The Mystery of the Atacama “Alien“ Mummy

Ata is the common name given to the 6-inch (15 cm) long skeletal remains of a human fetus found in 2003 in a deserted Chilean town in the Atacama Desert. DNA analysis done in 2018 on the premature human fetus identified unusual mutations associated with dwarfism and scoliosis, though these findings were later disputed. The remains were found by Oscar Muñoz, who later sold them; the current owner is Ramón Navia-Osorio, a Spanish businessman. Although initially thought to be older, the fetal remains have been dated to as recently as the late 1970s, and have been found to contain high-quality DNA, suitable for scientific analysis. The remains have an irregularly shaped skull and a total of 10 ribs (as opposed to 12 for adult humans), and potential signs of oxycephaly. Considering that the frontal suture of the skull is very open and the hands and feet not fully ossified, anatomist and paleoanthropologist William Jungers has suggested that it was a human fetus that was born prematurely and died before or shortly after birth. An alternative hypothesis by Nolan is that Ata had a combination of genetic disorders that led to the fetus being aborted before term, and pediatric radiologist Ralph Lachman has said that dwarfism alone could not account for all the features found in the fetus. During the DNA analysis by Nolan, the B2 mtDNA haplotype group was found in the remains. Haplogroups identify human genetic populations that often are associated distinctly with particular geographic regions around the globe. Combined with the alleles found in the mitochondrial DNA contained in the remains, the findings suggested that Ata is indigenous to the western region of South America. In March 2018, Nolan published additional results, stating that the fetus had a rare bone aging disorder, as well as other genetic mutations in genes associated with dwarfism, scoliosis, and abnormalities in the muscles and skeleton. The researchers identified 64 unusual mutations in 7 genes linked to the skeletal system, and they noted that finding so many mutations that specifically affect skeletal development has never been reported before. #NikolaysGeneticsLessons #atacama #alienSkeleton #science #tech #atacamaDesert #skeleton #alienSkeletonFound #mutant #Genes #mutatedGenes #atacamaChile #alienBody #archaeology #mutantSkeleton #alienFound #biology #geneticDisorders #geneticDisordersInHumans #atacamaHumanoid2018 #atacamaAlien #atacamaMummy #history #bones #alienMutant #atacamaHumanoid #atacamaAlienDnaResults #ata #aliens #alien #discovery #Mummy #UFO #geneticsNews #Mystery #Bioarchaeology #DNA