The journal Genome Research published an article yesterday which concluded that the so-called Atacama skeleton, a six-inch fetal skeleton from Chile’s Atacama region resembling a “Grey” space alien, is in fact fully human but suffered from disease. The skeleton’s cone-shaped skull gave rise to claims that it was a representative of the extraterrestrial species responsible for South America’s elongated skulls, and it featured prominently on the internet and on cable television as “evidence” for an extraterrestrial presence on Earth ever since the remains were unearthed in 2003. Its most famous appearance was in the 2013 documentary Sirius, a mystery-mongering UFO film by Steven Greer. The findings were released by Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory Press, the publisher of Genome Research as a press release yesterday afternoon. The University of California – San Francisco put out its own press release about the matter simultaneously.
“This was an unusual specimen with some fairly extraordinary claims put forward. ... it would be an example of how to use modern science to answer the question ‘what is it?’” senior author Garry Nolan of Stanford University said in the press release. Eagle-eyed readers will recognize that this is no surprise. Nolan has been involved in the “Atacama Humanoid” story since 2013, when Greer and the producers of Sirius asked him to offer a scientific evaluation of the skeleton. At the time, Nolan determined it was human and likely suffering from dwarfism, but he said at the time that more research was needed to locate the genes responsible and to rule out the possibility that the skeleton was actually that of a six-year-old, as morphology seemed to suggest. Nolan promised to make his finding available for peer review when they were complete. The subsequent research took five years to make it to print, long after Sirius generated profits and the “Atacama Humanoid” ensconced itself in the pantheon of “alien” and “Nephilim” evidence. But even regular readers might be surprised to learn that Nolan is deep in the world of UFOs. He signed on last year to become the “genetics technologies consultant” for Tom DeLonge’s To the Stars Academy. I will be honest with you: It is more than a little disturbing that the same few characters keep cycling through the UFO and alien promotion industry. There is no suggestion that Dr. Nolan has ever been anything less than professional, but why is To the Stars and its team so deeply embedded in... well, not actual UFO research but generating media coverage of UFO topics? For a company that claims to have relatively little money for a project of its scope and size and few resources, it generates a lot of lucrative publicity. Nolan and his team, made up of scientists from Stanford, UC San Francisco and several other laboratories, sequenced the DNA of the small skeleton and determined that it was entirely human, with both South American and European contributions, consistent with the age and location of the bones. The researchers also discovered the at the child was female, and the little girl died less than forty years ago, likely shortly before or after birth. The most interesting part of the investigation was the discovery that the small skeleton bore genes related to dwarfism, some of which had never been recorded before, shedding new light on the genetics of bone disease. Among the mutations was one leading to ten pairs of ribs instead of the standard eleven. According to Nolan, the skeleton’s “dramatic phenotype could in fact be explained with a relatively short list of mutations in genes known previously to be associated with bone development.” Nolan added that after proving that the skeleton was of recent origin, fully human, and indigenous to its region, it should be returned to the local native people and given a proper burial. More interesting, however, is the fact that within hours of the press release going out, media outlets around the world picked up the story, including the New York Times, all predicated on the idea that readers wanted to hear about an “alien” mummy. It’s testament to the power of the “alien” theme, even when it there isn’t really anything to the story that would make it worthy of national media attention. As of this writing, Greer has made no comment about the findings.
18 Comments
Doc Rock
3/23/2018 12:56:47 pm
Yet this photo will still be showing up a decade from now as proof of whatever theory about mini-nephilims, or surviving hobbit people, etc. is being re-hashed.
Reply
Machala
3/23/2018 05:12:28 pm
Nothing to do with giant Nephilims but hobbits, perhaps....
Reply
Bob Jase
3/23/2018 01:29:57 pm
I can hardly wait for the results of the dna tests for the Cardiff Giant.
Reply
Machala
3/23/2018 02:49:14 pm
" Nolan added that after proving that the skeleton was of recent origin, fully human, and indigenous to its region, it should be returned to the local native people and given a proper burial "
Reply
Jim
3/23/2018 04:23:14 pm
Marzulli,, hahahaha
Reply
Jamie.
3/27/2018 08:13:19 am
Greer is already going on the attack.
Reply
Tom mellett
3/23/2018 05:52:44 pm
Jason,
Reply
Americanegro
3/23/2018 06:29:28 pm
I'm getting a strong impression of the stink of Geller and Puthoff.
Reply
Tom mellett
3/23/2018 07:11:00 pm
Well, no one says “Killshot” anymore except for Maj. Ed Dames, but you are so right about Geller and Hal the Owl (from the Aviary) Puthoff.
Machala
3/23/2018 06:02:32 pm
Smithsonian Smart News just published the following:
Reply
Kal
3/23/2018 09:58:55 pm
That skeleton is of a human because aliens did not land and leave it for them to find.
Reply
Americanegro
3/23/2018 10:20:36 pm
And on your planet who will compensate the private collector who owns it? (I say "it" because a skeleton is not a person). For that matter, who will document the supposed provenance of the marrow and bone samples allegedly provided by said private collector?
Reply
Tom mellett
3/26/2018 11:50:46 pm
Dr. Steven Greer is not a happy camper. Here are his tweets over the last 3 days.
Reply
How dare you!
3/27/2018 08:07:08 am
HOW DARE YOU!
Reply
Tom mellett
3/27/2018 09:48:45 am
Dr. Steven Greer Tweet #5 (plus Correction), dated: 3/27/18
Reply
DR S. GREER
3/27/2018 08:02:43 am
I have new evidence to be released shortly.
Reply
Hoagie.
3/27/2018 08:09:31 am
I found ruins on Mars.
Reply
Tom mellett
3/27/2018 02:51:09 pm
I have been corresponding with Garry Nolan on the TTSA Facebook group page and I copy below our exchange so you can read his reactions to the Greer tweets.
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI am an author and researcher focusing on pop culture, science, and history. Bylines: New Republic, Esquire, Slate, etc. There's more about me in the About Jason tab. Newsletters
Enter your email below to subscribe to my newsletter for updates on my latest projects, blog posts, and activities, and subscribe to Culture & Curiosities, my Substack newsletter.
Categories
All
Terms & ConditionsPlease read all applicable terms and conditions before posting a comment on this blog. Posting a comment constitutes your agreement to abide by the terms and conditions linked herein.
Archives
February 2025
|