Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science
Encyclopedia
Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science was a documentary film
which originally aired on the Discovery Channel
on January 9, 2003. The program features scientists from various disciplines analyzing the most compelling evidence for the existence of Bigfoot
, including the Skookum cast
and the Patterson-Gimlin film
.
The documentary has since been released on DVD
and VHS
. A companion book to the documentary written by anthropologist Jeffrey Meldrum
was published in 2006 (ISBN 0-7653-1216-6).
In the Extra Features section of the DVD are four sections:
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
which originally aired on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
on January 9, 2003. The program features scientists from various disciplines analyzing the most compelling evidence for the existence of Bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
, including the Skookum cast
Skookum Cast
The Skookum cast is a plaster cast often claimed to be an imprint of the body of Bigfoot, although it is more typically regarded as that of an elk.-Description:...
and the Patterson-Gimlin film
Patterson-Gimlin film
The Patterson-Gimlin film is a famous short motion picture of an unidentified subject the film makers purported to be a "Bigfoot", that was supposedly filmed on October 20, 1967, by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin on the Klamath River outside of Orleans,...
.
The documentary has since been released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
. A companion book to the documentary written by anthropologist Jeffrey Meldrum
Jeffrey Meldrum
D. Jeffrey Meldrum is an Associate Professor of Anatomy and Anthropology and Adjunct Associate Professor of the Department of Anthropology at Idaho State University...
was published in 2006 (ISBN 0-7653-1216-6).
DVD version
The DVD version of the program is slightly different from the one that aired on the Discovery Channel. It is separated into the following sections:- Introduction
- Exhibit 1: FossilFossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
Evidence - Exhibit 2: New Species Discoveries
- Exhibit 3: Dermal RidgesFingerprintA fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...
- Exhibit 4: Body CastSkookum CastThe Skookum cast is a plaster cast often claimed to be an imprint of the body of Bigfoot, although it is more typically regarded as that of an elk.-Description:...
- Exhibit 5: Images
- Exhibit 6: Step Frequency
- Exhibit 7: BiomechanicsBiomechanicsBiomechanics is the application of mechanical principles to biological systems, such as humans, animals, plants, organs, and cells. Perhaps one of the best definitions was provided by Herbert Hatze in 1974: "Biomechanics is the study of the structure and function of biological systems by means of...
- Exhibit 8: Forensic MeasurementsForensic identificationForensic identification is the application of forensic science, or "forensics", and technology to identify specific objects from the trace evidence they leave, often at a crime scene or the scene of an accident. Forensic means "for the courts"....
- Exhibit 9: Visual Size Comparison
- Exhibit 10: Behavioral Parallels
- Exhibit 11: Vocalizations
- Exhibit 12: Visual Misidentifications
- Exhibit 13: Track Morphology
- Exhibit 14: KinesiologyKinesiologyKinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
- Exhibit 15: Soft TissueSoft tissueIn anatomy, the term soft tissue refers to tissues that connect, support, or surround other structures and organs of the body, not being bone. Soft tissue includes tendons, ligaments, fascia, skin, fibrous tissues, fat, and synovial membranes , and muscles, nerves and blood vessels .It is sometimes...
PathologyPathologyPathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling.... - Exhibit 16: StatisticsStatisticsStatistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
- Exhibit 17: DNADNADeoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
- Conclusions
In the Extra Features section of the DVD are four sections:
- Footage Analysis which includes the following:
- Patterson-Gimlin Film: October 20, 1967 - 16mm film16 mm film16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
(This version of the film is of much higher quality than others that are usually shown on TV because it is a digital copy of the master. The other two films below are also digitals-from-master. http://www.bfro.net/LMS/LMS.asp) - Memorial DayMemorial Day footageThe Memorial Day footage is a Hi-8mm video that is purported to show a Bigfoot. It was recorded on May 26, 1996, by Lori Pate at Okanogan County, Washington's Chopaka Lake while on a fishing trip with her family and friends...
: May 26, 1996 - Video 88 mm video formatThe 8mm video format refers informally to three related videocassette formats for the NTSC and PAL/SECAM television systems. These are the original Video8 format and its improved successor Hi8 , as well as a more recent digital recording format known as Digital8.Their user base... - FreemanPaul Freeman (cryptozoologist)Paul Freeman was an American Bigfoot hunter who claimed to have discovered Bigfoot tracks showing dermal ridges...
: 1994 - Video 8 - Freeman film subject baby? - First observed January 4, 2003
- Forensic Animation by Vision Realm Entertainment Inc.
- Patterson-Gimlin Film: October 20, 1967 - 16mm film
- Still Gallery
- Sighting Information which includes figures from each state.
- Questions and Answers which is basically a FAQFAQFrequently asked questions are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be commonly asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. "FAQ" is usually pronounced as an initialism rather than an acronym, but an acronym form does exist. Since the acronym FAQ originated in textual...