In the wake of “Krantz Is Dead: Comment to Anthropologist Hawks,” a couple updates are worthy of passing along.

The Associated Press dispatches on the Michigan search for Bigfoot, being published since yesterday afternoon, have been revised to note that Krantz is no longer living. The media mentions the “late Grover Krantz, a Washington State University professor who specialized in cryptozoology, the study of creatures that have not been proven to exist…”

Wikipedia’s definition of “Cryptozoology,” which is fully available to the AP, has a more developed examination of the word. Saying Krantz “specialized” in cryptozoology is overstating the realities. He cared less about general cryptozoology, and more about Sasquatch studies and hominology.

Additionally, I received this reply from John Hawks:

Hi, Loren — well, I can sympathize, but whenever I discuss a quote from a newspaper article I am always careful to indicate that it may be a misquote, since I have seen many in my time. On the other hand, sometimes the *reporter* is correct, and the source really did have foot-in-mouth disease. So I’m always noncommittal. This one was a howler.

As to whether they are serious; well, there’s no doubting that, but I don’t think that seriousness deserves respect. If I thought otherwise then I would have to treat the cranks who send me anti-evolution screeds more generously.–John [Hawks, Ph. D., University of Wisconsin-Madison]

I am assuming the “they” he mentions is the BFRO, and not the media.