Researchers from Oxford University and the Lausanne Museum of Zoology are delving into an issue near and dear to the Pacific Northwest: Whether or not Bigfoot exists.

No, investigating mythical monsters isn’t exactly how you’d image Oxford students and researchers spending their time. (What, was the Bullingdon Club full this year? Rugby lost its luster?) Nevertheless, they’re on a mission to debunk — or prove — accounts that there are yeti-like creatures roaming the wilderness.

The so-called Oxford-Lausanne Collateral Hominid Project isn’t so much a quest to discovery the yeti as it is a challenge to Bigfoot believers, Oxford geneticist Bryan Sykes told Live Science. He’s asking Bigfoot hunters to come forward with physical evidence — hair, saliva or what have you — so he can test them and deduce their genetic makeup.

“I’m challenging and inviting the cryptozoologists to come up with the evidence instead of complaining that science is rejecting what they have to say,” he said.

In other words, pony up the evidence or quit your whining.

Researchers aren’t expecting their project will confirm the existence of the Bigfoot, so don’t get too excited just yet. But they think it could lead to evidence of an unknown species — just not one that goes by the name Sasquatch.

Instead of Bigfoot hunters sending in their samples all at once, Sykes is asking they first submit a written description of their evidence. He’ll test about 20 of the most promising samples.

Oh, and that stuff I said about this being an unusual occupation for someone at Oxford? Sykes agrees.

“As an academic I have certain reservations about entering this field, but I think using genetic analysis is entirely objective; it can’t be falsified,” Sykes told Live Science. “So I don’t have to put myself into the position of either believing or disbelieving these creatures.”

He added: “Several things I’ve done in my career have seemed impossible and stupid when contemplated, but have impressive results.”

Read more via Live Science.

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