Science Six-inch human skeleton discovered with multiple disease-associated mutations - That's what they want you to believe

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-03/cshl-6hs031518.php

In 2003, scientists made a surprising discovery of a 6-inch mummified humanoid skeleton in the Atacama region of Chile with an estimated bone age of about 6-8 years old at the time of death. The specimen's exceptionally small stature and multiple skeletal abnormalities, including a cone-shaped skull led to widespread speculation on its origin. In a study published today in Genome Research, whole genome sequencing of the Atacama (Ata) skeleton offers insights into its ancestry and strange phenotype.

Sequencing reads were aligned to human and non-human primate reference genomes, including chimpanzee and rhesus macaque, which revealed Ata to be of human origin. Ata's Chilean ancestry was resolved by comparing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) against a database of known SNPs from diverse geographical populations. The ratio of sequence read alignment to the X and Y Chromosomes revealed that Ata was female.

The researchers next probed for genetic clues that could explain Ata's small stature, multiple bone and skull abnormalities, abnormal rib count, and premature bone age. They found multiple mutations in genes associated with diseases such as dwarfism, scoliosis, and musculoskeletal abnormalities. Surprisingly, Nolan claims Ata's "dramatic phenotype could in fact be explained with a relatively short list of mutations in genes known previously to be associated with bone development."

 

[Mariposa Electrique]

In Iraq, they call that offspring.

 

[IV 445]

Poor dear looks like Thane from Mass Effect

 

[WW 635]

In Iraq, they call that offspring.

Only in the southern regions where depleted uranium concentrations are high

 

[Sylvie Paula Paula]

I remember this little lad. Genuinely curious if she actually lived to 6-8 yrs or if she died shortly after birth, because the corpse reminds me more of a fetus than anything else. It would probably be impossible for a human to live like that.

 

[Feline Darkmage]

@cumrobbery is this a cryptid?

 

[LazloChalos]

That looks fucking evil.

Reminds me of an ordinator or dr finklestein

 

[ASoulMan]

I'm pretty sure that's a fetus that never made it.

 

[repentance]

I'm pretty sure that's a fetus that never made it.

It's still pretty fascinating. A fetus shouldn't have a bone age of 6-8 years, so something greatly accelerated it's bone development. Today, a 6 inch fetus would be around 19 weeks gestation but human babies back then would have been considerably smaller so it's very possible that fetus was third trimester.

 

[MG 620]

A distant relative of The Hartley Hooligans?

 

[MrLobe]

Huhuhuh. Hey Beavis, you're like, a mummy or something.

 

[Ineedahero]

Oh, that's snap crackle and pop's long lost sister fizz.

 

[From The Uncanny Valley]

A distant relative of The Hartley Hooligans?

It actually has a forehead, so no.

 

[Dysnomia]

It's still pretty fascinating. A fetus shouldn't have a bone age of 6-8 years, so something greatly accelerated it's bone development. Today, a 6 inch fetus would be around 19 weeks gestation but human babies back then would have been considerably smaller so it's very possible that fetus was third trimester.

I think it's a fetus too and there's some error or accelerated bone growth ailment. I have a hard time believing she could actually be 6-8 years old and only six inches.

 

[repentance]

I think it's a fetus too and there's some error or accelerated bone growth ailment. I have a hard time believing she could actually be 6-8 years old and only six inches.

It's certainly curious to have a bone age which is measured in years but for the anterior fontanelle to still be open (which you can see in the picture). It's almost like bones in different parts of the body have developed at different rates.

It's an awesome demonstration of how the bones of the skull cross over each other during birth, though.

 

[CrunkLord420]

Imagine talking to a 6 inch person, are you supposed to hold them in your hands? I can't imagine what this thing would have looked like walking around. I imagine it was retarded and lived a short life, as with normal sized people with serious developmental problems.

 

[cumrobbery]

@cumrobbery is this a cryptid?

YES

 

[Anonymus Fluhre]

I remember this little lad. Genuinely curious if she actually lived to 6-8 yrs or if she died shortly after birth, because the corpse reminds me more of a fetus than anything else. It would probably be impossible for a human to live like that.

Mikemikev did alright for himself though.

 

[repentance]

I imagine it was exceptional and lived a short life, as with normal sized people with serious developmental problems.

It was most likely born dead. Coneheads are really, really common following vaginal birth but they usually return to normal within 24-48 hours - which obviously didn't happen here.

"Bone age" in this instance doesn't refer to calculating chronological age from bones. It's a process for assessing skeletal maturity, and especially height abnormalities. Because it gives an indication of how close someone is to finishing growing, it can be used to assess whether intervention to either increase height or stall growth is desirable. Someone whose bone age is significantly greater than their chronological age will be shorter than average and vice versa. In children, it's usually calculated by imaging the bones of the hand and wrist.

Better articles.

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/chile-mummy-ata-alien-dna/

https://www.history.com/news/ancient-alien-debunked-atacama-skeleton

Scientists believe she's either a fetus or a baby who died soon after birth and that she was born and buried during the 1970s.

 

[JaneThough]

This is the craziest part, from another article:

https://gizmodo.com/alien-mummy-found-in-atacama-desert-is-actually-a-tiny-1823988455

Though discovered 15 years ago, the specimen dates back about 40 years, so it’s not ancient.

Only 40 years ago. There could be a photo of this thing alive.