Scientist claims to have solved Bigfoot mystery

Researcher Floe Foxon has been studying sightings of the fabled creature in the US through the geographic database compiled by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization and found the most reports come from areas where there is a high population of black bears.

In a study published online, Foxon wrote: "It has been suggested that the American black bear (Ursus americanus) may be responsible for a significant number of purported sightings of an alleged unknown species of hominid in North America.

"Previous analyses have identified correlation between ‘sasquatch’ or ‘bigfoot’ sightings and black bear populations in the Pacific Northwest using ecological niche models and simple models of expected animal sightings.

"The present study expands the analysis to the entire US and Canada by regressing sasquatch sightings on bear populations in each state/province while adjusting for human population and land area in a generalized linear model.

"Sasquatch sightings were statistically significantly associated with bear populations such that, on the average, one ‘sighting’ is expected for every few hundred bears.

"Based on statistical considerations, it is likely that many supposed sasquatch are really misidentified known forms."

The study also addressed the idea that some sightings of the creature known as Sasquatch may have been hoaxes, but insisted many could be simple cases of misidentification.

Foxon added: "A significant positive association was found between sasquatch sightings and black bears such that, after adjusting for human population and land area, one sasquatch sighting is expected for every few hundred bears in a given state or province.

"These findings are robust to the model used, are in agreement with the results of previous studies by Blight (2005a) and Lozier et al. (2009), and suggest that many supposed sasquatch sightings in North America are likely misidentified black bears."

Explaining why sightings have been recored in areas where there isn't a recorded black bear population, the study found: "Notably, sasquatch sightings have been reported in states with no known breeding black bear populations.

"Although this may be interpreted as evidence for the existence of an unknown hominid in North America, it is also explained by misidentifiation of other animals (including humans), among other possibilities."