may 15, 2013 bell work copy down these questions on your paper, and be prepared to answer them if...

May 15, 2013

Bell Work

Copy down these questions on your paper, and be prepared to answer them if called upon.

1) What is cryptozoology?

2) What does the mainstream scientificcommunity think about cryptozoology?

3) Name one valid reason we are studyingcryptozoology.

SPIs 0807.5.1 to 5.4Classification, Adaptations. Variations, and Biodiversity

Reminder: Cryptozoology IS NOT recognized by the

scientific community as a legitimate branch of biology/zoology.

So…why learn about it? (1) To better understand legitimate biology/zoology (2) To apply the scientific method to this topic (3) Because it is interesting

Notes SPIs 0807.5.1 to 5.4

Classification, Adaptations. Variations, and Biodiversity

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Bigfoot

this cryptid is alleged to be an unknown species of primate/hominid

described as having both apelike and human traits described as being bipedal (walking upright on two legs, described as being covered with long brown or black hair, described as being around 8 to 10 feet tall described as living in wilderness areas primary evidence: large footprints and eyewitness accounts also known as Sasquatch, Abominable Snowman, Yeti, etc



Slide

Notes


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Frame 352 from the infamous Patterson-Gimlin film (1967) Click this link to view the film: Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot Film Clip

Real or Hoax?

Notes


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Click this link to view another alleged sighting: Bigfoot Video Clip

Real or Hoax?

Notes


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Real or Hoax?

Click here to view Jack Link's commercial: Messin' with Sasquatch

The Scientific Method

(1) Make Observations

(2) Ask a Question(s) (3) Form a hypothesis

(4) Make more observations/gather data

(5) Test the hypothesis (do experiments)

(6) Analyze the results

(7) Draw Conclusions

(8) Communicate Results



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(1) Make Observations

Observation 01: Many people around the world report that they have seen large primate-like creatures walking around in forested regions

Observation 02: Many people have observed and made casts of large footprints in forested regions that are alleged to be Bigfoot tracks

Observation 03: Biologists/zoologists do not support the idea that Bigfoot exists



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(1) Ask a Question

Question 01: What is the evidence for the existence of Bigfoot ?

Question 02: How many of these creatures must exist?

Question 03: Why do scientists reject the idea that Bigfoot exists?

Question 04: How large are these creatures alleged to be?



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(1) Ask a Question (continued)

Question 06: Why kind of food would Bigfoot need?

Question 08: Why are there no corpses of Bigfoot found for scientists to study ?

Question 05: Is there any fossil evidence to support the existence of a super-large primate?

Question 07: How much food would Bigfoot need?



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(1) Ask a Question

Response to question 01: What is the evidence for the existence of Bigfoot ?

Point 01: The case for Bigfoot primarily rests on 4 items of evidence

Evidence 01: Eyewitness accounts

Evidence 02: Footprints Evidence 03: Video and photos (typically poor quality) Evidence 04: The fact that scientists have overlooked

creatures in the past such as the coelacanth (see next slide)



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Coelacanth (a “living fossil”) Due to fossil evidence, these fish were thought to be extinct Fossils are around 80 million years old



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Response to question 02: How many of these creatures must exist?

Fact 01: If Bigfoot is a primate then it is a mammal that reproduces sexually

Fact 02: For long term survival of the species, there must be more than one living individual

Fact 03: In order to avoid inbreeding, there would have to be a fairly large breeding population of these creatures. (At least 100 to 300 individuals minimum)



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Response to question 03: Why do scientists reject the idea that Bigfoot exists?

Fact 01: If they must have populations of 100 or greater in any local ecosystem and they live in various areas across North American, then there must be hundreds if not thousands of them in the U.S.A. Yet solid evidence of this is lacking.

Fact 02: If these creatures are 7 to 10 feet tall and weigh from 500 to 900 pounds then they must consume a very large amount of food year round (primates do not hibernate). (A) Specifically when you consider that they would be competing with bears, the ecosystem most likely can not support this consumption. (B) There should be a great deal of physical evidence for this consumption but there is none.

The Scientific Method (1) Ask a Question (continued)





Fact 03: There has never been a single skeleton, corpse, or living specimen available for scientists to study.



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Question 04: How large are these creatures alleged to be?

Fact 01: Eyewitness reports generally describe the creature as being 7 to 10 feet tall with a massive body. Therefore the creature would likely weigh around 500 to 900 pounds.



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Question 05: Is there any fossil evidence to support the existence of a super-large primate?

Fact 01: Yes. There was a giant primate called Gigantopithecus, but the fossils are only found in Asia (modern China). No fossils have of this type have ever been found in North America.



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Gigantopithecus: (Extinct giant primate?)



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Response to question 06: Why kind of food would Bigfoot need?

Evidence 01: In order to maintain its huge body mass, the creature would most likely be an omnivore like bears which have a similar amount of body mass and are likewise omnivores



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Response to Question 07: How much food would Bigfoot need?

Fact 01: In order to maintain their huge body mass, they would most likely need 6000 calories a day

Fact 02: Grizzly bears, which are about the same size as Bigfoot creatures are alleged to be, can eat hundreds of pounds a week.



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Response to Question 08: Why are there no corpses of Bigfoot found for scientists to study ?

Point 01: Scientists would suggest that the simplest explanation is because they do not exist.



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Show news report video clips about a bigfoot corpse hoax

may 15, 2013 bell work copy down these questions on your paper, and be prepared to answer them if...

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