One legend says that a furred-covered, humanoid creature inhabits the forests along the West Coast of the Northern US. Although stories about this monster go back to the 1800s and have continued until today, there is no way for anyone to verify its existence.
Bigfoot evidence is most closely and convincingly captured by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin in 1967. They captured footage of Bigfoot in Bluff Creek in Northern California.
The grainy, one-minute clip has sparked many investigations into its authenticity and DailyMail.com received an early look of the History Channel’s ‘The Proof is Out There’ that dissects the famous film with the hopes of solving the mystery – was the figure someone in a suit or really Bigfoot?
‘The Proof is Out There’ episode about Bigfoot will run tonight at 10pm ET.
This show brought in a team to help with the mission using artificial intelligence, computer vision algorithms, and other cutting-edge technology.
‘We are trying to figure out the origins of man, the big bang, evolution and if God crated heaven and earth,’ Tony Harris, veteran television journalist and host of ‘The Proof is Out There,’ told DailyMail.com in a phone interview.
‘Scientists saying science explains a lot but not all of it, so we are on a quest to learn who we are and where we come from.
‘This film still stands up as something that deservers greater scrutiny and the images on the screen connect us to who we are and where we come from.’
This episode examines how the foot of the figure interacts with ground and how the body moves through suit. Experts believe that the movement is similar to early humans who lived 3 million years ago.
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The closest and most compelling evidence of Bigfoot’s existence was captured in 1967, when Bob Gimlin and Roger Patterson shot footage of a furry figure walking through Bluff Creek in Northern California.
Patterson-Gimlin’s video was made while Patterson and Gimlin were searching for that elusive animal.
They were both riding horses when they came across a large, furry creature walking along the riverbed.
His sloping head and torso were pulled forward.
Patterson leapt off his horse and grabbed his camera. He then ran across the dirty terrain toward the creature, waving his hand in the hope of capturing some footage.
Patterson and Gimlin were on the hunt for the mysterious beast when the video was made. Patterson is left and Gimlin right as they examine ceramic castings of footprints that the creature may have left in 1967.
The picture steadied as the creature turns to look over its right shoulder – as calm as can be – before disappearing into the forest.
Dr Jeff Meldrum, professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University, said during the show: ‘We are 50 years later because advances in technology have provided opportunities to consider the film in novel ways.’
‘The Proof is Out There’ episode about Bigfoot will run tonight at 10pm ET and is hosted by Tony Harris (pictured)
Meldrum worked with Isaac Tian, a computer scientist, and Bill Munns who are both veteran Hollywood special effects and costumes designers. They used artificial intelligence and computer vision to spot details that were previously overlooked for more than five decades.
They were able replicate the film by using existing copies and creating 22 duplicates with different variations. Then they combined all of the copies into an AI program.
Computer vision algorithms were applied to stabilize the images, producing a final version that is much clearer to make out – as if Patterson had the camera standing on a tripod while shooting from the riverbed.
Bob Heironimus, a retired Pepsi bottler from Yakima, came forward years after the footage was released claiming he wore the costume used to make the ‘fake’ video.
Bluff Creek was the location of the 1967 film. (The map shows its exact position). The grainy one-minute clip has sparked many investigations into its authenticity and DailyMail.com received an early look of the History Channel’s ‘The Proof is Out There’ that dissects the famous film with the hopes of solving the mystery
The original film had been lost so the team made 22 copies of it using existing copies. Each copy contained a different version. Finally, they integrated all copies with an AI program.
Gimilin however, who is still living, denies the claims. Instead, he sticks to the story of Bigfoot Patterson saw in the woods fifty years ago.
‘The Proof is Out There’ experts looked at the creature’s foot in the film and with the redesigned footage, they are able to see how the figure’s foot interacts with the ground.
The foot flexes in the middle, which are common in apes but not humans. Also, the toes turn upwards. This would be difficult for a human to observe if they were just wearing costumes.
Also, definition can be observed in the muscles of the calves as the creature moves.
Such suits are typically made with a simple fabric that does not provide any definition of the body – they typically just hang on the person wearing it.
A flexing of the heel is common in apes, but not in humans. There’s also an upward turn of the toes, something that is difficult to spot if the person is wearing a costume.
The experts compare the skull of the figure to that of australopithecine, which is extinct early human species that lived in East Africa about three million years ago. The experts said that it was possible to speculate that the species survived and expanded across Asia before crossing the Bering Strait, making its way through North America as sasquatch.
According to the measurements, it is approximately seven feet tall. Based on its proportions and weight, experts from History Channel estimate that it weighs between 700-800 pounds.
Patterson and Gimlin said that if the furry creature were nothing more than a male in a suit Patterson and Gimlin would need to locate a person of the same size to complete the costume.
The creature’s eyes are focused on its neck and head, so it is able to see the cameras from a distance as it walks by.
Munz explained in episode that costumes are made by moving the head. Fake fur can be bent on one side, or the texture of fake fur changed.
Bigfoot’s neck muscles even look like an ape.
‘I am struck as an anatomist by the massive size of these trapezius muscles and their intermediate attachment on the back of the skull. This is not a human configuration,’ Meldrum said.
Meldrum says that Meldrum has compared the skull of Meldrum to australopithecine. Australopithecine is an extinct species of early humans that existed in East Africa around three million years ago.
Costumes are a matter of head movement. The fake fur can be bent on one side, or the texture changed. Bigfoot’s muscles look almost like apes, even the ones on his neck.
It is possible that the species survived and expanded across Asia to become sasquatch.
‘All of the bony landmarks of Patty’s [the figure in the film] correlates with proportions seen in this skull,’ said Meldrum.
Then, he suggests that the species could have survived and expanded to Asia via the Bering Strait, before making its way through North America as sasquatch.
Harris said that Harris could take a look at the film, look at anatomy and primates, and picture a world with bigfoots.
“I’m still with the group that seeks more information, and I Think we will get it.
“I think that part of the charm of this show is the fact that we’ll get the proof.”