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[MrWiggles]

So, there a five year long dna study that under peer review, showing a novel dna sequence of a human hybrid with an unknown north american ape.

Damn. This is kinda of awesome.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/11/prweb10166775.htm

[Leafsnail]

I want to believe this but then I see the study's being done by a Dr. Ketchum, which leads me to think it's actually an extremely elaborate PR stunt for the next Pokémon game

[kaijyuu]

I had similar thoughts to Leafsnail

[Hubris Incalculable]

Melba S. Ketchum is a real person.

[Virex]

And she's in the field of genetics. If anyone can make pokemons a reality, it's them.

[TheBronzePickle]

You'll notice that all the links are either for news articles on the study or her company's website. The website doesn't look like it would be terribly hard to fabricate, but at the same time you imagine a hoax or PR campaign would try a little harder.

I think I'll wait for the news to settle a bit before I start making judgements.

[Askot Bokbondeler]

wat.

[Zrk2]

Or Bigfoot as a pokemon.

[Cthulhu]

Melba S. Ketchum has two articles on google scholar, both in the proper field regarding forensic genetics.

A regular google search only turns up information regarding bigfoot, and she's been on Coast to Coast AM.

release the data

[Frumple]

Or Bigfoot as a pokemon.

Bigfoot was a pokemon, was a good friend of mine...?

Bugger's speech is indecipherable, but 'e makes the best moonshine.

[Cthulhu]

Hmmm...  The DNA diagnostics place is real.  However, a look around brings up a lot of complaints about flakiness or poor business practices. 

I'm going to tentatively call this one bullshit.

Furthermore, Melba seems to be a significant figure in the bigfoot scene, even before this.  It's all sounding very fishy to me.

[alway]

Just a press release. No actual data, no study presented. Call me back when there's actual evidence released which is more than hearsay.

[Leafsnail]

You have to be careful because if you announce your studies without actually publishing them then no-one has verified your methodology.  It was a major reason the MMR vaccine scare was able to keep going long after the initial study was debunked.

[MrWiggles]

I dont think this is science by news press though.

[alway]

It is the same person who announced generally similar claims last year; with similarly nonexistent evidence to go with the claims. If you really are doing science in this sort of field, you do not announce your findings over a year in advance. You announce them after they have been through the peer review process of a reputable paper. Particularly for such a topic as this.

Take for example this article: http://news.discovery.com/animals/bigfoot-beyond-footprints-120526.html
From May. Same person; same claims; 6 months later, and we have the same person with the same claim and the same lack of evidence or paper to back it up.

She's played this game for so long that even those who believe in the existence of bigfoot don't really take her seriously any more, let alone anyone who is skeptical. Until something more substantial than a claim of a paper inscribed on the side of Russell's Teapot is produced, she has no credibility.

Here's another one from 2 years ago: http://www.bigfootbuzz.net/dr-melba-ketchum-interview-october-31-2010/

The Ketchum study has been said to be ready for publication any month now. The sad part is that we have heard this rumor for a long time now.