Friday, November 15, 2013

Bigfoot by a HAIR...



With the airing of the recent documentary specials “Bigfoot Files” much was made about hair and extracting mtDNA from hair shafts. Dr. Sykes went to great lengths to assure everyone that he could decontaminate the hair and thus extract a “pure” DNA sample. Here is Dr. Sykes statement: The fact is hair is very resilient. You can clean any suggestion of contamination from the surface of the hair without damaging the DNA that lies within. This is something we have only known in the past couple of years.

Mitochondrial DNA can be extracted from the hair shafts. This is possible with “normal” hair from a human or animal, but during Dr. Ketchum’s DNA study she discovered a quality about Bigfoot hair that was unique to the species. Regardless of how hard she tried using Human Primers or Universal Mammalian Primers she could not get any mtDNA to amplify when using a Bigfoot hair shaft only.  Either the shafts contain no mtDNA or the shafts contain enzymes that inhibit the primers from attaching to the mtDNA sequences which would result in amplification. 

Dr. Ketchum's comment about the hair:

 I found I repeatedly couldn't extract DNA (something that never happens with large robust hairs like these), I couldn't understand it.  I sent non-rooted hairs from the same 8 samples I had been attempting to extract  to the North LA Criminalistics Lab to be robotically extracted.  His system is designed to yield super-clean DNA from very low yield sources we have in forensic testing.  He didn't get any DNA either.  So this enigma was repeated and neither of us with combined 60 plus years of extraction experience could explain it.  We thought it was inhibitors but no, there was just not any DNA present in our extractions.  Our control human samples extracted perfectly.  He gave me the extractions that he made on those eight samples (some of which were Paulides submissions) and I put them on my spectrophotometer to double check them and confirmed his robotic samples contained no DNA at all.

Dr. Ketchum had discovered this unique property and consequently a repeatable identifier for Bigfoot hair.  If the hair would have been contaminated by human mtDNA then that DNA would have amplified with the Human Primers and if the hair was from any know animal the mtDNA would have amplified by the Universal Mammalian Primers. A fact the Journal Nature referees wanted stripped from the DNA Study.
With this knowledge Dr. Ketchum began to spread the word to those of us who were collecting samples to please only send in hairs with a visible follicle or skin tag attached.  It was a waste of time and money to send in hair samples with no skin tags because mtDNA could not be extracted from the shaft alone.

I know for fact Dr. Sykes and those working with him had access to the DNA Study. The Bigfoot hair morphology was discussed in great detail including photographs and supplements.  The fact that only a few hairs were tested out of 100’s that were sent in to Dr. Sykes is a puzzling aspect of the “Bigfoot Files” TV Specials.

 I have a theory that Dr. Sykes was aware of this unique property that Dr. Ketcum had discovered about the Bigfoot hairs. He knew if he tested true Bigfoot hairs he would not get any mtDNA. He had already professed himself to be the expert and able to extract “pristine DNA” from only a hair shaft, so he has a dilemma on his hands.  If he processes known Bigfoot hair and gets no mtDNA then he has to admit one of two things:  1 - He is incompetent and unable to extract mtDNA from possibly dozens of “clean and pristine” hair samples or 2 -That the hair must be from a Bigfoot or an unknown hominin after the mtDNA failed to amplify from dozens of hair samples. This by default confirms Dr. Ketchum’s DNA Study finding’s and validates her study.

Since both these scenarios is unpalatable, Dr. Sykes opted to just test a handful of hairs he knew where known animal. Surely you do not believe that Dr. Sykes was so inept that he did not have the hairs pre-screened by a forensic hair expert. It is costly to run DNA testing on these hairs, at least $1,500 if not more per sample. Surely the hair expert Dr. Sykes used was not so incompetent that he gave Dr. Sykes known animal hairs of Bear, Dog, Raccoon, and Wolf?  If so, then Dr. Sykes should be suing this hair expert to recoup the thousands of dollars spent on wasted DNA testing. This would explain why only “seven of the best samples were selected for testing”.  In my opinion who ever screened the hairs for Dr. Sykes made sure to exclude any known Bigfoot hairs. This way Dr. Sykes would only be testing known animal hair and avoid having to explain the lack of mtDNA amplification. 

This is a “kill two birds with one stone” scenario. Dr. Sykes discredited the Bigfoot researchers in the United States and avoided confirming Dr. Ketchum’s DNA Study. Mission accomplished Dr. Sykes, mission accomplished.


9 comments:

  1. I never knew that there were different degrees of truth and facts.
    Apparently there are. I'm sure there is a story about health care here
    but I will refrain.

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  2. They said that only a few of the results would be revealed on the shows. The rest are in the paper and, like Dr. Ketchum's, cannot be discussed or revealed until the paper is published. I think it's ok for us to give them the benefit of the doubt until they publish, don't you guys? That's why I never joined in when all those folks kept attacking Dr. K. I opted to let the paper and results do the talking. Anything less, just like in this case, is making guesses and prematurely passing judgement, which is wrong.

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  3. As always Scott,,thank you for this informational,and knowledgable article. You can definitely tell,IMHO,how much anyone cares,and actually enjoys thier trade,hobbie,buissness,etc,by when they get into subjects and areas,they would otherwise never learn of,or have any use for. Then,take that to the next level,you share what you learn with others,freely,to increase their personal knowledge base,and broden their horizons,and information on this amazing legacy. Last,but not least,you keep true to your standards,ethics and dignity,by not engaging others without cause or reason,like so many others in this community.
    I'm very happy,none of the madness,and,for a lack of a better word at times,nonsense,has affected your research,and character,and,after all the ups and downs,though out your short,but undeniably epic and outstanding carrer(if you think about this,how many folks,researchers,and enthusiasts,since this began,tried decades to capture photo,and video evidence,,and failed,,some never even getting a blobsquatch,or even yet,ever getting in the area of one. To look at what you've accomplished in a handful of years,really puts things into perspective!).
    Thanks again,and take care.

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  4. Dr. Sykes is a government funded dependent scientist - so why would anybody expect anything different?

    Here is the observation of James M. McCanney, M.S. Physics, who presents a radically different view of the Universe over that of government funded scientists.

    "Remember that 99% of scientists today repeat what they "know" from something they read. So there are VERY FEW of them that have first hand information regarding what they are spewing. I call them "Text Book Geniuses". They can regurgitate what they have read but few have taken the painful route to research the many issues for themselves. Ph.D.s all lined up in a row saying the same things does not make "science" ... it makes a mutual admiration society club house where popular vote wins ... not the scientific method ... and since they have long since eliminated the "competition" they are free to say whatever they want unopposed. This does make one wonder whether Astronomy qualifies as a "science".

    THAT IS HOW WE ARRIVED AT THE MESS WE ARE SEEING TODAY IN THIS CRAZY WORLD WE LIVE IN ... THEN ADD IN THE SECRET AND BLACK OPS GROUPS WHO STRIVE TO KEEP THE PUBLIC FROM KNOWING THE TRUTH ..."

    http://www.jmccanneyscience.com/

    Lies, lies and more lies is all mainstream science likes to spew and repeat. Step outside the box and think for yourself.

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  5. TSE, Mr. McCanney brings up an excellent point. When opposing
    ideas are eliminated, there is no knowledge or truth, only what is
    accepted by those in power. One only has to look at the current state
    of our nation to see this is never an intelligent path.

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  6. Ok the tv is off, I just spent two painful hours watching the Nat Geo
    special " Bigfoot the new evidence ". What was accomplished? The
    corporate enity of Nat Geo succeeded in once again conning more
    fortune 500 companies in sponsoring 2 hours of crap that can be
    swallowed by the poorly informed. Once again the people who see
    what they saw and are willing to tell the world honestly and without
    anything to gain are made to look like fools. Until the companies that
    pay for commercials to run on such shows are shown to see the light
    this will no doubt continue. This show was an insult to all those who
    worked to support the work by Dr. Ketchum. I hope Sykes is happy
    that he contributed exactly nothing to further the work that science
    is supposed to accomplish. Again my hat goes off to Melba and her
    team.

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  7. The Science community politics on the “ Ketchum report”

    The science community (academia) is stuck on an old stereotype view on evolution. Carl von Linnè once won acceptance for the systematics of the species. This was then thought to be static. Thus hybrids or mix of any kind where “bastards” and mistakes in nature. This was in reality a highly racist view.

    When Darwin suggested that there was an evolution going on in nature and that this have also been going on to evolve the species that are present today, he had a hard time to convince first of all the science community of that time. The resulting view agreed on from the scientific community of then, was in reality a mix of the new and the old, OK for evolution but not involving mix breeding. The question is: why are there such things as sexual reproduction and hybridization going on in nature?

    Not surprisingly, as the scientific community acts like a priesthood, they still stick to this ancient view. The Religions and the real priests really do not have this type of problem, and should not have needed to have in the dark ages even, because the prophets of most religions point out, to differ between religious matters and worthily matters.

    So shocking times for the scientific priesthood, most or all humans are hybrids, mixed race or both. A pill hard to swallow, but OK when someone out of the priesthood itself (within academia) suggest this in a moderate portion, 2-4 % or so. When it became clear earlier this year, that without doubt, we have a people living in the USA and Canada, having a much higher percentage of heritage from another hominid, and this science did not come out of the priesthood, it came from a group of real scientists outside of academia, it cannot be accepted. And there is nothing else to it. Whatever it takes, it must be rejected, even if that would include the questioning of already accepted and proven methods.
    Because they, on their part, cannot risk the questioning of:
    • Them being the elite ( also a kind of racist view)
    • Their old stereotype view on evolution
    • The “ out of Africa” theory
    • The archeological register supremacy
    • “Pseudoscience” having value, rather than being blasphemy.
    This occurrence in history is a study in power structure and behavior of and from a society based on alliances and “ friendships”, and that this behavior is repeated throughout in history. They now as before in history try to play the words ( working it through the media) to win the general public on their side, and guess who people preferre to believe? It is pure power and politics and not science.
    Peter Säbom, Inventor

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  8. Geneticist aims to teleport Mars life back to Earth

    "MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE, Calif. — J. Craig Venter, the maverick scientist, is looking for a new world to conquer: Mars. He wants to detect life on Mars and bring it to Earth using a device called a digital biological converter, or biological teleporter.

    Although the idea conjures up “Star Trek,” the analogy is not exact. The transporter on that program moves Captain Kirk from one location to another. Venter’s machine would merely create a copy of an organism from a distant location — more like a biological fax machine."


    But I was taught that the Red Planet was dead and devoid of life and water.... OR is there something I haven't been told? And this Craig guy seems so SURE that there is life on Mars! And that DNA is some kind of computer code that can be transported over distances and manipulated to create limitless possibilities! This is not what mainstream science and government skools taught me.

    Learn more about the interesting theories and speculation (that has no basis in reality - according to mainstream science - as was discarded as the "myths of the ancients" at his website.

    http://www.jcvi.org/cms/home/

    Don't take it too seriously - because he is obviously delusional and can't be taken seriously.

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    Replies
    1. Good point

      Wether that would be on Mars or anywhere else in space, its a good approach, because we cannot manage to return any material back to earth. So, if there would be life based on having a DNA code, it could be analyced with an automated system and the DNA code could be transmitted back to earth.

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