The myths about creepy, furry humanoid creatures have been known for a long time. Especially these stories were common among Asian peoples living in forest or mountainous areas. For example, the people of Tibet and Nepal were confident that Bigfoot was walking in the neighborhood.
The most interesting thing is that these legends were supported by evidence - traces of huge paws or wool stuck in tree branches.
Scientists, of course, treat these stories with a grain of salt: they are sure that the mysterious Yeti is some kind of animal, perhaps a hominid, who, by some miracle, survived to this day. Modern technologies greatly simplify the task: it is no longer difficult to decipher the yeti's DNA, if there were biological samples. And they were found.
In 2013, researchers first began deciphering the yeti genome from hair samples collected in different parts of the world. The first results revealed the connection of this creature not with primates, as expected, but with bears.
Later, one more work was carried out, also with wool, but its owners were the most prosaic animals - raccoons, horses, bears, wolves. But here's what's interesting: Polar bear DNA was found in two samples. This prompted researchers to wonder if the inhabitants of Asian forests are carriers of polar bear genes. That is, perhaps some Himalayan bears are hybrid species that have previously interbred with polar bears.
In the debate between biologists and anthropologists, a new study, which was conducted by scientists from New York University at Buffalo, will probably put an end to. This time the team tested the samples collected not by amateurs and enthusiasts, but by specialists. Scientists turned to samples stored in museums and private collections. Moreover, among them were not only hairs, but also teeth, feces, a fragment of a femur and skin. All these treasures were collected in the Himalayas and Tibetan caves.
The results of DNA analysis showed that one of the samples belonged to a dog, the rest - to bears of different species (Himalayan black, Tien Shan brown, Tibetan brown bears). Such a discovery can hardly be called sensational, but only at first glance.
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The fact is that the authors are sure: the samples actually belong to animals that people have mistaken for Yeti. And this is confirmed by earlier works.
“Our findings suggest that the biological basis for the Yeti legend is associated with local bears,” says lead author Charlotte Lindqvist.
According to her, in all past studies, a simpler genetic analysis was carried out, after which even more questions appeared. But this time, the team used the latest sequencing capabilities, which finally dismissed the notion that Bigfoot is a relative of hominids.
For a more accurate comparison, genetics sequenced the DNA of several Asian bears and compared their data with related species found around the world. This analysis showed that Tibetan brown bears have a genome very similar to that of their North American and European relatives. But the Himalayan bears belong to a separate evolutionary line.
According to the researchers, this line separated from its related ones 650 thousand years ago, in the Late Proterozoic glacial era. The growth of glaciation, as well as mountain landscapes, contributed to the "separation" of the Himalayan bears from the rest: they lived for a long time in almost complete isolation and developed independently of other species.
By the way, it is curious that the Tibetan name of this species sounds like "meti". Scientists believe that it was the Himalayan bears that the locals mistook for a long time for the snow people: footprints and respect for these creatures formed the basis of the legends about the yeti.
The authors of the work are confident that their data will not only debunk myths and Bigfoot, but will also help in studying the population of Himalayan bears.
“Bears in this region are vulnerable and endangered. Previously, little was known about their evolutionary history. The study of their genetic diversity will help in an accurate assessment of the number and the development of new strategies for the conservation of this species. And researching new biological samples of the Yeti will simplify this work,”concludes Lindquist.
A scientific article that will clearly disappoint cryptozoologists was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Yulia Vorobyova