out that German scientists found finger bones from a new species of human ancestor known as Denisova hominin that co-existed with both humans and Neanderthals only 30,000 years ago.

That research was published last year in the journal Nature, using DNA sequencing to verify its age and identity. The cave where Denisova was found is 35 miles from the site where Meldrum and the other researchers were taken on their field trip.

SRC: Discovery News