Atacama skeleton

Ata (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈata]) is the common name given to the approximately 6-inch (15 cm) long skeletal remains of a premature human fetus discovered in 2003 near La Noria, an abandoned nitrate-mining settlement in Chile's Atacama Desert. The remains attracted international attention because of their unusually small size and elongated skull, leading to widespread but unsupported claims that they were of extraterrestrial origin. Scientific studies published in 2018 concluded that the remains were human, although researchers later disputed aspects of the genetic interpretation while agreeing that the skeleton was that of a human fetus. The remains were discovered by Oscar Muñoz and later sold into private ownership. Their removal from Chile, subsequent scientific examination, and treatment as a curiosity prompted criticism from bioarchaeologists and anthropologists, leading to calls for their repatriation and a broader debate about the ethics of research involving human remains.