“Ata” is the name of the 15-centimeter skeleton found in an abandoned town in the Atacama desert 15 years ago. Its strange appearance quickly led to speculation that Ata might be a visitor from another planet, giving rise to numerous hypotheses. In 2013, a microbiologist from Stanford University determined that Ata was actually human, a fact recently confirmed by experts at the University of California after sequencing its genome. But the story doesn't end there: the DNA study revealed that at least seven of its genes suffered notable mutations, likely linked to the final shape of its body.
A Fascinating History
The history of the skeleton “Ata” is fascinating. Originally discovered by Chilean Oscar Muñoz in the abandoned town of La Noria in 2003, Ata ended up in the hands of a Spanish collector, and for the past 15 years has challenged experts while fueling all sorts of conspiracy theories about a potential extraterrestrial origin. With less than 15 centimeters in length and strange physical characteristics (including an elongated skull and 10 pairs of ribs instead of 12), Ata fascinated ufologists worldwide, but science didn't take long to provide more solid answers.
The Genetic Truth
In 2013, microbiology professor and immunologist Garry Nolan of Stanford University concluded that Ata was local, though he couldn't fully establish the cause of its malformations. The last piece of the puzzle comes thanks to Nolan himself, a large team of colleagues at the University of California (San Francisco), and the complete sequencing of Ata's DNA. The recent study finally confirms that Ata was a human girl, with 64 “unusual” mutations in at least seven genes known to cause major skeletal malformations, or to accelerate their development (consistent with previous assessments, which pointed to an age of 6-8 years at death).
This is compounded by a possible birth defect known as congenital diaphragmatic hernia, which prevents the full development of the diaphragm. In Nolan's opinion, Ata was stillborn or lost her life immediately after birth, about 40 years before her discovery in Atacama.
What's Next for Ata?
With the mystery solved, what's next for Ata? Solving this mystery took 15 years and about $300,000 in direct investments and laboratory time. The knowledge extracted from Ata's bones could help treat similar conditions in the future and better understand the mechanism behind bone growth, but according to Nolan, the best outcome would be for Ata to return to Chile and receive a proper burial.
