Global InformationBigfoot information
 Frame 352 of the 1967 Patterson–Gimlin film, alleged by the filmmakers to depict a female Bigfoot.[1] | |
| Other name(s) | Sasquatch Other names |
|---|---|
| Country |
|
| Region | North America |
Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a large and hairy human-like mythical creature alleged by some to inhabit forests in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.[2][3][4] Bigfoot is featured in both American and Canadian folklore, and since the mid-20th century has grown into a cultural icon, permeating popular culture and becoming the subject of its own distinct subculture.[5][6]
Enthusiasts of Bigfoot, such as those within the pseudoscience of cryptozoology, have offered various forms of dubious evidence to prove Bigfoot's existence, including anecdotal claims of sightings as well as alleged photographs, video and audio recordings, hair samples, and casts of large footprints.[7][8][9][10] However, the scientific consensus is that Bigfoot, and alleged evidence, is a combination of folklore, misidentification, and hoax rather than a living animal.[3][7][10][11][12][13]
Folklorists trace the phenomenon of Bigfoot to a combination of factors and sources, including the European wild man figure, folk tales, and indigenous cultures.[14][15] Examples of similar folk tales of wild, hair-covered humanoids exist throughout the world,[16][17] such as the Skunk ape of the southeastern United States, the Almas, Yeren, and Yeti in Asia, the Australian Yowie,[14][18] and creatures in the mythologies of indigenous people.[19][20] Wishful thinking, a cultural increase in environmental concerns, and overall societal awareness of the subject have been cited as additional factors.[21]
- ^ "DNA tests to help crack mystery of Bigfoot or Yeti existence". The Australian. Associated Press. May 24, 2012. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
- ^ Bartholomew, Robert E.; Regal, Brian (2009). "From wild man to monster: the historical evolution of bigfoot in New York State". Voices: The Journal of New York Folklore. 35 (3). ISSN 1551-7268. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Regal, Brian (2011). Searching for Sasquatch: Crackpots, Eggheads, and Cryptozoology. Springer. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-230-11829-4. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Example definitions include:
- "A large, hairy, manlike creature supposedly inhabiting the north-western United States and western Canada." (Oxford English Dictionary Archived February 16, 2024, at the Wayback Machine)
- "Bigfoot is a large and mysterious humanoid creature purported to inhabit the wild and forested areas of Oregon and the West Coast of North America" (Oregon Encyclopedia Archived April 18, 2021, at the Wayback Machine)
- (Bigfoot redirected to Sasquatch) "A hairy creature like a human being reported to exist in the northwestern U.S. and western Canada and said to be a primate between 6 and 15 feet (1.8 and 4.6 meters) tall." (Mirriam-Webster online Archived April 24, 2019, at the Wayback Machine)
- "A very large, hairy, humanlike creature purported to inhabit the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Also called Sasquatch." (American Heritage Dictionary Archived June 2, 2023, at the Wayback Machine)
- "Sasquatch, also called Bigfoot, (from Salish se’sxac: “wild men”) a large, hairy, humanlike creature believed by some people to exist in the northwestern United States and western Canada." (Britannica Archived June 29, 2023, at the Wayback Machine)
- ^ Eliot, Krissy (June 28, 2018). "So, Why Do People Believe In Bigfoot Anyway?". alumni.berkeley.edu. Cal Alumni Association. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ "Bigfoot's pop culture footprint". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Rossi, Lorenzo (December 18, 2015). "A Review of Cryptozoology: Towards a Scientific Approach to the Study of "Hidden Animals"". Problematic Wildlife. pp. 573–588. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-22246-2_26. ISBN 978-3-319-22245-5.
- ^ Regal, Brian (February 13, 2009). "Entering Dubious Realms: Grover Krantz, Science, and Sasquatch". Annals of Science. 66 (1): 83–102. doi:10.1080/00033790802202421. PMID 19831199. S2CID 23736660.
- ^ Daegling, David J. (2004). Bigfoot exposed: an anthropologist examines America's enduring legend. Rowman Altamira. ISBN 0-7591-0538-3. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Williams, Sarah C. P. (July 1, 2014). "'Bigfoot' samples analyzed in lab: First peer-reviewed genetic analysis looks at more than 50 samples believed to belong to elusive creatures". Science. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ Frangou, Anna; Ladle, Richard J.; Malhado, Ana C.M.; Whitaker, Robert J. (2013). "Wildlife in a warming world". In Brooks, Anathea; Arico, Salvatore (eds.). Tracking Key Trends in Biodiversity Science and Policy: based on the proceedings of a UNESCO International Conference on Biodiversity Science and Policy. UNESCO. p. 50. ISBN 978-92-3-001118-5.
- ^ Pappas, Evan (April 7, 2014). "Bigfoot hoax exposed (again) and other infamous hoaxes". seattlepi.com. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ Crair, Ben (September 2018). "Why Do So Many People Still Want to Believe in Bigfoot?". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Forth2007was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Blitz, Matt (August 5, 2021). "People Say They've Seen Bigfoot — Can We Really Rule Out That Possibility?". yahoo.com. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ McClelland, John (October 2011). "Tracking the Legend of Bigfoot". statemuseum.arizona.edu. Arizona State Museum. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ McNeill, Lynne (March 8, 2012). "Using Folklore to Tackle Bigfoot: 'Animal Planet' Comes to USU". usu.edu. Utah State University. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ "Beyond Bigfoot". amnh.org. American Museum of Natural History. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ Jilek-Aall, Louise (June 1972). "What is a Sasquatch — or, the Problematics of Reality Testing". Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal. 17 (3): 243–247. doi:10.1177/070674377201700312. S2CID 3205204.
- ^ Munro, Kate (May 14, 2019). "North America's Sasquatch: finding fact within the fable". sbs.com. NITV. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ Walls, Robert E. 1996. "Bigfoot" in Brunvand, Jan Harold (editor). American Folklore: An Encyclopedia, p. 158–159. Garland Publishing, Inc.