The mystery of Atakamsky humanoid is revealed
![The mystery of Atakamsky humanoid is revealed](https://d1iciq5bvjvy1c.cloudfront.net/Ata_7414b41ada.jpg)
Scientists have decoded the genome of the mummified remains of an “alien”.
The mummified remains of the Atakam humanoid were found in 2003 in the abandoned Chilean town of La Noria, where formerly engaged in the extraction of nitrates. Features of bones indicated that the 15-cm skeleton could have belonged to a child of 6-8 years old. Ten pairs of ribs instead of the usual for a person 12, a cone-shaped head – all this pushed the thought of extraterrestrial origin.
A strange skeleton was sold to a Spanish collector and appeared more than once in documentary films as a potential evidence of extraterrestrial life. Harry Nolan, professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University, suggested studying the sample. Scientists extracted DNA from the bones of the mummy and collected a real tragic story of a man known as Ata.
The decoding of the genome showed: Ata was a stillborn girl, who suffered mutations in seven genes. They caused serious malformations of the skeleton. Further analysis showed that its DNA is the closest to other Chileans. The age of the remains is estimated at 60 years. The story, which began as a story about aliens, turned out to be a history of human misfortune. Harry Nolan believes that the study of genetic mutations of the Atakam humanoid can help modern medicine.