Post Revamp: the Barmanou

The Barmanou is a mysterious hominin of northwestern Pakistan.  Like many cryptids, it has been known to locals for centuries -- but has only recently been the subject of serious research.  The creature came to European knowledge during the 1900s, after a series of Spanish explorations in Pakistan.  These reports inspired, nearly a century later, a dedicated Barmanou-finding expedition.  Led by zoologist Jordi Magraner, it collected years' worth of evidence -- most of which was lost after Magraner's tragic murder.

The Barmanou belongs to the "wildman" subtype of crypto-hominins.  Unlike the Yeti and Sasquatch -- which resemble apes -- this creature is far more human-like.  It is large and hairy, like all mystery primates, but also evidently intelligent.  It is said to wear animal hides like clothes, and to kidnap human women with amorous intent.  This means that, if the Barmanou is real, it may be something close to our own species.  No ape recognizes humans as viable mates.

What could the Barmanou be?  If anything, it's likely a relict hominin.  We aren't the only species of human -- dozens evolved, then disappeared, during the past six million years.  Only a few of these species made it into Eurasia -- most notably the Neanderthals and Homo erectus.  It's been suggested that the Barmanou is one of these.  The Neanderthals are better candidate, as they were more intelligent and more closely related to our species.  Besides, they lived more recently, dying out only tens of thousands of years ago.

It's hard to believe that prehistoric hominins could be hiding in Pakistan.  All human species were social creatures; they'd have to live in groups, making concealment difficult.  But consider this -- the mountain ranges where the Barmanou live are among Earth's least explored peaks.  And the Barmanou live close to other reported cryptids.  This species' range is sandwiched between those of the more famous Yeti and Almas.  The Yeti, if anything, is an ape -- but the Almas sounds quite Neanderthal-like.

Read more about the Barmanou:
http://www.bigfootencounters.com/biology/jordi.htm
http://www.americanmonsters.com/site/2010/08/barmanu-afghanistan-pakistan/
http://www.examiner.com/article/cryptozoology-the-man-of-the-forest-known-as-the-barmanou
http://www.unknownexplorers.com/barmanu.php
Image from http://whitengreen.com/imagenew/bigfootpakistan2.jpg