Yowies - Australia's Bigfoot

[Akhenaten]

Originally Posted by fromdownunder

http://www.manningrivertimes.com.au/...e/1589771.aspx

This sighting was on 7 August 2009.

If I was a cynic, I would note that on the same day, there was an announcement from the same source, that Rex Gilroy was visitng the area in the next few weeks

If I was a cynic I would then google "Faye Gilroy" + Yowie, and note that she sells Yowie sketches over the internet,m and has had at least one there which dates back to 2008 (whether or not she sketched it prior to August 2009 is not known). Since you appear to know Faye (are tou "Greg"?), could you asceretain whether or not she started skething Yowies before or after her close encounter?

http://apegallery.angelfire.com/hair...e-burke?i=30&s=

Kewl. That's my research done! I'd already looked ½ way into the story, and your bits confirm my suspicions.

Originally Posted by Night Walker

The sighting happened July 31. The paper reported it on August 7 along with Rex's impending visit to investigate.
Nothing suss there.

O rly?

Originally Posted by Night Walker

The images seem to be a collection of witness sketches from Australia and the USA. How can you tell who is selling them? I am a bit of a technophobe in things like this...

There are no Yowies. There are no witnesses. People selling pictures of them are lying.


No technology involved.

Originally Posted by Night Walker

Faye's sketch was collected by Healy & Cropper as part of their interview with her. I could only find the one sketch by Faye.

Would you like me to draw some more?

Originally Posted by Night Walker

I am not Greg but I have corresponded with him previously.

I'll bet HE has a different POV.

[Hallo Alfie]

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

Oh. A sensible, professorial answer!

Yeah, I'd much do the same. I'm insatiably curious, and love learning about little-known local stuff.

I took NW's question to refer to something big and horrible leaping out from behind a tree at you, which doesn't usually call for a full appreciation before taking the appropriate havingsex big steps in the direction of off.

I was in Halls Gap last New Year having a holiday with the family.
We were staying about 10km out of town on a private track off the road to Pomonal.

We are on the road home after dinner one night, and an animal about 5 to 6 foot tall comes flying out of the scrub on my left and running out in front of my 4wd.
I managed to break sufficiently quickly to avoid running the animal down and injuring it or my family in the car with me.

When I first saw this thing (in the blink of an eye) a few possibilities as to what it was ran through my head, as I breaked sufficiently whilst retaining my line and control of the vehicle.

A roo? - nah, too big for around here.
An emu? - no, no beak and the head's too big
Feral pig?- nah, too graceful
A man? - no, it's got 4 legs!
A woman? - nah - it's got no ti .. er, no the head's too big.
A rabbit ? - Big rabbit!
Wombat? - don't be daft Alfie, wombats dont have antlers.

Antlers!?! What the...

Anyway, the car was filled with much excitement.
Our eldest (17 and on his 'P' plates) and my wife were very impressed with my driving skills and lightning reflexes.
The daughter (15) was worried that we had frightened the poor thing.
And the other two boys (13 and 11) were disappointed in missing out on a fresh kill.

It turns out naturally enough that there are any number of wild deer in the area and we had happened upon a large buck.
I knew of a few deer farms in the area but had no clue of the large feral population.
As mentioned in a previous post of mine, I checked around with the locals the next day anyway - just to get the story proper.

Now, any er.. novice (or family of novices), who might have happened upon that large beast in the scrub - in the middle of the night - with no bush skills - nor understanding of local conditions - or fauna - and with less of a look than we got, may easily have been fooled into thinking they had sighted a Yowie.
All six of them would have concluded the same thing - the power of suggestion and the phenomenon of group think being what they are, after the youngest mentioned the possibility. He had them in his mind after he bought a Yowie chocolate bar earlier that day in the local general store and read about the mythical creature on the wrapper.

No doubt, should our novices have called at the local pub with stories of large beasts in the bush, the locals would have had a blast! "X-mas early!" they would think rubbing their collective hands together in inward excitement. They would then have no end of fun at the expense of the unwitting witnesses of yet another run-of-the-mill event in country Australia.

Yowies
If you haven't got a dead one and eaten it yet, they aint real.

[Akhenaten]

Originally Posted by A.A.Alfie

I was in Halls Gap last New Year having a holiday with the family.
We were staying about 10km out of town on a private track off the road to Pomonal.

We are on the road home after dinner one night, and an animal about 5 to 6 foot tall comes flying out of the scrub on my left and running out in front of my 4wd.

This is where I got to when I said "It's a deer." There's at least trillions of them up here.




Your story illustrates the point about unexpected things happening very well though.

My scariest non-event was when I was sitting in a hole in the ground in Western Queensland playing soldiers and I knew for sure that there wasn't a critter for miles, and yet something was crawling towards me in the starlight.

It jumped in the hole and I jumped out and my mate said "It's a frakkin' cane toad, ya moron!"


I knew that, I was just trickin'.

[Hallo Alfie]

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

This is where I got to when I said "It's a deer." There's at least trillions of them up here.




Your story illustrates the point about unexpected things happening very well though.

My scariest non-event was when I was sitting in a hole in the ground in Western Queensland playing soldiers and I knew for sure that there wasn't a critter for miles, and yet something was crawling towards me in the starlight.

It jumped in the hole and I jumped out and my mate said "It's a frakkin' cane toad, ya moron!"


I knew that, I was just trickin'.

Brave aincha?

[Akhenaten]

You should have seen us when we saw the Min Min light on another trip. There were ten or so big hairy blokes, with guns and stuff, and not one of us was going to go and see what it was.

We jumped back in the trucks after our smoko and never really thought about it again, until times like this.

Goodness knows what it was, but as is sometimes said, Discretion is the better part of Valour.

Similar to the Arthurian practice known as "Run Away!"

[Hallo Alfie]

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

You should have seen us when we saw the Min Min light on another trip. There were ten or so big hairy blokes, with guns and stuff, and not one of us was going to go and see what it was.

We jumped back in the trucks after our smoko and never really thought about it again, until times like this.

Goodness knows what it was, but as is sometimes said, Discretion is the better part of Valour.

Similar to the Arthurian practice known as "Run Away!"

Luminous Yowies scaring the luminaries?

[Drewbot]

At the end of The Sound of Music, you can see a Yowiie, on the next hill over, when the Von Trapps are getting ready to cross into Switzerland.

[Akhenaten]

So, there's evidence of Yowies in Austria, not Australia. That could explain why we've been having trouble.


Can we start again please?

[Sideroxylon]

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

So, there's evidence of Yowies in Austria, not Australia. That could explain why we've been having trouble.


Can we start again please?

Perhaps that's where the dinosaurs were too - it would explain a lot.

[Akhenaten]

This sceptical thinking is really great.

I believe we need a new thread (probably in Community) titled Evidence for Dinosaurs, Yowies, Blimps, Bigfoot, UFOs and Why the New Testament Writers Told the Truth in Austria.

I'm sure much would be revealed, although I doubt any of it would be useful.

[Hallo Alfie]

Australia and Austria were one, once upon a time?

[Night Walker]

Originally Posted by Night Walker
The sighting happened July 31. The paper reported it on August 7 along with Rex's impending visit to investigate.
Nothing suss there.

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

O rly?

Sorry, I don't understand the point you are trying to make.

The alleged sighting occurred 7 days before the newspaper article. Although I am sceptical about Rex's "yowie research" he does have an ear to the ground for these things and was quick off the mark to make contact with the alleged witnesses well before the newspaper article.

Could you explain what is suspicious about the newspaper reporting the alleged yowie sighting along with Rex's impending visit to investigate?

[Akhenaten]

Originally Posted by Night Walker

Originally Posted by Night Walker
The sighting happened July 31. The paper reported it on August 7 along with Rex's impending visit to investigate.
Nothing suss there.

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

O rly?

Sorry, I don't understand the point you are trying to make.

The alleged sighting occurred 7 days before the newspaper article. Although I am sceptical about Rex's "yowie research" he does have an ear to the ground for these things and was quick off the mark to make contact with the alleged witnesses well before the newspaper article.

Could you explain what is suspicious about the newspaper reporting the alleged yowie sighting along with Rex's impending visit to investigate?

Well, I might point out that it's suss from the outset. It's a Yowie story, for goodness sake.

Specific things what seem suss:


1. Why did it take a week to report this story anyway? This is terrifying stuff and the public needs to be warned!

By a short, belated article in the Manning River Times. Sure.

Seems to me the story wouldn't have run at all if Gilroy hadn't urged them to publish it.


2. Gilroy might have his ear to the ground, but how did he know about this story before the report was published? How could he possibly know about the hallucinations of two silly women in Wauchope, unless he was also a miraculous bystander at Big W, Taree, the day after it happened?

Like the other lady, who has also seen a Yowie.


3. The article itself is suss. Look at the photograph that accompanies it, and relate these statements to it:

"I looked back up at the road and I saw ahead in the headlights this big hairy animal thing on the side of the winding road."

Except that it's not a winding road.

"It was about eight foot tall and four foot wide."

And moves through dense forest without leaving a trail of destruction and hasn't discovered the metric system yet.

"Alana said they yelled out 'holy hell' along with a list of other unmentionable words. 'We panicked,' they said."

THIS bit, I can believe.

"'I couldn't turn the car around because I had the trailer and the road was too narrow', Faye said."

Look at the photo. You could do a uey in a 747 on that road.

Although why anyone would think that stopping and doing a U-turn would be the best IA is a mystery to me.

"I was [redacted)-scared and thought I better not mess with this thing in case it lifts the trailer up and tips us over the bank edge."

What edge? And why would you think such a thing anyway? Experience?



And finally the humdinger . . .

"Keeping her foot on the accelerator and speeding past the thing, Faye said she turned to Alana and said: 'Did you see that?' She said in a scared voice: 'Do you mean that thing that looked like a Big Foot?' I said: No it was a Yowie."

That's absolute rubbish. Every word of it.


I'm sure there's more sussness, but that's about where I lost interest, sorry.

[lionking]

Night Walker, you must realise that most, if not all of us here would be delighted in the existance of the Yowie. We don't take this skeptical position to piss people off. We just want evidence, and also possibly have a better refined BS detector than many.

[Akhenaten]

Originally Posted by lionking

Night Walker, you must realise that most, if not all of us here would be delighted in the existance of the Yowie. We don't take this skeptical position to piss people off. We just want evidence, and also possibly have a better refined BS detector than many.

This is something I've often noticed about some bleevers (not Night Walker).

They seem to think that skeptics are 'anti' things, but I'd have no more objection to the discovery of a real yowie-like creature than I would to the discovery of a new type of Bandicoot. It would be science, wouldn't it?

Yowies, on the other hand, aren't in contention for discovery. They're a bloody made-up joke pretend urban legend thingy.

I might say that bleevers make it all worthwhile though.

[Night Walker]

Originally Posted by lionking

Night Walker, you must realise that most, if not all of us here would be delighted in the existance of the Yowie. We don't take this skeptical position to piss people off. We just want evidence, and also possibly have a better refined BS detector than many.

Yeah, I know. I want evidence too but I have to acknowledge there is none.

I am dying for a yowie sighting in my area (Gold Coast - Gympie) to investigate but the only recent ones need debunking not investigation. The one quoted under "Kilcoy" in Wikipedia was a practical joke on some poor fellow who will undoubtedly continue to get random phone calls from yowie researchers and the Gympie "yowie attack" is a hoax by a prominent "researcher". It is difficult to find credible sources of information.

I appreciate your skepticism and value your input, forum readers. I am still a few posts away from being able to provide direct links so, continuing with the Mt George sighting, I would appreciate your opinions on Rex Gilroy's report on it and the "evidence" within (should be within his Mysterious Australia site).

[Akhenaten]

Originally Posted by Night Walker

Yeah, I know. I want evidence too but I have to acknowledge there is none.

I am dying for a yowie sighting in my area (Gold Coast - Gympie) to investigate but the only recent ones need debunking not investigation. The one quoted under "Kilcoy" in Wikipedia was a practical joke on some poor fellow who will undoubtedly continue to get random phone calls from yowie researchers and the Gympie "yowie attack" is a hoax by a prominent "researcher". It is difficult to find credible sources of information.

Here's a credible source:

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

Kilcoy, in Queensland, Australia is the home of the legendary Yowie, a larger and more ferocious cousin of the North American Bigfoot and the Himalayan Yeti.

Yowies infest the mountainous country around Kilcoy, and in recognition of their valuable contribution to the area a large wooden statue of the creature has long been a feature of the town's main street.


©Wikipedia


The last reported Yowie sighting in Kilcoy was in May, 2007 by Daniel Raaen, a student at the University of Queensland.


Cheers,

Dave

Come to think of it, the bloke that wrote that is a known fruitcake. Might be best to ignore it.

Originally Posted by Night Walker

I appreciate your skepticism and value your input, forum readers. I am still a few posts away from being able to provide direct links so, continuing with the Mt George sighting, I would appreciate your opinions on Rex Gilroy's report on it and the "evidence" within (should be within his Mysterious Australia site).

There are no Yowies. There are no witnesses. There is no evidence. There is nothing to investigate.

[gtc]

No wonder there are so few Yowies. That photograph shows they have no external genitalia.

[Hallo Alfie]

Originally Posted by gtc

No wonder there are so few Yowies. That photograph shows they have no external genitalia.

Tuck and tape?

[Akhenaten]

Yowies keep their tackle in another dimension until required for use.

There's a button on the bottom of the statue that tourists can press which illuminates said equipment by means of a quantum ray projector fitted into the base.

[idoubtit]

This post helped me update my website entry on the Yowie. I couldn't find a whole lot but you guys helped.

http://spookspot.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/yowie/

[This is a website aimed for kids so I try to use small words and big ideas.]

[Akhenaten]

I'll give that page a big fat "Good on yer, Mate!"

No nitpicks from me, and if you want any more help, please sing out.


Consider yourself an Honorary Cobber.

[idoubtit]

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

I'll give that page a big fat "Good on yer, Mate!"

No nitpicks from me, and if you want any more help, please sing out.


Consider yourself an Honorary Cobber.

Thanks. What is a "cobber"?

[Hallo Alfie]

Originally Posted by idoubtit

Thanks. What is a "cobber"?

I'll reply on the "cobber" IDI.

It is an informal word to describe a friend, mate or pal.
It is very Australian and the great Pharoah has just paid you the ultimate Aussie compliment.
I second his sentiments.
You may use his post as your entry to the most erudite and exclusive discussions in the whole world - namely the Australians only thread viz 'Australia" - in your honorary capacity.

It is your "reality check" that caught my eye and I assume Akhenaten's too.

Quote:

There is no good evidence to support the existence if the yowie, therefore, science does not recognize it as real. The primary objection is that Australia is an island continent with a limited selection of native animals due to its isolation. It is improbable that a large unknown primate exists in such an environment. The Yowie is considered a bit of a joke.

The bold is mine, and you have summed up our discussion beautifully.

Well done Cobber.

[Akhenaten]

Thank you Professor Alfie.

!00% agreement.

[idoubtit]

I am humbled.

[fromdownunder]

Originally Posted by Night Walker

I am still a few posts away from being able to provide direct links so, continuing with the Mt George sighting, I would appreciate your opinions on Rex Gilroy's report on it and the "evidence" within (should be within his Mysterious Australia site).

I cannot be bothered looking at Gilroy's "evidence" (and this is the same Gilroy who believes that there are living Dinosaurs running around in the Northern Territory), because the original story does not make a lot of sense and Gilroy has a vested interest in spinning everything unusual that happens - A Yowie took Harold Holt! you read it here first!.

We are discussing your "best most recent case" from AFAIK, the only primary source. Akhenaten commented on most of it, and I agree with his comments, but I believe he missed this bit:

Quote:

Faye and Alana said the hairy thing stood perfectly still "like it was at attention

Here we have a beast which has managed to survive with humans in the vicinity for maybe 50,000 years with no human contact, no humans tracking it's spoor, (remember aboriginal trackers are rather good, and could find a Goanna with a broken leg) no scat, no hair, no bodies, no skeletons, no photos, no evidence of any kind, and yet...

A car carrying a trailer passes it within touching distance, accelerating, to probably 50 -70 KPH and our Yowie stands still "like it was at attention". Is there a wild animal anywhere who would not even flinch when something came roaring at it at probably 60 KPH? Maybe an elephant, but I suspect it would react in some way.

Norm

[fromdownunder]

Originally Posted by Night Walker

I am not Greg but I have corresponded with him previously.

Since you have talked to Greg. please invite him to join the Board here, and let him add his POV to the discussion, since from his extensive postings on this topic, he seems to know more about this than anyone else apart from Faye and Alana (you might ask him to contact either/both of them as well, and then they can join as well and clear up all the missing bits).

Or go whole hog, and talk to Gilroy, and have him come along, join up here, and defend his position.


Norm

[Hallo Alfie]

That does sound like fun.

Nightwalker, I second FDUs proposal to have these friends come and join the party.

[Night Walker]

Greg is very passionate about Rex's "research" and often appears on forums to defend Rex's position. He may well be following this thread but I suspect it would be like stepping into the lion's den for him here at JREF. However, I will invite him the next time we correspond.

I have discussed my own concerns about Rex's "research" with Greg and, although I don't consider my relationship with the Gilroy camp to be hostile, I am not currently in contact with them as I don't consider their data to be reliable for a number of reasons.

I loathe to label all yowie witnesses as being nuts or liars but I do acknowledge there is a very large hoaxing/joking element within the alleged reports. Is there anything more fun than scaring the sh*t out of your mates at night (and in the bush)? Who hasn't done that? Some of these spread via word of mouth become stories in their own right and take on a life of their own. The psychology and folklore of the yowie phenomenon are interesting enough even if you don't believe in the existence of these hairy men.

Finding even reasonably credible and recent alleged sightings is difficult. That many "researchers" focus on the story while little is collected in the way of tangible data only further increases suspicions that it is largely bogus. It's a difficult position for a "believer" like myself to be in.

Has anyone read Healy & Cropper's (2006) "The Yowie: In Search of Australia's Bigfoot"? Any opinions?

[Hallo Alfie]

I mean no personal offence when I point out the following - you seem a reasonable person - but, it must be said, might as well be me..

Originally Posted by Night Walker

Finding even reasonably credible and recent alleged sightings is difficult.

No, it's impossible. There are no Yowies.

Originally Posted by Night Walker

That many "researchers" focus on the story while little is collected in the way of tangible data only further increases suspicions that it is largely bogus.

Because it is bogus. There is no tangible evidence.

Originally Posted by Night Walker

It's a difficult position for a "believer" like myself to be in.

It really should make it an impossible position; But I like your persistence and hope.

Originally Posted by Night Walker

Has anyone read Healy & Cropper's (2006) "The Yowie: In Search of Australia's Bigfoot"? Any opinions?

What on earth for?
Do they provide any new evidence that Yowies are real? Or is it more of the discredited sightings and disproved 'science' already proffered?

[fromdownunder]

Originally Posted by Night Walker

I loathe to label all yowie witnesses as being nuts or liars but I do acknowledge there is a very large hoaxing/joking element within the alleged reports.

These are not the only options. Misinterpeting visual evidence is certainly another option - here is a true story.

In a former life, I decided to visit friends in Nambucca Heads, and because I did not have much time off available from work, my wife and I decided to drive there in one hit, and she could not drive. We were leaving from Geelong (Go Cats, Premiers again in 2010).

We are talking close to 24 hours non stop (well, except for meals) here, because I had a car that was not all that keen on going over 50MPH (when it went at all).

About 18 hours in "on a full moon bright, lovely night " I saw a giant Preying Mantis eating a house. True. But as we got close enough to it, it turned out to be a tall tree swaying in the wind.

There are options which involve neither lying or any form of insanity.

Norm

[Hallo Alfie]

Originally Posted by fromdownunder

These are not the only options. Misinterpeting visual evidence is certainly another option - here is a true story.

In a former life, I decided to visit friends in Nambucca Heads, and because I did not have much time off available from work, my wife and I decided to drive there in one hit, and she could not drive. We were leaving from Geelong (Go Cats, Premiers again in 2010).

We are talking close to 24 hours non stop (well, except for meals) here, because I had a car that was not all that keen on going over 50MPH (when it went at all).

About 18 hours in "on a full moon bright, lovely night " I saw a giant Preying Mantis eating a house. True. But as we got close enough to it, it turned out to be a tall tree swaying in the wind.

There are options which involve neither lying or any form of insanity.

Norm

Unless of course you are insane. See bolded.

[fromdownunder]

Originally Posted by A.A.Alfie

Unless of course you are insane. See bolded.

But it's true - I consulted the entrails of a Yowie.

Norm

[Akhenaten]

Originally Posted by Night Walker

Greg is very passionate about Rex's "research" and often appears on forums to defend Rex's position. He may well be following this thread but I suspect it would be like stepping into the lion's den for him here at JREF. However, I will invite him the next time we correspond.

I've heard this place called a lion's den before, and Thunderdome as well, but I hope you realise that it's wrong thinking that gets mauled here, not wrong people. I count many Christians and Jews among my friends here, even though I'm a rabid atheist, and I'd never think of attacking their beliefs, save that they should attempt to convince me that I should share them. Then it's on for young and old.

Having an [insert oddity] believer come here and present his case for scrutiny with an open mind and an expectation that some of his 'evidence' is going to be shredded is one of the aims of the place. It only turns to worms when we have someone lob up with 'proof' of [insert oddity] and refusing to see otherwise. Wilful ignorance is grist for the mill to some of us here, including Pharaoh, and it will be attacked remorselessly and with vigour.

Originally Posted by Night Walker

I have discussed my own concerns about Rex's "research" with Greg and, although I don't consider my relationship with the Gilroy camp to be hostile, I am not currently in contact with them as I don't consider their data to be reliable for a number of reasons.

You're being polite to a fault. The reason for the Gilroy's data(?) being considered unreliable is that it relates to a non-existant creature. What reliability would you assign to data purporting to indicate the existence of Santa Claus?

Originally Posted by Night Walker

I loathe to label all yowie witnesses as being nuts or liars but I do acknowledge there is a very large hoaxing/joking element within the alleged reports. Is there anything more fun than scaring the sh*t out of your mates at night (and in the bush)? Who hasn't done that? Some of these spread via word of mouth become stories in their own right and take on a life of their own. The psychology and folklore of the yowie phenomenon are interesting enough even if you don't believe in the existence of these hairy men.

Noble enough sentiments for me. Looking at the phenomena of Yowies is completely different to looking for actual Yowies. Myself and the other professors are doing the former in this very thread.

And of course you're quite correct to avoid labelling all reports and stories about Yowies as lies and hoaxes. I myself will lie through my teeth to convince a n00b that the bush is crawling with Yowies, but I have no doubt that some reports are generated by people who have had a nasty scare, and the stories that they've heard from people just like me have filled in too many blanks for them.

I'd like to think that these people see sense in the cold, hard light of day and realise that what they saw was just a buggeredifiknowasaurus, whilst people such as the Gilroy's choose to make a profession out of becoming part of the joke. I'm sure they don't see it that way, of course.

Originally Posted by Night Walker

Finding even reasonably credible and recent alleged sightings is difficult.

Well, you'll never find a credible report. Would you expect to find credible reports of Santa Claus sightings?

Author's note: Well, yes you would, but only from the little kids whom we convinced of the bloke's existence in the first place. Us growed-ups are supposed to realise they're not real.


ETA: Credibility can be a funny thing. Our own Gubmint, through the agency of the DoM, issues Santa Claus tracking information. I don't know how I'd go about explaining that in terms of critical thinking, so I'll just leave it out there for all to see and to speak for itself

Originally Posted by Night Walker

That many "researchers" focus on the story while little is collected in the way of tangible data only further increases suspicions that it is largely bogus.

That's because the story is all there is, mate. As your suspicions increase, for the reasons that you state, you'll eventually arrive at about the same POV that Alfie, Norm and myself share.

Originally Posted by Night Walker

It's a difficult position for a "believer" like myself to be in.

I know what you mean, but I'm going to suggest that it's a good position to be in. You're having some of your beliefs challenged and dealing with it quite well. I sincerely hope you end up becoming a Yowie Unbeliever™ just like me, but in any case I admire your tenacity in seeking your own answers. Automatically taking our word for things would serve you far less well, especially me. (I haz the fibs, occasionally, when the mood calls for it)

Originally Posted by Night Walker

Has anyone read Healy & Cropper's (2006) "The Yowie: In Search of Australia's Bigfoot"? Any opinions?

Someone probably has, but I'll bet it wasn't any of us, and if it was, I'll further bet Melbourne to a rusty rabbit trap that if they have, it wasn't with a view to tracking down a real, live Yowie, being as how there's no such thing.


Cheers,

Dave

[Night Walker]

I also try to get out into the bush as often as I can. Bushwalking at night is an experience and very enjoyable - far safer than walking the 'burbs after dark. No yowie activity around my neck of the woods to report, though.

If yowies exist now or in the past what could they be?

There is nothing remotely in the Australian fossil record to even suggest the possibility of a large man-like marsupial having evolved here. Cross that one out.

Very little is known about Gigantopithecus from the two fossil jaw bones and hundred+ teeth (rumoured to be sold as "Dragon's Teeth" on the Asian exotic black market). A close relative to the orang-utan, Gigantopithecus may not even have been bipedal. Habituating northern India and southern China it is difficult to see how it could have even accidently made it to Australia (eg swept out to sea after a tsunami). Cross that one out until much more information is known.

The archaeolgical jury is out as to whether Homo floresiensis represents an archaic species or deformed modern population. More information needed.

That leaves the Homo erectus-type populations of south-east Asia. When modern humans left Africa they expanded and travelled east along the Asian coastline reaching south-east Asia around 85k - 75k years ago. Would these modern humans have encountered the resident erectus populations? Would relations always have been hostility over competition to resources or would there have been at least occassions for co-operation between these 2 distinct forms of humans? If so, is it possible that the modern humans who migrated across the Wallace Line 65k-50k years ago were accompanied by some of the local erectus populations?

[Hallo Alfie]

No

[Akhenaten]

No

[kitakaze]

Originally Posted by Night Walker

That leaves the Homo erectus-type populations of south-east Asia. When modern humans left Africa they expanded and travelled east along the Asian coastline reaching south-east Asia around 85k - 75k years ago. Would these modern humans have encountered the resident erectus populations? Would relations always have been hostility over competition to resources or would there have been at least occassions for co-operation between these 2 distinct forms of humans? If so, is it possible that the modern humans who migrated across the Wallace Line 65k-50k years ago were accompanied by some of the local erectus populations?

No.

Homo erectus was as unhairy as we are. It's 1.7 million years ago, you're running around all over the place, and you need to sweat. Being a hairy mofo does not help this.

[Akhenaten]

Originally Posted by kitakaze

No.

Homo erectus was as unhairy as we are. It's 1.7 million years ago, you're running around all over the place, and you need to sweat. Being a hairy mofo does not help this.

Not all hairy creatures sweat. The more sophisticated ones perspire.

Homo pharaohicus (common akhenaten)

Merry Christmas Kitz! Party hard.