The discovery in 2003 sparked international intrigue — a tiny, mummified skeleton with an alien-like head, tucked into a leather pouch found behind a church in the Atacama desert of Chile. The notion that it was an extra-terrestrial was long ago debunked, but researchers said Thursday they have gleaned new insights from a full genetic analysis of the skeleton, nicknamed “Ata.” It belonged to an infant girl with a handful of rare gene mutations linked to dwarfism, deformities and apparent premature aging, said the study in Genome Research. Experts have said previously the bones appeared to belong to someone between the ages of six and eight, but this advanced wear on the bones was likely a consequence of the child’s deformities, not a reflection of her actual age. In fact, the study said she likely didn’t live long, and may have been born premature. <\/p>\n
“Given the size of the specimen and the severity of the mutations… it seems likely the specimen was a pre-term birth,” said the stu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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