New species?

[Minimalist]

In small numbers that died out or got absorbed into later mtDNA.

Or were obliterated by Firestone's comet/asteroid!

[Frank Harrist]

It has ocured to me that many microlith finds could have been dismissed as detritus from making other points. Since the tool which they were fastened to would in most cases have deteriorated to dust leaving only the lithics it would be very easy to misidentify them as merely flakes. Close scrutiny might reveal them to be otherwise. Damn, now I have to go back and look at all those flakes I've found and see if I can tell the difference. Damn my humongous brain!

[jw1815]

Speaking of flake collections, my father had arrow and spear points that he found as a kid growing up on a farm in northwestern PA. It was when he showed them to me in my own childhood that I got interested in American archaeology. Used to hike around my grandparents' property with my brothers whenever we visited, looking for "something old." Found petrified tree trunks in the woods and fossil rocks in the creek bed, but nothing man made. Then again, we didn't really know how to look or recognize something if we did find it.

Wish I could see that collection today, but I've no idea what happened to it over the years. That farm was about 2 hours north of Meadowcroft, near another tributary of the Ohio River. I've occasionally thought of suggesting the area as a site for fieldwork projects for Adovasio's students - if he could get permission from the current owners.

[jw1815]

Since the tool which they were fastened to would in most cases have deteriorated to dust leaving only the lithics it would be very easy to misidentify them as merely flakes. Close scrutiny might reveal them to be otherwise. Damn, now I have to go back and look at all those flakes I've found and see if I can tell the difference.

How would you be able to tell the difference?

[Frank Harrist]

Since the tool which they were fastened to would in most cases have deteriorated to dust leaving only the lithics it would be very easy to misidentify them as merely flakes. Close scrutiny might reveal them to be otherwise. Damn, now I have to go back and look at all those flakes I've found and see if I can tell the difference.

How would you be able to tell the difference?

A whole new study needs to develope.

[jw1815]

Meantime, back on the original thread topic, while looking for folklore in Asia about the Yeti, I learned about a book by an English anthropologist, Myra Shackley, called Still Living? I guess she collected accounts that she thought were valid sightings and encounters with a real being and asks whether it's some remnant of HN or HE in Asia.

Are you familiar with her book, Frank?

[Frank Harrist]

Meantime, back on the original thread topic, while looking for folklore in Asia about the Yeti, I learned about a book by an English anthropologist, Myra Shackley, called Still Living? I guess she collected accounts that she thought were valid sightings and encounters with a real being and asks whether it's some remnant of HN or HE in Asia.

Are you familiar with her book, Frank?

Can't say I've heard of it. Sounds interesting.

[jw1815]

This website mentions Shackley and discusses some of the things she's written about.

http://home.clara.net/rfthomas/papers/living8.html

[Frank Harrist]

Thanks for the link. It was very interesting. My friend and fellow Bigfoot enthusiast camped at a very remote spot on the sulphur river last night. I'm just not up to it yet. No word on what he might have heard, smelled, or seen yet. There are lots of reports from the sulphur river area. We have also seen very large cat tracks at that location.

[jw1815]

Hmm. Cats would worry me more than Bigfoot. Wild cats, that is. I like cats in general, have one as a pet. But when I watch him in action, I'm glad he's on my side and has a few thousand years of domestication in his genes. Formidable predators.

I hesitated about linking that item because it's from Hidden Archaeology - not sure how credible its reporting is. But I thought it was interesting for mentioning an anthropologist who gives serious thought to a possible unidentified species as the source of legends. If you click on the forward or back arrows at the bottom of the screen, it covers wild man reports and legends in other parts of the world.

[Rokcet Scientist]

I like cats in general, have one as a pet. But when I watch him in action, I'm glad he's on my side and has a few thousand years of domestication in his genes. Formidable predators.

Although raccoons best them.

Here's my cat, Shaka, King of the Zulu:

[jw1815]

My experience with raccoons is mostly from camping in a state park, where they're protected, of course, along with other animals and plants. Cocky, aggressive little devils. Grab food off a campfire and stand there munching it down before reaching for more. "Can't touch me, 'gainst the law, ya know. Got some dip for those chips?"

We took our cat with us one time (cabin, not a tent). Kept the cat inside at dusk when the 'coons came scavenging around and it drove them nuts trying to get inside at him. Rattled the door handle, stood at the windows looking in. Cat and 'coons eyeball to eyeball through the closed window, cat hissing and posturing for a fight - which he would have lost.

[kbs2244]

I have lived with cats my whole life.
Nursed some back after coon fights.

Domistic cats are most often out weighed.
But many times make up for it in spirt.

Of the fights I have witnessed, most of them seemed to be mutualy agreeded upon as a draw.
Both side seem to agree that whatever it was they were fighting over wasn't worth it, and backed off to lick their wounds and wait for next time.

[jw1815]

Glad to know that about domestic cats' skills against racoons, kbs. Our concern was that the cat was outnumbered, in territory strange to him but familiar to the racoons. He was a tough cat and quite smart - half Siamese and half short-haired tabby. But, I wouldn't have wanted to bet on him against them. Besides, we got his shots updated before we went and the vet warned us about rabies spreading into the NY woods from PA.

[Minimalist]

Hey, Frank.


Nat. Geo will be doing a Bigfoot Special on January 29th.