A new university-backed project aims to investigate cryptic species, including Bigfoot and yeti, whose existence is unproven, through genetic testing.

Oxford University researchers and the Lausanne Museum of Zoology are asking anyone with a collection of cryptozoological material to submit descriptions of it. The researchers will then ask for hair and other samples for genetic identification.

“I’m challenging and inviting the cryptozoologists to come up with the evidence instead of complaining that science is rejecting what they have to say,” said geneticist Bryan Sykes of the University of Oxford.

While Sykes doesn’t expect to find solid evidence of a yeti or Bigfoot monster, he says he is keeping an open mind and hopes to identify perhaps 20 of the suspect samples. Along the way, he’d be happy if he found some unknown species.

“It would be wonderful if one or more turned out to be species we don’t know about, maybe primates, maybe even collateral hominids,” Sykes told LiveScience. Such hominids would include Neanderthals or Denosivans, a mysterious hominin species that lived in Siberia 40,000 years ago.

“That would be the optimal outcome,” Sykes said.

The project is called the Oxford-Lausanne Collateral Hominid Project. It is being led by Sykes and Michel Sartori of the zoology museum.

A mysterious creature has been captured on camera at London’s Hackney Marshes – 30 years after the unexplained sighting of another mystery beast sparked a full-scale search for a suspected bear on the loose.

Terrified university student Helen Murray said she took the snaps while out for a stroll near dense woodland close to a path near the Old River Lea on bank holiday Monday earlier this month.

She said she was stopped in her tracks by the unknown animal, which was larger than a person and covered in shaggy black fur. “I tried to stay calm as I wasn’t sure what kind of animal it was or if it was even alive,” she said. “I had my phone ready to call 999. Then the creature moved. Somehow I managed to take a couple of pictures before I ran.

“I managed to get away but was scared half to death.” Ms Murray says she didn’t contact the police because she thought they wouldn’t believe her. A spokeswoman for Hackney police said there have been no other reports of sightings, while experts at London Zoo said the pictures were not clear enough for them to comment.

This latest trail cam photo of a purported Bigfoot taken by a person who chose not to reveal himself and was handed over to a blogger named Melissa Hovey.

Melissa “struggled” with releasing the photo to the Bigfoot community as she made a promise to the person that he can trust her.

Is this photo real? You be the judge…

More info HERE

Skunk Ape or just a big monkey?

Authorities in Florida said a large monkey, estimated to be 4 feet tall when on all fours, has been spotted at least four times in the St. Cloud region.

Osceola County Animal Control and the St. Cloud Police Department said the primate has been spotted in the area on at least four occasions, once behind a Home Depot store in Dakota Avenue and three times in the Wisconsin Avenue area, WKMG-TV, Orlando, reported Wednesday.

Authorities said they do not know where the animal came from and they are encouraging anyone who spots the monkey to call police or Animal Control.

Les Platt, who lives in the Wisconsin Avenue area, said the monkey was spotted by some houseguests.

“He just walked across, and then he stood upright on his two hind legs. Up to that point, they thought they were looking at a wildcat,” Plett said. “I lived in the Philippines, I had a number of pet monkeys — and they can be very mean and can bite — so maybe someone just got tired of taking care of the monkey.”

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