Cryptozoology

“Feathered” Dinosaur Was Bald

A close-up view of the head and neck of a 120-million-year-old Sinosauropteryx fossil (top) shows imprints around the body that have long been believed to be early versions of feathers. Recent analysis – (this news is a year old but what has become of this?) – of another fossil of this turkey-size dino species (model at bottom) concludes that the features are actually the remains of collagen fibers and that the dinosaur was bald. The work casts a shadow on the popular theory that Sinosauropteryx and other members of the dinosaur group known as therapods are the ancestors of modern [...]

Yeren Steals Beer

Cryptomundo correspondent Adam Campbell sends along this sighting of a Yeren: I saw a Yeren between Guilin and Kunming in China, in October 1995. I was on a train travelling at night at about 20 mph when the Yeren put it’s hand through the window and grabbed a bottle of beer off the table next to the window. We heard the bottle smash about 10 seconds later. Four of us saw it of which one [of the eyewitnesses] was Chinese; he kept shouting “Yeren! Yeren!” The Yeren had very long thin fingers covered in gingery auburn hair. We assume that [...]

Hillary’s Yeti Debunking Lives On

Sir Edmund Hillary recently died, and yet his legacy of Yeti debunking continues onward, even now through his associates. The Telegraph of Calcutta, India has published a subtle little article recalling in glowing terms Hillary’s damaging Yeti investigations, which were set up skeptically, versus open-mindedly, from the very start. In the article, “Climber recalls days with Edmund, hunting for Yeti,” the Telegraph’s correspondent writes of one man who was on the trek: Nearly half-a-century ago, Bhanu Banerjee accompanied legendary climber Edmund Hillary to a Himalayan expedition in pursuit of the Abominable Snowman and came back with some incredible memories. “Every [...]

Orange Raccoons, Dover Demons & Green Eyes

It’s been called an “orange,” a “blond,” and a “red” raccoon. Certainly, it is a rare color phase of a common raccoon that was trapped in Greene County, Indiana, late in February and then again in March 2008. It is slowly getting more and more attention. It’s been featured in the local media in Indiana, and I heard a short story about it on Field and Stream radio last weekend. I think people are catching and releasing the same little tan-color-phase raccoon or its relatives. It got me to wondering, how would have people described this if it hadn’t been [...]