 DNA Testing Continues Dr. Todd Disotell, NYUAs of recent more studies are underway including a new eDNA study that will be conducted on nests collected by the Olympic Project on gorilla like nests collected in 2017. New methods of surveying all DNA to be found in a soil sample (eDNA) may assist in the search for Sasquatch. Soil samples taken from ground nest sites, attributed to Sasquatch on the basis of construction and hair samples, are ideal candidates for eDNA analysis. Samples have been collected from nests at a site in the Olympic Peninsula, WA and await analysis. More information can be found on Cliff Barrackman's website located here. Cost is approximately $1000 per sample. Should you wish to donate to the cause there is a link here to support the Olympic Project on their evaluation. Lucky for us in the community but Dr. Todd Disotell has volunteered to conduct the study - we continue to thank Dr. Disotell for his continued efforts to validate our mutual findings. Bryan Sykes, Oxford UniversityDNA testing is taking a bite out of the Sasquatch legend. After scientists analyzed more than 30 hair samples reportedly left behind by Sasquatch and similar mythical beasts like the Himalayan Yeti, they found all of them came from more mundane creatures like bears, wolves, cows and raccoons. In 2012, researchers at Oxford University and the Lausanne Museum of Zoology issued an open call asking museums, scientists and Sasquatch aficionados to share any samples they thought were from the legendary ape-like creatures. "I thought there was about a 5 percent chance of finding a sample from a Neanderthal or (a Yeti)," said Bryan Sykes of Oxford University, who led the research, the first peer-reviewed study of Sasquatch, Yeti and other "anomalous primates." The study was published online Wednesday in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Sykes and colleagues tested 36 hair samples from Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Russia and the U.S. using DNA sequencing and all of them matched DNA from known animals. Most were from bears, but there were also hairs from a Malaysian tapir, horses, porcupine, deer, sheep, and a human. While Sykes said they didn't find any proof of Sasquatch-related creatures, he acknowledged their paper doesn't prove they don't exist. "The fact that none of these samples turned out to be (a Yeti) doesn't mean the next one won't," he said. The scientists did find two samples from ancient polar bears in the Himalayas, who are not known to live there. That suggests there could be a new or hybrid bear species out there", Sykes said. What is your thoughts on the topic, let us know in the comments below or email us. We'd love to hear from you.
BELIEVE By Kevin Weberling Research Writer, Sasquatch Syndicate Inc.
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 Be prepared and do it right Don't Blow ItPreparation is key before starting any research. On an episode of the podcast "Building the Citizen Scientist" with Dr. Todd Disotell there were a few excerpts we wished to share:  Dr. Todd Disotell, New York University "Just because a species hasn't been found doesn't mean it doesn't exist. There are many new species discovered each and every year." Collecting EvidenceHere are a few tips to follow from Dr. Disotell on how to go about collecting evidence.
Have you found something you wish to have tested? Let us know in the comments below or email us. We'd love to hear from you.
BELIEVE By Kevin Weberling Research Writer, Sasquatch Syndicate Inc.  Finding Scat The devil is in the details, so is the smellMany times Sasquatch Scat is misidentified by novice trackers, only to result in the scat of a bear. Some of the main characteristics when determining Sasquatch Scat are; vegetation, berries, shell fragments, and or potentially bones or fragments. While scales of fish may be present shell fragments continue to be a great indicator, as bears although do shell hunt it is not that often. While many theories vary on this topic - shell fragments from our perspective are a key indicator. Other factors are the amount and size of the discharge of scat as Sasquatch is a very large animal and as such will excrete a considerable amount of feces. Often, the presence of wild creatures is revealed to us only in the signs they leave behind. Tracks, nests, food scraps, and shed feathers or antlers are all clues to the ways and means of forest animals. And so is their scat. Poop, feces, droppings, dung—scat by any other name will smell as sweet. OK, not quite sweet, but you may be surprised that scat of the non-domesticated kind does not often present olfactory offense. If you can get past a basic level of squeamishness, a study of these animal signs will reveal much about life in the woods. We can analyze animal diets and habits by examining their scat. Wild woodland creatures eat local and eat (mostly) fresh, although some may contrive to mix human food into their menu. NOTE: You should NEVER handle scat with your bare hands. Animal waste can transfer disease via contact or inhalation. Look. Use a stick. Take a photo or collect with sterilized collection kit. The breakdown of scat and it's potential commonalities by species are described below, so the next time you come across scat familiarize yourself with what you are looking at. HerbivoresRabbits and hares produce similar round, pea-sized droppings. Their habitats do not usually overlap, with snowshoe hare scat often found at high elevations, even above treeline, where they munch on alpine vegetation. Round deer and moose droppings are alike in composition and tend to be deposited in quantity. Piles of cherry-sized pellets are easy to identify in moose country. Both animals feed on tree bark and buds in winter, which makes for firm, woody scat. Leafier summer food produces looser droppings. Beavers, too, are strict vegetarians and their scat reflects their bark-heavy diet. But it can be hard to find—the fibrous clumps are deposited in water and quickly break down. Many people don’t realize that porcupines are also tree-eaters, living largely on conifer twigs and bark. Their scat is formed into elongated woody pellets, which can accumulate in deep, turpentine-scented piles outside their dens. CarnivoresNorth Woods hikers may notice small squiggles of dark scat on rocks in the trail—a sign that a weasel or marten has left its mark. These stealthy predators are rarely seen, but their feather or fur-flecked droppings attest to their carnivorous lifestyle. Piscatorial otter scat, full of fish bones, scales, and bits of crustaceans, is left in prominent spots along waterways. OmnivoresAn omnivorous diet results in variable scat. Coyotes and red foxes exercise perhaps the widest menu options—their tubular, segmented scat may contain bones, feathers, and fur in winter, with seeds, nuts, berries, grass, leaves, insects, fruit, and eggs appearing in summer deposits. The coyote’s droppings are generally larger. Bears are also expansive in their tastes. They gorge on seasonal foods, like fruits and nuts, and leave large piles of uniform scat du jour. Near human habitation, birdseed and bits of trash will be found in their droppings. Have you ever found an unusual piece of scat in the woods? Let us know in the comments below or email us. We'd love to hear from you.
BELIEVE By Kevin Weberling Research Writer, Sasquatch Syndicate Inc. |
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