LF: Was 19th Century apewoman a yeti? 6ft 6in Russian serf who could outrun a horse was 'not human', according to DNA tests

Title: Was 19th Century apewoman a yeti? 6ft 6in Russian serf who could outrun a horse was 'not human', according to DNA tests
Source: Daily Mail Online
URL Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art ... human-according-DNA-tests.html
Published: Apr 4, 2015
Author: Jay Akbar
Post Date: 2015-04-04 09:47:34 by cranky
Keywords: None
Views: 1498
Comments: 1

Hundreds of explorers, theorists and fantasists have spent their lives searching for the infamous 'big-foot'.

Now a leading geneticist have found evidence to prove that it - or rather she - could have been more than a myth, the Times reports.

He claims a towering woman named Zana who lived in 19th Century Russia - and appeared to be 'half human, half ape' - could have been the fabled yeti.

Witnesses described the six-foot, six-inches tall woman who was discovered trapped in the Caucasus mountains of eastern Europe as having 'all the characteristics of a wild animal' - and covered in thick auburn hair.

Historic: A leading genetecist claims a towering woman named Zana (artist's representation) who lived in 19th Century Russia - and appeared to be 'half human, half ape' - could have been the fabled yeti

Her resemblance was that of a wild beast - 'the most frightening feature of which was her expression which was pure animal,' one Russian zoologist wrote in 1996.

The man who organised various eyewitness accounts of Zana wrote: 'Her athletic power was enormous. She would outrun a horse and swim across the Moskva river even when it rose in violent high tide.'

Some have argued that she was a runaway Ottoman slave but Professor Sykes says her 'unparalleled DNA' refutes that theory.

Mythical: Witnesses described the six-foot, six-inches tall woman as having 'all the characteristics of a wild animal' (fabled 'big-foot' pictured)

In his new book The Nature of the Beast, he claims Zana's distant ancestors came out of Africa over 100,000 years ago before living in the Caucasus wilderness for generations.

Some of his colleagues doubt his other findings - which include a claim that an unknown species of bear might account for yeti sightings in Bhutan.

Despite the lack of hard proof from the analysis of the alleged 'yeti hairs', he says he has developed a strong sense that 'something is out there' after speaking to dozens of witnesses.

Professor Sykes could not say if the yeti, bigfoot or the Russian almasty is the best candidate for a surviving race of human 'apemen'.

He said: 'Bigfoot has many more people trying to find it. But I suppose either the yeti or the alma / almasty, which live in inaccessible and very thinly populated regions, is the most likely.'