Link-dump #17 (Fortean edition)

"They" Are Not "Them": A Hybrid View of the UFO Presence

Lost world of fanged frogs and giant rats discovered in Papua New Guinea

Chinese scientists 'filmed UFO for 40 minutes'

Has Jesus Christ been spotted on Mars? (I don't see it.)

A skull that rewrites the history of man

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Elaine Morgan on the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis

Whether you agree with Morgan's case for semi-aquatic human ancestors or not, her willingness to take on the scientific priesthood with sensible (if resolutely unpopular) questions is refreshing indeed.

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John Keel (1930-2009)

This morning I logged onto Twitter to discover that Fortean adventurer John Keel, author of "The Mothman Prophecies," died on July 3. Keel was ufology's own Man In Black, a genuine iconoclast who wedded scientific humility with ideas too strange even for the UFO community. (Keel has been a considerable influence on my own ideas about the "paranormal"; this blog is littered with references to his notion of the "electromagnetic superspectrum" from which seemingly occult forces materialize and vanish, adapting to our belief systems with such tenacity that few -- if any -- of us are ever the wiser.)

Fellow Keelians Greg Bishop and Nick Redfern offer their own remembrances here and here.

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Part of me sincerely hopes this isn't a hoax.

But the other part is rather insistent that it must be.

Move over, triffids.

BLDGBLOG introduces us to the feral majesty of the Ghillie suit:

Manufactured under the tagline "It's what they don't see that's important!" Ghillie suits are made for paintball -- but they are an amazing example of fashion design and landscape simulation together in one. Less a style of dress, they use garments to represent -- and thus blend into -- the earth's surface.

These things are positively fascinating from a science fictional perspective; an entire series of "B" movies could be filmed using little more than a handful of suits and mock firearms. And, unlike most low-budget sci-fi monsters, they're authentically creepy.

(I have a strange whim to purchase one and transform myself into some rogue Gaian archetype, offing unsuspecting hunters as they prepare for the kill . . .)

Has Loren Coleman seen these things yet?

Mummified mystery

Speaking of mummies . . .

Monster mummies of Japan

Lurking the halls of Buddhist temples and museums across Japan are a host of monster mummies -- the preserved remains of demons, mermaids, kappa, tengu, raijū, and even human monks. Here are a few remarkable specimens for the adventurous and brave at heart.

Nick Redfern interview

Nick Redfern explains his perspective on UFO crashes and cryptozoology in a brief but revealing interview here. Nick's uniquely skeptical approach to all things Fortean has resulted in a healthily iconoclastic disdain for typical, belief-driven approaches to the paranormal. For example, Redfern embraces the Roswell controversy while insisting -- and not without evidence -- that the infamous event had nothing whatsoever to do with crashed alien hardware.

Like Nick, I'm convinced that ufological discourse will remain mired in its present state of uncritical acceptance until we dispense with the unspoken need for cosmic company. (Which isn't, of course, to preclude the possibility that some UFO events indeed represent the machinations of extraterrestrials.)

'Hobbit' Fossils Represent A New Species, Concludes Anthropologist

University of Minnesota anthropology professor Kieran McNulty (along with colleague Karen Baab of Stony Brook University in New York) has made an important contribution toward solving one of the greatest paleoanthropological mysteries in recent history -- that fossilized skeletons resembling a mythical "hobbit" creature represent an entirely new species in humanity's evolutionary chain.

. . . and around and around we go.

Tangentially related:

La Planete des Singes: Human-Ape Hybrids and the Future of Chumanity

One of the leading activists to speak out against experiments that might involve inter-species breeding with humans and apes is Dr. Calum MacKellar, director of research at the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics, who this past April warned of a "controversial draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill" which did not specifically place restrictions on human sperm being inseminated into animals. MacKellar argues "if a female chimpanzee was inseminated with human sperm the two species would be closely enough related that a hybrid could be born."

Indeed, there are many instances throughout the last century where experiments were planned which may have proven conclusively whether creation of a "humanzee" were possible, though according to public records, none were seen through to completion. However, does this mean that there couldn't have been other instances where interbreeding took place at other times?

Nick Redfern taunts us with tales of the legendary Mongolian Death-Worm.

It's a hoax. And not even a good one.

Bigfoot Body: "Georgia Gorilla" Will Shock The World

We shall see . . .

Montauk Monster Replica

Yep, a replica of the Montauk Monster. It looks very well done, nice color tones, and a good representation of a weekend wonder, if you ask me.

If you're obsessed with the exploits of Fortean researcher Nick Redfern (and who isn't?) you're in luck.

Dead Monster Washes Ashore in Montauk

This is an actual monster, some sort of rodent-like creature with a dinosaur beak. A tipster says that there is "a government animal testing facility very close by in Long Island," but unless the government is trying to design horrible Montauk monsters that will eat IEDs and fart fire at bad Iraqis, we're not sure why they would create such an unthinkable beast. Our guess is that it's viral marketing for something.

Unknown Country comments here.

Meanwhile, take a look at this.

Nick Redfern has a new book out -- and I still haven't finished "The Cryptoterrestrials."

Damn you, Nick!

Seven mysterious creatures of Japan

Tales of unidentified mysterious animals have long intrigued and captured the imagination of people around the world -- and Japan is no exception. Here is a brief introduction to 7 of the island nation's most notorious cryptids, complete with grainy photographs where available.

I encountered this cryptozoological stencil graffiti on a walk today.





Any examples of this in your hometown?

"Australian Bigfoot" or yet another "blobsquatch"?

Pseudoskepticism: same shit, different era.

Giant marine life found in Antarctica

Scientists who conducted the most comprehensive survey to date of New Zealand's Antarctic waters were surprised by the size of some specimens found, including jellyfish with 12-foot tentacles and 2-foot-wide starfish.

(Via There's Something in the Woods . . .)

Wow, take a look at those facehuggers -- er, I mean starfish.