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| Bryan Sykes |
Bryan Sykes an Oxford University genetics professor,
conducted a DNA analysis that suggests that the creature known as the Yeti is
really a descendant of an ancient polar bear. The DNA from two hair samples
that were taken from two Himalayan animals, which were identified as “Yetis”, was
compared to a database of animal genome. It was confirmed that they shared a
genetic fingerprint with a polar bear jawbone that was discovered in Norwegian Arctic which was at least 40,000 years old. The results display that the
creatures are not related to modern Himalayan bears. Yet, they were a direct
descendant of prehistoric animals. Sykes says, “It may be a new species, it may
be a hybrid” between polar bears and brown bears.
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| Himalayan Mountains where Yeti has said to be seen and DNA from hairs found. |
Over
the last year Sykes has asked museums, scientists and other Yeti enthusiasts to
share the hair samples that they the impression to be from the creature. A
sample came from an alleged Yeti mummy from the Indian region of Ladakh, which
is on the western edge of the Himalayas. This “Yeti” sample was extracted by a
French mountaineer who was shown the carcass 40 years ago. Another sample was
found ten years ago in Bhutan; it was only a single hair and was 800 miles east
of the other. Since these samples distances are not close together and they
have been found so recently, leave Sykes to believe that this species is still
alive.
The
discovery of this new creature could explain if the differences in appearance
and behavior to other bears accounts for the hairy hominid of the Yeti. The research
that Sykes’ has done has not been published but he has written and submitted a
peer review. The Yeti and Abominable Snowman are very big myths that people
seem to believe. Some scientists feel that the Yeti-believers will not take
comfort from this study; that no amount of scientific data will come between
themselves and their beliefs.
I feel that this is very interesting. Many people have their belief of the reasoning for the things that happen around us that we can not entirely explain. I feel that knowing that these things have come from and earlier species shows evolution. It truly amazed me that you can tell so much from just a piece of hair (DNA). The more we find out from our past the more we can figure out the future. Also, I do not think that people will change their mind on the "Yeti" or "Big Foot". People will always believe what they want to believe even with the evidence that proves them wrong.
Dr. Sykes’ comparison of the samples, that were acquired, was compared as stated to the animal genomes database. The Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing, specific genetic loci sequencing, forensic short tandem repeat (STR) testing, whole genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) bead array analysis, and next generation whole genome sequencing were conducted and it was concluded that they shared a genetic fingerprint with a polar bear jawbone found in the Norwegian Artic that is at least 40,000 years old. This evidence suggests that the elusive creatures are a new species, not related to modern Himalayan bears, but were direct descents of the prehistoric animals. This research, in addition to the researchers led by Dr. Ketchumn, a nacogdoches geneticist from Texas concurs with his findings and has recently published her research the “Sasquatch Genome Project” in a special issue of the Denovo Journal of Science.
ReplyDeleteThis is an exciting discovery; however, I too, am cautiously optimistic about the validity of empirical evidence that will, once and for all, confirm the Yeti does exist.