Ata is the common name given to the remains of a 6 inch (15 cm) human fetal bone found in 2003 in a deserted Chilean town in the Atacama Desert, hence the name which is abbreviated as Ata. Remnants have been placed in private collections in Spain. Remnants were found in northern Chile by Oscar MuÃÆ' Â ± oz, who then sold them; the current owner is RamÃÆ'³n Navia-Osorio, a Spanish businessman.
The overall DNA analysis (genome) of the remains determines that it is a female human fetus that has 64 unusual mutations in 7 genes associated with the skeletal system.
Video Atacama skeleton
Analysis
Although originally thought to be older, fetal remains have been dated to not more than 40 years ago, 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 (compared with 12 for adult humans), and signs of potential oxycephaly. Considering that the frontal suture of the skull is very open and the hands and feet are not fully hardened, the anatomist and paleoanthropologist William Jungers has suggested that it is a premature human fetus and died before or soon after birth. An alternate hypothesis by Stanford University geneticist Garry Nolan is that Ata has a combination of genetic disorders that cause the fetus to be aborted before the term and pediatric radiologist Ralph Lachman says that dwarfism alone can not explain all the features found in the fetus..
During the DNA analysis by Nolan, the htlotype group B2 mtDNA was found in the remains. Haplogroup identifies human genetic populations that are often associated clearly with specific geographic regions around the world. Combined with the alleles found in mitochondrial DNA contained in the remains, the findings show that Ata is native to the western region of South America. While UFO theorist Steven M. Greer speculates that Ata is an extraterrestrial, this speculation is inconsistent with DNA testing of the remains.
In March 2018 Nolan published additional results, stating that the fetus is experiencing rare aging of bone aging, as well as other genetic mutations in genes associated with dwarfism, scoliosis, and muscle and bone abnormalities. The researchers identified 64 unusual mutations in 7 genes associated with the skeletal system, and they noted that finding many mutations specifically affecting skeletal development has not been previously reported.
Maps Atacama skeleton
See also
- Alyoshenka, a similar fetus allegedly found in a Russian village
References
Bibliography
External links
- Bryner, Jeanna (April 30, 2013). "Alien-Looking Skeleton Poses Medical Mystery". Direct Science .
The researchers involved never suggested this other-world origin
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Source of the article : Wikipedia
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