Yeti or Yogi? Snowman legend linked to bears
The Abominable Snowman, or Yeti, is a mysterious, ape-like creature that has been part of the mythology of Nepal and Tibet for centuries. The real Yeti may not be so strange, according to a study published Tuesday: New DNA samples of bones, teeth, skin and hair of supposed Yetis turned out to be from bears. “Our findings strongly suggest that the biological underpinnings of the Yeti legend can be found in local bears, and our study demonstrates that genetics should be able to unravel other, similar mysteries,” said study lead scientist Charlotte Lindqvist of the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences. “This study represents the most rigorous analysis to date of samples suspected to derive from anomalous or mythical ‘hominid’-like creatures,” the study said, “strongly suggesting the biological basis of the Yeti legend as local brown and black bears.” The bears can grow as long as 7 feet and weigh as much as 350 pounds. “Clearly, a big part of the Yeti legend has to do with bears,” Lindqvist said. Would this technology work on samples of America’s notorious Bigfoot, aka Sasquatch? “Yes, it definitely would,” she said. The study appeared in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a peer-reviewed British journal.