Dr. Jeff Meldrum

Dr. Don Jeffrey “Jeff” Meldrum, born on May 24, 1958, in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a prominent American anthropologist renowned for his expertise in primate locomotion and foot morphology. He earned his Bachelor of Science in zoology, focusing on vertebrate locomotion, from Brigham Young University in 1982, followed by a Master of Science from the same institution in 1984.

In 1989, he completed his Ph.D. in anatomical sciences with an emphasis on biological anthropology at Stony Brook University, under the guidance of Dr. John G. Fleagle. Following his doctoral studies, Dr. Meldrum served as a postdoctoral visiting assistant professor at Duke University Medical Center from 1989 to 1991.

He briefly worked at Northwestern University’s Department of Cell, Molecular, and Structural Biology in 1993 before joining the faculty at Idaho State University (ISU) in 1993, where he has been a full professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. At ISU, he also holds adjunct positions in the Departments of Physical and Occupational Therapy and Anthropology.

His research encompasses vertebrate evolutionary morphology, with a particular focus on primate locomotor adaptations and the emergence of modern human bipedalism. Dr. Meldrum has made significant contributions to the study of primate locomotion, publishing extensively on the evolutionary history of South American primates and describing several new extinct species.

He co-edited the volume “From Biped to Strider: The Emergence of Modern Human Walking, Running, and Resource Transport,” which proposes a more recent innovation of modern striding gait than previously assumed. In addition to his mainstream academic pursuits, Dr. Meldrum is widely recognized for his interest in cryptozoology, particularly the study of Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot.

His fascination with this subject was sparked in 1996 when he examined a set of 15-inch tracks in Washington state. Since then, he has amassed a collection of over 300 footprint casts attributed to this elusive primate. In 2006, he authored “Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science,”

a book that explores the scientific evidence supporting the existence of Sasquatch. While his research in this area has garnered media attention and sparked debate, Dr. Meldrum maintains that his approach is rooted in scientific inquiry, aiming to apply rigorous analysis to a subject often dismissed by the scientific community.

Throughout his career, Dr. Meldrum has balanced his conventional scientific research with his investigations into controversial topics, striving to apply the scientific method to all his endeavors. His work exemplifies a commitment to exploring the unknown while adhering to rigorous academic standards.