I Analyzed Bigfoot's Footprint: A Study of the Creature's Bone Structure

The information presented in this article is based on personal inspection of the pictured plaster casting of the Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, footprint that was made on-site in the same location where the author was preforming the examination on March 27, 2008. The accompanying photographs, diagrams and artwork were all either taken or drafted by the author.

The initial analysis was performed visually under strong magnification directly with a hand-held lens. Further visual analysis was continued on the image files using digital enhancement with image-rectifying filters and techniques.

The cast of the footprint was made in a creek-bed near Paris, Texas. The soil in the immediate area was comprised mainly of Houston clay, a product of the natural mixing of eroded limestone with organic material. Locally it is sometimes referred to as "black gumbo" since, when moistened with water, it is a dark, viscous mixture. The black color results from a formation of calcium carbonate as the organic material interacts chemically with the calcium content in the limestone. Bits of the clay, which turns dark gray when dry, can be seen clinging to the surface of the plaster. The clay retained fine details in the impression, and also preserved the larger surface features such as indentations from the underlying bone-structure, tendons and tissues. There are also small iron-stained sandstone pebbles embedded in the cast.

A set of remarkable features on the cast was the delineation of the dermal ridges that configure fingerprints on primate hands, and patterns on the toes and soles of the feet. The dermal (also known as "friction") ridges were uniquely detailed and are a testament to the authenticity of the cast, since such patterns are extremely difficult to fake. The dermal ridges, skin-folds at the joints, and vertical stress-creases on the digits will be the subject of a future article, when high-resolution scans of the cast's surfaces are available.

The length of the footprint is approximately 17 inches long by 8 inches wide. The actual cast is a bit longer due to a heel-first contact with the soil which elongates the shape of the impression. To many first-time viewers, the size of the footprint, and also the striking similarity to human footprints is a bit of a surprise. A Sasquatch or Bigfoot is a very large and heavy bipedal primate, up to 9 feet tall and possibly weighing in excess of 800 pounds. The evidence of several Bigfoot in the Paris area has been well documented with actual video recordings as well as by eyewitness sightings and the collection of cast prints and hair samples.

The underlying bone structure in the print can be discerned by manipulating the brightness and contrast settings in a greyscale version of the digital image. In the resulting high-contrast image, the features are visible in high relief. The bone-structure in a Sasquatch foot has both similarities and differences to the human foot. The number of tarsal bones in Bigfoot and the sequence of articulation seem to be closely analogous to the human. The main differences are in the proportions. The bones of the toes (phalanges) are relatively short and thick in relation to the entire length of the foot. The bones of the middle foot (mid-tarsals, navicular, cuneiform and cuboid) are also considerably reduced in length and increased in thickness. Conversely, the bones forming the ankle and heel (talus and calcaneus) are both elongated and thickened, which is a structural necessity in supporting the considerable mass of the Bigfoot.

The main exception in the Bigfoot vs.human tarsal bone-structure comparison is a flexible joint in the arch of the foot. Humans have a basically rigid arch wherein the bones are tightly bound together with ligaments and connective tissue, and the bone ends do not have a functional hinge joint. The flexible joint in Bigfoot occurs approximately in the middle of the foot's arch, and is referred to as the Mid-tarsal Flextion or Mid-tarsal Break. It has the apparent function of a hinge-joint at the junction of several bones. The Mid-tarsal Flextion occurs at the boundary of the navicular and cuboid bones in the front portion of the foot and the talus and calcaneus bones of the rearward portion of the foot. The Mid-tarsal Flextion apparently enables the Sasquatch foot to flex in two directions. This would enable the primate to both bend the foot around the curve of a tree-branch while climbing, and also serve as an additional fulcrum in walking or running by enabling the rearward portion of the foot to perform as an additional lever in the leg's locomotion sequence. Other primates or great-apes have a similar Mid-tarsal Break.

In the casting pictured here, there is a clear delineation of the protrusion of the fifth metatarsal (connected to the "little" toe) and an underlying tissue pad and callus on the surface of the sole where it joins the cuboid. This is a unique characteristic of the Bigfoot that is absent in humans. There is also a well defined impression of a robust tendon leading from the heel the to the cuboid bone, past the point where the Mid-tarsal Break or Flextion occurs. This is evidence of the functional anatomy of the bone, tendon and muscle sequence that enables the foot to bend and yet exert considerable locomotive force. As the heel is raised, the entire front portion of the foot can be bent parallel to the ground and support the Bigfoot's weight. This feature would provide a distinct advantage in traversing steep terrain, deep snows or boggy swampland. It would also help explain the rapid walking gait and surprisingly swift running speed reported in numerous Bigfoot sightings.

Other differences in the anatomical structure are undoubtedly present that cannot be readily determined from the cast. The bones of a foot form a complex three-dimensional puzzle that is not possible to depict in a diagram. However, the pictured cast is superior to many other notable footprint casts of Saquatch or Bigfoot, in that the clay soil in the Paris, Texas region is highly suitable for retaining accurate impressions in comparison to the soils in other regions of the U.S., such as the volcanic ash, sand or forest loams common in the Pacific Northwest. A basic understanding of the anatomical structure and function of the Bigfoot tarsal placement is readily available through analyzing this specimen. Numerous castings from widely dispersed locations also show evidence of the same anatomical structure.

Special thanks are due to the expedition team of Searching for Bigfoot, Inc., by whose invitation the author was able to accompany the team in its field operations and to examine and photograph the cast of the Bigfoot print. Present also at the expedition was a film crew from Big Cat Productions that documented the activities of the Searching for Bigfoot team, and recorded their findings and assessments. More detailed information on the Paris Texas 2008 expedition can be found at www.searchingforbigfoot.com. The aforementioned video recordings and other evidence can also be found on the Searching for Bigfoot website as well.