In doing research lately I have been listening to a lot of audiobooks. I will list them below with links if you are interested. (Yes, they are affiliate links.) What I have noticed through these books that I’m listening to is that it seems like a lot of the sightings of Bigfoots describe long shaggy hair and people say they see the hair moving in the wind.
This goes against what is seen in the Patterson Gimlin Film, and most other videos and pictures that have been put forth as evidence. The Patterson Gimlin Film shows shorter hair like a more like a gorilla. You do not see any hair hanging or moving. Most videos are not clear enough to say for certain – but the PG Film is definitely short-haired.
This brings the question to my mind, which is it? Also, what does it mean for the species from a “nearest relative” standpoint? It is believed by a lot of people that Bigfoot is a relict version of Gigantopithecus, which is said to be an ancestor of the orangutan. Certainly, orangutans would fit the description of “long, wispy hair.”
Some others believe that Bigfoots may be a species of human, perhaps with hypertrichosis. This could support either short or long hair, as most individuals with this condition exhibit long hair on the head and face, but shorter hair on the body.
Most purported visual evidence that I have seen supports the short-haired description. Then again, nothing has been deemed as proof positive as of this date. With so many examples, though, can they all be fakes or misidentifications? You can put me in the short hair camp for now, especially since my focus is mainly on the creature reported in the Pacific Northwest.
I do not rule out that if other regions such as Florida’s Everglades have a similar creature the hair could be different. I would be interested to know your thoughts on the subject. Short hair or long hair?
The books I have listened to most recently are:
Beyond Boggy Creek: In Search of the Southern Sasquatch by Lyle Blackburn
Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science by Jeff Meldrum
Finding Bigfoot: Everything You Need to Know by Animal Planet, Narrated by Cliff Barackman
