Over the years many people have tried to prove and disprove the legendary creature known as Bigfoot.
A group of scientists recently decided to use DNA testing to determine if any of 30 alleged Bigfoot hair samples were real.
The tests showed that all of the hair samples came from large mammals, but none of them belonged to Bigfoot.
Most of the hair samples belonged to animals that lived in the region where they were found.
The most common animals included bears, moose, dogs and cows.
Bigfoot hair samples turn out to be everything but Bigfoot, including a brand new bear: http://t.co/GJRl7zFFHE pic.twitter.com/FD859aqHRj
— Science News (@ScienceNewsOrg) July 1, 2014
The idea for the testing came from researchers at Oxford University and the Lausanne Museum of Zoology.
Both groups of researchers issued an open call for any hair samples that were believed to belong to Bigfoot.
While the researchers were doubtful that they would really get any Bigfoot hair samples, they were anxious to see what other animals could be confused for the creature and many of them hoped that at least one of the samples would come back as a new or unfamiliar species.
“I thought there was about a 5 percent chance of finding a sample from a Neanderthal or (a Yeti),” said Bryan Sykes of Oxford University, who led the research, the first peer-reviewed study of Bigfoot, Yeti and other “anomalous primates.”
The researchers received hair samples from all over the world and although the scientists were not able to find any hair samples that belonged to Bigfoot, they say that it doesn’t mean the creature doesn’t exist.
“The fact that none of these samples turned out to be a Yeti doesn’t mean the next one won’t,” said one researcher.
The scientists did find two samples from ancient polar bears in the Himalayas, who are not known to live there. That suggests there could be a new or hybrid bear species out there, which means other unknown animals could also exist.
Do you think Bigfoot is real?
Image via Wikimedia Commons