More on Texas Bigfoot

http://voices.yahoo.com/baby-bigfoot-evidence-cast-prints-sasquatch-11342564.html?cat=58

This is one of my postings that kept disappearing when I was trying to post it. I have sent the request to author David Claer asking for permission to reprint these articles because our researches have tended to coincide and reinforce each other in other areas wheret overlap. I am going on ahead and reprinting here because I consider the evidence crucial in discussing the matter and because I am not only giving him all credit, I am also not gaining any financial profit by the reprinting and nor is anyone else. The H. heidelbergensis theory has incidentally been a strong contender since the 1990s in the literature at the time: but the feeling all along has been that it was a subspecies of Homo sapiens and the direct ancestor of the Neanderthals.

"Baby" Bigfoot Evidence- Cast Prints from a Sasquatch Toddler

Sasquatch Family Members Leave Hand- and Footprints in Texas Clay

David Claerr, Yahoo! Contributor Network

The vast ecosystem formed by the Red River watershed on the borders of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana affords a habitat comprised of many micro-climates with an incredible diversity and richness of plant and animal life. In many of the deep ravines where the creeks and waterways have cut through the the limestone cap rock, the vegetation has a nearly tropical aspect. Towering, ancient cypress trees form a canopy above the underbrush and thick hanging vines. These ravines are like a primordial oasis, seldom traversed by humans. Often in remote wildernesses, surrounded by thousands of acres of temperate woodlands and meadows. The ravines are a favored living quarters for the Sasquatch or "Bigfoot"
From one of these ravines, a very significant group of footprints of a "Baby Bigfoot" were cast in plaster, along with a hand- and footprints from a more mature Sasquatch, most likely the juvenile's older sibling or mother. The prints, pressed into the fine clay of the creek bed are rare specimens, since not only are they from a rarely documented young juvenile, but the casts also retain detailed anatomical features that are not generally preserved in other types of soil.
A record of this type of evidence is necessary for a more in-depth understanding of these beings, who are the closest living relatives of humans, as current, in-depth DNA results are expected to reveal. The popular misconception of the Sasquatch is one of a savage "monster"- a giant ape with limited intelligence, motivated by sheer instinct. The Sasquatch are far more complex, intelligent and social creatures, with a family structure and long-term relationships within their extended families and network of friends- which in very rare instances can include humans.
[The photographs and diagrams included with this article (at upper right) can be selected by clicking on the numbers, and then enlarged by clicking on the thumbnail image that is displayed. Note that the images are copyrighted and cannot be legally copied or reproduced in print or on the internet without express permission of the author. Press release photos for linking to the article are available upon request.]
The print casts are from a private collection, which I was given permission to examine and photograph. A few years prior to examining these casts, I had independently investigated the area where they were cast, and found abundant evidence of the Sasquatch in this region, as well as had confirmation by sightings. The owner of this collection and I had no previous knowledge of each other's activities and research.
The cast print of the "baby" is most likely from a juvenile that would be equivalent to a human "toddler" a young Sasquatch who has just begun to walk upright. This individual would be larger in stature than a human of similar relative maturity, standing about 3 and a half feet tall. The accompanying footprints are of an individual, most likely female, probably about 6 foot tall, small for an adult female and possibly indicating an older sibling.
The footprints have several distinguishing anatomical characteristics that differentiate them from human footprints. The most marked feature is the clearly delineated depression in the mid-foot on the outside edge opposite the arch. In a human foot, the bone structure in this area is rigid, and forms a continuous ridge from the ball of the foot to the heel. In the Sasquatch, the bone-joints and ligaments are flexible in the mid-tarsal region, which is evidenced in the resulting depression in the footprints. The mid-tarsal "break" as it is often referred to, enables the Sasquatch or Bigfoot to flex the foot and walk on the fore-foot.
The ability to walk and run on the forefoot is an adaptation that affords increased mechanical leverage to the stride of the Sasquatch. In other prints that I have examined, as well as these, there are distinctly visible elements in the configuration of bone structure, tendons and musculature of the foot that reveal the bio-mechanical mechanism operating in the Sasquatch foot. (For more, related information, refer to the links to articles listed in the Resources section below.)
The Sasquatch trait of displacing the weight to the forefoot results in other notable configurations in the bone structure of the foot. The foot of the Sasquatch is significantly broader across the ball of the foot in comparison to human proportions. Both of the cast footprints show not only the broad forefoot, but areas where the bone joints, the overlaying tissue pads and the calloused skin itself combine to form enlarged prominences in the prints.

On the outside edge of the foot, in the bones supporting the "little" toe, (the fifth metatarsal, just above the mid-tarsal flexion) there is an enlarged bone prominence, thickened tissue pad, and thickly calloused skin. (Sasquatch also have an enlarged os perenium - a small oviod bone that only about 20% of modern humans possess, at the posterior end of the fifth metatarsal. It functions as a stress- and pressure-bearing reinforcement to the tendon.)
On the opposite side of the forefoot, in the bones supporting the "big" toe, there is also an enlarged bone prominence, tissue pad and calloused area. (In this location, there are also two small ovoid bones, present in both humans and in the Sasquatch- the sesamoid bones-, which are connected only by tendons to the big toe. These bones are proportionately much larger in the foot of the Sasquatch- evidence of the increased weight distribution to the forefoot during ambulation.)
Another element in the developmental anatomy of the Sasquatch that can be deduced from these prints in comparison to those of adults, is that the tapering profile of the foot from ball to heel indicates a progression to increased bipedalism from juvenile to adult. In the toddler, the heel is smaller and narrower, indicating more of a reliance on quadrupedal locomotion- crawling or scampering on four limbs. In fact, in large adult males, the bones of the heels (calcaneus) become very robust. In examining both cast and actual footprints in the field, I have noted there there is a discernible difference between male and female Sasquatch footprints. As with humans, Sasquatch are dimorphic- that is, males and females are different in general size and shape. Both the hands and feet of a female Sasquatch are more slender, or narrower in proportion of width to length.
In the cast prints of the "Baby Bigfoot" there are also rarely documented fine anatomical details that mitigate against fraudulence. In the cast print picture above, there are clearly defined pressure ridges, mainly across the forefoot. These ridges are basically a rumpling of the outer layers of tissue and skin on the sole of the foot, formed as the foot flexes. In a series of actual footprints, the pressure ridges will change in size, shape and number, whereas in hoaxed prints, there are either no pressure ridges, or they remain identical from print to print. ( In fact in most prints, the soil consistency does not retain impressions of the pressure ridges.)
A very significant element in this series of prints are the finely detailed dermal ridge patterns. Dermal ridges, also referred to as "friction" ridges, are the pattern of whorls or spiraling ridges that form the familiar "fingerprint" signature on hands and correspondingly, on toes of both humans and Sasquatch. ( In this case the dermal ridges pictured are from the print series of the more mature Sasquatch.) In the cast prints that I examined that have distinct dermal ridge patterns, the patterns have a very close correlation to human dermal ridge patterns, as seen in the pictured comparisons.
One of the cast prints, pictured above is an even rarer specimen- it is the hand print from a sub-adult Sasquatch, possibly from the same individual that left the larger of the two footprints. The hand-print has many of the same characteristics as those seen in the cast hand-print of a much larger adult male. (Refer to the link in the resources section below for the article with that analysis.) The Sasquatch hand is typically broader in proportion to that of a human, and the individual bones are both flatter and straighter compared to a human's. The thumb is more widely offset. The main muscle groups in the hand are larger and more robust proportionately, as well. The palm of the hand is flatter, with typically thick, callused skin.
In concluding this article, I would like to take the opportunity to comment on the nature of the Sasquatch. Evidence such as these footprints, as well as field observation by many researchers, indicate they they are beings with an emotional and intellectual capacity very close to those of human beings. They have close-knit families that love, nurture and care for their young. They have the ability to speak and converse, not only with each other, but also with humans. They are long-lived and well traveled throughout wilderness areas and traditional territories that are now being encroached upon by humankind. In light of these revelations, I am an advocate of the no-kill policy in regards to the Sasquatch or Bigfoot. The slaughter of one of these beings, with this type of fore-knowledge, would be an unconscionable act. The Sasquatch are very likely in the lineage ancestral to modern humans, and the killing of one, while aware of their true nature, would be ethically equivalent to the killing of one of our own fellow humans. [I emphatically agree-DD]

Resources:
Cast Print Fine Detail analysis:
http://voices.yahoo.com/texas-bigfoot-cast-print-examination-4574275.html?cat=58
Bigfoot Evidence in Texas:
http://voices.yahoo.com/photos/compelling-evidence-bigfoot-texas-3171342.html?cat=4
Sasquatch Cast Hand-print analysis:
http://voices.yahoo.com/bigfoot-handprint-discovered-texas-6604970.html?cat=58
Sasquatch Cast Print analysis #1
http://voices.yahoo.com/i-analyzed-bigfoots-footprint-study-creatures-1377091.html?cat=70
Bigfoot Bones: Sasquatch Skeleton:
http://voices.yahoo.com/bigfoot-bones-sasquatch-skeleton-analyzed-compared-10977262.html?cat=58
Origins of Bigfoot in the fossil record:
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-origins-saquatch-bigfoot-10509269.html?cat=58
The Red River Watershed System:
http://www.lsus.edu/offices-and-services/community-outreach/red-river-watershed-management-institute/about-the-basin

Comments made when notice of this article was posted by J.C. Johnson:

David Lewis Carver We had baby prints where the little tike was clearly being held by mother and she let  Him/her down. Pretty cool

Bob Durdella

I found a nice 8 or 9 inch print 4 years ago at Salt Fork State Park in Ohio. Wasn't sure if it was human or not. I thought about casting it but didn't. I did take about 6 pictures of it. I had Dr. Esteban Sarmiento look at the pics and he ...thought it could be a juvy Squatch print. There are plenty of adult print cast in the 13 inch and up size. We need more examples of juvenile Squatch prints for study and comparison. I do have 4 castings of 9 inch prints I found. Sarmiento and Meldrum both looked at these and said they were human. I don't think they are because of all the other evidence and circumstances surrounding them.

 

Dale Drinnon That sounds like a good range of track sizes. And I think there are others that have said that some of the tracks start out as more human-like when small and young but less human-like as large and adult 

Bob Durdella

When Dr Meldrum looked at my 4 print cast and said they were human he did say that there was a possibility they were juvy Squatch prints and that maybe they change in time as the Squatch matures. He said we don't know right now. He said the... same thing about some castings made by Jaime Avalos on one of the Monster Quest episodes featuring Jaime. This is why there is a need for more juvy Squatch print castings and pics. I look at and study every picture and casting that are posted of alleged juvy Squatch prints

Dale Drinnon I'm throwing my blog together now. Mind if I quote you on that?

Bigfoot Handprint Discovered In Texas

Photographs and Comprehensive Analysis of the Bigfoot or Sasquatch Hand from Plaster Cast

[All original work, photographs and drawings are copyrighted by David Claerr: I shall add one of my own additionally at the end because it amplifies the others in a different way]

Dale D's addition: comparison of a Texas Bigfoot handprint to a Neanderthal hand skeleton, which appears to have much the same bony structure. I would imagine the Texas Bigfoot to be in the range of 7-7 1/2 feet tall by this comparison.

In the dense woodlands of northeast Texas, near the town of Paris, there have been many recent reports of sightings of large, hairy, creatures that match descriptions of Bigfoot or the Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest. Evidence of the creature's presence has been accumulating, including a few excellent plaster casts of its footprints. However, distinct hand-prints from any region are relatively rare, and the subject of this article is one of the best cast hand-prints on record to date. (Note that the images and diagrams can also be viewed in a convenient slide-show format by clicking on this link.)
The cast hand-print is from a collection made by the late Mike Sells, who lived in the Paris area. (Mike passed away in 2008). I was given permission to closely examine and photograph the casts when they were on display at the first annual Bigfoot Festival in Lamar, Point, Texas on Nov. 7th, 2009. The collection was on loan from Mike's wife, Sandy, and it included several cast footprints and hand-prints, ranging from big males to females and small juveniles. Mike was an ardent outdoorsman who discovered evidence of the creatures on numerous occasions while exploring the woodlands, and while searching for Native American artifacts.
The impression of the hand-print was made in sandy soil. The granular sand did not pick up fine detail, such as dermal ridges or finger-print whorls. However, the general contours of the hand, including the creases in the palm (also referred to as "life lines" in palmistry) are fairly distinct. Embedded in the cast is a peach pit.(The area around Paris is noted for its peach orchards, and there are many individual trees growing wild.) The pit is about 1 & 1/4 inches long, so it can be used as a scale.
The hand-print is about 12 & 1/2 inches long, which would indicate a creature about 9 to 10 feet tall, based on the ratios used for humans [In Bigfoot the hands and feet are remarked upon as being proportionately outsized-DD].Using the biometric calculations used for estimating human weight, the creature would weigh from 500-600 pounds if the body type was within the "normal" range, and would likely be considerably heavier, assuming a very heavy-boned and muscular being.
Despite the obvious similarity to a human hand, the cast print shows some notable differences in its configuration. First is the enormous size, which is nearly double the length of an average human hand, with a surface area about three times the size of a human's. The bone structure, which can be traced by the prominences or bulges at the joints, indicates bones which are more massive and blocky, with less curvature along the length than those of a human.
The palm is larger in proportion to the fingers than that of a human, and has elongated metacarpal bones connected to the little finger and "ring" finger, which make the palm considerably more square than a human hand. The little and ring fingers are also proportionately longer and thicker than a human's. The thumb is splayed at a larger angle and is also comparatively more robust than that of a human. The massive bone structure indicates a creature with tremendous grasping power.
The relative flatness of the palm, and the uniformity of the impression indicate thick, callused skin on the palm and fingers, due to frequent, habitual contact with rough surfaces and the lifting of heavy objects. There is a notably robust development evident in the main muscles of the hand, namely the pollicis group along the metacarpal of the thumb, and the digiti minimi group along the metacarpal of the little finger. These muscles are proportionally larger and wider by comparison to a human hand. The bio-mechanical configuration of the Bigfoot/Sasquatch hand would enable it to apply enormous pressure and torque on any object in its grasp.
The dimensions of the cast Bigfoot hand-print indicate an individual whose size almost exactly matches that indicated by another specimen that I examined, an excellent cast Bigfoot footprint from the Paris area. The footprint, impressed into soft clay, has fine detail of dermal ridges, stress creases, and skin-folds at the joints as well as other anatomical features. The analytical article, photographs and diagrams can be found at this link.
As a related note of interest, Mike Sells was featured in the movie "Bigfoot Lives" produced by Searching For Bigfoot Inc. "Bigfoot Lives" chronicles the research efforts of the SFBI team, headed by the renowned Tom Biscardi. The Searching for Bigfoot website link can be found listed in the Resources section below. [Unfortunately Tom Biscardi has subsequently become discredited-which does not reflect upon Mike Sells, David Claerr or anybody else in the business-DD]
Resources:
Slide Show of Cast Hand-print with Bone Structure Analysis : http://www.associatedcontent.com/slideshow/58844/bigfoot_handprint_discovered_in_texas.html?cat=58
Slide Show of Cast Footprint with Analysis: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/712585/i_analyzed_bigfoots_footprint_a_study.html?cat=70
Slide Show with Fine Details in Closeup from Cast Footpprint: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2243755/texas_bigfoot_cast_print_examination_pg2.html?cat=58
Searching for Bigfoot Website: http://www.searchingforbigfoot.com/



http://voices.yahoo.com/i-analyzed-bigfoots-footprint-study-creatures-1377091.html?image=258265&cat=70

-In this case although I think it is a perfectly legitimate cast, I feel the footprint shows a great deal of skidding at the heel and a curling of the toes which appear shorter and bunched up as a consequence.  Note the oddly turned-out little toe [specified in some Asiatic Almas tracks].

Texas Bigfoot Cast Compared To Neanderthal Foot Skeleton. Next one Compares Baby Bigfoot Track to Adult. Footprint casts are from David Claerr and the adult track below has been mirrored but is to scale. Both comparisons are paste-ups done by Dale D.