We have a 10 page paper due for this class on something primate related.

It can be on any subject relating to primates, but it must be approved by the professor and teaching assistant.

The only problem I see with submitting an idea like this is that I don't think there are too many real scientific sources from journals and stuff. After some searching on Google scholar I've found a bunch of pdf's I could use from Meldrum/Bindernagel, but not much else. I'm not sure how he would respond to the subject...but he'll probably find it more intriguing over the usual stuff about gorillas and capuchins...

What do you guys think about this idea? Yes? No?

And would anyone here be able to set me up with phone interviews with people like Meldrum, etc. if I decide to go through with this?

Why not do it on something like the viability of a particular area (say LA, East TX, SW Ark, SE OK) to sustain a population of primates? A lot more solid and well researched science to source and you'll learn something valuable along the way.

So you're saying use environment as a main theme? Like is the Pac NW sustainable for a Primate and tie in some Bigfoot/Giganto stuff with that?

You wouldn't even have to tie in the monkey. Just do a viability study. Or you could do a paper on what evolutionary changes might have occurred had Meganthropus or Gigantopithecus made it to current times.

What about a research paper on previously undocumented species that were only discovered in the last 100 years or so. You can write about the myth of the Giant Panda and Mountain Gorilla that eventually were proven to exist.

The theme could be: "Only man could be so arrogant to believe that all there is to discover has already been discovered".

Or something to that effect. Then, move into the topic of Sasquatch and the countless thousands of sightings and a ton of circumstantial evidence.


Just a thought!

Regards,
Mojo....

He only allows us to use one website. The rest is books or journals.

I'm thinking about Giganto/sasquatch/Pac NW environment.

Like how could Giganto evolved into the current day sasquatch in the Pac NW.

Finding scientific stuff on the Pac NW environment is easy. I just need something more to tie in there to make it 10 pages.

I can not help you with your paper, least not in the time frame that you require...But if you are seriuos about BF I lead BF expeditions into the WA. wildeness and you are welcome to come along.

Email me if you want to be part of the 2009 team into the Cascades....

Bigfoot Sasquatch Evidence, Dr. Grover S. Krantz, PhD.
ISBN 0-88839-447-0

Chapter 3 - Print Anatomy
Chapter 6 - What is it?
Chapter 11 - Propects

Well he rejected the idea I sent:

An environmental study of the Pacific Northwest to see if the region could sustain a living population of primates, and the possibility of Gigantopithecus migrating across the Bering Land Bridge into this region and evolving into what people believe is Sasquatch.

He claimed that it "wasn't science"

Yet there are plenty of scientific journals that talk about what I said...



I'm on the other side of the country...no way I can make it out there lol.

He's quite narrow-minded, isn't he?

What if you modified it to just the first half, leaving out the Gigantopithecus migration angle completely?

Just focus on the question of 'could the region support a large primate' and nothing else.

I think you presented it wrong...and you had two (or three) very different topics that you were trying to force together.

There are thousands of perfectly valid ways you can do to something sasquatch related that is "sciency" enough. I'd suggest that if you really want to do so you avoid doing it so blatantly.

i) don't mention bigfoot or sasquatch or anything like that in your proposal.
ii) choose something reasonable for a 10 page paper (which is pretty tiny) i.e. either PNW habitat assessment OR Giganto migration OR Giganto evolution.
iii) make sure you can find enough real data and material to make it worthwhile. i.e. speculation on Giganto is going to be a lot harder to fill with facts.
iv) think about taking a skeptical side. If your professor really is as close-minded as you've suggested (which I doubt personally) than he might be more likely to accept something from a more skeptical standpoint but which might still appeal to you and give you a chance to dig deep on a sasquatch related topic.

Some thoughts, something on:
a) evolution of tapetum lucidum in primates,
b.) synactyly/polydactyly/adactyly in primates,
c) evolution/history/fossil record of primates in North America,
d) ...and why there is only one species today,
e) adaptations of non-tropical primates,
f) evolution/kinetics/physiology of bipedalism,
g) possible relationship between bipedalism and lack of body hair or large brains or...
h) a survey of recently discovered primates (or one) and how they evaded detection (or just went undetected) in the modern world,
i) any of the three parts of your original topic (minus mention of sasquatch),
j) a basic paper on Giganto,
k) any blank page in the Squathopedia that relates well to strict primatology


Good luck.

Apeman

Hi

If your Heart is really in this and it's not just because you like the BF subject and think it would make the project fun, I say take some of ~ Apemans ~ advice and add a strong sincerity and willingness back to your professor and sell to him that you are going to do a academically outstanding job researching and that you are positive that your paper will be 100% accurate and scientifically solid,

Of course using more suitable wording would be best

Peace
Tim

Tell him you are gonna fart in class if he does'nt accept!

I'd also suggest that "Pacific Northwest" is too vague due to the incredible diversity of terrain/environment in the region. I'd actually focus on a particular region of the PNW, for example the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.

It's a shame that your instructor would dismiss the topic as unscientific.

Why not assess the application of the scientific method in the search for bigfoot? You might even try a "separating fact from fiction" angle.

For example, why not write a paper on your assessment of the "bigfoot DNA" evidence? Does the current state of published information of alleged bigfoot DNA support or refute the existence of an otherwise undescribed primate from North America?

It's better to focus on one aspect of the phenomenon than to tackle it all, and the alleged DNA evidence has received the most attention in the peer-reviewed literature.

Then, when you get your A on the paper, be sure to invite your professor out to Sharkey's for some spiedies and an ice cold Saranac.

What makes you think there is any evolving, I tend to believe they are one in the same...Then again I think Darwin was on drugs when he convinved acadamia into thinking man came from monkeys.

We did'nt evolve from snails.

Hi

Mr : TooRicky

You totally missed the point of the thread, We are all basically responding to ~ ( I'm pondering the idea of doing a Bigfoot-related research paper ) ~ It is an attempt to help out a forum member in school trying to learn a bit about whats going on in this world, What we don't need is your drug conceived little derailing rant . . . . . . .

Peace
Tim

Ahem, a certain '80's band wants to have a word with you...

"They tell us that
We lost our tails
Evolving up
From little snails
I say that's all
Just wind in sails,
Are we not men? We are DEVO!"

/sorry, couldn't resist

I stand corrected!

My advice is drop the bigfoot angle all together and go with something safe like gorillas, gibbons or howler monkeys since like most people your professor views bigfoot as a mythical creature and not a real animal.