Bigfoot Fans: 20 blogs for primatology students

Yes yes, coming right up! We wouldn't be true to ourselves, if we didn't provide some primatology sources once in a while. We love primatology and believe if you are interested in Sasquatch you should also be interested in primatology.

Why is primatology so important? Besides learning what a midtarsal break is? Primatology also includes other disciplines such as biology, anthropology, morphology and even understanding the social mind of primates.

So the list below is a unique list. It is a top 20 blogs for primatology students, provided by toponlinecolleges.com. How do we know its a good list? Because right at the top is our very favorite, Primatology.net. If you don't check out every blog on the list, we believe Primatology.net is essential.

1. Primatology.net: This stripped-down WordPress blog is low on frills but high on great content, including the latest news on animal discoveries and primate study centers. (This post about a study comparing ape behavior in the exhibit and holding areas of a zoo is a great example.) Definitely a source to bookmark.
   
   
2. Afarensis: Anthropology, Evolution, and Science: Taking the title and mock persona of a hominid that lived millions of years ago, Afarensis offers bite-sized but invaluable blurbs and links to major primatology news as well as other sharp bloggers in the field. Tons of archives and a deep blogroll make it a worthy read.
   
   
3. Primate Freedom: Fantastically detailed posts offering context and history for primate news, especially relating to cruel lab tests. One of the smarest ways to stay informed.
   
   
4. DNApes: DNApes, given their title, isn't one to shy away from mixing humor with primatology. (The picture on their Facebook page speaks volumes.) They post a variety of news articles and video links, with the occasional joke or fake story thrown in for good measure. Lighthearted but never dumb.
   
   
5. MonkeyWatch: MonkeyWatch is basically like having an RSS feed for primate news. The posts usually don't have a lot of additional writing beyond a summary and link out, but the news being reported is still perfect for primatology students. Basic but very helpful.
   
   
6. The Prancing Papio: Raymond Ho started this blog when he was an undergraduate getting a bachelor's degree in anthropology. Now a graduate and devoted primatologist, he continues to write with informed and strong opinions about animal news and research.
   
   
7. Savage Minds: Savage Minds is great for students because it's a collective blog authored by Ph.D. candidates and professors with the goal of exploring anthropology (including primatology) and making it a lot easier to digest for broad audiences. Their news and opinion pieces are mixed with lighter fare like best of the web round-ups.
   
   
8. Your Inner Bonobo: Bonobo Handshake author Vanessa Woods runs this blog as part of the Psychology Today brand, and she focuses on chimp news from around the world.
   
   
9. Bone Girl: Kristina Killgrove ranges far and wide in her blog — as a physical anthropologist, she's into the Fox series Bones — but she also touches on primate issues with skill and intelligence.
   
   
10. Barbara J. King: Barbara King, the Chancellor Professor of Anthropology at the College of William & Mary, has studied apes across Africa and the United States and holds multiple degrees in anthropology. Basically, she knows what she's saying, and if you know what's good, you'll read.
    
    
11. Beast Ape and the Bleeding Heart Baboons: Run by an anonymous doctoral student in the midwest, this blog is devoted to behavioral biology and all that entails, including primatology and psychology.
    
    
12. A Primate of Modern Aspect: Another anonymously run blog by a graduate student from the Great Lakes region (there must be hell to pay for mouthing off against fellow academics online), this site offers incisive breakdowns of current primate research as well as entertaining observations on the life of a grad student.
    
    
13. John Hawks Weblog: Paleoanthropology, Genetics, and Evolution: Anthropologist John Hawks teaches at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and blogs about everything from early man to monkey behavior. A wide-ranging but always entertaining blog from one of the most committed bloggers in the field.
    
    
14. Spider Monkey Tales: Although not updated quite as frequently as some others, Spider Monkey Tales makes up for that by offering great insights and images from monkey research in the field. A great way for students to get a grasp on what the life is like.
    
    
15. This Is Serious Monkey Business: Blogging from a university anthropology department, this writer is a self-proclaimed "budding primatologist" whose posts focus on monkey life, culture, and research. Always loads of solid info.
    
    
16. The Monkey Matters Blog: Blogger Kenny Chiou is a researcher and field biologist with a passion for primate evolution. His blog and the archives provide a fascinating firsthand look at what it's like to study primates in their natural habitats and learn from their lives.
    
    
17. Neighbor Ape: Jill Pruetz writes from Senegal, on the western coast of Africa, with the goal of raising awareness about chimpanzees there and raising money to save them. It also covers charity work aimed at locals.
    
    
18. Beyond Bones: Run by the Houston Museum of Natural Science, this insightful blog covers history and culture from an anthropological perspective.
    
    
19. Nature Alert: The giant banner says it all: "Dedicated to helping save orangutans and their forest homes." Some of the news reports about abused or slaughtered animals are heartbreaking, but that dedication to exposing and ending cruelty is precisely what makes this blog such a necessary read.
    
    
20. Great Apes Blog: Hosted by National Geographic, this blog offers news and insights from field conservationists working throughout Asia and Africa to preserve great apes. A fantastic global perspective on the plight of primates.

You Might Also Like
Amateur Primatology is Bigfooting
Paleoanthropology Meets Primatology

External Links
Primatology.net
Src: 20 Best Blogs for Primatology Students

Famous science writer steps all over rumors about Bigfoot

More Bigfoot news from China's Global Times. Now, the article doesn't go far enough explaining who the famous science writer is. They tell us his name, Fang Zhouzi, but not much more. First off, his opinion is significant, he has a huge international reputation and is well respected in academic circles for exposing the scientific and academic fraud of China's higher education system. He has a Ph.D in Biochemistry. And he doubts Bigfoot.

Why would he feel the need to try and rain on our parade? We have no idea. It could be due to the latest press attention of the Shennongjia Nature Reserve in Hubei, a known Sasquatch hotspot. It could be the latest $1.5 million endeavor to discover Sasquatch by Hubei Wild Man Research Association. He might be trying to promote another book. Who knows?

While we may not know his motives, we can read his arguments in the reprinted article below.

Famous science writer steps all over rumors about Bigfoot
Global Times (China) -- Well-known Chinese science writer Fang Zhouzi, who developed a reputation for exposing academic fraud, insisted that Wildman (Bigfoot) is a figment of people's imagination even as an organization in Hubei Province prepares to hunt for the mysterious half-human, half-ape creature.

In an article titled "Wild Man in Shennongjia? How Come There Is Not a Tooth Left?" published on the Beijing-based China Youth Daily Wednesday, Fang said the chance of Bigfoot's existence is next to zero and certain evidence associated with his existence are not "convincing."

Fang's assertions came two months after the Hubei Wild Man Research Association said that they would launch a 10-million-yuan ($1.5 million) campaign to search for the creature, although the project was postponed "indefinitely" due to a lack of financial support, Wang Shancai, head of the association, told the Global Times.

The Shennongjia Nature Reserve in Hubei has long been rumored to be home of the elusive Bigfoot. Wang said some hairs found there were more advanced than apes' hair and they were tested by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

It was reported that more than 400 people said they saw Bigfoot in the Shennongjia area in the last 100 years including villagers, reporters and explorers, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

However, Fang insisted that those evidence are scanty.

Fang argued that no fossils of Bigfoot have been discovered. "There is not a single tooth left, how do you expect people to believe it?" Fang said.

He said that by examining DNA extracted from the remaining cells in the root of hair, it is possible to determine the species of the hair. However, Fang said that since all the hairs discovered so far do not have roots, it is impossible to make such a conclusion.

"It's absolutely not necessary to conduct such scientific research in the first place, which is a waste of time and money," Fang told the Global Times. He said the expedition was a ploy to attract tourists.

In response to the accusation that Fang is not an expert, he said he studied biology and has a say on this matter.

You May Also Like
Wild Man Hair Investigated
Chinese Scientist Look for Bigfoot
400sq Mile Yeti Preserve in India

External Links
Src: Global Times

Behind the Scenes with Bob Saget and Craig Flipy

Many of you may have seen the new Bob Saget show called Strange Days, in particular, you may have seen the episode where he went squatchin' with Bigfoot hunters. The episode was aptly titled "Let's go Squatching."

One of the largest break-out personalities was Bigfoot phenom Craig Flipy. And yes, we mean phenom. This young prodigal man has somehow reinvented what sasquatching is all about, incorporating ninjitsu and bushcrafting. We are not joking and neither is he. See the audition tape below.



That video led to this...



Sure Craig is funny, witty, but most of all he is inspiring. After reading Ivan T Sanderson, he buys a moped from an ex-girlfriend and goes on a lone interstate adventure traveling 3000 miles in search of Sasquatch. You can read the whole 9-part adventure starting here



Theres more than one reason to watch for Craig Flipy, as entertaining as he is, he represents the newest generation of squatchers; un-jaded adventurers who's journey towards finding Sasquatch is just as important as the destination.

Learn More About Craig
CrappyLittleDreams.com -- The portal to all things Flipy
The 9-part Moped Story -- It will inspire you
Craig's Personal Blog -- Bushwhacking and Bob Saget

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Our First Review of Craig Flipy
Our coverage of Strange Days
A September Squatch with Craig and Cliff