# Human Foot Washed Up on Beach: Male or Female?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 5, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917 "2008-08-05T14:59:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![A\_Man\_A\_Plan\_A\_Canal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/839c29/32.png) [@A\_Man\_A\_Plan\_A\_Canal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Man_A_Plan_A_Canal)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/1 "2008-08-05T14:59:01Z")

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This morning a sixth human foot was found inside a shoe washed up on a beach in Washington state somewheres.

Previous feet which have washed up have been identified as having belonged to a male or female.

How is this established? Toenail polish?

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**Author:** ![A\_Man\_A\_Plan\_A\_Canal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/839c29/32.png) [@A\_Man\_A\_Plan\_A\_Canal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Man_A_Plan_A_Canal)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/2 "2008-08-05T15:00:08Z")

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I mean, the feet have been positively identified as being \*either \* male or female, one or the other.

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/3 "2008-08-05T15:01:42Z")

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I would guess DNA

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**Author:** ![d0nk3y](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@d0nk3y](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d0nk3y)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/4 "2008-08-05T15:11:35Z")

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Possibly by the amount of hair? 😕

There are differences between bone size and things, too. :dubious:

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**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/5 "2008-08-05T15:17:47Z")

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Six human feet? That’s pretty freaky.

I would assume a trained expert can tell from skeletal and surface traits with a pretty high degree of accuracy.

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**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/6 "2008-08-05T15:29:10Z")

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Forensic anthropologists can probably make a pretty accurate call. The height and weight of an individual may create bone density and wear and stress patterns on the bones.\* Anthropologists have been working with the police on the human feet mystery.

It just gets more weird. Six feet! (There was another one “found” up-island–er, up Vancouver Island–but it was a hoax.)  
\*My anthropology courses were a long time ago; I’m not an expert.

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/7 "2008-08-05T15:54:24Z")

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[QUOTE=Lobohan]  
Six human feet? That’s pretty freaky.  
[/QUOTE]

Apparently, the experts cannot fathom much more than that.

😃

I’ve been waiting for months to tell that one.

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**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/8 "2008-08-05T15:59:52Z")

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Was it a right foot once again? IIRC, the really freaky thing about these feet who continue getting washed ashore in Washington State and Vancouver Island is the fact that all of them have been right ones so far. This coincidence somehow collides with the most widespread hypothesis, that the feet are remnants of an aircraft accident in the region.

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**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/9 "2008-08-05T18:28:10Z")

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Many women have their toe joints forced inwards from years of wearing high-heeled / pointy shoes; that would be a bit of a giveaway.

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**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/10 "2008-08-05T18:32:48Z")

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That’s what I was going to add.

If there’s intact DNA, of course they can look for a Y chromosome, to confirm or rule out that the foot belonged to a man. Other than that, you’d look at wear patterns on the bones from high heeled shoes or possibly different kinds of fractures that are more likely to happen to women vs. men. That, however, would not be conclusive.

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**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/11 "2008-08-05T19:46:37Z")

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There’s the shoes themselves, too. While I’m sure there are some men who wear women’s sneakers and vice versa, for the most part, we wear shoes designed for our sex (especially since it makes shoe shopping easier), so a women’s size 7 is pretty likely to belong to a woman with size seven feet rather than to a man with size 5 or whatever. And there aren’t many women with feet large enough to fit into a man’s size 10-12 shoe!

All but one has been the right foot, I think. The one that wasn’t was the left foot which matched a right one, but that person hasn’t been identified. One of the right feet has been matched to a person who has been missing for about a year, but whose identity is not being published due to the family’s wishes.

There is also a body without feet, found in Washington State. That person has, AFAIK, not been identified and not matched to any of the feet.

This whole story freaks me out, but I also find it so fascinating!

> **[Salish Sea human foot discoveries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discoveries_of_human_feet_on_British_Columbia_beaches,_2007%E2%80%932008)**
>
> .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}48°44′N 123°06′W / 48.73°N 123.1°W / 48.73; -123.1
> Since August 20, 2007, at least 20 detached human feet have been found on the coasts of the Salish Sea in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington, US...

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**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/12 "2008-08-05T19:51:17Z")

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“Thus, I conclude that this foot came from an approximately 35 year old white male. Or a _very_ unpleasant looking woman.”  
/Quincy

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**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/13 "2008-08-05T19:56:35Z")

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[QUOTE=mnemosyne]

This whole story freaks me out, but I also find it so fascinating!

> **[Salish Sea human foot discoveries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discoveries_of_human_feet_on_British_Columbia_beaches,_2007%E2%80%932008)**
>
> .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}48°44′N 123°06′W / 48.73°N 123.1°W / 48.73; -123.1
> Since August 20, 2007, at least 20 detached human feet have been found on the coasts of the Salish Sea in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington, Uni...

[/QUOTE]

From wiki:

> [@](#):
>
> In addition, a hoax foot was planted on Vancouver Island.

Ummm. . .a _hoax foot_? :eek:

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**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/14 "2008-08-05T20:27:21Z")

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[QUOTE=vetbridge]  
From wiki:

Ummm. . .a _hoax foot_? :eek:  
[/QUOTE]

Kinda like when guys lie about their penis size?

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**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/15 "2008-08-06T02:28:02Z")

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[QUOTE=vetbridge]  
From wiki:

Ummm. . .a _hoax foot_? :eek:  
[/QUOTE]

Animal bones stuffed inside a sock and sneaker and left on the beach. A joke, in very bad taste! The RCMP plan to prosecute (some sort of mischief charge) if they every figure out who did it (or so they say).

Between this, the murdered 7-year-old in Toronto, the text-messaging plane crash survivor, and the beheading guy I’m beginning to feel like we’re in an episode of CSI or something! It’s been an… interesting… summer in Canada, that’s for sure!

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**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/16 "2008-08-06T03:21:59Z")

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[QUOTE=mnemosyne]  
Between this, the murdered 7-year-old in Toronto, the text-messaging plane crash survivor, and the beheading guy I’m beginning to feel like we’re in an episode of CSI or something! It’s been an… interesting… summer in Canada, that’s for sure!  
[/QUOTE]

Sadly, it turns out that the beheading guy is a cannibalistic beheading guy, and you missed the 15 year old in Manitoba who died when a load of hot asphalt was dumped on him.

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**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/17 "2008-08-06T03:55:33Z")

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[QUOTE=mnemosyne]  
the murdered 7-year-old in Toronto, the text-messaging plane crash survivor  
[/QUOTE]

I missed these two stories…what’s the…er…story.

The beheading guy is freaky as hell, though.

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**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/18 "2008-08-06T04:28:30Z")

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[QUOTE=PastAllReason]  
…and you missed the 15 year old in Manitoba who died when a load of hot asphalt was dumped on him.  
[/QUOTE]  
Yikes. That could seriously tar you for life.

Don’t know what to say about the mysterious PNW limbs washing up on shore…one thing’s for sure, something strange is afoot.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/19 "2008-08-06T04:53:24Z")

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[QUOTE=Lobohan]  
Six human feet? That’s pretty freaky  
[/QUOTE]

Freakier still if they were being shed by mutated sea-mammals.  
That would be de-feeting the porpoise.

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**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-foot-washed-up-on-beach-male-or-female/458917/20 "2008-08-06T13:14:48Z")

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[QUOTE=mnemosyne]  
Animal bones stuffed inside a sock and sneaker and left on the beach. A joke, in very bad taste! The RCMP plan to prosecute (some sort of mischief charge) if they every figure out who did it (or so they say).  
[/QUOTE]

hehehe. hamhocks? 😉 Bad taste, yes, but _tastes good!_

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