The Sykes / Sartori Report - Oxford-Lausanne Collateral Hominid Project

[sheri]

Urkelbot, his reputation won't be damaged if he concludes the samples aren't any known animal.

[Guest]

Well, he is now rubbing elbows a little with some US bigfoot bloggers and is also speaking at some british cryto conferences so I agree with dmaker that there will be enough of a hint of something without any proof so he can get something dollar wise.

  You keep saying dollars like there is a ton to be made, the only one that is making any real money is moneymaker, some of the bigger names might make some money, but not enough to ruin your career and reputation of being a professor at oxford. Believe it or not, most people that take the subject seriously,are not in it for the money, they do it because they believe there is an undiscovered primate living today, and money has nothing to do with their passion with the subject.

Edited August 9, 2013 by zigoapex

[Guest Urkelbot]

Urkelbot, his reputation won't be damaged if he concludes the samples aren't any known animal.

I didn't mean it that way. His reputation should be fine as long as his conclusions reflect the data whatever they end up being.

[sheri]

I agree with you on that.

[WSA]

I'll go on record right now, and extend a gentleman's wager to anyone who wants to take it, that Syke's study will have enough in it for proponents to not be wholly disappointed while offering actually zero conclusive proof. In other words, this whole thing will not advance one iota to actually proving the existence of Bigfoot. 

 

Mark my words.

 

Really dmaker, that is all one really should expect. No DNA study, no matter who conducts it, is likely to be considered definitive proof of the existence of this animal. If you think Dr. Sykes is coming with "THE PROOF" (and I know you don't) you need to adjust your expectations. At most, this study might corroborate and redeem Ketchum's work (which would be miraculous, I grant you) and give the world a good taste of what rigorously applied scientific analysis can do on this subject. And give some others some framework to continue the studies. No matter the outcome, it needs to be done.

 

As for those who lump Dr. Sykes in with all the "also rans" in this field....seriously? If you don't know of his work to date, you need to get out more AND do some web searches, because this guy has some cred. I knew of his work with ancient bones long before he took up this challenge, and I'm only a lay person on this subject. You don't get to be a Fellow at an Oxford College by tossing off puff pieces for a vanity publishing house.  That is why I put such faith in his presumed integrity. He has some skin in this game over and above the usual suspects.    

[Guest WesT]

Here's my prediction, and I see the ground work being layed right here before my very eyes.... if Dr.Sykes does conclude in his study there is indeed an undiscovered primate in our midst, you will see an unpecedented attack on his credibility. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, if the nay sayers can't debunk the data, they'll attempt to discredit the source. Mark my words.

[Guest Urkelbot]

Here's my prediction, and I see the ground work being layed right here before my very eyes.... if Dr.Sykes does conclude in his study there is indeed an undiscovered primate in our midst, you will see an unpecedented attack on his credibility. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, if the nay sayers can't debunk the data, they'll attempt to discredit the source. Mark my words.

I don't think that would be the case. If he publishes along with the sequences an alignments available and having the samples available for other labs he should be fine. If the data clearly backs up the conclusion of unknown and Sykes can defend it scientists will accept it.

[southernyahoo]

There still might be challenges when there is minimal amounts of genetic material that is consumed by the testing, thereby leaving repeatability issues.

[Guest WesT]

I really hope I'm wrong Urkelbot, but old habits die hard.

[Guest]

^ Wasnt Ketchum thought of in the same way? People that have never met her or even heard of her prior to her "study" merrily jumped on her bandwagon singing her praises and how she couldnt ever be doing anything hinky. There are people here still that drink her koolaid and buy her story. Meldrum cashed in, Bindernagle tries to, Ketchum tried. Why does anybody think Sykes would be any different? Who even knew his name prior to announcement of his proposed study? IMO, he is an older academic who may be looking for his 1 Million dollar movie/book deal to pad his retirement. Who knows?

Have you met him, actually heard him talk about the study, observe how his associates in the study talk about it? Actually see and feel the passion he has for this study? Problem is 99% of members here are ready to jump back on this train just like they did on the Ketchum train without really even seeing or hearing this guy speak about it. He is just the next celebrity in a long line of "messiah" who will validate their beliefs. And when it crashes, and I'll predict it will just like I predicted the Ketchum study would, the true believers will cry foul until the next messiah comes along.

This review of one of Sykes books was from years ago and his research was well known and received then and has been since.. The newspaper is also one of our most widely respected broadsheets. Apart from his Oxford prof. credentials his study of human genetic history here in europe and the USA is well known and read across academic circles and beyond.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/celts-descended-from-spanish-fishermen-study-finds-416727.html

in the UK we would say Sykes is Premier League and Ketchum is more your third division/five-A-side on a sunday type (football/soccer refernce fyi)

[Guest]

Email received from Prof Sykes today re update of the research:

From: "Bryan Sykes" <bryan.sykes@wolfson.ox.ac.uk>

Sent: 11 August 2013 18:28

To: "kezra xxxxxx" <xxxxxxxxx@hotmail.com>

Subject: RE: OLCHP

Dear Kezra,

Thank for your enquiry. The situation at the moment is that most of the analysis has been completed and I am writing up the results. As for pub date, that depends on the journal.

Regards

Bryan

Bryan Sykes MA PhD DSc

Professor of Human Genetics

Wolfson College, Oxford,OX2 6UD

if you want the original message me your email and i can forward it to you

Edited August 11, 2013 by kezra

[Guest]

If Sykes study shows all known animals, or comes out and Is completely shattered by the circus in the Bigfoot world, I'll have lost all hope, and probably go into a deep depression (not really, but it will be really unfortunate). The amount of frustration I have is through the roof.

[Guest]

i think the problem a problem could be that there is no comparable dna so the results show 'unknown species' which is the best result result we can hope for i reckon but also very frustrating. i am no genetic expert though so hopefully i am missing something in my laymans understanding.

[WSA]

I think it is best to keep expectations low. Based on my (also) lay understanding of what is, and what is not, possible to discern from DNA, a "home run" would "only" be the the description of an unknown genotype, and the published context of the circumstances of where/when/how the sample was collected. That result has occurred before, from other testing, so I don't think they are going to stop the presses at the NYT to get out an Extra edition.  But...big BUT...what would be the import of the findings if they roughly agreed with Dr. Ketchums? To my way of thinking, THAT would be an extremely interesting result. Science builds on science, and say what you wil about Dr. K's methods (and I have) somebody like Dr. Sykes coming along and getting a similar result pretty much puts a nail in it for posterity, me thinks.

 

If it all comes back "known animal?" Well yeah, that is bottom-of-the-ninth-bases-loaded-down-by-a-run-whiff. This is the risk of asking, you can get an answer you may not predict...or welcome!

[Guest]

From talking to and listening to others my understanding is that Sykes wikk not be doing comparisons to or working with her. IMo it wouldn't hurt but what do I know really just seems that a comparison wouldn't hurt.