Predicting Sasquatch Sightings Using Spatial Covariates

Aagard, Nathan Lee

Publication

Predicting Sasquatch Sightings Using Spatial Covariates

Aagard, Nathan Lee

Description

Going by a number of different names such as Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Yeti, Grassman, Skunk Ape, or Fouk Monster, this mysterious creature shows up in local legends and myths across the globe under different aliases and descriptions. Most often described as a large bipedal ape with the resemblance of a human face, sasquatch has been thought of as the missing link between humans and apes, a creature of the past, and potentially a distant relative. No substantial proof of its existence has ever surfaced despite the number of alleged sightings which leads to the assumption that it's all a hoax. This project does not intend to prove or disprove the existence of the sasquatch. It seeks to understand the underlying pattern of sasquatch sightings and understand where as well why they occur. These sightings are anything but rare and incredibly systematic. This is where spatial statistics comes in. The analysis performed in this project utilized 3,783 observations of the sasquatch across the continental United States in order to look for spatial trends or clusters and predict the intensity of sightings using a spatial covariates model.