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Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science by Dr. Jeff Meldrum
Comments:
- "Jeff Meldrum is a scientist, an expert in human locomotor adaptations. In Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science he examines all evidence critically, not to force a conclusion, but to establish a baseline of facts upon which further research can depend. His science is not submerged by opinion and dogmatic assumption. With objectivity and insight he analyzes evidence from tracks, skin ridges on the soles of feet, film footage, and DNA, and he compares it to that on primates and various other species. He disentangles fact from anecdote, supposition, and wishful thinking, and concludes that the search for yeti and sasquatch is a valid scientific endeavor. By offering a critical scrutiny, Sasquatch does more for this field of investigation than all the past arguments and polemics of contesting experts."
--Dr. George Schaller, Vice-President of the Wildlife Conservation
- "Jeff Meldrum's book Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science brings a much needed level of scientific analysis to the Sasquatch-or Bigfoot-debate."
--Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE UN Messenger of Peace & Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute
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Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science Documentary on DVD
For the first time, scientists from many disciplines put the most compelling sasquatch evidence under the microscope and apply forensic science to the on-going mystery. Their conclusions shed new light as to whether we have a living, breathing North American ape living in our forests. Evidence collected by the BFRO, including the Skookum Cast, is featured. This cutting edge 1-hour 35mm film documentary is a co-production by Doug Hajicek of Whitewolf Entertainment Inc., The Discovery Channel, and Bosch Media.
The DVD version of this landmark documentary contains several extras:
- The full length of the Patterson footage in digital format, allowing you to zoom in on individual frames with unprecendented clarity
- More of the Freeman footage
- More of the Memorial Day footage
- An FAQ on the sasquatch mystery
- A gallery of images related to sasquatch evidence and research
Unprecedented Clarity in Footage
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The three best pieces of purported sasquatch footage are analyzed and discussed
in the documentary. In addition, the DVD includes an Extras Section with each of
the footage clips in never-before-available high quality, direct digital-from-master
clarity. For many interested in analyzing these pieces of footage, this is the
highlight of the DVD. Each piece of footage is looped, zoomed, and slowed down,
allowing the viewer to analyze them closely and even pause and advance
the frames manually.
The Patterson Footage
The Patterson
footage shows a dark hair covered figure with large muscles
quickly walking away from the camera. This incident occured in October
of 1967 in a remote, unpopulated mountain valley near the California/Oregon
border.
After the incident investigators went to the scene and measured
the tracks left behind by the figure. The track measurements were
later compared to the figure's feet visible in the footage. This
allowed for various other measurements and calculations of body
mass and weight of the figure. Those calculations consistently add
up to over 1,000 pounds.
The figure's bipedal posture creates doubts for many people, because
it makes the figure seem "humanlike". Any primate adpated
to full bipedalism will have a humanlike posture. Human body shape
and posture is optimized for efficiency and balance, especially
when running at high speeds. Body proportions like those of apes,
chimps or other tree climbing primates, are not as energy efficient
when walking or running upright.
A tall 1000+ pound bipedal primate would have a posture similar
to humans, but it would also have different muscle proportions to
support its greater weight. Bio mechanics experts say the Patterson
figure shows the muscle proportions a large bipedal primate would
need, especially if it lived in the sort of rugged terrain where
the footage was obtained.
People who don't pay close attention to the subtleties of the figure
and its movement may quickly conclude that it's a man in a costume.
Others see just the opposite. They are familiar enough with the
way humans move to see the difference in this figure right away.
Earlier versions of the Patterson footage were murky compared to
this digital-from-master. They were always 3-4 analog generations
removed from the original. Being closer to the original footage
makes a significant difference in the level of detail visible.
The Freeman Footage & The Memorial Day Footage
The Paul Freeman footage and Memorial Day footage are the only versions
ever released, both digital-from-master dubs.
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Scientists and Experts Appearing
In the documentary, scientists from various disciplines put the
most compelling sasquatch evidence to the test. Collectively their
conclusions are ground-breaking. There is now scientific proof for
the existence of a giant primate species in North America -- a species
fitting the descriptions of sasquatches.
The nation's top primate anatomist, Dr. Daris Swindler of Washington
State Univeristy examines the Skookum Cast, along with prominent
primatologist Dr. Esteban Sarmiento of the American Museum of Natural
History in New York City, and anthropologist Dr. Jeff Meldrum of
Idaho State University, give their conclusions about the Skookum
cast, and what it points to.
The nation's top bioacoustics analyst, Dr. Robert Benson at Texas
A&M Corpus Christi, analyzes sound recordings of purported sasquatch
vocalizations with an advanced computerized system in his laboratory.
He explains his conclusions about the recordings.
Primate fingerprint expert, Officer Jimmy Chilcutt, discusses the
consistent and distinct dermal ridge patterns found in track casts
from the northwest and southeastern United States. He states his
conclusions about the level of proof provided the dermal ridge casts
evidence.
DNA expert Dr. Craig Newton from BC Research in Canada attempts
to extract DNA from hair samples and saliva taken from the Skookum
Cast site. He explains the potential and problems with DNA analysis.
Dr. Russel Ciochon shows life-size models of Gigantopithecus, and
describes their interactions with early man. Various other scientists
fill in other parts of the puzzle.
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