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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNo, It's Not an Alien Here's What That Tiny, Pointy-Headed Skeleton Really Is
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Fullduplexxx
(7,818 posts)A tiny, pointy-headed skeleton that fits in the palm of a hand isn't an alien, despite conspiracy theories that have circulated for years.
The skeleton, with a dramatically elongated skull and an underdeveloped jaw and face, was uncovered in Chile's Atacama Desert in 2003, and mystified scientists when it was first found.
Research published in 2013 offered some clues about the skeleton's bizarre appearance, but five additional years of genetic analysis have provided even more answers. Examination of the skeleton's entire genome revealed that it was Chilean and female, and that its misshapen skull and other deformities might be linked to a host of genetic mutations that affect bone development. Together, those mutations shaped an array of abnormalities that gave the remains an alien-like form. [Image Gallery: Odd Alien-Looking Skeleton Poses Medical Mystery]
Though the skeleton is the size of a 22-week-old fetus, it was initially thought to be a 6- to 8-year-old child with severe deformities. Nearly a decade later, a highly detailed analysis including X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans and DNA sequencing showed that it was a fetus (and that it was definitely human).
Fullduplexxx
(7,818 posts)wishstar
(5,267 posts)One of the mysteries about Ata was her size (yes, she was female), especially after earlier bone age analysis suggested the individual was 6-8 years old at time of death. Another striking aspect: the skeleton appeared to have turricephaly, or an elongated, cone-shaped skull. Among the less immediately obvious anomalies, Ata had 10 pairs of ribs instead of the usual 12.
Deciphering her DNA through sequencing revealed novel mutations in several of Atas genes, specifically COL1A1, COL2A1, KMT2D, FLNB, ATR, TRIP11 and PCNT. Although her particular suite of variants is unique, previous research, not related to Ata, has linked the genes themselves with diseases of small stature, rib anomalies, cranial malformations, premature joint fusion and osteochondrodysplasia (also known as skeletal dysplasia), according to the authors of todays study.
Based on genetic evidence of apparent premature bone aging, the authors now believe Ata was a pre-term birth rather than a child.
As part of the whole genome sequencing, the team was able to determine Ata was probably of Chilean descent, based on specific signatures in her genome. The researchers used a number of different data sets, including from the 1000 Genomes Project, to discover her closest genetic kin: three individuals from Andean Chile.
Fullduplexxx
(7,818 posts)MFM008
(19,782 posts)..
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,750 posts)from someone who totally buys into the alien hypothesis.
It's quite astonishing how many people will see something like that, happily buy some nonsense, and never think of doing even a smidgen of other research.
Stallion
(6,473 posts)a kennedy
(29,467 posts)good one Stallion.