The so-called “Atacama skeleton” was for a long time a mystery and many thought it represents the remains of an alien. However, a recent study conducted by researchers at the University Of Stanford reveals that the Atacama Skeleton is not an extraterrestrial being but a baby with rare mutations.
The skeleton, which is known as “Ata”, was discovered in an abandoned leather bag behind a church in the Chilean desert of Atacama. The skeleton is just 15 centimeters long and presents a cone-shaped head, 10 pairs of ribs and bones that resemble those of an eight-year-old child.
“The skeleton came to the black market of archaeological finds and later ended up in the hands of a collector in Spain who thought it could be the remains of an extraterrestrial being,” according to the researchers.
The “Atacama Skeleton” represents the mummy of a baby with rare mutations
The “Atacama Skeleton”, according to the experts, must have been born dead or died shortly after birth and its stunning alien-like appearance can be most likely explained by a handful of rare genetic mutations linked to dwarfism and other growth disorders.
DNA results not only put an end to “the frenzy about the extraterrestrial origins of Ata” but also illustrate to what extent the open source genetic data has allowed determining with precision the “handful of mutated genes” that probably were associated with unusual form in Ata’s body. Despite,
Besides, without any doubt. “Ata” has the DNA of a modern human with the mixture of ancestral markers of Native Americans and Europeans, according to the scientists.
The experts believe that a deeper investigation into Ata’s early bone aging could one day benefit patients
“Maybe there is a way to accelerate the bone growth of people who need it, people who have bad fractures”, for example, said the scientist, who assured that “nothing had ever been seen like this before in genetics”.
But also, the scientists hope that “someday, the little Ata will have an adequate burial,” while indicating that the Atacama Skeleton “should be returned to the country of origin and buried according to the customs of the local population”.
In conclusion, the scientists have proven that the Atacama Skeleton is not an extraterrestrial being but a baby with rare mutations.