One of this blog's greatest supporters Pablo Infantino (thank you very much Pablo), drew my attention to this "strange" press release [1] which seems to imply that human (H. sapiens) and "something else" have merged their genes (nuclear DNA not mtDNA, the latter is 100% human).
“Our study has sequenced 20 whole mitochondrial genomes and utilized next generation sequencing to obtain 3 whole nuclear genomes from purported Sasquatch samples. The genome sequencing shows that Sasquatch mtDNA is identical to modern Homo sapiens, but Sasquatch nuDNA is a novel, unknown hominin related to Homo sapiens and other primate species. Our data indicate that the North American Sasquatch is a hybrid species, the result of males of an unknown hominin species crossing with female Homo sapiens."
COMMENT:
if mtDNA is identical to modern humans, the question is: Amerindian? Asian? which haplogroups are involved?
If the mTDNA IS A, B, C or D we can be sure that admixture took place in America or Beringia, otherwise it may have taken place in Asia or, be some kind of contamination of the samples due to mishandling by those who collected them (cough on, sneeze on or excessively touch the "bigfoot" hairs and... yes, your DNA gets into the samples!
“Hominins are members of the taxonomic grouping Hominini, which includes all members of the genus Homo. Genetic testing has already ruled out Homo neanderthalis and the Denisova hominin as contributors to Sasquatch mtDNA or nuDNA."
COMMENT:
So Sasquatch male line predecessors were not Neanderthals or Deinsovans
“The male progenitor that contributed the unknown sequence to this hybrid is unique as its DNA is more distantly removed from humans than other recently discovered hominins like the Denisovan individual,” explains Ketchum."
COMMENT:
Then it is older, much older: It is an ancient hominid
“Sasquatch nuclear DNA is incredibly novel and not at all what we had expected. While it has human nuclear DNA within its genome, there are also distinctly non-human, non-archaic hominin, and non-ape sequences. We describe it as a mosaic of human and novel non-human sequence. Further study is needed and is ongoing to better characterize and understand Sasquatch nuclear DNA."
COMMENT:
This is odd: non-human means: not modern Homo sapiens, non-ape: not chimp, gorilla or orangutang. Non-archaic hominin: what is archaic? Neanderthal and Denisovan? If so, the "non-human sequence" may belong to Homo erectus or Homo habilis.
The Ancient Human lineage (H. erectus or H. habilis) fits in nicely with some of my previous posts in this site: a pre-sapiens colonization of the Americas.
For instance: Homo Habilis got to America First
However my skeptical side cautions me to read the paper: Naughty people on the web have written that Ketchum said her samples had "angel" DNA, if so, it is "snake oil" and pseudo science. Angels have no place in science, they belong to another realm.
So, I will sit, wait and read the paper when it is published
New July 2014. A recent scholarly study analysed hair from alleged Yeti and Bigfoot and confirms that Bigfoot is a fake
Lets wait for the formal paper if it is ever published.... you can read the formal press release here:
Sources[1]‘BIGFOOT’ DNA SEQUENCED IN UPCOMING GENETICS STUDY Five-Year Genome Study Yields Evidence of Homo sapiens/Unknown Hominin Hybrid Species in North America
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