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UnknownAnimals&CryptozoologyChapter9
MonstersandMankind
• Humanshavetoldstoriesaboutmonstersfortensofthousandsofyears
• Manytellstoriestodayaboutthemunderadifferentname-cryp%ds
Cryptozoology
• Thestudyof“hiddenanimals”isafieldmostscienMstslabelaspseudoscience
• Focusesonanimalswhosecurrentexistenceisnotsupportedbymainstreamscience
• RelaMvelyrecentfield,asmegafaunadiscoverieswerecommonpriortoearly1900s
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MegafaunainthePast100Years
SoWhyNotCrypMds?
• Cryptozoologistsarguethattherecouldverywellbeotherspeciesyettobediscovered,includingverybigoneslike– SasquatchorBigfoot– LochNessMonster– Mokele-Mbembe– Chupacabra
Man-ApesofNorthAmerica
• Talesof“wildmen”datebackthousandsofyearsandareseenallacrosstheglobe
• InN.A.,theytendtobecalledBigfootorSasquatchandtherehavebeenreportedsighMngsin49statesand8Canadianprovinces
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TheBigfoot
• Typicallydescribedasalarge,hulkingcreaturecoveredindarkbrownorred-brownhair
• 6-10feettall,500pounds
• Nocturnalandomnivorous
MajorBigfootEncounters
• NewspaperarMclesin1920stoldstoriesofaraceof“hairygiants”livinginBriMshColumbia
• LibleelseunMl1957,whenasmalltowninBCdecidedtohavea“SasquatchHunt”todrumuptourism
• Publicitystuntwaswidelypublicizedandpublishedaboutallovertheglobe
MajorBigfootEncounters
• Shortlyacer,WilliamRoecametoanewspaperandtoldaboutanencounterhehadin1955
• Reportedcominguponitinthewoods,watchingitforashortMme,andthenitmovedaway
• Describeditaslarge,hairybipedwithlongarms,coveredindarkbrownhair
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SighMngsSpread
• Soon,reportsofasimilarcreaturewerebeingmadeinWashingtonstateandthenCalifornia
• In1958,giantfootprintswerefoundataworksitenearBluffCreek,CA
• “Bigfoot”wasdubbedbythelocalnewspaper
SighMngsSpread
• RayWallaceandhisemployeesthenreportedfindingmorefootprintsandevenseeinga10foottallcreatureliketheoneRoereported
• Hugeamountofcoverage,andsubsequentlysighMngsweremadecoasttocoastintheU.S.
• Butthebiggestboosttoallhappenedin1967
ThePaberson-GimlinFilm
• TwoBigfoothunters,RogerPabersonandBobGimlin,wereshooMngadocumentaryaboutBigfootintheBluffCreekarea
• The16mmfilmtheyshotshowsalargebipedindarkfurwalkingslowlyawayfromthecamera,turningbackoncetolookatthem
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ThePaberson-GimlinFilm
• ThewholeencounterwaseerilysimilartowhatRoeandWallacehaddescribed
• Theyeventookplastercastsofthefootprints,showingverylargefeet
• ThiswasahugeboosttoBigfootenthusiasm
BFsincetheP-G
• Hugenumbersofplastercasts,footprints,photos,andvideoshavesurface
• TheBigfootFieldResearchersOrganizaMonlists5,000reportedsighMngsinpast60years
• Movies,televisionseries,documentaries,journalarMcles,books,andmore!
CriMcalThinkingaboutBigfoot
• SeveralpiecesoftheBigfootstoryandthetypicalevidenceneedCTskillsappliedtothem
• FirstistheevoluMonofthestoriesabouttheman-apesinNorthAmerica– Wentfromindigenouslegendsthatareobviouslysupernaturalinnaturetolong-hairedgiantstothe“Bigfoot”ofRoe,Wallace,andtheP-Gfilm
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CriMcalThinkingaboutBigfoot
• SecondisthehistoryofhoaxersinsighMngs– Wallace,aknownprankster,laterreportedcapturingaBigfootthatateonlyFrostedFlakescereal!
– Acerhisdeathin2002,hisfamilyrevealedapairofgiantcarvedwoodenfeet,whichtheysaidhehadusedtomakevariousBFprintsovertheyears
– Dozensofothercasesofhoaxesandrecantedclaimsoverthepast20years
CriMcalThinkingaboutBigfoot
• Thebiggestproblem,though,isthelackofgood,replicableevidenceforBigfoot
• Reliesoneyewitnessstories,butfamoussighMngsocenturnouttobears,whosehabitateerilyoverlapswithBigfoot’s
• ThinkbacktoalltheproblemswithmemorywelearnedaboutinChapter7
CriMcalThinkingaboutBigfoot
• Videosandphotostendtosufferfrombeing“blobsquach”–blurryandnon-interpretable
• EventheP-TfilmissoinconclusivethatthereislibleskepMcsorbelieversagreeon,evenwithmembersofthesamecamp!
• PhysicalevidencealsotendstobeproblemaMc
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CriMcalThinkingaboutBigfoot
• DNAsequencingofhairsresultsinthembeingfromknownanimals(orhumans!)
• The“research”showingsupposedlynovelkindsofhominidDNAisdeeplyflawedandanexampleofhownottodoscience
BigfootConclusions
• Thebest“evidence”istheresultofhoaxes• Eyewitnessreportsarenotreliable• Physicalevidencedoesnotsupportanewspecies
• Bigfootisn’tjustdead,hewasneveraliveinthefirstplace
Living“Dinosaurs”
• Around66millionyearsago,75%ofthelifeonearthwaswipedoutinanexMncMonevent
• Thisincludednon-aviandinosaursandwater-dwellingplesiosaurs
• Somepeoplecontend,though,thattherearesMllexamplesofthesecreaturesalivetoday!
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LochNessMonster
• ThesecondmostwidelyknowncrypMd
• ReportedlylivesinLochNess,ahugefreshwaterlakeintheScooshhighlands
• Modernaccountsdatebacktothe1930sanddescribeaplesiosaur-likecreatureof25-30feetlongwitha10-12footlongneck
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FamousNessieSighMngs
• Firstmajorreportedencounteroccurredin1933
• Acouplewasdrivingtheircarnearthelakewhensomethingcrossedtheroad20feetinfrontoftheircar
• LedtoanumberofcreaturesighMngsandevenphotographsandvideooverthenextdecade
FamousNessieSighMngs
• Mostfamouspicturewastakenin1934,ocencalledthe“Surgeon’sphotograph”
• Dozensofotherphotos,hundredsofsighMngs,andevenvideohavebeentaken
NessieNow• The“monster”ofLochNessisbigbusiness,bringinginmillionsofdollarsoftouristrevenuefortheregioneachyear
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Mokele-Mbembe
• DeepintheheartofAfricawefindanotherstoryofacreatureoutofMme
• ReportedlysometypeofsauropodthatsurvivedthemassexMncMon
Mokele-MbembeStories
• Intheearly20thcentury,Europeanexplorersbegansendingtalesbackhomeofahugeandferociousbeastlivinginthelakesandrivers
• TaleswereiniMallyspreadacrosstheconMnent,fromNigertoSouthAfrica
• IniMalstoriesvariedwildlyintheirdescripMons
HunMngtheBeast
• Sincethe1960s,therehavebeendozensofexpediMonsmountedtofind“thelastdinosaur”
• Rangedfromprofessionalonesledbybiologiststoreligiously-moMvatedonestodocumentaries
• Thesubjectofatleasttwomovies
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CriMcalThinkingabout“LivingDinos”
• The“evidence”isverysimilartothatpresentedforBigfoot– Eyewitnessaccounts– Poorqualityphotosandvideos– Lackofphysicalevidence
• Anothersimilarityisthepresenceofhoaxersinthehistoryofboth
CriMcalThinkingabout“LivingDinos”
• The“Surgeon’sphotograph”wasexposedasapurposefulfakein1975fromamoviemakerandbiggamehunter– CametolightacerWetherall’sdeath,muchlikewithWallace’sfakedfootprints
• Manyotherphotoshavebeendiscoveredtobehoaxes,fakes,orjustnotNessie
Nessie&theMovies
• GenesisoftheearlyeyewitnessaccountscanbetracedtoaverypopularfilmreleasedrightbeforethefirstmajorsighMng…
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Nessie&theMovies
• ThedescripMonfromthefirstsighMngmimicsalmostexactlyascenefromthefilmofabrontosaurusaback:
“IsawthenearestapproachtoadragonorprehistoricanimalthatIhaveeverseeninmylife.Itcrossedtheroadaboutficyhardaheadandappearedtobecarryingasmalllamboranimalofsomekind.Itseemedtohavealongneckwhichmovedupanddown…andthebodywasfairlybig,withahighback.”
TheactualanimaMonmodelusedin1933’sKingKong
OtherNessieProblems
• IfNessieisanextantprehistoriccreature,therewouldhavetohavebeenabreedingpopulaMonforthepast66millionyears
• The“sighMngs”alsoruleoutaplesiosaur,whichwouldnotbeabletophysicallyactlikeNessie
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OtherNessieProblems
• LochNessisnotlargeenoughtosupportoneplesiosaur-sizedbeast,letaloneapopulaMon
• It’salsoonlyabout10,000yearsold,whichmeansthecreatureswouldhavemigratedintherefairlyrecently
Mokele-MbembeProblems
• Sauropods(likeMMsupposedlyis)didnotevenliveinswamps,althoughwethoughttheydidwhenthestoriesfirststarted
• NoevidenceofabreedingpopulaMon
• Theindigenouspeopleoftheareahavedeniedsuchathingexistsforalmost100years
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“LivingDinos”Conclusion
• StoriesseemfedbymediaandpublicfascinaMonwithdinosaurs,ratherthanevidence
• TherearebillionsofdinosaurssMllalivetoday,butmostpeoplearen’tasexcitedbybirds
≥
AlienGoatKillers!
• Thechupacabra(Spanishfor“goatsucker”)isarelaMvelynewcrypMd
• Storiesinmid-1990stelloffarmanimalsbeingkilledanddrainedofbloodviasmallneckholes
• Soon,hundredsofanimaldeathsacrossCentralandSouthwereblamedonthis
IniMalChupacabraSighMng
• APuertoRicanwoman,MadelyneTolenMno,gavethefirstdetailedreport
• Twolegs,long-limbed,spines,darkeyes,veryalien-looking
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TheEarlyChupacabra
• Otherearlywitnessesdescribeda3-4foottall,hoppingbeast(somesaiditflewaswell)
• TalesofthecreaturespreadtoasfarawayasRussia,allwithsimilardescripMon
• Wherecouldsuchabizarrecreaturehavecomefrom?
Chupy&theMovies
• TolenMno’sdescripMonwasrepeatedandreprintedcountlessMmes
• Itappearstohavebeenheavilyinfluencedbyamoviesheadmitsshehadseennotlongbeforeher“sighMng”
• ItwasSpecies,whichstarredanalienandtookplacepartlyinPuertoRico
“Itwouldbeaverygoodideaifyousawit[Species]….[Themonster]mademyhairstandonend.Itwasacreaturethatlookedlikethechupacabra,withspinesonitsbackandall…Theresemblancetothechupacabrawasreallyimpressive.”
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Chupy&theMovies
• Butitwasn’tSilthatlookedlikethechupacabra…becausesheonly“saw”ita6ershesawthefilm
• MuchlikewithNessie,herpreviousmediaexperiencesmassivelyinfluencedwhatshethoughtshesawandreported
• Thistheninfluencedfurther“sighMngs”
AShicingLook
• Inthe2000s,reportsofthechupacabrabegansurfacinginTexasandacrossthesouthwestUS
• Thecreatureswerereportedaslookingverydifferentthanbefore
ABodyatLast!
• Anumberofthese“chupacabra”werekilled,butallturnedouttobeknownanimalswithseverecasesofsarcopMcmange
• Thiscombinedwithtypicalcoyoteandwilddogpredatorybehaviorandmediacoverageofthe“goatkiller”ledtoanything“unknown”beingcalledachupacabra
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ChupacabraConclusions
• UncriMcal,sensaMonalizedreporMngledtothestoriesbeingspreaddespitealackofevidence
• ThisprimespeopletoseeaparMculartypeof“creature”–ocenatnight
• Noevidenceforchupacabrabeinganythingotherthanastory
Cryptozoology
• NoneofthesecrypMdshaveanythingclosetosolidevidencefortheirbeingreal
• Many“cryptozoologists”spendhugeamountsofMmeandmoneyinsearchingforthem,andinsisttheyaredoingsoscienMfically
• So,iscryptozoologyascienceorpseudoscience?
Cryptozoologyvs.Biology
• Relianceonanecdotes(eyewitnesstesMmony)andlackofrepeatable,verifiableevidence
• RejecMonofcriMcismfromexpertsinthefield
• Lackofrespectformethodsusedbyactualbiologiststodiscoverandcatalognewspecies
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