I have my whole life loved the concept of Bigfoot (real or fake). I
myself have had odd experiences a few times with regards to possible
"one on one" encounters with a Bigfoot while working for a United States
Protected Wildlife Refuge. My encounters were not visual, but they were
very real, very close proximity and very unexplainable as anything
else. My theory below does not discuss stories of Bigfoot, videos of
Bigfoot or encounters with Bigfoot; it is purely my personal thoughts on
the reality of an upright, relic hominin in North America.
My language is written "as if" Bigfoot is a reality (which I do believe is true).
Bigfoot (for lack of better names) is in fact a true living, breeding, upright hominin (
1)
which has existed side by side with
Homo sapiens
for ~250,000 years. I am assured to say that bigfoot is not a modern
relative of modern man, but a distant relative which split from the
evolutionary direct chain roughly 3.2 million years ago at
Australopithecus afarensis. It is now proven as fact that many other upright hominins walked side by side with modern man, but had mild variations (
Neanderthal, Floresiensis and Denisovian). Of the three known to have lived alongside modern man;
Neanderthal may have
lived up to 10,000 years ago or sooner.
Denisovian
is theorized to exist up to roughly 20,000 years ago eventually fully
breeding the purity of the species out of existence by mating with
modern man and Neanderthal.
Floresiensis is believed to possibly
have lived upwards of a hundred years ago or possibly still alive today
in the deepest jungles of Indonesia, due to the protection of deep island isolation (
2).
I feel bigfoot has existed similarly as these other species, but
its species was preserved due to its inherent separate genetics which made it incapable of inter-breeding. Explanations for the lack of advancements in tool usage may be equated to that of modern day gorillas and other primates; it is not needed for successful survival.
Bigfoot as termed modern day, is not in the
Homo genus. Bigfoot is a modern relic from the
Paranthropus lineage. The
Paranthropus
lived throughout Africa starting around 2.8 million years ago upwards
to 1.3 million years ago. They were opportunistic omnivores which used
undeveloped tools (stones for hammering and hunting, sticks for
picking). Their appearance was visually that of a small bigfoot. They
walked on two legs, flat footed, with a mid-dermal ridge break, and a unique gait. They are theorized to have lived completely in forested areas.
No fossil record of ancestors on the chain have been discovered yet. I
believe an unknown link evolved 1.3 million years ago and progressed
northward through the Middle East into the dense forests of Southern
Europe.
In Southern Europe,
Paranthropus ???
slowly evolved into what we know today as bigfoot. Competition was low,
food was more varied and plentiful, climate was more favorable to a
fully coated species, shelter was available in many forms and water was
everywhere. This was the perfect ecosystem to adapt and live in. As
other species of modern man migrated northward to Europe, bigfoot
species were already well adapted and distributed throughout Europe and
Asia. The many species lived locally to each other and were aware of
each other, but did not communicate or interfere with each other.
As
populations grew fast among modern man species, bigfoots were most
likely pushed out towards more extreme locations (mountains, dense
forests, tundras, highlands). During this era, roughly 100,000 years
ago, bigfoot gained its well known variability in traits. Himalayan
yeti, Chinese yeren, North American sasquatch, Australian yowie are all
similar, yet have variations in morphology. Variations are common among
well distributed species of animals. Humans as an example; color, eyes,
skin, height, build, hair, physical capabilities and instincts. The
bigfoot species is every bit as differentiated as humans.
Mass
migrations would likely have yeti or yeren migrating across the Bering
land bridge during an ice age period ~50,000 years ago, thousands of
years prior to modern man's adventure to North America. During the same
period, oceans were 100's of feet lower than they are today due to mass
glaciation to the north. Most of Indonesia and Australia were also
connected by natural land bridges and shallow waterways which were used
by yeren to migrate southward. The Yeti of the Himalayas remain the same
as they are today. The Yeren of the vast wooded areas in China are the
same as they were 50,000 years ago. The European bigfoot (which is
vastly near extinction remained the earliest form of bigfoot). The Orang
Pendik and Australian Yowie are a more modern variation of bigfoot. The
North America sasquatch is also a newer variation of bigfoot.
Bigfoot
at its earliest existence probably started its roots in Northern Europe
and moved southward and westward towards Asia as the many ice ages
advanced and retreated. There are no accounts, legends or evidence that
bigfoot ever existed in Africa and South America which back my theory
that bigfoot evolved in Europe. I feel bigfoot relatives living in
Australia and the island chains in Southeast Asia are closely related to
the European/ Asian/ North American bigfoot, but they have uniquely
adapted to those environments. Why no evidence or record in South
America or Africa? I am not sure; possibly too hot.
Bigfoot more than
likely always lived side by side with modern humans, but rarely crossed
paths physically. They knew of each other and saw each other, but
understood the dangers each posed for each other. This relationship
would be similar to that of animals and humans today. Each are aware of
each other, but chose to avoid each other for varying reasons.
As
ice ages advanced and receded, hominids adapted as needed. Bigfoot had a
serious advantage with a heavy coat of hair; hence, why they tend to
live in more extreme and remote location with success. This advantage is
the primary adaptation which allowed them to survive onward until
modern days. Other species of hominids did not fare as well to
adaptation forcing them to live close and share resources with
Homo sapiens which was an eventual death sentence.
As
humans migrated into North America and Southeast Asia, bigfoot was
already in North America. Evidence for this is in the Native American legends which speak openly
about a race of hairy giants which lived in North America prior to them
coming. Native Americans also speak of observing what bigfoots ate. This
would be a primary advantage to the first Native Americans to learn new food
sources that were different than Europe or Asia.
I
would suggest that the bigfoot species outnumbered the early modern
ancestors in North America 2 to 1 or maybe even more. As humans in North
America remained hunter-gatherers it gave advantage to bigfoot to
survive successfully and dominate. Around 6,000 years ago
hunter-gatherers began shifting to agriculturalists and solitary. The
solitary phase of North American mankind was the beginning of the end
for bigfoot. Proven fact is agricultural based cultures become solitary
and survival is easier and more successful. Breeding rises and success
of offspring to survive rises many fold. After which culture bases
spread outward expanding into large cultures which dominate the land and
soon dominate the wildlife. Alteration of micro-ecosystems is extremely
evident. When small ecosystems are altered to the advantage of mankind
it is often to the grave disadvantage of much wildlife.
I
would estimate bigfoot populations had began to dwindle in North America
roughly 2,000 years ago as mankind in North America truly started
mastering the land and forming larger communities and trade routes. By
1,000 years ago there were many advanced large Native American cultural
bases everywhere throughout North America. Bigfoot's were pushed into
dense mountainous and deep riverine environments. By the time "white man" first
came to North America; bigfoots were already in mid-decline, they had
become the thing of legends and stories.
The bigfoot
population became a relic species around 1900. White man had completely
dominated coast to coast, plain to mountain, ocean to stream. I feel many Americans living in the mountains or dense forests knew of bigfoot as a rare species of wild creature that lived
throughout North America prior to 1900, but it was little spoken of or
recorded. As we stand today, I think there is a very limited amount of
sasquatches left; probably 4000-5000 in all of North America. There are a
few large breeding pockets (cultures) of bigfoot throughout all of
North America. From these cultural pockets some bigfoots will wander off
hundreds of miles for many years. Possibly for hunting, growing,
maturing, safety, less competition or for just adventure to gain
knowledge. Wandering sasquatches will return eventually to the large
cultural pockets to breed and socialize.
An example of
my "cultural pocket" theory is observed and proven to be reality for
many hunter-gatherer societies throughout history. The example I will
give is one which I have studied and observed and compared to exact
early Paleo-man patterns. Eastern/ Northern Ohio I think is a dense
cultural pocket. It is safe, full of dense forests, plenty of food, tons
of shelter, and not many humans. A great number of bigfoot reside here,
breed here, and migrate in and out of here. Sighting throughout the
past 60 years show this dense pocket in Ohio and sightings trickle
outward along rivers into states to the east, west and south. These far
off sightings are those wandering specimens that will go off for years.
Over
the past 30 years, development has grown vastly in North America.
Forests have been destroyed and rivers have been cut off by dams,
factories and large housing complexes. These were"highways" and food
grounds for many bigfoots, but now are a great majority gone. As we have expanded,
sasquatches are now near extinction. The anchor cultural hubs for
bigfoots in the next 50 years will be relegated to a few remote spots
worldwide. I seriously believe that the North American bigfoot will end
up only existing in Northern Canada by late 21st century. This great
creature will become another extinct species in the 22nd century.
(1)
A hominin is a group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species
and of our immediate ancestors (Homo, Australopithieus, Paaranthropus,
and Ardipithecus).
(2) Island isolation is well documented and
studied by bio-geographers. It is the process in which island life
isolates species from other similar species, often resulting in
variations limiting the growth (size) potentials. The only animal which
reverses this law are reptiles. Snakes, tortoises, and lizards get
larger on isolated islands.
