Posted by AAA on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 at 3:32PM :
Updated: 6:53 p.m. ET July 25, 2005
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The debate over the existence of Sasquatch, a k a Bigfoot, an ape-like creature said to haunt the wilderness of western Canada, among other places, has entered the world of modern DNA testing.
A laboratory will test hair samples that several residents of Teslin, Yukon, say were left when the large, but so-far mythological creature made a late-night run through their community in early July.
University of Alberta wildlife geneticist David Coltman, who agreed to do the tests as a favor to a colleague, said Monday that scientists have cataloged the DNA of nearly all large animals in the Yukon such as bears and bison.
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gSo wefll compare it to all of that, and if it doesnft match anything, then itfs potentially interesting,h said Coltman, who suspects the hair was actually left behind by a much more mundane Yukon bison.
gIf Sasquatch is indeed a primate, then we would expect the sample to be closer to humans or chimpanzees or gorillas,h Coltman said.
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The legend of a large, hairy, two-legged creature lurking in the mountains of western Canada and the United States dates back to before Europeans settled the continent. This was the second report of the creature near Teslin in just over a year.
In the latest sighting, a group of Teslin residents told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. they heard branches cracking and saw a large human-like creature run by a house. It left behind large footprints, they said, and the hair tufts that were given to wildlife officials.
Coltman expects to have his results Thursday and said that even if the hair turns out not to be from a Sasquatch, the process should serve as a good way to get students interested in the field of DNA testing.
gItfs sort of like a wildlife CSI story,h he said.
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