Discovered fifteen years ago in Chile, behind a church in the Atacama Desert, abandoned in a leather pouch, this tiny skeleton strangely resembled an alien. But researchers revealed yesterday that it was actually a little girl, with rare genetic mutations.
A tiny skeleton with an elongated skull. Here is the discovery made fifteen years ago, behind a church located in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Very quickly, some think of an alien. Because it is true that this skeleton frankly does not look like a human. This track was obviously ruled out a long time ago.
But after five years of genetic analysis, the researchers discovered that it was a little girl with rare genetic mutations. The results of the study are published in the journal Genome Research.
Dwarfism, malformation and premature aging
Nicknamed “Ata”, the mummified skeleton, which measures only six inches, would be that of a child, probably stillborn or dead after birth according to the results of the study.
In addition, he has other malformations. First, ten pairs of ribs while humans have twelve. But also, premature aging of the bones.
A girl from the Chilean island of Chiloé
The researchers succeeded in determining the sex of the skeleton. They sequenced Ata’s genome: it’s a girl. They also compared the genome with other genomes from five “super-populations”: Africans, Americans, East Asians, South Asians and Europeans. The research team was able to determine that Ata was originally from South America and Chile. More precisely from the island of Chiloé.
Future genetic studies could shed light on the causes of these multiple genetic mutations. Also, it could one day lead to the development of treatments for people with bone problems.
This month @genomeresearch publishes the genome of a six-inch mummified skeleton revealing its small stature and multiple bone abnormalities were caused by mutations for dwarfism, scoliosis, and other musculoskeletal abnormalities. https://t.co/JgqXxpCA6c
– Genome Research (@genomeresearch) March 22, 2018
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