Researchers suggest 'yeti' found last year is just a brown bear

Last year, researchers claimed they found RNA from a 40,000-year-old breed of polar bear, or as it's often referred to, the Himalayan yeti (Abominable Snowman, etc.). However, another team of scientists says those hairs could've just as easily come from a species of brown bear that's native to the area. While the authors behind last summer's findings maintain it could indeed be the mythical monster, a duo from the Smithsonian and the University of Kansas assert there's too much overlap in the genetic makeup to Himalayan brown bear. "The only way forward, as I have repeatedly said, is to find a living bear that matches the 12S RNA and study fresh material from it," says Oxoford University's Bryan Sykes, head of last year's team. The hairs used to document the genetic markers were collected by so-called monster hunters and cryptozoologists, so a new sample would help scientists rule out a common species or possible contamination issues.

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