The Fascinating Tale of Ata, the Atacama Humanoid

Around 15 years ago, the discovery of a six-inch mummified skeleton from the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile created a lot of buzz in the scientific community. The bone of contention was whether the skeletal remains were that of an alien or a human fetus. The mummified skeleton was found by an immature collector named Oscar Munoz, who chanced upon a leather pouch containing a white cloth while exploring La Noria, a deserted nitrate mining tally in Chile's Atacama region.

The presumption of Ata being an alien continued for many years until recently when a genomic analysis shed new light on its origins. No wonder, with a height of about six inches, Ata's diminutive frame really stood out. Despite its tiny size, the skeleton was fully formed with matured features. It exhibited hardened teeth and elongated, angular skull, pronounced oval, and slanted eye sockets. Moreover, it had ten pairs of ribs as opposed to the standard twelve pairs of an adult human. The skeleton was estimated to be around 40 years old, and preliminary attempts to date its bone age led to the conclusion that the specimen was that of a young child aged no more than six or eight years.

In 2003, the probability of the Atacama humanoid being an alien was high, primarily because of a 2013 UFO documentary titled "Sirius," which fueled the conjecture. In this documentary, American urologist Steven M. Greer attempted to demystify the origin of Ata and speculated that the mummy had its genesis in extraterrestrials.

Intrigued by the mystery surrounding Ata's origins, Gary P. Nolan, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University, decided to conduct an in-depth analysis of the skeleton's well-preserved DNA. He extracted a sample from the bone marrow of Ata's ribs. Necessary permissions were shot from the skeleton's present owner, Ramon Navia-Osorio, who eventually bought Ata from Oscar Munoz and treasured it in a private collection in Spain.

The genetic study of the skeleton made some startling revelations, indicating that not only was Ata a human female, but she was probably of Chilean descent, with the likelihood of her parallel lineage to European ancestry not being ruled out either. The whole genome sequence analysis divulged that Ata had a rare bone aging disorder triggered by multiple mutations in the genes associated with bone development. This premature aging disease gave rise to the false impression of her being much older than she truly was.

The extent of the skeleton's genetic defects and its tiny size further suggests a probable cause of miscarriage or the possibility that the skeletal remains belong to a premature-born human fetus or stillborn baby. DNA analysis attributes Ata's deformed form to the 64 mutations in the seven genes related to the development of the skeletal system. These genetic mutations are thought to be the cause behind the anomalous specimen's various muscular-skeletal abnormalities ranging from dwarfism and rib count oddity to scoliosis. Also, a series of mutations occurred in several other genes, including those linked to collagen production.

According to Dr. Atul Butte, a senior author of the study conducted on Ata's DNA sample, the rarity of the skeleton’s mutations makes it hard to believe that Ata's disorder was hereditary. He presumes that environmental factors had a role to play in Ata's genetic mutations. The fact that the skeletal remains were discovered in a mining town with abandoned nitrate mines gives rise to the likelihood of DNA damage owing to the child being exposed to chemicals from nitrate mining early on in her development stage.

Although Ata was confirmed not to be an alien, her case is fascinating for researchers because it is rare to come across such a high number of mutations in a single specimen. Some of her genetic alterations had been virtually unheard of or unknown to science until their chance finding in Ata's DNA. Researchers believe that these invaluable findings, coupled with the tools and technology used to unearth them, can play a crucial role in the accurate and prompt diagnosis and treatment of genetic mutation-related cases and patients in the days to come.

The fascinating tale of Ata, the Atacama humanoid, is a reminder of how much we still have to learn about our own genetic makeup. It also highlights the significance of scientific research in unraveling the mysteries of the universe and beyond.