“They look like humans, but they are not. Its anatomical structure is different,” the researchers said, speculating that the remains may be extraterrestrial.
Mummified remains found in an ancient Peruvian temple in Nazca last year are not human and may in fact be alien in origin, scientists claim.
One of the six three-fingered mummies, called Maria, was analyzed by Russian researcher Konstantin Korotkov and a radiologist specializing in computer tomography, Natalya Zaloznaya. Tissue samples taken from the body were analyzed by the pair, who concluded that the creature is humanoid, but not human.
Covered in a layer of white dust later identified as cadmium chloride, a natural antibacterial, Maria’s body and inner organs were perfectly preserved. Zaloznaya says that down to the 23 chromosomes, the heart, trachea, liver, spleen and diaphragm are consistent with those of a modern human.
Korotkov, a professor at the National Research University of Russia, said: “Each of the small mummies has two arms, two legs, a head, a pair of eyes and a mouth. The tomographic scans reveal their skeletons.”
Korotkov speculates the beings may be extraterrestrial, bio-robots or a prehistoric tribe: “The tissue has a biological nature and its chemical composition indicates that they are human. Its DNA presents 23 pairs of chromosomes, just like us. The four are men, each with a chromosome. They look like humans, but they are not. Its anatomical structure is different.”
The elongated skull, six fingers and six toes tell a different story. Among these more obvious oddities, the mummy also differs from human anatomy with a keel-shaped upper rib section, no nasal cavities, no outer ears and an immovable lower jaw.
The 70cm-tall beings lived somewhere between 6,500 and 4,000 years ago and were most likely wiped out by either a comet or a major flood.
“A handful of those who survived met savage tribes of prehistoric men and taught them crafts and agriculture. They mated with local women. They had three fingers and this genetic characteristic could become evident in future generations,” said the professor, adding that the community may have reached a higher stage of advancement thousands of years ago.
“By the way, you can see three-toed creatures in the petroglyphic drawings found in Peru,” Korotkov said.
Amid rising skepticism, skeletal specialist Dr Edson Vivanco confirmed their legitimacy in an interview with British newspaper the Daily Express: “There are lots of details that indicate that the bodies are real. To recreate a skull with these characteristics is a very difficult task. So far, we haven’t found anything to say it is a fraud, or that the bodies have been modified or altered in any way.
“At the moment we are doing a detailed analysis to see if the shape and the position of all the chromosomes, of all the amino acids, coincide with ours.”
