| Revision as of 00:37, 11 April 2010 editIW.HG (talk | contribs)Rollbackers6,758 editsm Reverted edits by 76.120.204.30 to last revision by IW.HG (HG)← Previous edit | Revision as of 00:40, 11 April 2010 edit undo76.120.204.30 (talk) →DNA testingTag: references removedNext edit → | ||
| Line 15: | Line 15: | ||
| ===DNA testing=== | ===DNA testing=== | ||
| Specifically, we now know for certain that there was a genetically modified male creature living on this planet roughly 900 years ago in an isolated area of northern Mexico. It died in middle age, and was joined in death by a human woman, whose skeleton was found lying with her arms around it. | |||
| ] in 1999 at BOLD, a ] DNA lab in ] found standard ] and ]s in two samples taken from the skull, "conclusive evidence that the child was not only human (and male), but both of his parents must have been human as well, for each must have contributed one of the human sex chromosomes".<ref name="Novella">http://www.theness.com/the-starchild-project/</ref> Further DNA testing at Trace Genetics, which unlike BOLD specializes in extracting DNA from ancient samples, in 2003 recovered ] from both skulls. The child belongs to ], while the adult female belongs to ]. Both haplotypes are characteristic ] haplogroups, but the different haplogroup for each skull indicates that the adult female was not the child's mother. Trace Genetics was not able to recover useful lengths of ] or Y-chromosomal DNA for further testing.<ref></ref> | |||
| This creature's DNA shows conclusively that it was partially human and partially of unknown parentage. Its bones, which are much lighter than human bones, also contain very tough fibers, also unknown, which serve to strengthen the skeleton. No such fibers have ever been found in any other skeleton on earth, and no known creature has the DNA encoding necessary for such fibers to grow in its bones. | |||
| The creature had a human mother. It is the father that was unknown. It is not related to the woman who was found beside it. | |||
| This means, very simply, that an extraordinary hybrid individual died at that time in an isolated area of northern Mexico, and was joined in death by a female human being. The cause of death of either person remains unknown. | |||
| ===Explanations=== | ===Explanations=== | ||
Revision as of 00:40, 11 April 2010
The Starchild skull is an abnormal human skull which was found in Mexico. It is primarily known through paranormal researchers' claims that it represents evidence of extraterrestrial contact. Mitochondrial DNA recovered from the skull establishes that it is human.
Discovery
The starchild skull came into the possession of Ray and Melanie Young of El Paso, Texas, who entrusted it to Lloyd Pye, a writer and lecturer in what he calls the field of alternative knowledge, in February 1999. According to Pye, the skull was found around 1930 in a mine tunnel about 100 miles (160 km) southwest of Chihuahua, Mexico, buried alongside a normal human skeleton that was exposed and lying supine on the surface of the tunnel.
Analysis
The skull is abnormal in several respects. A dentist determined, based on examination of the upper right maxilla found with the skull, that it was a child's skull, 4.5 to 5 years in age. However, the volume of the interior of the starchild skull is 1,600 cubic centimeters, which is 200 cm³ larger than the average adult's brain, and 400 cm³ larger than an adult of the same approximate size. The orbits are oval and shallow, with the optic nerve canal situated at the bottom of the orbit instead of at the back. There are no frontal sinuses. The back of the skull is flattened, but not by artificial means. The skull consists of calcium hydroxyapatite, the normal material of mammalian bone.
Dating
Carbon 14 dating was performed twice, the first on the normal human skull at the University of California at Riverside in 1999, and on the Starchild skull in 2004 at Beta Analytic in Miami, the largest radiocarbon dating laboratory in the world. Both independent tests gave a result of 900 years ± 40 years since death.
DNA testing
Specifically, we now know for certain that there was a genetically modified male creature living on this planet roughly 900 years ago in an isolated area of northern Mexico. It died in middle age, and was joined in death by a human woman, whose skeleton was found lying with her arms around it.
This creature's DNA shows conclusively that it was partially human and partially of unknown parentage. Its bones, which are much lighter than human bones, also contain very tough fibers, also unknown, which serve to strengthen the skeleton. No such fibers have ever been found in any other skeleton on earth, and no known creature has the DNA encoding necessary for such fibers to grow in its bones.
The creature had a human mother. It is the father that was unknown. It is not related to the woman who was found beside it.
This means, very simply, that an extraordinary hybrid individual died at that time in an isolated area of northern Mexico, and was joined in death by a female human being. The cause of death of either person remains unknown.
Explanations
Explanations for the skull's unusual features include the use of cradle boarding on a hydrocephalic child, brachycephaly, Crouzon syndrome, congenital hydrocephalus, and progeria.
Paranormal interest
The skull has garnered great interest with those interested in UFOs and alien visitation. Some contend that it is the skull of an alien, or a human/alien hybrid, based on the shape of the skull bearing similarities to the common representation of aliens as "Greys". Proponents of a paranormal explanation for the skull's origin reject hypothesis involving non-paranormal causes such as cradle boarding or hydrocephaly, and contend that it has many other abnormalities such as the thickness, density, and strength of the bone that argue against the skull being human.
See also
References
- Cite error: The named reference
Novellawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - Pye, Lloyd 'Starchild Project'
- Pye, Lloyd. "TERRIBLE TWO'S : Summary of the first Two Years". Starchild Project. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ McCoy, Max (November 1999). "Star Child". Fortean Times (127): 42–45.
- Brown, Matthew. "A Report on Maxilla and Dental X-Rays". Starchild Project. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- Robinson, Ted J. "A Preliminary Analysis of a Highly Unusual Human-Like Skull". Starchild Project. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- Phoenix, Jack (Early 2005 (special)). "Unconvention 2004". Fortean Times (191): 28–30.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Chow, Adelina (2006). "The Mystery of the Starchild Skull". World-Mysteries.com. Retrieved 2006-10-01.
External links
- The Starchild Project: Lloyd Pye's website on the skull
- The Starchild Project - Critical overview by Steven Novella
- The Mystery of the Starchild Skull (critical)
