Sunday, March 09, 2008

Editorial: A "Hairy" Situation

Strange pieces of evidence of possible Sasquatches are found in the forests and near homesteads all the time, but one of the most intriguing is hair samples which come back as unidentified primate when examined. DNA can be extracted from hair, but it all depends on what part of the hair is collected, and also if there is a corruption factor on the hair, such as contamination. Many such hair samples have been found in the forests and near homesteads, whether on active expeditions searching for the Sasquatch or found by chance, and a good majority of the time comes up as common known animals such as elk, bear, coyote or even common domesticated pets. Sometimes, it also comes up as synthetic fibers or even human hair. However, on occasion, a hair sample is found that defies analysis or comes up unknown primate, which as we all know North America has no primates currently living here (except possibly the Sasquatch). Sometimes, the hairs are found in conjunction with sightings or even footprint discoveries, which lends a bit more credibility to the sighting in question. Of course, it is highly recommended that the hairs are handled with the greatest of care and not touched by human hands because of the risk of contamination. The best way to handle a hair sample is to wear rubber gloves and also use tweezers. If no tweezers, take a brown paper bag (not plastic) and surround the hair with that and collect the hair in that manner. The reason for no plastic bags is because plastic does not breathe and can tend to not preserve the evidence as well. The thing is, as good as hair sample DNA could be, it still does not take the place of a body or substantial remains. We do need the physical evidence, unfortunately. But, the hair samples are interesting and potentially valuable.

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