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Cryptozoology - Updates on Erickson Project/Ketchum Report

Don't have time to post in my own words, but I'm going to copy a blog post. There is action in the bigfoot world after a pretty dull couple of months. This is all from the blog of Robert Lindsay. He has been villified since the Sierra Kills information came to light and has stuck by his guns the whole time, saying that Bigfoot is probably more related to humans than apes. It looks like come of the evidence is leaning towards him being correct.

As always, read this with a huge grain of salt. The trail cam is just another stupid picture that people think they see bigfoot in. Although, The Olympic project is a group of good researchers and enthusiasts, so I don't expect them to have fucked up the saliva retrieval. A lot of this stuff is confusing if you haven't been following the stories. I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Apparent photos of a real Bigfoot examining and then licking a trail cam. First DNA proven photo of a Bigfoot ever revealed! In the summer of 2009, a Bigfoot apparently approached an Olympic Project trailcam, examined it, and then licked the camera, leaving a large amount of saliva. The OP retrieved the saliva, stored it and sent it in Ketchum’s DNA project. A source has just informed us that this saliva sample from a Bigfoot licking a camera tested presumptive for Bigfoot by Ketchum.
We then went back to the Olympic Project and searched for photos of a Bigfoot examining a camera. We found this set of photos that we believe represents photos of the Bigfoot that licked the camera and left the Bigfoot-positive DNA on the camera. So the photo above is apparently of a Bigfoot 100% proven by DNA. This would be possibly the second photo of a proven Bigfoot. The Matilda the Sleeping Bigfoot photo is from a site where positive Bigfoot DNA evidence was obtained, but we do not know if that evidence included Matilda or not.
A photo of a Bigfoot looking at a camera on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. This is apparently the first photo of a DNA-proven Bigfoot ever released. Photo by the Olympic Project 2009.

The photo above was taken by the Olympic Project. A few Bigfoot footprints had been found in the area before the camera trap was set. Apparently the Bigfoot started licking the camera soon after the photo above was taken. Photo taken July 25, 2009 at 4:23-07-23 AM on the east slope of the Olympic Mountains. The Bigfoot apparently approached and then licked the camera for 16 seconds. The camera was a Reconyx RC60 trailcam.
When the team returned to the site to retrieve the film on August 22, 2009, they found that the camera had been moved about four inches, apparently by the Bigfoot.
In the photo above, the Bigfoot’s left arm is up near the face as if it is scratching its head wondering what the camera is.
An artist's rendering of a the photo of the Bigfoot looking into the camera above. Drawing by Chris Gunter.

Revised Ketchum study tally. Earlier we reported that the DNA study had received over 100 samples and 28 of them had tested presumptive for Bigfoots. Now we have new data that over 200 samples were received and over 100 of those tested presumptive for Bigfoots. Of those, anywhere from 20-28 represent separate Bigfoot individuals. We also heard about a new successful submission from the Olympic Project where a Bigfoot left a large amount of saliva when it licked a camera.
Samples submitted: Over 200
Presumptive for Bigfoot: Almost 100
# of Bigfoot individuals represented: 20-28
Details of samples:
5 hair samples from Golden Ears Provincial Park in British Colombia, representing 5 separate creatures, gathered by Erickson Project.
1 toenail from Larry Jenkins in Arizona.
1 blood sample from JC Johnson in the 4 Corners area of New Mexico (skunk in a drainpipe sample).
1 blood sample from Crittenden, Kentucky, gathered by Erickson Project. Sample was obtained by gluing glass shards on a feeding plate.
1 hair sample from David Paulides NABS known as the Ulibarri sample from Hoopa Valley, California.
1 hair sample from Larry Surface in southern Ohio. Surface shot the controversial nighttime Bigfoot video that was pulled from the web recently.
1 hair sample from Joe Black in the Great Smoky Mountains, Eastern Tennessee.
1 slice of Bigfoot flesh from Sierra Buttes, California from the adult Bigfoot shot dead by Justin Smeja.
1 large sample of saliva from the Olympic Project obtained via a Bigfoot licking a camera.
1 hair sample from SE Oklahoma collected by TEXLA Cryptozoological Research, whoever they are. Description here.
That is only 14 of nearly 100 successful samples. We have no idea about the rest.
Best samples: Smeja’s Bigfoot steak and JC Johnson’s skunk in a drainpipe Bigfoot sample.
Ketchum DNA paper has definitely passed peer review. We can now conclusively state that the Ketchum DNA paper recently passed peer review, possibly by December 31, 2011, and will apparently be published by a journal soon, probably some time in the next nine weeks. We don’t have a date and we don’t even know the name of the journal. There are a huge number of folks speculating that there is no paper and that no journal will publish it, but that is absolutely not true.
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Justin Smeja Bigfoot steak is “90% human.” According to a source, Justin Smeja was informed by the DNA project that the DNA results showed that the Bigfoot steak from the Sierra Kills is 90% human. What exactly that means, I have no idea. We made inquiries around to various folks, including Smeja, and he had no idea what it meant either. Chimpanzees are 94% human or share 94% of their DNA with us.
I think it shows though that Bigfoots are not Homo sapiens sapiens. However, the source said that the previous figure that Bigfoot DNA is 37% of the way from a human to a chimp is incorrect, and the new figure is nearly 90% human, whatever that means.
Other sources told us that testing of the steak revealed that it is “non-human, but in the Homo line.” In other words, it is a non human hominin.
Adrian Erickson Bigfoot documentary project apparently being worked on in Hollywood. We reported earlier that a junior studio tech had twitted that he had to cancel all plans for December to go to a studio to work on the Erickson Project. One of our sources found this tweet and contacted the man, asking him, “What is an Erickson Project?” He wrote back asking, “Who R U??” She replied, “A nerd.”
We found the original tweet here:
mrheatleighton Austin Leighton
So got a call for a job interview at 3 today… But told them i couldnt go cuz i gotta go to fuckin Beverly hills for erickson project at 3.
19 Dec
​
Originally, his description was “studio technician in the film industry,” but after he deleted the tweet, he changed it to a more personal description, once again in a paranoid fashion.
Randy Brisson then posted on the Net that what I wrote was a lie and that the EP was not in any Hollywood studio right now. We do not believe that Brisson is telling the truth, and he is not a very credible person.
The account belongs to: mrheatleighton Austin Leighton @Austin Leighton. We believe that Leighton was telling the truth and that Hollywood has been working on Erickson’s video since December. We also believe that this being done in secret and that the EP is not going to be forthcoming about this studio work at the moment.
There is always a possibility that he could be referring to some other “Erickson Project” that is not the EP that we know of, but that seems dubious to me.
The source told me:
The fact that he was a junior studio tech indicates hard money has been committed. If it had been a director or producer then the activity could have been speculative, but technicians are not engaged unless specific work is ordered.
​
Facebook conversation between Smeja and a taxidermist, Chris Sink, clarified. We reported earlier that a cryptic comment left on Smeja’s Facebook page by a taxidermist could have been a reference to the juvenile Bigfoot that Smeja shot being taxidermied. The comment said: “Thanks for the stuff, Justin. That’s one ugly kid!”
It turns out we were at least partly correct. The comment did indeed refer to the young Bigfoot shot in the Sierra Kills. However, there is no evidence that it has been taxidermied, and Sink did not taxidermy it. Instead, Sink was commenting on drawings of the baby Bigfoot drawn by a professional artist who is working with Smeja on a book that he and the Olympic Project are writing about the Sierra Kills. The source said that the rendering of the baby looked “exactly like a chimpanzee except it has huge eyes.”
The source also said that he had seen a similar drawing of the adult Bigfoot shot at the Kills. The adult was said to look almost exactly like Todd (Fraud) Standing’s latest hoaxed video of a Bigfoot head. In fact, Todd’s head looked so much the drawing of Smeja’s Bigfoot that the source felt that that Todd must know what Bigfoots look like, possibly because he has seen one before.
This apparently hoaxed photo from Todd Standing is said to resemble very well the artist's rendition of the adult Bigfoot killed in the Sierra Kills. The artist is working with Justin Smeja as part of a book project.

Fraud Standing is one of the worst hoaxers in the Bigfoot world. He has charged both big money to rich folks for the rights to his fakes and chump change to average Joes for DVD’s of his lies, frauds and fantasies.
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Fraud’s fakes are so well done that they have fooled many in the Bigfoot world. It is uncertain whether Fraud has shot one single video of a Bigfoot, and his legendary Sylvanic Bigfoot site probably does not even exist. Fraud appear to be a liar and a con artist – basically, a criminal. The Bigfoot world is absolutely swarming with these types – they are literally everywhere.
Details on the trip to the Sierra Kills to find the bodies in July 2011. Quite a few people were present on this trip, including Dr. Jeff Meldrum and Dr. Mioczynski, a man who lives in a cabin way off in the woods and has been interested in Bigfoot for quite some time. Meldrum showed up with a woman who had a cadaver dog. The woman very much wanted her dog to find the Bigfoot body(s) so she could get credit for it.
A team including Smeja, the Olympic Project and Matt Moneymaker was already there and had already been at the site for two days scouring it looking for the bodies. The cadaver dog then searched for a day for the bodies. Nothing was found. They were using a small piece of the Bigfoot steak as bait for the dogs. The piece had been salt-dried and there were worries that that could have killed the scent.
Smeja was videotaping the scene.
Meldrum held up a piece of the Bigfoot steak and said on tape in front of everyone, “This is it. This is what I’ve been looking for all of these years.”
Then he went down a list confirming that this was the real deal.
Meldrum took a small piece of the steak no larger than a fingernail with him back to his lab and examined it. He decided that it probably was not a Bigfoot due to the presence of guard hairs. This led Meldrum to believe that the steak was actually a piece of coyote. A source told us that what killed Meldrum’s enthusiasm was his Bigfoot as Ape theory. Apes do not have guard hairs, and Bigfoot is an ape, so the Bigfoot steak could not be from a Bigfoot. Dogs have guard hairs, so it is probably from a dog.
We have never examined Bigfoot hair that is attached to skin before. It is possible that the underhairs or guard hairs can only be seen when the hair is attached to skin. The hairs we find otherwise not attached to flesh may not show guard hairs. I believe that the Bigfoot steak is from a Bigfoot, not a coyote, and I believe that Bigfoots must have guard hairs. A source also informed us that there are some tribes of humans that live above 10,000 feet elevation that have almost guard hairs or underhairs to protect them from the cold.
Sources also say that the notion that Meldrum thinks it is from a coyote are not really true as Meldrum already said what he thought it was. The Bigfoot steak simply failed Meldrum’s test because Meldrum wants so badly for Bigfoot to be an ape. A source told me:
Believe me Robert, after looking at tons of coyotes in my life, that flesh doesn’t look anything like a coyote, not in a million years. Hell, the color isn’t even right. Apparently the bigger piece was light in some areas and dark in others. The pic I have is of the darker area. The hair is far to long for a yote and is kinky almost like human pubic hairs. It in no way resembles a coyote. So Meldrum just has sour grapes.
​
A photo or photos of the Bigfoot steak definitely exist. I have spoken to someone who has seen photos of the steak. Apparently a number of people have seen these photos and they are definitely floating around. We are trying very hard to obtain a photo, but they are very hard to get ahold of. People who have photos won’t give them up.
Ketchum probably keeping horses at Arla Williams’ habituation site in Oklahoma. A source told us that Ketchum keeps some of her many horses at whatever place she goes to nearby to see the Bigfoots. We believe that she is a seeing them at a cabin that Arla has access to in the Honobia region of Oklahoma. Therefore, we think Ketchum keeps some of her horses at Arla’s.
Rumors about a man in Canada who is a hunting guide for big game hunters who want to hunt some of the biggest game of all – the Bigfoots. Reportedly, there is a man in Canada who will set up Bigfoot hunts for you if you have enough cash. How much cash is required, we have no idea. Native Americans are used in the Bigfoot hunt, at least to track the Bigfoots. The source said that this is common knowledge among with elder Bigfoot researchers who say it is just a rumor, however, they all also think that the rumor is true.
False alert on Dr. Melba Ketchum movie about her DNA paper. A search of the US copyright office found this notice filed by Ketchum about a movie discussing her DNA results. The movie was slated to be released on February 15, 2012.
Link .
Type of Work: Preregistration
Type of Work Preregistered:
Motion Picture
Literary Work in Book Form
Advertising or Marketing Photograph
Preregistration Number / Date:
PRE000003852 / 2010-09-16
Application Title: Sasquatch: The Tribe Revealed
Title: Sasquatch: The Tribe Revealed
Copyright Claimant:
Melba Stinnett Ketchum.
Creation of Work Began:
2008-04-07 (Approximate)
Date of Anticipated Completion:
2011-06-22 (Approximate)
Projected Date of Publication:
2012-02-15 (Approximate)
Authorship on Application:
Melba Stinnett Ketchum.
Application Title: Sasquatch: The Tribe Revealed
Title: Sasquatch: The Tribe Revealed
Copyright Claimant: Melba Stinnett Ketchum. Address: P O Box 455, Timpson, TX, 75975, United States.
Creation of Work Began: 2008-04-07 (Approximate)
Date of Anticipated Completion: 2011-06-22 (Approximate)
Projected Date of Publication: 2012-02-15 (Approximate)
Authorship on Application: Melba Stinnett Ketchum.
Description of Work: A film and/or documentary, narration or audio book, supporting photos and literary paper/document/book that will follow the The Sasquatch Project, the scientist and the scientific testing and proof for the existence of Sasquatch/ Bigfoot.
Information will include discussion of results including A New Tribe of Living Humans, the complete Sasquatch mitochondrial genome sequence and nuclear DNA variations and text will show complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequences were identified from DNA, analysis of the assembled sequence unequivocally establishes that the Sasquatch mtDNA falls inside the range of modern human mtDNAs and discussions of the origins thereof.
The proof that the Sasquatch is not only the closest living human relative but is actually a contemporary living human. Also discussed is nuclear DNA testing performed on the same samples and the variations found in various genes including MC1R gene RUNX2 and FOXP2 as well as other targets genes involved in the perception of sound, transmission of nerve signals, the production of sperm and the lactase gene.
Also discussed is how testing has ruled out ape cross and any ancient contributor and that Sasquatch is indeed a modern human with some genetic mutations accounting for their physical appearance. Also included are discussion of the history of samples and circumstances surrounding the acquisition, their testing, the circumstances surrounding the entire Sasquatch DNA Project. Documentary stars Melba Ketchum, et al
===========================================
=====================================
Type of Work: TextRegistration Number / Date: TXu001766114 / 2011-07-19 Application Title: A New Species of Contemporary Feral Homo sapiens. Title: A New Species of Contemporary Feral Homo sapiens. Description: Electronic file (eService). Copyright Claimant: Melba S. Ketchum, 1955- . Date of Creation: 2011. Authorship on Application: Melba S. Ketchum, 1955- ; Domicile: United States; Citizenship: United States. Authorship: text, photograph(s), editing, Data Tables. Rights and Permissions: Maureen A. Doherty, Doherty Legal, 10777 Westheimer, Suite 1100, Houston, TX, 77042-3462, United States, mdoherty@dohertylegal.comNames: Ketchum, Melba S., 1955- ===========================================
=====================================Type of Work: TextRegistration Number / Date: TXu001776703 / 2011-09-12 Application Title: A New Contemporary Feral Species of Hominin. Title: A New Contemporary Feral Species of Hominin. Description: Electronic file (eService). Copyright Claimant: Melba S. Ketchum, 1955-. Date of Creation: 2011. Authorship on Application: Melba S. Ketchum, 1955-; Domicile: United States; Citizenship: United States. Authorship: text, photograph(s), compilation, editing, Data Tables.Rights and Permissions: Maureen A. Doherty, 10777 Westheimer, Suite 1100, Houston, TX, 77042-3462, mdoherty@dohertylegal.comCopyright Note: C.O. correspondence.Names: Ketchum, Melba S., 1955- ===========================================
=====================================
​
The first application of for a documentary about her DNA project and the second is about two papers she has written about the project.
This news provoked a flood of speculation on forums around the conclusions, which were that Bigfoots are a tribe of modern humans with some funny DNA. This is going to be a very hard conclusion to swallow for all sorts of reasons. The skeptics were already having a field day ripping it to shreds.
It turns out that this copyright notice was filed a long time ago in 2010 and was based on preliminary and incomplete DNA results which showed the MtDNA to be 100% human and a few nuclear genes to be quite close to the human range. Based on those early results, Ketchum felt that she was dealing with a very strange tribe of humans with unique mutations that result in their strange appearance, capabilities and behavior. It was not an ape and there was no known ancient ancestor.
This theory has more potholes that I can count – I can’t even begin to deal with it. As it turns out, Ketchum’s later findings caused her to revise her views and now she believes that they are not modern humans at all, but some sort of non Homo sapiens hominin.
Soon after this news made the blogs, Ketchum posted this retraction and clarification:
To address the recent hype and misstatements concerning my paper, please be advised that the information pulled off the US Copyright website for a 2010 preregistration for a proposed media project is not an accurate summary of our scientific testing and data and does not reflect the current conclusions of our scientific paper.
The contemplated media project was never produced and no update was ever made to the short description on the preregistration statement. Instead of working on proposed media projects, we have been focusing our time and energy on our ongoing scientific testing and data which will be accurately summarized in the final version of our scientific paper.
The final paper presenting our data, analysis and updated conclusions will be published in a peer reviewed scientific journal but we do not have a publication date at this time.
​
As you can see, Ketchum says that the documentary and papers were based on early results, those results have since been overturned by new results based on further testing, and the documentary was never made and the papers were never written up. So the whole thing is a tempest in a teapot.
Unfortunately, there may be more to this story, and Ketchum and company may just be engaging in damage control. A source told us that the Ketchum will report on “a wild race of hairy people running around in the woods.” However, this is the same source who said that the Bigfoot steak was “almost 90% human.” Almost 90% human is not human. If you’re almost 90% human, and I am talking to you, I am not talking to a human being as we generally know them.
Please note that Ketchum’s rejoinder did not comment on the following titles from 2011 for her papers to be submitted with the documentary. Instead, she only made reference to the 2010 copyright. Here are the titles:
New Contemporary Feral Species of Hominin.
New Species of Contemporary Feral Homo sapiens.
​
We believe that this is what Ketchum is driving at. What is being called “a wild race of hairy people running around in the woods” will actually be described by Ketchum as a new “species” altogether of Homo sapiens.
Perhaps new species is not the correct term. Perhaps she meant subspecies? Something like Homo sapiens bigfootis (subspecies) or Homo bigfootis, a new species in the Sapiens line. So we are going to be looking at a new Homo sp. or a new Homo Sapiens ssp., not just some new tribe of Homo sapiens sapiens that likes to run around in the woods, is covered in hair and is 8 feet tall and weighs 600 pounds.
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At some point, Harv is going to read this thread, remember a story, and the results will be epic.
 
Also, 90% human isn't that impressive:

Genome-wide variation from one human being to another can be up to 0.5% (99.5% similarity)

- Chimpanzees are 96% to 98% similar to humans, depending on how it is calculated. (source)

- Cats have 90% of homologous genes with humans, 82% with dogs, 80% with cows, 79% with chimpanzees, 69% with rats and 67% with mice. (source)

- Cows (Bos taurus) are 80% genetically similar to humans (source)

- 75% of mouse genes have equivalents in humans (source), 90% of the mouse genome could be lined up with a region on the human genome (source) 99% of mouse genes turn out to have analogues in humans (source)

- The fruit fly (Drosophila) shares about 60% of its DNA with humans (source).

- About 60% of chicken genes correspond to a similar human gene. (source)
 
bojanglefunk said:
Also, 90% human isn't that impressive:

Genome-wide variation from one human being to another can be up to 0.5% (99.5% similarity)

- Chimpanzees are 96% to 98% similar to humans, depending on how it is calculated. (source)

- Cats have 90% of homologous genes with humans, 82% with dogs, 80% with cows, 79% with chimpanzees, 69% with rats and 67% with mice. (source)

- Cows (Bos taurus) are 80% genetically similar to humans (source)

- 75% of mouse genes have equivalents in humans (source), 90% of the mouse genome could be lined up with a region on the human genome (source) 99% of mouse genes turn out to have analogues in humans (source)

- The fruit fly (Drosophila) shares about 60% of its DNA with humans (source).

- About 60% of chicken genes correspond to a similar human gene. (source)
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Yeah, I'm not sure what they are getting at. There are two camps. Those that think that bigfoot is human and those that think he is ape. Jeff Meldrum, probably the foremost and most respected bigfoot researcher, thinks it is an ape.

Where they divulge is that one thinks that bigfoot is a direct descendent from us (with all that entails, intelligence, possible speech etc..)(gigantopithecus) and the other group thinks it is more like a gorilla. Obviously, still intelligent, just not on our level.

90% human could be any number of creatures, but they are obviously going off the existing catalog of knowledge. Bipedal, hairy, mammalian, etc..
 
A new trail cam picture. A lady has apparently been sitting on this for 4 years due to the source not wanting to post this because of his fear of ridicule/exploitation of the creature/etc... There are apparently more pictures, but they aren't being released. Business as per usual in the bigfoot community. Looks like a clever hoax to me.

NEW-Photo-Lightened5.jpg

NEW-Photo-Lightened.jpg

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NEW-Photo-Lightened2.jpg

NEW-Photo-Lightened3.jpg
 
Bill Munns' comments.

My immediate concern was that the photo, if a game cam type, is cropped, since such photos usually have some time/date material included. So I must assume this photo was cropped. I have been told that the cropping was because something in the wider landscape would identify the location, and there was concern to keep the location secret. I find this explanation lacking, because the full image could be shown with minimal Photoshop re-touching of any landscape element which might identify the location, while still allowing more of this subject's body. So that issue immediately raised suspicion in my mind.


The subject, as we see it, is just hair and the hint of skin through sparse sections of hair, in the shape of a head, shoulders, torso and one upper arm. This can be so easily fabricated that it would be impossible to falsify the alternative, which means it would be impossible to validate this as being real.


The hair is curious for its length and sparseness, with a pale flesh tone through the hair. This is not standard cheap fake fur. Such is occasionally seen with custom hair made by National Fibre Technology (NFT) for movie creatures, but it's not cheap. The mixture of greys and black hair colors is also something NFT can produce on order.
The disheveled lay of the hair reminds me of fake fur that's been mussed up rubbing against things and not brushed out. The fact that the hair tends to be consistent in density, length, and color tones, also is a characteristic common to use of artificial fur. Real mammals tend to have more variance of the hair (length, density, tone, or combinations of these traits) from the head into the torso and arm, but this does not.


So my conclusion is that the figure is suspicious, and while it cannot be called an outright fake, I know it could easily be faked, and as such, I would not put any confidence in its being real.


If it is fake, it does represent a fair amount of both skill and expense on the part of the fabricator.


Bill Munns Feb. 18, 2012
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Wait.. Bigfoot is in Oklahoma and has never been seen? I could almost believe the Canadian wilderness, but on the great plains? Right...
 
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