Dr. Jeff Meldrum
Project Summary
The scanning facilities at the Idaho Virtualization Laboratory provide an exceptional opportunity to create a visual record of the collection of footprint casts attributed to sasquatch, housed in my lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Idaho State University. The images permit comparative and metric analyses of these footprints to be conducted in three dimensions. The archiving of the casts also creates a means of digitally sharing images of these artifacts with collaborators.
Two-dimensional outline shape can also be captured with the microscribe equipment at the Lab. Distinguishing indices of shape and multivariate shape analyses are being applied to the plantar sole pad outline of sasquatch tracks, in comparison to those of a sample of human footprints.
The evolution of the arch of the human foot was a significant and relatively recent innovation in modern human walking and running. The stabilization of the midfoot, especially the lateral column, involved remodeling of the calcaneocuboid joint. The prevalence of flat feet in human populations suggests this is a “work in progress.”
By scanning the surfaces of the calcaneocuboid joint in a sample of humans and great apes, I hope to more precisely quantify both the intra- and interspecific variation of the shape and mechanics of this joint. In collaboration with robotics engineer, Dr. Alba Perez, we will model the potential movements of this joint in the various hominoid species, and then extend the consideration to the talonavicular and the subtalar joints of the foot.