To the extent that there is a standard cryptozoological
narrative about Sasquatch, it is the hypothesis that Bigfoots are “living
fossils,” a relic population of Gigantopithecus,
an otherwise-believed-extinct hominid that fits the classic Sasquatch
description. But could there be a different explanation, in particular for more
limited, unique sighting clusters such as characterize the Eastern Bigfoot?
Could these potential populations in fact reflect a relic of a more advanced species?
Are Neanderthals alive today, responsible for Bigfoot sightings in Eastern
North America and elsewhere?
There is extensive literature on the unique attributes of
Eastern Bigfoot. Noted cryptozoology
enthusiast Loren Coleman has dubbed an eastern subspecies the “Marked
Hominid.” And, there are persistent
reports on Eastern Bigfoot-like creatures that are more ape-like than hominoid.
But there are also stories of human-like populations in
Northeastern North America that fit neatly into neither description. Rather, they are reported to wear simple
clothing and act more humanlike than the classic Bigfoot.
While these accounts to not fit neatly with the marked
hominid hypothesis, neither are they entirely inconsistent. First, there are
reports of marked hominids themselves wearing simple clothes and using simple
tools. Second, it is easy to see how human-like
wilderness dwellers, wearing simple clothing, could be mistaken for marked
hominids – for example, the telltale “markings” could easily be headgear.
Similarly, the eastern bigfoot’s alleged aggression fits into the human-like
theory in multiple respects. Witnesses subject to aggressive behavior are less
likely to remember the details of crude clothing or tools. In addition, the
simple fact of aggressive behavior seems inconsistent with the “gentle giant”
reputation of conventional Sasquatch – and more consistent, frankly, with human
tendencies.
There are also stories that depart entirely from the “marked
hominid” framework and specifically refer to wilderness-dwelling human-eque
creatures. In other words, humanoids, not hominids.
What is more, native traditions incorporate a multitude of
forest-dwelling figures – and researchers have frequently speculated that these
traditions stem from actual cryptids such as Sasquatch or its regional
variants. But one set of these stories is particularly interesting when it
comes to speculation about clothes-wearing, tool-using wilderness-based
populations. These are the traditions of animal-headed human figures – such as
human-type forms with deer skulls and antlers. Such imagery, for example,
appear in certain eastern North American “windigo” traditions.
Some have speculated that this imagery could have been
inspired by the presence of remnant hunter-gatherer populations in these
regions – populations that featured animal headwear as either practical or
ceremonial headgear.
These fragmented hints suggest that it is theoretically possible
that a small population of human-like hunter-gatherers survives in eastern
North America – a population that is distinct from the more conventional
hominid Bigfoot or Sasquatch.
There are similar
reports in Northern Asia. The Chuchunaa – also spelled Tjutjuna, and also known
as the "Siberian Snowman" – are described as pre-modern human-like
beings found in the remote reaches of Siberia.
Classic Bigfoot-related literature has speculated that they represent a
remnant Neanderthal population.
So, are there
Neanderthals alive today? While the suggestions that there may be are tantalizing,
the evidence comes nowhere close to establishing that there are indeed
Neanderthals still alive in the forests of the northern hemisphere. Still, the
evidence that something undocumented
by science is dwelling in the world’s northern forests is very intriguing, and
certainly merits further inquiry.
