Run down with Todd for those with little time...
How did Todd get involved in cryptid DNA analysis?
Many of Todd's colleagues knew of his work with the evolutionary genetics of primates including extracting DNA from hair samples. Todd says his lab had identified some subspecies of chimpanzees and gorillas. Jeff Meldrum gave him his first hair sample which was negative. Negative means no DNA present (several "Bigfoot" samples he tested) or from a known source. He says that most of the samples come back as human (he also mentions samples that were pig, bear, and not even biological). He says he continued to take samples from Meldrum and associates more out of courtesy to a friend and fellow anthropologist but always expressed skepticism regarding Bigfoot.
What have Todd’s findings been so far?
Todd says he's personally processed about 30 samples in the last 15 years with not a single thing being something other than what could be Bigfoot. And that he no longer will do samples without some good reason to do the test.
How does DNA get culled from contaminants?
Todd says that for primatological work that feces are the main source for samples he has worked with. He says he uses
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure and chemical re-agents as PCR primers that will only amplify primate DNA or even mammal DNA versus bacteria DNA.
(I like here that Todd comments on the waste of resources, time, and equipment just to show that a scat was bear poo.)
What was his take on the DNA from the Monster Quest “Sasquatch Attack” episode?
"How to be polite here?" He stresses that 1 base difference is still completely modern human. That he said the sample was completely modern human was edited out. He suspects laboratory contamination which happens very often because testing methods are so sensitive. Todd says that MonsterQuest constantly edits out critical statements.
What would Bigfoot DNA actually look like?
Todd thinks this is an intellectually interesting question. He said he's sampled many things from Australia, the Himalayas, and North America. He mentions the Giganto hypothesis and whether it would result in something related to Orangutan. He also mentions the remnant Homo hypothesis and the idea of Bigfoot as a relict neanderthal. He says he has multiple colleagues with labs similar to his who refuse to work with Bigfoot enthusiasts but having an agreement with those labs that if he ever found something interesting, such as a sequence related to the orangutan line, that he could send the sample on to those labs with the simple instruction "sequence this" without saying anything else. He says if two labs came back with a result showing a relation to the orangutan line but not orang, that he would consider it an important finding (IOW reliable evidence).
Todd says that he is a tenured professor and that he could never be fired for dabbling in "fun stuff". Karen Stollsnow quotes him from
Scientific American as saying that he goes along with it because he's either doing good science, finding alternatives, debunking, or making find of the century.
Todd says he has no problem doing it but that his main problem is with the Bigfoot proponents is that they are trying to prove something which is not what science is. He says that because they are trying to prove the existence of Bigfoot, they are inherently biased in everything they do. He says that all they can do is disprove things, removing all the junk and dealing with what's left over. He says that proof that Bigfoot doesn't exist is an impossibility. He says anyone who is out there with the agenda to prove the existence of Bigfoot has immediately lost true scientific credibilty. He says such people might find scientists to work with but that it doesn't qualify what they are doing.
He says he doesn't have a problem with those who search for Bigfoot. Todd shares a funny anecdote about how he has a map of the US with area codes next to his office phone and that he won't accept calls coming to him from certain area codes (most of the PNW and wide swathes of South). BTW, Todd says as a hunter he's found bear and coyote skeletons.
How big was Giganto and what does a primatologist think of the “Giganto Hypothesis” to explain Bigfoot?
He says he has trouble with a 9ft Bigfoot. He says he doesn't think Gigantopithecus was 9ft and probably not much bigger than 6ft. He thinks Giganto's teeth and jaws were so big simply because of their primary food source (bamboo).
(Note: Please no silly questions about pandas. Pandas are not primates and do not have primate adaptions but rather bear adaptions.)
What does “unknown” mean in DNA analysis?
Inconclusive means "nothing". He says that he's never been unable to identify a sequence of DNA when DNA was present. He indicates that it in no way necessarily equates that Bigfoot is in anyway indicated
What size of a population do you need for a viable genetic group to live?
Todd says many hundreds. He can't accept the idea of having like, 3 Bigfoot in one area or a tiny number per state. He thinks the variable toe number issue with Bigfoot is bizarre.
I really like Todd. Apparently his facebook quote is "Everybody believes in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
I think the most important thing is that Blake, Ben, and Karen facilitated a change of perception where I had no idea what Todd Disotell was thinking or what ideas he prescribed to, to allowing me to examine his real thoughts and knowledge and learn that I'm very much behind him as a skeptic.
BTW, opening and closing music was by the Peach Stealing Monkies.
