Could the mysterious yeti creature actually be a bear?

[Ivan Seeking]

Russian scientists say they may have found the remains of an animal that could be behind the yeti legend

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-12816110,00.html

Watch out for any reports out of Russia these days.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I have personally examined two bearskin rugs that I happened to have access to, and I do not see any difference between the forepaws of these rugs and the object in the Russian pictures. The pictures aren't clear enough to detect claws, but claws can be removed. The Siberian Grizzly, is the largest in the world, and I think that is what this paw is from. Too bad.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by zoobyshoe
I have personally examined two bearskin rugs that I happened to have access to, and I do not see any difference between the forepaws of these rugs and the object in the Russian pictures. The pictures aren't clear enough to detect claws, but claws can be removed. The Siberian Grizzly, is the largest in the world, and I think that is what this paw is from. Too bad.

I wouldn't judge just yet:

"It looks very human," said Yuriy Malofeyev, vice-president of the Russian association of veterinary anatomists.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Depends on what he's referring to. The "sole" looks human. But the way the limb part of it just flops backward is in defiance of any human or simian leg/foot anatomy. This limb does, however, emerge from the "foot" at an angle achievable by a bear's front paw.

 

[Jonathan]

That's exactly what I thougt!: I saw that thing and thought it looked like they mutilated a bear skin rug!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by zoobyshoe
Depends on what he's referring to. The "sole" looks human. But the way the limb part of it just flops backward is in defiance of any human or simian leg/foot anatomy. This limb does, however, emerge from the "foot" at an angle achievable by a bear's front paw.

Well, I'm not about to defend any Russian reports. Not much news out of Russia these days is credible. Much is like reading the national enquirer. How's that for the irony of a free press?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
Well, I'm not about to defend any Russian reports. Not much news out of Russia these days is credible. Much is like reading the national enquirer. How's that for the irony of a free press?

Our own free press has gone through periods where the mainstream papers resembled tabloids more than they do now. The latter 1800s esp.

Mark Twain spent quite a few years kicking around the west writing for papers. I can't remember if it was in "Roughing It" or somewhere else that he told the story of how he juiced up a report of someone seeing an Indian spying on a stage coach into an attack on the coach. The story got so much attention he fed it over the next few days as "additional information arrived" until it had become a massacre with all occupants of the stage slaughtered.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

a little more from BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3175926.stm

 

[zoobyshoe]

The picture at this second link clearly shows bear-like claws.

However, the objection I had before about the limb part of it being flopped over in an anatomically unnatural way for a human or simian is defied by the x-ray which shows a heel bone in back of where the limb joins the foot. The bones in the x-ray in general look like human foot bones to me. It says in the story it is very old. This might account for the ligaments having given way allowing it to flop over the way it does making it look more like a bear fore paw.

I have never heard mention of the yeti having claw-like toenails. Itis hard to tell how long they are because of the fur, but they look long enough to make marks on snowprints. I just went back and looked at the X-ray and, yes, the heel is very visible. In the photo at the top where you can see the claws, there is something that gives the impression it stepped on bubble-gum.

I should say that the presence of a heel may not mean anything since I have no idea if bears have them on their back paws. For all I know they could, and the bones of their feet may look like human bones.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Bears have relatively flat feet (paws) with five toes. Hind paws are larger than forepaws and resemble the feet of humans, except the "big toe" is located on the outside of the paw. Bears are renowned for their forepaw dexterity; they can pick pine nuts from cones, unscrew jar lids, and delicately manipulate other small objects. The grizzly, though apparently awkward and lumbering, is really one of the most agile of beasts. Claws are curved, longer on the hind paws than the forepaws, and unlike a cat's, non-retractable.

http://internationalhunters.homestead.com/InteriorBearAnatomy.html

Also:
http://www.nbef.org/pdfs/bearshotplacement.pdf

 

[Tsu]

It looks very human-like to me. The tibia and fibula look nearly identical to human lower leg bones, as do the metatarsals, although not quite as similar. Human metatarsals are usually closer together at the proximal ends although human feet are confined to close fitting shoes much of their lives and this could account for the possible difference. Extremely heavy people have similar looking metatarsals - more spread out as in the photo. On the lateral projection, the navicular and calcaneous bones look extremely similar to humans. The images are of extremely poor quality and quite small so it is difficult to assess the rest of the tarsals. I suspect, though, that the tibia would articulate with the talus properly if the limb could be lifted off of the calcaneous to assume a more natural angle.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Thanks Tsunami for that most excellent evaluation.

I am going to guess that this comes from a known ape; assuming it's not a fake, and that the comments and credentials cited were legit...and assuming...and then assuming...and assuming...

A tantalizing story with nothing to really go on yet...

 

[zoobyshoe]

Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
I am going to guess that this comes from a known ape

If you envision your average known ape foot with the "thumb" sticking way out on the inner side, you will see that this is not a known ape.

Tsunami's radiological background has pushed me back the other way, particularly when she speaks of extremely heavy people having similar looking metatarsals. The average zoobie is described as being built like a brick wall: even human sized ones (in terms of height) are described as much wider and deeper in the chest area than humans.

The next question to tackle is whether or not bear feet look so surprisingly similar to human feet in x-rays. If they do, then this is most likely a bear. If there are consistantly clear differences then, I say cautiously, this is not a bear, ape, or human foot.Edit: I just reread what you posted above, Ivan, about the bear foot having its big toe on the outside of an otherwise human looking foot. This is not a bear, ape, or human foot. Fury limb could be yeti's.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

What about a cat? Down the page a bit are some X-Rays of a cats foot. Whaddaya think?

http://www.furkats.net/polart.htm

 

[Tsu]

Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
What about a cat? Down the page a bit are some X-Rays of a cats foot. Whaddaya think?

http://www.furkats.net/polart.htm

Ehh, don't think so Ivan. Nice try.
Hey! I once had a cat with a total of 23 toes! Normal is 18 - 5 on each front and 4 on each back. Sasquatch (yeah, really! That's what I named her!) had 6 on each front, 6 on one back and 5 on the other. She'd run across the shag carpet and do a face-plant when one of them got caught in the rug. It was a riot!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

So we are running out of options?

Are we down to a fake, an unknown ape, or a Yeti foot?

Are there no other options? The claws are what bother me the most. What about things like opossum and badgers?

 

[Jonathan]

How many options does one need without any more evidence then there was several posts ago?
Tsunami: LOL! My cat gets momentarily stuck to the carpet and the furniture now and then, but never like that! Cats are so goofy!

 

[zoobyshoe]

Furry Paw Almost Certainly Bear's

Well, I've been doing some checking and the source that said a bear's big toe is on the outside of the foot seems to be wrong.

A good book I ferreted out with a lot of pictures, shows a good shot of a bear laying down on its side, dozing, with the soles of its hind feet as clear as the foot in the yeti story. The toes are all in the more or less "human" configuration; none are sticking out to the side.

This book says:"A bear places its feet down flat when it walks. Its feet, in fact, look remarkably like ours, with a row of five short toes, a broad, flat sole, and a narrow heel separated from the sole by a moderately high arch. Even the proportions are right."

-Bears
Their Life And Behaviour
Photographs By Art Wolfe
Text By Wlliam Ashworth
Crown Publishers, Inc., NY

It mentions elsewhere that different species have different foot characteristics within the above general description (Eg: Grizzly feet are different than Brown Bear feet).

I excluded bears based on the apparently erroneous information that the toe on their hind feet stuck out to the side. Because this turns out not to be true, then: furry paw almost certainly bear's.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by zoobyshoe
Well, I've been doing some checking and the source that said a bear's big toe is on the outside of the foot seems to be wrong.

A good book I ferreted out with a lot of pictures, shows a good shot of a bear laying down on its side, dozing, with the soles of its hind feet as clear as the foot in the yeti story. The toes are all in the more or less "human" configuration; none are sticking out to the side.

This book says:"A bear places its feet down flat when it walks. Its feet, in fact, look remarkably like ours, with a row of five short toes, a broad, flat sole, and a narrow heel separated from the sole by a moderately high arch. Even the proportions are right."

-Bears
Their Life And Behaviour
Photographs By Art Wolfe
Text By Wlliam Ashworth
Crown Publishers, Inc., NY

It mentions elsewhere that different species have different foot characteristics within the above general description (Eg: Grizzly feet are different than Brown Bear feet).

I excluded bears based on the apparently erroneous information that the toe on their hind feet stuck out to the side. Because this turns out not to be true, then: furry paw almost certainly bear's.

In that event I'm with you. 'sides, tham thar claws ain't like no Zoobyfoot I've gandered at. That's thars a barr foot.