Tuesday, March 30, 2010 -- Bonne Terre, Missouri — Does Bigfoot exist?

Dr. John Severson, a Biology professor at St. Louis University and vice president of The Space Museum Board of Directors, has long had an interest in Bigfoot or Sasquatch, as the ape-like creature is sometimes called.

Photo caption: Dr. John Severson talks with the audience after his presentation "Bigfoot: Science -->

Fiction or Science Fact?" Thursday night at Heritage Hall in Bonne Terre, Missouri - Teresa Ressel / Daily Journal

Severson isn’t convinced that Bigfoot exists. But he also isn’t convinced Bigfoot doesn’t.

During a Family Night at the Space Museum, Severson talked to a small crowd of 20 people about evidence that supports Bigfoot exists.

There’s no “hard evidence.” No bones or carcasses have been found. But there’s a lot of “soft evidence” such as sightings and foot prints.

Severson said there have been more than 2,500 reported sightings in the last 100 years. Every state in the United States has had a reported sighting.

Sightings are most common in British Columbia, Washington, California and Oregon. Severson grew up in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in a small town in Washington. A few people have claimed to capture the creature on photograph and video.

In 1967, Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin released a video showing the creature. Severson said recently technology experts analyzed the film and they didn’t think it was a person in a suit.

Severson talked about one set of foot prints that showed that particular Bigfoot had a crippled left foot, known as the Bossburg incident. It was found by a border patrolman near the Washington/Canada border.

People who believe Bigfoot exists believe the creature is omnivorous, a strong swimmer, nocturnal, hard to kill, and intentionally avoids contact with humans.

Is it possible a large creature could live among us without there ever being any hard evidence?

There are one million square miles of “primitive wilderness in the U.S./Canada Pacific Northwest,” Severson said.

Severson said there are people who have admitted to leaving fake tracks. He said one person admitted to nailing a piece of wood to their boots.

Is there a large number of track makers or an organization that has been making fake tracks all over the Pacific Northwest for decades?

Some of the reported foot prints have a flexibility that couldn’t have been left by wood, Dr.Severson said. There are large foot prints (with stride lengths of five foot or more) that go up and down steep embankments and over fences.

Severson said Bigfoot falls into the same category as crop circles and UFOs. “Everyone is just guessing,” he said. So what does Bigfoot have to do with space?

“Nothing,” Space Museum founder, Earl Mullins told the audience. “It’s just a fun topic.”

The Space Museum has free family night events periodically with speakers and activities. The presentation was held at Heritage Hall next door to the museum. For more information about the Space Museum, visit their Web site.

Dr. Severson is a Professor and Coordinator of Undergraduate Programs
Ph.D. in Plant Physiology, University of British Columbia
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Second article is a repeat, -Fox2 News 3/31/10

Does Bigfoot exist? Biology professor tells crowd he can't rule it out
By Associated Press

March 31, 2010 -- BONNE TERRE, Missouri. (AP) — For decades, the legend of Bigfoot has grown. Most people think it's a myth, but St Louis University biology professor John Severson isn't so sure.

Dr. Severson has long had an interest in Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, a massive ape-like creature that has reportedly been spotted at various places around the country.

Severson recently spoke in the eastern Missouri town of Bonne Terre. The Park Hills Daily Journal reports that while he's not convinced that Bigfoot exists, he's also not convinced it doesn't.

Severson told a crowd of about 20 about evidence that supports Bigfoot's existence. He characterized it as "soft evidence" like more than 2,500 sightings in the past 100 years in every state and parts of Canada.

AP - Fox2 News, St. Louis, MO
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