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WILLIAM SHATNER:
Shocking discoveries
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revealing glimpses
of mankind's ancient past,
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the bones of giants
that lived centuries ago
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and primitive beast men
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roaming the wilderness.
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Of all the mysteries
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that mankind
has been able to solve,
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one still baffles
our collective curiosity.
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Where did we come from?
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Were human beings
the result of a spontaneous,
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divine creation?
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Or is it possible
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that we,
as some evidence suggests,
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evolved over time
from other species?
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And was there possibly
a missing link
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that made us what we are today?
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Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
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♪ ♪
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(creatures chittering)
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SHATNER:
Since the dawn of man,
human beings have wondered
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how we came into existence.
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And throughout history,
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people have proposed
many different theories
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to try and explain the profound
mystery of mankind's origins.
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Since the earliest
written records, it's clear
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that human cultures
around the world
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have been curious
about our origins.
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Where did we come from?
It's a great question.
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And the question means
something different to everyone.
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Every culture has
different origin stories.
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In many creation stories
about human origins,
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humans are fully formed
from the start.
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For example,
in Genesis chapter one
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of the Hebrew Bible,
we get a very structured,
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very orderly account
of creation.
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In this narrative,
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through a series of spoken acts,
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God creates the heavens,
the Earth,
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creates land, the seas,
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and then populates
all of these domains
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with fish and birds
and creeping things.
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And then, on day six,
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God creates the humans.
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And Genesis records that God
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speaks the humans
into existence,
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male and female,
in His own image and likeness.
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The implication here is that
these humans would look
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just like we look today.
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MICHIO KAKU:
Throughout history,
before the coming of science,
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all we had were mythologies
about our origins.
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Stories, tales handed down
generation by generation
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over thousands of years.
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That's all we had.
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But then we had Charles Darwin,
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and Charles Darwin said
that we are related to the apes.
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And that was a huge shock.
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SHATNER:
In 1871,
Charles Darwin published
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The Descent of Man,
which proposed the theory
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that humans and apes
share a common ancestor.
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SHAPIRO:
The natural evolutionary history
of our lineage
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is that we were monkeys
and then we were apes
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and then, eventually,
we became Homo sapiens.
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But when and how this happened,
it's still something
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that scientists are
trying to piece together
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from the often fragmentary
fossil record.
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SHATNER:
Ever since Darwin's
groundbreaking work,
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many have theorized
that there could have been
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a so-called "missing link"
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between us
and our primitive ancestors
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that would explain
how modern humans came to be.
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But in recent years,
scientists have suggested
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that this idea
may be too simplistic,
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and that the truth
about mankind's origins
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is far more complicated
and mysterious.
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KIRSTEN FISHER:
I think our idea
that there might be
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a missing link
in human evolution
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stems from the way humans
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may be inherently uncomfortable
with the idea
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that evolution doesn't...
hasn't progressed towards us
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on purpose or with any
particular direction in mind.
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In the relative
scheme of things,
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we're just a very small branch
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in a much more diverse tree
of living things.
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Which is kind
of an amazing thought.
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Human evolution in the past
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has been seen as a sort of line.
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You see that sort of typical,
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uh, an ape hunched over
and slowly standing up.
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But we're now realizing
that it's not true.
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In our past, there were
multiple different species
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that actually had similar traits
to modern-day humans.
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And so, evolution is not linear.
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It's not even a tree, it's more
of like a-a brambly bush.
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It's all over the place.
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SHATNER:
Could it be that there
is not one missing link
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but rather
many different species
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that formed
the human evolutionary tree?
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And if so, could they have had
a significant effect
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on the origins of mankind?
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To answer that question,
perhaps we should begin
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by examining the species
we're most closely related to,
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the Neanderthals.
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Genetics company
23andMe announces
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their at-home testing kits
can now detect
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how much of a person's DNA
comes from the Neanderthals.
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Neanderthals are
an extinct species
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that were very similar to humans
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and died out
roughly 30,000 years ago.
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But the 23andMe tests have shown
that there is a small percentage
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of Neanderthal DNA
in each and every one of us.
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REAGAN:
With the advent of
these designer DNA tests,
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it's making us rethink
the way humans evolved.
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Neanderthals are a subspecies
of Homo sapiens.
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We share a common ancestor
with them
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around 800,
700,000 years ago.
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They existed in what is Europe,
the Middle East,
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and basically dominated
the ice age.
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And hopefully, now that we know
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that we have Neanderthal DNA
in our genome,
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we'll be more interested
in actually learning
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about our past.
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KAKU:
This is a shock,
'cause we used to think
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that we didn't mate
with anybody else.
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But using the science of DNA,
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we begin to realize,
"Hey, there was a lot of mating
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that went back and forth between
Neanderthals and humans."
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We now have data to work with
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to retrace the family tree
of our race.
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SHATNER:
Modern humans
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and Neanderthals are both what
scientists refer to as hominins,
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a group of species
that includes mankind
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and its closest relatives.
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Thus far, fossils
of 21 different hominin species
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have been found,
and new genetic discoveries
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are revealing that we have
much more in common
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with the Neanderthals
and other hominins
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than previously thought.
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ANDREW COLLINS:
Neanderthal fossils
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first came to light in the early
part of the 19th century.
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But at that time, they were
dismissed as inferior to us.
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So the idea that modern humans
have Neanderthal DNA in them
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is incredibly important,
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because it shows that
they are our distant cousins.
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We're realizing now,
more and more,
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that they were,
in every respect, human.
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If you had a Neanderthal today
and you dressed them in a suit,
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would you know
it was a Neanderthal?
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The answer is probably
you wouldn't.
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They were great, uh,
toolmakers and users.
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They left behind art.
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Different jewelry as well.
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We're finding out
that Neanderthals
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were actually
burying their dead,
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which shows that they were
invested in their loved ones.
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What we've learned
by studying Neanderthal DNA
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is that some traits
that Neanderthals had
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were passed into
modern human populations.
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One of the traits that came
from Neanderthals
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was a propensity
to have diabetes.
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And so it ended up
getting passed on,
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even though it provided
a little bit of a disadvantage
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to those who had it.
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Our closest relative
is the Neanderthal,
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and they're gone, but they also
survive in our DNA.
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The more we can
learn about them,
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the more we learn about us.
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Did the Neanderthals
play an important role
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in the evolution
of modern humans?
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Or could it be
that they only represent
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one piece of the puzzle?
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Because recently,
scientists unearthed the bones
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of another ancient species,
in Asia,
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that may have played
a role in our development.
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A species that was
never known to exist.
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SHATNER:
Archaeologists
conducting excavations
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within the dark recesses
of the Liang Bua cave
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uncover the skeletal remains
of a primitive human.
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Oddly, the bones appear
to belong to an adult
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less than four feet tall.
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And genetic analysis reveals
that the person's short stature
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was not due to deformity.
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Remarkably,
this individual belonged
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to a previously unknown species
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of miniature humans
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that lived 60,000 years ago.
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TOCHERI:
The team of scientists
excavating on Flores
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uncovered the partial skeleton
which we now know as LB-1,
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or Liang Bua One.
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It immediately sent shockwaves
around the world.
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We know it's a member
of our genus Homo
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because it has characteristics
of its teeth and jaws
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that we use to define our genus.
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So it's these features
that help us understand
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that it is closely related
to us, but smaller.
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SHATNER:
After further study,
the newly discovered species
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of miniature humans was given
the name Homo floresiensis,
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after the isle of Flores
on which it was discovered.
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The $64 million question
is how did the ancestors
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of Homo floresiensis
reach Flores?
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Flores is a oceanic island.
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That means it's never been
connected by land
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to either the Asian continent
or the Australian continent.
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It's long been thought
that only modern humans
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were clever enough to somehow
reach these kinds of islands
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by crossing open water.
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And so, to find
Homo floresiensis
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on this oceanic island
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shows us how much
we underestimate
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earlier hominins in terms
of their dispersal capabilities.
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JIM VIEIRA:
What's most interesting
is they found tools
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on the isle Flores.
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Finding tools on this
isolated Indonesian island
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opens up a Pandora's box
of ideas.
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How did they get there,
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how far back
do these beings exist
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and what level of sophistication
did they have?
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TOCHERI:
Homo floresiensis disappears
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roughly about 50,000 years ago.
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But we only have evidence
from this one cave.
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And so, I think there's still
a lot that we need to uncover,
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to figure out
the most likely explanation
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for their extinction.
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SHATNER:
Due to their stature,
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some anthropologists began
calling Homo floresiensis
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"the hobbits," in reference
to the furry-footed characters
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from Middle-earth popularized
by author J.R.R. Tolkien
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in his 1937 book The Hobbit,
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which has led many to wonder,
could hobbit-sized humans
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be part of a missing link?
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The hobbit is the prime example
of saying, "Hang on, stop,
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and start thinking
of what's going on here."
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As time goes, we're finding
more and more evidence
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that there was a range
of different kinds of humans.
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KAKU:
In science,
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we always have
to keep an open mind,
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even when things, uh, disturb
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our sense of who we are
and where we came from.
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We're just beginning to realize
that The Lord of the Rings
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is really a paradigm
for other species out there,
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lurking, that have
not yet been discovered.
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Homo sapiens are not
necessarily
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the only game in town.
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SHATNER:
The discovery
of Homo floresiensis
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proves that humans were just one
of many intelligent species
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to inhabit Earth in the past.
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But remarkably,
there could be evidence
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of not only hobbit-sized humans
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but also a species of giants
that once lived
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in what is now modern Russia.
250
00:13:48,875 --> 00:13:52,917
The Altai Mountains, Siberia.
251
00:13:54,125 --> 00:13:57,542
Archaeologists conducting
excavations inside a cave
252
00:13:57,708 --> 00:14:00,583
make an unexpected discovery.
253
00:14:01,833 --> 00:14:06,833
They find two
enormous human teeth,
254
00:14:06,958 --> 00:14:10,208
twice the size
of a modern person's.
255
00:14:11,708 --> 00:14:14,250
What they found was some
massive teeth that were so big
256
00:14:14,375 --> 00:14:16,167
they thought
they were cave bear teeth.
257
00:14:16,292 --> 00:14:19,417
But then, they were sequenced,
and they realized
258
00:14:19,542 --> 00:14:23,000
it's a new human cousin
who may have been seven,
259
00:14:23,125 --> 00:14:26,792
eight foot tall,
with massive skulls and jaws.
260
00:14:26,875 --> 00:14:29,083
It's really a curveball
to anthropology.
261
00:14:30,708 --> 00:14:32,125
SHATNER:
Further analysis of the teeth
262
00:14:32,250 --> 00:14:36,208
revealed they were more
than 50,000 years old,
263
00:14:36,375 --> 00:14:40,167
and belonged to a previously
unknown human subspecies
264
00:14:40,250 --> 00:14:44,333
that has been named
the Denisovans.
265
00:14:46,375 --> 00:14:49,833
From what little evidence
of the bones and the teeth
266
00:14:49,958 --> 00:14:51,500
that have been found,
267
00:14:51,583 --> 00:14:54,500
not only at the Denisova Cave
in Siberia...
268
00:14:56,125 --> 00:14:58,167
...but also a huge jawbone
269
00:14:58,292 --> 00:15:02,292
that was found in a cave
on the Tibetan Plateau,
270
00:15:02,417 --> 00:15:05,917
there is every indication
that giants
271
00:15:06,042 --> 00:15:11,208
really did walk the Earth
in ancient times.
272
00:15:13,125 --> 00:15:15,917
SHATNER:
Could the human family tree
273
00:15:16,042 --> 00:15:19,833
have once included a branch
with actual giants?
274
00:15:19,958 --> 00:15:22,333
Many experts believe
it's possible,
275
00:15:22,458 --> 00:15:25,125
not only because
of the fossil evidence
276
00:15:25,250 --> 00:15:30,333
but also because legends
of extraordinarily large beings
277
00:15:30,458 --> 00:15:33,417
have persisted
for thousands of years.
278
00:15:35,500 --> 00:15:38,708
In the European tradition,
we have, uh, creatures
279
00:15:38,875 --> 00:15:43,167
like giants that are
very, very widespread.
280
00:15:43,250 --> 00:15:47,042
We know now that folklore
can last thousands of years.
281
00:15:47,208 --> 00:15:50,875
So, could ancient people
have encountered Denisovans
282
00:15:51,042 --> 00:15:53,292
and interpreted them as giants,
283
00:15:53,375 --> 00:15:56,083
as sort of brutish,
as living differently from us,
284
00:15:56,208 --> 00:15:59,292
but still able to, uh,
interact with us?
285
00:15:59,417 --> 00:16:02,417
Or maybe they dug up some bones
or stumbled across them
286
00:16:02,542 --> 00:16:04,792
and said, "Wow, these guys look
really different than we do,"
287
00:16:04,875 --> 00:16:06,542
and then came up
with the stories.
288
00:16:06,708 --> 00:16:11,167
I'm sure there are other
archaic versions of humanity
289
00:16:11,292 --> 00:16:14,333
out there that we have
not yet discovered.
290
00:16:14,458 --> 00:16:20,083
So I think we're just beginning
to unravel the family tree.
291
00:16:20,208 --> 00:16:23,958
There are other hidden branches
out there
292
00:16:24,083 --> 00:16:26,000
that have not yet been found
293
00:16:26,083 --> 00:16:28,250
because we don't have
evidence yet.
294
00:16:28,375 --> 00:16:32,167
But I think we will,
as the years go by.
295
00:16:32,292 --> 00:16:36,167
Many experts now believe
that early humans coexisted
296
00:16:36,250 --> 00:16:39,875
with a number of different
species that were similar to us.
297
00:16:40,042 --> 00:16:44,208
But if that's true,
then what happened to them?
298
00:16:44,375 --> 00:16:46,833
Did they all just die out?
299
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,917
Or could some still exist
in remote areas
300
00:16:51,042 --> 00:16:53,208
all over the world?
301
00:17:01,375 --> 00:17:04,667
SHATNER:
27-year-old Dean Harrison
302
00:17:04,792 --> 00:17:06,375
is out for a late-night jog
303
00:17:06,542 --> 00:17:09,708
in a wooded area
near the town of Ormeau.
304
00:17:09,875 --> 00:17:14,875
Suddenly, he sees a large
creature moving in the forest.
305
00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,750
(low grumble)
306
00:17:17,875 --> 00:17:19,208
HARRISON:
I got these chills
307
00:17:19,333 --> 00:17:20,583
that I could not explain
that went
308
00:17:20,708 --> 00:17:24,250
from my head to my toes,
and then back up again.
309
00:17:25,208 --> 00:17:26,667
My hair went on end,
310
00:17:26,750 --> 00:17:29,875
because I could hear it
walking through the swamp.
311
00:17:30,042 --> 00:17:32,000
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
312
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:34,167
Pulling up the foliage
313
00:17:34,333 --> 00:17:37,625
out of the ground
and throwing it
314
00:17:37,708 --> 00:17:40,250
through the rest of the forest.
315
00:17:40,375 --> 00:17:43,333
I moved my eyes to see
this huge silhouette
316
00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:47,833
standing there in the bush line
right behind me.
317
00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:52,125
We're talking
about eight feet, roughly.
318
00:17:52,250 --> 00:17:53,833
There was something
about this that just,
319
00:17:53,958 --> 00:17:58,750
alarm bells went off in my head,
and I ran as fast as I could.
320
00:18:00,708 --> 00:18:02,208
SHATNER:
Although Dean's
nighttime encounter
321
00:18:02,333 --> 00:18:04,792
with the enormous creature
was brief,
322
00:18:04,875 --> 00:18:06,667
further research
led him to believe
323
00:18:06,750 --> 00:18:10,167
that he had encountered
an elusive species
324
00:18:10,250 --> 00:18:14,375
that is commonly referred to
as the yowie.
325
00:18:15,792 --> 00:18:17,167
LYLE BLACKBURN:
The yowie is a hair-covered,
326
00:18:17,250 --> 00:18:19,250
manlike creature that's said
327
00:18:19,375 --> 00:18:21,458
to live on
the Australian mainland.
328
00:18:23,208 --> 00:18:24,792
There's been thousands
of sightings
329
00:18:24,917 --> 00:18:26,708
of this creature over the years,
330
00:18:26,875 --> 00:18:30,875
and stories of it even date back
to Aboriginal legends.
331
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:35,208
HARRISON:
The Aboriginals had a lot
of names for this creature.
332
00:18:35,333 --> 00:18:40,458
There was yahoo or yuree,
yaree, youree,
333
00:18:40,583 --> 00:18:42,417
depending on which dialect
and-and which area
334
00:18:42,542 --> 00:18:44,958
you came from that--
which, how you pronounce it.
335
00:18:45,042 --> 00:18:47,667
The first sightings were
written in the papers
336
00:18:47,792 --> 00:18:50,542
in Australia since the 1800s.
337
00:18:50,708 --> 00:18:53,583
Most people describe them
like a big human.
338
00:18:53,708 --> 00:18:59,167
The head sits on the shoulders
and a little bit protruded.
339
00:18:59,292 --> 00:19:01,750
Massive shoulders
like cannonballs.
340
00:19:01,875 --> 00:19:05,833
Very, very muscular.
Deep, muscular chest.
341
00:19:05,958 --> 00:19:08,750
Very long arms,
compared to a human.
342
00:19:08,875 --> 00:19:10,875
Uh, shorter legs.
343
00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,833
Deep-set eyes
and heavy eye ridges.
344
00:19:14,917 --> 00:19:17,667
Uh, protruding jaw.
345
00:19:17,792 --> 00:19:19,750
Quite a flat, splayed nose.
346
00:19:19,875 --> 00:19:22,000
You can get them
anywhere up to about nine,
347
00:19:22,125 --> 00:19:24,875
even ten feet tall,
some people say.
348
00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:26,833
And there's no shortage of them
349
00:19:26,958 --> 00:19:29,250
because the sightings
are growing.
350
00:19:29,375 --> 00:19:32,083
SHATNER:
Dean's encounter inspired him
to form a group
351
00:19:32,208 --> 00:19:38,625
known as Australian
Yowie Research, or AYR.
352
00:19:38,750 --> 00:19:41,167
HARRISON:
We have basically created
a group
353
00:19:41,250 --> 00:19:44,500
where people can turn to
and look for the answers
354
00:19:44,625 --> 00:19:47,625
once they have an encounter
with one of these creatures.
355
00:19:47,708 --> 00:19:51,417
On our expeditions,
we've had a lot of sightings
356
00:19:51,542 --> 00:19:55,333
and encounters over the course
of the last 25 years
357
00:19:55,458 --> 00:19:57,958
along the Great Dividing Range
from the bottom end of Victoria
358
00:19:58,083 --> 00:20:00,542
all the way to the top end
of Australia.
359
00:20:03,792 --> 00:20:08,208
SHATNER:
Could a species
of giant, ape-like humans
360
00:20:08,333 --> 00:20:11,625
really be hiding
throughout Australia?
361
00:20:11,708 --> 00:20:14,417
It may sound
far-fetched to some.
362
00:20:14,542 --> 00:20:16,833
But the truth is
that the numerous sightings
363
00:20:16,958 --> 00:20:18,500
of the yowie
aren't the only evidence
364
00:20:18,667 --> 00:20:22,583
that a large cousin of man
may still be living in the wild.
365
00:20:24,125 --> 00:20:26,750
Because there are reports
of similar creatures
366
00:20:26,875 --> 00:20:29,875
all over the world.
367
00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,125
The general idea
of an undiscovered
368
00:20:32,250 --> 00:20:35,167
large, ape-like creature
living in the woods
369
00:20:35,292 --> 00:20:37,542
is very common around the globe.
370
00:20:37,667 --> 00:20:42,208
Whether we're talking about
the Himalayas for the Yeti,
371
00:20:42,333 --> 00:20:44,500
the U.S. for Bigfoot,
372
00:20:44,583 --> 00:20:46,917
or whether we're talking
about Australia and New Zealand
373
00:20:47,042 --> 00:20:48,875
for the yowie,
374
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,333
this is something that appears
to be a worldwide creature.
375
00:20:52,458 --> 00:20:55,542
Evolutionary biologist
Jane Goodall at one point said
376
00:20:55,667 --> 00:20:58,583
it was possible that such
a creature could exist.
377
00:20:58,708 --> 00:21:00,292
And when you have
someone with that sort
378
00:21:00,417 --> 00:21:03,583
of a scientific reputation
that will say
379
00:21:03,708 --> 00:21:06,833
there is a possibility
that this creature exists,
380
00:21:06,917 --> 00:21:08,333
that's very compelling evidence.
381
00:21:10,417 --> 00:21:12,417
BLACKBURN:
If we look back at early man,
382
00:21:12,542 --> 00:21:16,083
there's evidence
of similar types of hominids.
383
00:21:16,208 --> 00:21:20,250
If they developed
in some shadowy place
384
00:21:20,375 --> 00:21:22,667
and continued
to survive and evolve,
385
00:21:22,750 --> 00:21:24,667
these early humans
could have become
386
00:21:24,792 --> 00:21:29,208
what we know as Bigfoot,
yowie or the Yeti.
387
00:21:29,333 --> 00:21:33,000
And if we were to actually
find undeniable photo
388
00:21:33,167 --> 00:21:35,750
or video evidence
of these creatures,
389
00:21:35,875 --> 00:21:38,583
it would completely change
the way we've thought
390
00:21:38,708 --> 00:21:42,125
about everything,
i-including our own evolution.
391
00:21:42,208 --> 00:21:45,500
These creatures could be
closely related to us.
392
00:21:45,625 --> 00:21:49,000
This could be a branch
of our own ancestral tree.
393
00:21:51,125 --> 00:21:57,292
SHATNER:
Is it possible that the yowie,
Bigfoot and the Yeti are real,
394
00:21:57,375 --> 00:22:00,583
as the countless sightings
around the world suggest?
395
00:22:00,708 --> 00:22:05,875
And if so, are these creatures
part of a lost branch
396
00:22:06,042 --> 00:22:07,833
of the human family tree?
397
00:22:07,958 --> 00:22:11,542
Perhaps the answer can be found
by examining a creature
398
00:22:11,667 --> 00:22:14,500
that some believe left behind
399
00:22:14,583 --> 00:22:18,542
physical evidence
of its existence
400
00:22:18,667 --> 00:22:21,917
high in the Himalayan mountains.
401
00:22:28,542 --> 00:22:32,333
From their Makalu base camp,
located roughly 12 miles
402
00:22:32,458 --> 00:22:34,208
southeast of Mount Everest,
403
00:22:34,333 --> 00:22:36,833
the mountain expedition team
of the Indian Army
404
00:22:36,958 --> 00:22:43,500
releases a photo of an unusually
large set of footprints.
405
00:22:43,625 --> 00:22:46,292
COLLINS:
An expedition
from the Indian Army
406
00:22:46,375 --> 00:22:49,833
noticed very strange tracks
in the snow.
407
00:22:49,958 --> 00:22:54,292
And when they looked at them,
they realized that each one
408
00:22:54,375 --> 00:22:59,958
was 32 inches in length
and 15 inches in width.
409
00:23:00,042 --> 00:23:03,625
And they came to the conclusion
410
00:23:03,708 --> 00:23:08,750
that they possibly belonged
to the legendary Yeti.
411
00:23:08,875 --> 00:23:13,875
And we know it in the West
as the Abominable Snowman.
412
00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:17,667
VIEIRA:
The Indian Army
413
00:23:17,792 --> 00:23:21,750
are not prone to throw out
such sensationalistic material.
414
00:23:21,875 --> 00:23:24,042
So that caught people,
a lot of people, off guard.
415
00:23:25,417 --> 00:23:27,333
And you look at these prints
416
00:23:27,458 --> 00:23:30,708
and you start
to ask the question,
417
00:23:30,875 --> 00:23:33,375
"How big a creature
would create them?"
418
00:23:35,875 --> 00:23:37,458
SHATNER:
Curiously, this isn't
the first time
419
00:23:37,583 --> 00:23:40,042
that massive, bipedal footprints
have been found
420
00:23:40,167 --> 00:23:42,667
in the vicinity
of Mount Everest.
421
00:23:44,625 --> 00:23:48,333
In 1951, British mountaineer
Eric Shipton captured a photo
422
00:23:48,417 --> 00:23:50,833
of what appeared
to be a giant footprint
423
00:23:50,917 --> 00:23:55,500
with an ape-like thumb
instead of a big toe.
424
00:23:55,667 --> 00:23:57,458
BLACKBURN:
One thing that supports
the credibility
425
00:23:57,583 --> 00:24:00,208
of all these sightings
is that so many people
426
00:24:00,375 --> 00:24:02,083
have described the same thing.
427
00:24:04,292 --> 00:24:06,250
There has been
numerous footprints
428
00:24:06,375 --> 00:24:10,042
that have been cast and observed
and photographed over the years.
429
00:24:11,417 --> 00:24:13,333
And this just corroborates
430
00:24:13,458 --> 00:24:16,167
the different
witness sightings to suggest
431
00:24:16,333 --> 00:24:18,667
that something
is still out there.
432
00:24:20,625 --> 00:24:24,375
The idea that massive creatures
like the Yeti
433
00:24:24,542 --> 00:24:28,667
are living in the wild
might sound far-fetched to some,
434
00:24:28,792 --> 00:24:30,500
but there have been
many similar accounts
435
00:24:30,625 --> 00:24:34,292
of strange, bipedal animals
throughout history.
436
00:24:34,375 --> 00:24:36,917
For instance,
there's a particular species
437
00:24:37,042 --> 00:24:39,917
that was believed
to inhabit North America,
438
00:24:40,042 --> 00:24:43,958
and would only come out
at night.
439
00:24:51,625 --> 00:24:53,458
SHATNER:
Local farmer
Felix Axley is planting
440
00:24:53,542 --> 00:24:55,208
his first crops
of the growing season
441
00:24:55,333 --> 00:24:59,542
when he feels his plow catch
on something beneath the soil.
442
00:24:59,667 --> 00:25:01,750
He digs beneath the dirt
443
00:25:01,875 --> 00:25:03,750
to find the source
of the impediment
444
00:25:03,875 --> 00:25:08,292
and pulls out
a strange carved statue
445
00:25:08,375 --> 00:25:10,125
of two creatures
that appear to be human
446
00:25:10,250 --> 00:25:14,708
but have short bodies
and large, round heads.
447
00:25:14,833 --> 00:25:18,958
The face, they almost,
uh, look flat,
448
00:25:19,083 --> 00:25:21,458
you know, and, uh,
449
00:25:21,583 --> 00:25:24,000
and they showed their eyes
as very prominent.
450
00:25:25,542 --> 00:25:27,083
When Felix actually dug it up,
451
00:25:27,208 --> 00:25:30,250
he probably didn't know
what he was looking at,
452
00:25:30,375 --> 00:25:34,083
so he put them
on a sled and drug it
453
00:25:34,208 --> 00:25:39,458
back up to his farmstead
and leaned it against the well,
454
00:25:39,542 --> 00:25:41,500
and it stayed there
for years and years.
455
00:25:43,042 --> 00:25:45,167
SHATNER:
The odd statue
remained a local curiosity
456
00:25:45,250 --> 00:25:47,625
for more than a century,
but today,
457
00:25:47,708 --> 00:25:51,333
it is kept at the Cherokee
County Historical Museum
458
00:25:51,458 --> 00:25:55,875
because experts have determined
that the carving depicts members
459
00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,000
of a legendary civilization
who the Cherokee referred to
460
00:25:59,125 --> 00:26:03,042
as "the moon-eyed people."
461
00:26:03,167 --> 00:26:04,792
VIEIRA:
In 1797,
462
00:26:04,875 --> 00:26:07,542
Benjamin Smith Barton
came out with a book
463
00:26:07,667 --> 00:26:10,750
and he cited
a Revolutionary War veteran
464
00:26:10,875 --> 00:26:13,792
who was an interface
between the government
465
00:26:13,917 --> 00:26:17,625
and the Cherokee people
in Georgia, who told him
466
00:26:17,750 --> 00:26:19,792
about the legend
of the moon-eyed people.
467
00:26:19,875 --> 00:26:23,875
The legend is that they were
people with huge eyes
468
00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:28,583
who could see at night
and not so well during the day.
469
00:26:28,708 --> 00:26:33,667
The Cherokee of the Appalachia
of North America
470
00:26:33,792 --> 00:26:37,583
entered this region
around 1,000 years ago.
471
00:26:37,708 --> 00:26:42,000
And when they got there,
it was already occupied
472
00:26:42,167 --> 00:26:44,583
by a type of population
473
00:26:44,708 --> 00:26:48,417
they refer to
as the moon-eyed people.
474
00:26:48,542 --> 00:26:51,000
And it was said
that they had existed
475
00:26:51,167 --> 00:26:53,083
for many tens
of thousands of years.
476
00:26:54,833 --> 00:26:56,667
JOHN STAMEY:
The moon-eyed people
have been described
477
00:26:56,833 --> 00:26:59,542
as being about three,
three and a half feet tall,
478
00:26:59,708 --> 00:27:04,167
and having larger heads
proportionally than we do.
479
00:27:04,292 --> 00:27:08,208
They've also got pale
blue eyes and pale skin.
480
00:27:08,333 --> 00:27:12,208
Which also means that direct
sunlight is not good for them,
481
00:27:12,375 --> 00:27:14,875
so they are primarily nocturnal.
482
00:27:16,542 --> 00:27:17,750
BILLY PALMER:
The moon-eyed people
483
00:27:17,875 --> 00:27:21,458
lived on the eastern bank
of the Valley River.
484
00:27:21,583 --> 00:27:23,208
And then the Cherokees,
485
00:27:23,333 --> 00:27:26,833
they lived between
the Hiwassee and Valley River.
486
00:27:26,958 --> 00:27:29,625
The Cherokees lived
with the moon-eyed people
487
00:27:29,708 --> 00:27:31,167
in harmony for a while,
488
00:27:31,292 --> 00:27:33,750
but then they eventually
489
00:27:33,875 --> 00:27:36,292
got in arguments
for property reasons.
490
00:27:37,250 --> 00:27:39,333
And so, the moon-eyed people
491
00:27:39,417 --> 00:27:41,750
were displaced by the Cherokees.
492
00:27:43,458 --> 00:27:44,833
SHATNER:
According to legend,
493
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,583
after being driven westward
by the Cherokee,
494
00:27:47,708 --> 00:27:50,292
the moon-eyed people
disappeared...
495
00:27:51,583 --> 00:27:54,083
...and were never seen again.
496
00:27:55,167 --> 00:27:58,958
Was there actually
a primitive society of pale,
497
00:27:59,083 --> 00:28:01,292
human-like beings
with enormous eyes
498
00:28:01,417 --> 00:28:02,667
that lived in North America?
499
00:28:02,833 --> 00:28:06,167
Many experts believe
it's possible,
500
00:28:06,292 --> 00:28:09,125
because the Cherokee aren't
the only Native Americans
501
00:28:09,208 --> 00:28:12,458
whose legends speak
of the moon-eyed people.
502
00:28:12,542 --> 00:28:17,333
VIEIRA:
What's interesting
is that Lakota, Sioux,
503
00:28:17,458 --> 00:28:22,125
so many tribes have legends
of short people with huge eyes.
504
00:28:22,250 --> 00:28:25,083
It's been said
that even Lewis and Clark
505
00:28:25,208 --> 00:28:27,583
met with Native tribes
in South Dakota,
506
00:28:27,708 --> 00:28:30,500
and were told
by the Native people there
507
00:28:30,625 --> 00:28:32,958
that these little people
were malevolent
508
00:28:33,042 --> 00:28:34,667
and had poison arrows
and actually killed
509
00:28:34,792 --> 00:28:36,792
some of their members.
510
00:28:36,875 --> 00:28:38,750
And we're talking
about fierce warriors,
511
00:28:38,875 --> 00:28:40,958
not people
prone to superstition.
512
00:28:42,542 --> 00:28:43,917
THOMPSON:
One of the very
interesting aspects
513
00:28:44,042 --> 00:28:48,583
is trying to overlay
these sort of characters
514
00:28:48,708 --> 00:28:51,375
with what we now have
coming from archeology.
515
00:28:51,500 --> 00:28:53,333
For example, we know that
there were a lot of hominids
516
00:28:53,417 --> 00:28:54,875
running around the Earth.
517
00:28:55,042 --> 00:28:57,000
It's not out
of the realm of possibility
518
00:28:57,167 --> 00:28:59,458
that some of these stories
we have
519
00:28:59,583 --> 00:29:03,167
refer to long-held
folklore notions
520
00:29:03,292 --> 00:29:06,458
of when the world was
a much more diverse place.
521
00:29:06,542 --> 00:29:09,750
SHATNER:
Could there have been
entire civilizations
522
00:29:09,875 --> 00:29:12,417
belonging to other branches
of the human family tree
523
00:29:12,542 --> 00:29:15,333
that disappeared from history?
524
00:29:15,458 --> 00:29:17,250
It's a fascinating notion.
525
00:29:17,375 --> 00:29:20,958
But in the case
of the moon-eyed people,
526
00:29:21,083 --> 00:29:24,333
many researchers believe
that actual physical evidence
527
00:29:24,500 --> 00:29:28,000
of their society still exists.
528
00:29:33,833 --> 00:29:37,208
Standing atop the peak
of this worn mountain
529
00:29:37,375 --> 00:29:39,375
at the southern end
of the Appalachians
530
00:29:39,500 --> 00:29:41,917
is a jagged rock wall
531
00:29:42,042 --> 00:29:44,917
that is 855 feet long.
532
00:29:45,042 --> 00:29:47,500
COLLINS:
The moon-eyed people,
533
00:29:47,667 --> 00:29:50,083
they are accredited
with the creation
534
00:29:50,208 --> 00:29:55,292
of incredible structures on
the side of mountains and hills
535
00:29:55,375 --> 00:29:57,000
like on Fort Mountain.
536
00:29:57,125 --> 00:30:00,667
In fact, there's even a sign
on Fort Mountain
537
00:30:00,833 --> 00:30:04,333
saying that these structures
were created
538
00:30:04,458 --> 00:30:05,958
by the moon-eyed people.
539
00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:08,417
STAMEY:
We're pretty certain
540
00:30:08,542 --> 00:30:10,750
it was not built
by the Cherokees,
541
00:30:10,875 --> 00:30:13,667
because the Cherokee
did not use rock
542
00:30:13,750 --> 00:30:15,958
in their construction,
they used a concoction
543
00:30:16,042 --> 00:30:18,500
called wattle and daub...
544
00:30:19,833 --> 00:30:23,667
...and that was straw,
clay and mud.
545
00:30:23,833 --> 00:30:26,417
Since it's not built
by the Cherokees,
546
00:30:26,542 --> 00:30:29,458
it might very well have been
built by the moon-eyed people.
547
00:30:31,625 --> 00:30:35,125
It might seem unbelievable
that there was a race
548
00:30:35,250 --> 00:30:39,583
of pale humanoids with enormous,
moon-shaped eyes
549
00:30:39,708 --> 00:30:41,792
that once inhabited
North America,
550
00:30:41,917 --> 00:30:44,167
but there have been reports
551
00:30:44,292 --> 00:30:47,000
of an even more
incredible creature
552
00:30:47,167 --> 00:30:49,917
that dwells in the swamps
of South Carolina.
553
00:30:50,042 --> 00:30:53,542
A bizarre beast that
is said to be part man...
554
00:30:54,708 --> 00:30:56,083
...and part reptile.
555
00:31:04,708 --> 00:31:06,667
SHATNER:
17-year-old Christopher Davis
556
00:31:06,750 --> 00:31:08,167
stops to change a flat tire
557
00:31:08,292 --> 00:31:11,833
deep in the back roads
of Scape Ore Swamp.
558
00:31:11,958 --> 00:31:17,292
And he quickly senses
that he is not alone.
559
00:31:20,125 --> 00:31:22,458
About the time he's putting
the jack and the flat tire
560
00:31:22,583 --> 00:31:24,292
into the trunk of his car,
561
00:31:24,417 --> 00:31:26,167
he looks up and he sees
562
00:31:26,292 --> 00:31:28,833
something coming at him
in the moonlight.
563
00:31:30,125 --> 00:31:32,250
The closer this thing got,
564
00:31:32,375 --> 00:31:36,125
the more he knew
this wasn't a person.
565
00:31:36,208 --> 00:31:41,750
He looked up and he saw
a greenish-looking figure,
566
00:31:41,875 --> 00:31:44,708
maybe about seven
to eight foot tall,
567
00:31:44,875 --> 00:31:47,833
and arms that draped
down to the side
568
00:31:47,958 --> 00:31:51,083
with three claws on each hand.
569
00:31:52,833 --> 00:31:54,000
SHATNER:
Sensing he could be in danger,
570
00:31:54,125 --> 00:31:56,000
Christopher bolts into the car
571
00:31:56,125 --> 00:31:57,750
and drives away
as fast as he can.
572
00:31:57,875 --> 00:31:59,708
(engine starts)
573
00:31:59,833 --> 00:32:00,708
BLACKBURN:
Christopher looked
574
00:32:00,833 --> 00:32:02,000
in his rearview mirror
575
00:32:02,125 --> 00:32:04,000
and could see this thing
pursuing him.
576
00:32:04,083 --> 00:32:08,000
He was completely frightened,
utterly overwhelmed
577
00:32:08,125 --> 00:32:10,167
by what he saw coming at him.
578
00:32:10,292 --> 00:32:15,208
Eventually, it disappeared
into the darkness.
579
00:32:15,333 --> 00:32:19,125
SHATNER: Christopher got home
safe and sound.
580
00:32:19,208 --> 00:32:22,875
But his terrifying story quickly
spread through the media.
581
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,667
Newspapers
and television stations
582
00:32:25,750 --> 00:32:29,000
jumped on the bizarre encounter.
583
00:32:29,083 --> 00:32:31,875
ANCHOR: Deep in the Scape Ore
Swamp of South Carolina,
584
00:32:32,042 --> 00:32:33,750
there reportedly
lives a creature
585
00:32:33,875 --> 00:32:36,333
that is part man and part beast.
586
00:32:36,417 --> 00:32:38,542
A creature that 17-year-old
Christopher Davis claims
587
00:32:38,667 --> 00:32:41,917
attacked his car late one night
on this lonely country road.
588
00:32:42,042 --> 00:32:44,583
Seven feet tall.
589
00:32:44,708 --> 00:32:48,292
Long arms, red eyes.
590
00:32:48,375 --> 00:32:51,417
STAMEY:
There was a media frenzy
once the story got out.
591
00:32:51,542 --> 00:32:54,875
There were stories
in newspapers in Korea
592
00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:56,208
about the Lizard Man.
593
00:32:56,375 --> 00:32:59,333
And that's just a tribute
to the viralness
594
00:32:59,417 --> 00:33:00,833
of the Lizard Man.
595
00:33:00,958 --> 00:33:03,833
SHATNER:
During the media frenzy,
596
00:33:03,958 --> 00:33:06,667
dozens of other eyewitnesses
began contacting
597
00:33:06,792 --> 00:33:08,917
the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
598
00:33:09,042 --> 00:33:11,167
They all claimed to have
had similar encounters
599
00:33:11,250 --> 00:33:14,417
with a strange,
three-fingered creature
600
00:33:14,542 --> 00:33:19,167
that appeared to be part man
and part reptile.
601
00:33:19,292 --> 00:33:22,000
But rather than
dismiss such reports,
602
00:33:22,125 --> 00:33:26,083
law enforcement took them
quite seriously.
603
00:33:26,208 --> 00:33:29,042
They had the witnesses come in,
they interviewed them--
604
00:33:29,208 --> 00:33:33,417
in some cases,
gave them polygraph tests.
605
00:33:33,542 --> 00:33:35,500
And all of the witnesses
that reported sightings
606
00:33:35,667 --> 00:33:37,750
of the Lizard Man were credible.
607
00:33:37,875 --> 00:33:42,125
Could there really be
a reptile species
608
00:33:42,208 --> 00:33:47,458
that evolved to walk upright
like humans?
609
00:33:47,583 --> 00:33:50,208
It may sound far-fetched,
610
00:33:50,375 --> 00:33:53,250
but many researchers
believe it's possible.
611
00:33:54,417 --> 00:33:56,000
And as evidence,
612
00:33:56,167 --> 00:33:58,458
they point to
a creature in the Bible
613
00:33:58,542 --> 00:34:04,917
that exhibited characteristics
of both man and reptile.
614
00:34:05,042 --> 00:34:07,958
FISHER:
The serpent
in the Garden of Eden
615
00:34:08,083 --> 00:34:12,125
is not like normal serpents
in that it can speak.
616
00:34:13,708 --> 00:34:18,750
The Hebrew Bible describes
how the serpent tricked Eve,
617
00:34:18,875 --> 00:34:21,333
and as part of the punishment,
618
00:34:21,500 --> 00:34:25,708
he is cursed and told that
it's going to go on its belly
619
00:34:25,833 --> 00:34:30,917
in the dust, which implies
it had some prior, uh,
620
00:34:31,042 --> 00:34:33,583
mode of locomotion
that was different.
621
00:34:33,708 --> 00:34:36,292
So, it may have been
a walking serpent.
622
00:34:36,375 --> 00:34:39,167
Some legends that develop--
623
00:34:39,292 --> 00:34:42,167
you see this
in some medieval artwork--
624
00:34:42,292 --> 00:34:46,375
the serpent was understood
to have had legs.
625
00:34:46,500 --> 00:34:52,167
Some of the Jewish legends
about Eve and the serpent
626
00:34:52,292 --> 00:34:56,042
imply that it may have also
had some kind of arms or hands
627
00:34:56,167 --> 00:34:59,625
that could, uh,
push her to touch the tree,
628
00:34:59,708 --> 00:35:01,833
or bringing fruit to her.
629
00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:07,042
So the idea
of this serpent-human hybrid
630
00:35:07,167 --> 00:35:08,667
is a very ancient one.
631
00:35:08,792 --> 00:35:11,083
SHATNER:
The notion
that an ancient species
632
00:35:11,208 --> 00:35:13,500
of reptiles
with human characteristics
633
00:35:13,583 --> 00:35:17,625
may have evolved
alongside people is intriguing.
634
00:35:19,125 --> 00:35:21,167
But could there
be scientific evidence
635
00:35:21,292 --> 00:35:23,708
to suggest
that such beings exist?
636
00:35:28,750 --> 00:35:31,708
Neuroscientists
at the Max Planck Institute
637
00:35:31,833 --> 00:35:33,417
publish a landmark study.
638
00:35:33,542 --> 00:35:37,917
They claim to have discovered
an evolutionary link
639
00:35:38,042 --> 00:35:40,250
between the development
of the human brain
640
00:35:40,375 --> 00:35:45,333
and early reptiles
that lived in the distant past.
641
00:35:45,417 --> 00:35:48,000
We know that humans are mammals,
and reptiles are reptiles.
642
00:35:48,125 --> 00:35:50,292
But at a certain point,
we had a common ancestor:
643
00:35:50,375 --> 00:35:54,208
cynodonts, which
lived 235 million years ago.
644
00:35:54,375 --> 00:35:56,000
They're these
small-bodied creatures
645
00:35:56,083 --> 00:35:58,125
that had rodent-like attributes,
646
00:35:58,208 --> 00:36:00,875
even though they were
still reptiles.
647
00:36:01,042 --> 00:36:02,583
KIRSTEN FISHER:
In evolutionary terms,
648
00:36:02,708 --> 00:36:06,000
we share, uh, many features
with our reptile relatives.
649
00:36:06,083 --> 00:36:09,292
Things like the amniotic sac,
650
00:36:09,375 --> 00:36:13,708
four limbs, elements
of our neurological system,
651
00:36:13,833 --> 00:36:18,250
like the basal part of
the brain. Also, our cerebellum.
652
00:36:19,500 --> 00:36:22,083
So we can look
at any familiar reptile,
653
00:36:22,208 --> 00:36:25,000
whether it's a crocodile
or a turtle
654
00:36:25,125 --> 00:36:28,250
and know that it is,
in fact, your relative,
655
00:36:28,375 --> 00:36:30,542
albeit a very distant relative.
656
00:36:30,708 --> 00:36:33,792
SHATNER:
Could it be that many
of the evolutionary traits
657
00:36:33,875 --> 00:36:38,708
found in modern humans didn't
arise from ancient primates
658
00:36:38,875 --> 00:36:44,500
but rather from a reptilian
ancestor millions of years ago?
659
00:36:44,625 --> 00:36:47,667
And if so, is it possible
that there are bizarre
660
00:36:47,750 --> 00:36:52,875
human and reptile hybrids
that are still alive today?
661
00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:54,542
STAMEY:
There have been a number
of other sightings
662
00:36:54,667 --> 00:36:57,458
of the Lizard Man
outside of Lee County
663
00:36:57,542 --> 00:36:59,792
and Sumter County
in South Carolina.
664
00:36:59,875 --> 00:37:03,125
There's some in Europe,
there's some in South Africa.
665
00:37:03,250 --> 00:37:05,792
Every one of them was about
six to eight feet tall
666
00:37:05,875 --> 00:37:07,750
with red eyes.
667
00:37:07,875 --> 00:37:10,375
It always had red eyes.
668
00:37:10,500 --> 00:37:13,542
That is one commonality
that you can't get over.
669
00:37:13,667 --> 00:37:17,708
And so, it is certainly possible
that the Lizard Man is real.
670
00:37:19,708 --> 00:37:23,167
If it was ever proven
that a race of reptilians
671
00:37:23,250 --> 00:37:24,625
existed on Earth...
672
00:37:24,750 --> 00:37:27,500
well, that would
challenge everything
673
00:37:27,583 --> 00:37:29,833
we currently think
about evolution.
674
00:37:29,958 --> 00:37:35,875
Which could also be the case
with some ancient skeletons
675
00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:37,500
that were recently found
in Africa.
676
00:37:37,625 --> 00:37:41,083
Skeletons that are
shedding new light
677
00:37:41,208 --> 00:37:44,333
on the origins of mankind.
678
00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:50,042
SHATNER: The Bloubank River
valley, South Africa.
679
00:37:50,167 --> 00:37:52,583
September 13, 2013.
680
00:37:52,708 --> 00:37:57,083
Two amateur spelunkers enter
the Rising Star Cave system
681
00:37:57,208 --> 00:37:59,708
and explore its twisting depths.
682
00:38:01,542 --> 00:38:05,458
Inside, they make
an unexpected discovery.
683
00:38:05,542 --> 00:38:08,125
The cave is littered...
684
00:38:08,250 --> 00:38:11,625
with the bones of 15 people.
685
00:38:13,208 --> 00:38:14,375
Carbon dating reveals the bones
686
00:38:14,500 --> 00:38:17,833
are more than 300,000 years old.
687
00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:22,208
But even more astonishing,
scientists determine the bones
688
00:38:22,375 --> 00:38:26,167
belong to a previously
unknown species of hominid.
689
00:38:26,250 --> 00:38:30,833
They name it Homo naledi.
690
00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:32,792
So, what's really remarkable
about this discovery
691
00:38:32,917 --> 00:38:36,292
of Homo naledi was its
very small cranial capacity.
692
00:38:36,375 --> 00:38:38,625
Homo naledi has
a cranial capacity around
693
00:38:38,750 --> 00:38:41,667
610 cubic centimeters,
and anatomically modern humans
694
00:38:41,750 --> 00:38:44,292
have roughly
1,270 cubic centimeters.
695
00:38:44,417 --> 00:38:46,333
So, we're seeing
a huge difference
696
00:38:46,500 --> 00:38:50,125
between these two species
living at the same exact time.
697
00:38:50,250 --> 00:38:52,667
And that says a lot
about human evolution,
698
00:38:52,792 --> 00:38:55,000
that it's not necessarily
having a giant brain
699
00:38:55,083 --> 00:38:57,167
that's gonna
get you far in life.
700
00:38:57,250 --> 00:39:00,792
TOCHERI:
The discovery of Homo naledi
opened up a lot of questions
701
00:39:00,875 --> 00:39:03,417
about how we thought
about the evolution
702
00:39:03,542 --> 00:39:05,833
of our species in Africa,
703
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:09,500
where we find another species
of human overlapping with us,
704
00:39:09,625 --> 00:39:12,500
that shares some aspects
of their anatomy with us,
705
00:39:12,583 --> 00:39:15,125
but other aspects
look very, very different,
706
00:39:15,250 --> 00:39:17,333
showing another direction
that evolution took
707
00:39:17,458 --> 00:39:19,583
in their particular lineage.
708
00:39:20,917 --> 00:39:22,792
SHATNER:
Ever since
Charles Darwin published
709
00:39:22,917 --> 00:39:24,333
The Origin of Species,
710
00:39:24,458 --> 00:39:26,083
we've assumed
that evolution favors species
711
00:39:26,208 --> 00:39:29,917
that have the most desirable
traits, such as intelligence.
712
00:39:30,042 --> 00:39:33,208
But some researchers
believe the discovery
713
00:39:33,333 --> 00:39:35,917
of Homo naledi's
smaller brain size
714
00:39:36,042 --> 00:39:40,167
raises the possibility
that survival of the fittest
715
00:39:40,333 --> 00:39:43,833
may not always be the case.
716
00:39:45,208 --> 00:39:46,708
REAGAN:
Fittest doesn't necessarily mean
717
00:39:46,833 --> 00:39:49,500
you can run a marathon,
you can scale tall buildings.
718
00:39:49,625 --> 00:39:52,833
It doesn't even mean you can do
calculus or win a Nobel Prize.
719
00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:56,083
It's whoever can survive and
hack it in their environment.
720
00:39:56,208 --> 00:39:59,958
SHATNER:
If it's true that being
the strongest, the fastest
721
00:40:00,083 --> 00:40:02,167
or the smartest isn't required
722
00:40:02,292 --> 00:40:05,833
to ensure the survival
of a species,
723
00:40:05,958 --> 00:40:08,292
could our quest to unravel
mankind's origins
724
00:40:08,417 --> 00:40:11,708
have been misguided
all this time?
725
00:40:11,833 --> 00:40:15,875
And if so, is it possible
that we'll ever truly
726
00:40:16,042 --> 00:40:20,667
be able to answer who we are
and where we come from?
727
00:40:20,750 --> 00:40:25,542
FINLAYSON:
It's clear that our story
is being rewritten all the time.
728
00:40:25,708 --> 00:40:28,417
We know the basics,
and we know that
729
00:40:28,542 --> 00:40:30,250
we're part of
an evolving lineage,
730
00:40:30,375 --> 00:40:32,375
but I'm sure more will be found
731
00:40:32,500 --> 00:40:35,667
in terms of fossils
but also in terms of the DNA,
732
00:40:35,833 --> 00:40:37,000
which has given us
a lot of information
733
00:40:37,125 --> 00:40:38,875
about makes us human.
734
00:40:39,042 --> 00:40:42,375
TOCHERI:
Human diversity was
just so much greater
735
00:40:42,500 --> 00:40:44,833
in the recent past
than it is today.
736
00:40:44,958 --> 00:40:48,583
Over the past hundred years,
we've gone from having a handful
737
00:40:48,708 --> 00:40:52,583
of species, you know, separated
by vast periods of time
738
00:40:52,708 --> 00:40:56,833
to a very bushy,
bushy tree, family tree
739
00:40:56,958 --> 00:41:00,917
full of different examples
of how to be human
740
00:41:01,042 --> 00:41:03,708
at different points in time over
the past six million years.
741
00:41:03,875 --> 00:41:04,958
It's incredible.
742
00:41:06,583 --> 00:41:07,917
REAGAN:
We talk about this missing link,
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but we're discovering
more and more species
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that fit outside
of what we had expected.
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So it's making us rethink
the way humans evolved.
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And I think we're gonna continue
seeing these discoveries,
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to hopefully find more pieces
of this puzzle that will
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help us understand
where we came from.
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And hopefully better inform us
how to keep moving forward.
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Will we ever find
the elusive missing link
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that explains mankind's origins?
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00:41:36,708 --> 00:41:41,750
Each skull or skeleton that
we uncover certainly brings us
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00:41:41,875 --> 00:41:45,542
one step closer
to finding the answer.
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But then again,
perhaps we shouldn't assume
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that the purpose of evolution
is all about us.
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00:41:51,750 --> 00:41:54,208
Maybe human beings
are just one piece
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of a much larger mystery that,
at least for the time being,
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remains unexplained.
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