Artifacts

More on Johor vs Yeti Casts

Above is the December 1, 2007, image of a “Yeti footcast” from Nepal. While it is unique, it does overtly resemble the Orang Dalam footcast that Josh Gates recovered from Malaysia in 2006. The Group API decided to more closely compare what they saw as an uncritical examination of the Johor footcasts. Below are their images compared to the actual photographs of the footprints and their analysis. Rhino feet. Elephant feet. Perhaps a close up of the toe imprints of the alleged Bigfoot print might shed further light. Josh Gates seen here carrying his Bigfoot print cast. Notice the peculiar [...]

MonsterQuest: Mutant Canines

In the summer of 2006, during the investigation of the “dead animal on the Turner road,” which was blamed for the killings and injuries to dogs and livestock in central Maine for the last decade, an interesting piece of evidence turned up missing. It was the mystery creature’s skull (above). Having the skull would have clearly told us the animal was a dog, without going through all the DNA testing. Now the skull has surfaced again for television. The carcass that Mark LaFlamme and I examined (below) only a few days after its discovery was headless. But we knew the [...]

Photo Truth: Is That A Yeti Cast?

The above photograph was published and broadcast worldwide on December 1, 2007. It allegedly shows “Destination: Truth” TV host Josh Gates displaying a sample cast of what was said to be a footprint found in Nepal’s Khumbu region. Gates talked to Asian reporters in Katmandu on Friday, November 30, 2007, about his find and the above photo was published with the story. The cast was labeled, therefore, by the media as that of a “probable Yeti.” I want to go on the record to say this looks like and may be a stock photograph of the alleged footprint cast that [...]

Cryptozoology in New York City

A week from today, on Saturday, December 1, 2007, I will be giving my talk, “Introduction to Cryptozoology,” at 1:00 PM, at the American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York, in conjunction with their current exhibition, Mythic Creatures. I look forward to meeting many of you who plan to attend. I won’t be able to sell any books there, of course. However, I understand the AMNH museum shop is carrying copies of Cryptozoology A to Z (NY: Simon and Schuster, 1999). I will be happy to sign your personal copies of that book or any you might [...]

Hobbits Foe Teuku Jacob Has Died

I have learned, belatedly, of the death a month ago of the major critic of the separate uniqueness of the Homo floresiensis species. Professor Teuku Jacob (December 6, 1929 – October 17, 2007) of the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Java, has died. One of the main arguments from Homo floresiensis debunker Teuku Jacob had been that the little people were merely representatives of the local people and/or microcephalics in the local population. Jacob came under fire during the debate for his mishandling of the fossils when they were loaned to him. Professor Teuku Jacob not only allegedly destroyed some [...]

Doctoral Pupil & Darren Discover Dino

A dino in the dungeon? This is more big news from the forgotten basements one finds in museums, the hidden vaults and dingy dungeons that delight those that look in them. What was discovered?: Merely a brand new dinosaur. It will forever be known as Xenoposeidon proneneukos Taylor & Naish, 2007. Congratulations to our buddy Darren Naish and his student. Doctoral pupil Mike Taylor (above and below with the fossil specimen) and Darren Naish, Ph. D., have identified this dinosaur bone in the National History Museum of London’s collection as belonging to a new family of sauropod dinosaur. Darren Naish, [...]