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  Life   More Features  23 Mar 2018  6-inch mummy thought to be that of alien actually belongs to a child with dwarfism

6-inch mummy thought to be that of alien actually belongs to a child with dwarfism

THE ASIAN AGE
Published : Mar 23, 2018, 4:37 pm IST
Updated : Mar 23, 2018, 4:37 pm IST

There has been a lot of speculation around the mummy as many saw it as evidence of alien life.

Five years of genomic analysis helped scientists point out mutations which caused the skeleton to appear so bizarre (Photo: YouTube)
 Five years of genomic analysis helped scientists point out mutations which caused the skeleton to appear so bizarre (Photo: YouTube)

The fascination conspiracy theorists have with aliens has led to a lot of stories and bizarre theories about extraterrestrial beings. History’s mysteries like the Stonehenge and pyramids have also been linked to visitors from another galaxy by enthusiasts.

But a DNA study on bones of a mummy with a cone shaped head has revealed that the six inch skeleton from Atacama is that of a human being. The body found in 2003 in Chile which has just 10 ribs belongs to a baby girl with dwarfism.

There has been a lot of speculation around the mummy as many saw it as evidence of alien life. But five years of genomic analysis helped scientists point out mutations which caused the skeleton to appear so bizarre.

The tests confirmed that it was a foetus or child that died a short time after birth around 40 years back. Mutations were discovered in several genes known to influence bone formation.

Tags: viral story, mummy, atacama desert, alien life