BIGFOOT FOUND!

[Kodiak]

Any other time, I'd say this belongs in off-topic, but it's on CNN.com

(CNN) -- A policeman and a former corrections officer say that on Friday they will unveil evidence of what they claim is their biggest find ever: the body of Bigfoot.

Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, a pair of Bigfoot-hunting hobbyists from north Georgia, say they found the creature's body in a wooded area and spotted several similar creatures that were still alive.

The carcass of the furry half-man, half-ape is 7 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs more than 500 pounds, they say. However, the two are not disclosing the exact location of their discovery to protect the remaining creatures.

Tom Nelson, chairman of the biology department at North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, said he's "pretty skeptical" the world will feast its eyes on a new species Friday.

"That would certainly rock mammalogy," joked Nelson, who specializes in the study of mammals. "I see a research grant in my future."

Whitton and Dyer plan to unveil what they say is DNA and photo evidence of the discovery in Palo Alto, California, in conjunction with a group called Searching for Bigfoot Inc.

A photograph on that group's Web site shows what appears to be the body of a large, hairy creature with an ape-like face, stuffed into a large freezer.

According to a written release, the two announced the discovery on an Internet radio show, "Squatch Detective," several weeks ago. iReport.com: Do you believe in Bigfoot?

"The only person we would allow to come down and verify the body was 'the Real Bigfoot Hunter,' Tom Biscardi," Dyer said, referring to Searching for Bigfoot's CEO, who has been looking for the elusive, legendary creature in the United States and Canada since 1971.

Whitton is a Georgia police officer who is on administrative leave after being shot in the wrist during a pursuit. Dyer is a former prison guard.

DNA tests on the body have begun, said the statement, and "extensive scientific studies" will be done on the body by scientists, including a molecular biologist, an anthropologist and a paleontologist.

Nelson, the university professor, acknowledged that new species of animals have been discovered in recent decades and that, in science, "we always acknowledge the possibility of something new."

But he said that even in north Georgia, home to the Blue Ridge Mountains and the foot of the Appalachian Trail, it stretches the imagination to think a family of 7-foot-tall creatures could have eluded hunters, hikers and creeping development until now.

"To the average person, these places just seem like extreme wilderness where you'll find lions and tigers and bears," he said. "The reality is that you're never more than a mile from a road."

The group says the animal is male, has reddish hair and "blackish-gray" eyes and human-like feet, hands and teeth.

So, they've found something and are selling pictures to the news media. They have pictures of the body in a truck bed (I think) and they're having a news conference in Palo Alto, CA today. My money is on hoax, but we'll have to wait and see.

[Darth Wong]

A pair of drunken morons in Georgia claim they've seen Bigfoot? Was this before or after they were abducted and anally probed by aliens?

[Kodiak]

A pair of drunken morons in Georgia claim they've seen Bigfoot? Was this before or after they were abducted and anally probed by aliens?

Seems like it was before. This time they have an actual body and are planning to do "scientific testing". We'll see how long it takes to debunk.

[CaptainChewbacca]

A pair of drunken morons in Georgia claim they've seen Bigfoot? Was this before or after they were abducted and anally probed by aliens?

Its not that they claim to have seen him, its that they appear to have a 7-foot body of SOMETHING stuffed in a freezer. I'll be interested to hear what the autopsy says.

[Solauren]

Sounds more like a starved out bear.

However, if it turns out it is a 'Bigfoot', cool. Otherwise, leave the identification of animals up to the experts.

[General Zod]

Link to the article? I'd also almost be willing to bet money it's either a hoax, or what they found was just a decomposed bear carcass.

[Kodiak]

Woops! forgot to post the link

[Aaron]

Link with pic. Looks like a gorilla suit to me...

[Azazal]

It's a hoax, there is a great thread on it over at JREF

They have a picture of the bigfoot in the truck bed, plus a commercially available mask that are a dead on match for each other, page 2 of the thread.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Link with pic. Looks like a gorilla suit to me...

Yeah, according to this article, the body looks alot like this halloween costume.

What's up with the crytozoology lately? Just this week some sherrif in arizona spotted 'chupacabra' running down the road.

[Qwerty 42]

Link with pic. Looks like a gorilla suit to me...

Yeah, according to this article, the body looks alot like this halloween costume.

What's up with the crytozoology lately? Just this week some sherrif in arizona spotted 'chupacabra' running down the road.

It's had a resurgence in popular culture thanks to the viral advertising for cryptidsarereal.com on TV and mainstream websites, as far as I can tell. That's probably just part of it, but the cryptozoology types seem to be talking about it.

As far as bigfoot, I never understood why people make such a big deal out of it. YAY, WE FOUND BIGFOOT, NO ONE HAS EVER FOUND A BIG MONKEY BEFORE. EVER. I know this is an especially big monkey, and very far north, but it's not like we're talking about biological unlikelihoods.

[Invictus ChiKen]

As far as bigfoot, I never understood why people make such a big deal out of it. YAY, WE FOUND BIGFOOT, NO ONE HAS EVER FOUND A BIG MONKEY BEFORE. EVER. I know this is an especially big monkey, and very far north, but it's not like we're talking about biological unlikelihoods.

Oh come on you mean to tell me the discovery of Big Foot wouldn't have a huge impact on the fields of biology and zoology?

Not to mention the Yeti stories get a massive boost in credibility.

[General Zod]

Oh come on you mean to tell me the discovery of Big Foot wouldn't have a huge impact on the fields of biology and zoology?

Why would it? Discovering a formerly unknown species does not inherently translate into massive impact.

[Qwerty 42]

As far as bigfoot, I never understood why people make such a big deal out of it. YAY, WE FOUND BIGFOOT, NO ONE HAS EVER FOUND A BIG MONKEY BEFORE. EVER. I know this is an especially big monkey, and very far north, but it's not like we're talking about biological unlikelihoods.

Oh come on you mean to tell me the discovery of Big Foot wouldn't have a huge impact on the fields of biology and zoology?

Not to mention the Yeti stories get a massive boost in credibility.

The only significant things I could think of about a bigfoot discovery would be that it likely came over when humans did, because there are no other monkeys on the continent, and that it successfully hid on such a densely populated continent for so long. Unless, of course, you're thinking of something that I'm not.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Oh come on you mean to tell me the discovery of Big Foot wouldn't have a huge impact on the fields of biology and zoology?

Why would it? Discovering a formerly unknown species does not inherently translate into massive impact.

Why would it? Because its BIGFOOT. It would mean THE iconic symbol of a greater, more fantastical world was REAL. It would mean our world wasn't so small and mundane as we thought it was, and that it was still possible to surprise mankind with something GOOD.

Remember a few weeks ago when everyone was stoked they found a whole shitload more gorillas in Africa than we thought? This would be that, times a million.

[Qwerty 42]

Oh come on you mean to tell me the discovery of Big Foot wouldn't have a huge impact on the fields of biology and zoology?

Why would it? Discovering a formerly unknown species does not inherently translate into massive impact.

Why would it? Because its BIGFOOT. It would mean THE iconic symbol of a greater, more fantastical world was REAL. It would mean our world wasn't so small and mundane as we thought it was, and that it was still possible to surprise mankind with something GOOD.

Remember a few weeks ago when everyone was stoked they found a whole shitload more gorillas in Africa than we thought? This would be that, times a million.

As far as cryptids go, the Bigfoot IS mundane: it's just a big monkey. We're talking about biologists here: the bigfoot would be no more interesting to them than any other species discovered, other than that it would indicate a bizarre migration pattern for primates other than humans. Would the media care? Absolutely, and they would blow it up. The scientists? Not so much.

[Invictus ChiKen]

Why would it? Discovering a formerly unknown species does not inherently translate into massive impact.

You mean besides the major media splash?

The expeditions to capture live specimens?

An should bigfoot turn out to be a surviving member of Gigantopithecus blacki and the impact that would have?

The possibility of expeditions being mounted to check out the Yeti, Yeren, Orang Pendek and Yowie I haven't the foggiest idea.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Why are they almost always names that start with a 'y'?

[Invictus ChiKen]

Why are they almost always names that start with a 'y'?

Don't look at me I didn't name them. Yeti is of course in Tibet / Nepal, the Yowie is in Australia and the Yeren is in Indonesia. \

Could be something to do with related languages or something but I'm not sure.

[cosmicalstorm]

[Buddha]

I know this is a fake! I have the real one in a cage up in the Himalayas and we keep it as a tourist thing. You know, one of those little out of the way Mom 'n' Pop shops where you can get souvenirs. Expensive stuff like bones, teeth, fur, and 'nads.

But seriously folks, it is a bear and or a man in a fursuit. I think if anything, we can say with certainty that furries exist and walk amoung us.

[Johonebesus]

As far as cryptids go, the Bigfoot IS mundane: it's just a big monkey. We're talking about biologists here: the bigfoot would be no more interesting to them than any other species discovered, other than that it would indicate a bizarre migration pattern for primates other than humans. Would the media care? Absolutely, and they would blow it up. The scientists? Not so much.

Why would it? Discovering a formerly unknown species does not inherently translate into massive impact.

From what I've read, Gigantopithicus does not seem a likely candidate for Sasquatch/Yeti. The real ape probably stood ten feet tall, had significant sexual dimorphism, and was much more closely related to orangutans than humans, making them far removed from hominids. At most, sasquatch could be descended from or related to Gigantopithicus blacki.

Presently humans are the only obligate biped among primates, maybe even among mammals. Bipedalism is one of the hallmarks of the family Homindæ. If there is another upright biped amongst primates it would add a very interesting new branch on the primate lineage. Either there is another extant hominid species, or bipedalism evolved separately in another group of primates. Either way it would shake up what scientists have reconstructed about primate evolution.

It would also create a very big question with huge implications for biology and cryptozoology. Traditionally, one of the strongest arguments against the reality of big foot is the improbability of a large animal remaining undiscovered in a densely populated area (contrary to what believers claim, the Pacific northwest is much more densely populated and trafficked than the Congo). If Big Foot is real, then how did it manage to hide? If such a large animal could remain unknown in the Lower 48, it is much more credible that such creatures could exist in the Congo, the Amazon, the Himalayas, the oceans, even Australia, Indonesia, India, anywhere. It would drastically change the way naturalists look for animals. Maybe there really are sea serpents: plesiosaurs or bizarre whales. Maybe there are surviving Thylacines. Maybe there is something more interesting behind the supposed Congo sauropod. Maybe there is a giant raptor or condor in North America. Maybe there is a giant bat, pterosaur, or something new in Africa or Southeast Asia.

[Superman]

Oh please, AS A former corrections officer who worked with plenty of police officers, don't let their titles fool you. Cops of any stripe lie as much as the next guy, and for two guys formerly trained in evidence collection and fact checking, they should know better.

This is BS.

[The Original Nex]

Oh poo! Here I was hoping for final confirmation of an American ape and it's a couple of idiot cops with a gorilla mask strapped to some carcass! I am disappointed