Was ‘Unknown’ DNA Found in Peru Mummies? What We Know

Researchers in Mexico claimed this week that mummified aliens discovered in Peru have 30 percent DNA from “unknown species.”

In September, two “non-human” corpses, alleged to be at least 1,000 years old, were displayed to Mexico’s Congress. The specimens were unveiled by self-proclaimed ufologist and journalist Jaime Maussan, who told the congressional session in Mexico City: “They are beings, non-humans who are not part of our terrestrial evolution and that after disappearing we do not [think] there is a subsequent evolution.”

Now, the same group says research it organized found the “non-human” objects contained genetic material from an unknown species, the Daily Mail reported.

The presentation comes amid growing interest in alien life and extraterrestrials, with U.S. politicians arguing that the American government should reveal any information it has about Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), a term that encompasses UFOs.

While interest from institutions such as the U.S. and the Mexican Congress has helped to legitimize the conversations around UFOs, the latest presentation about “unknown species” and “mummified” alien life is still pretty flimsy.

What We Already Know

While the unveiling of the objects in Mexico’s Congress was presented as if they had been newly discovered, the “non-human” specimens have been the subject of documentaries and investigations for years.

In 2021, skeptics Scientists Against Myths reviewed a 2020 documentary about the objects, referred to as the “Nazca Humanoid Mummies.” The documentary had been uploaded on the website Gaia, which is known for its pseudo-scientific and conspiratorial content.

The film followed the discovery of several sets of remains said to have been found in Peru between 2015 and 2016, including what looked like the smaller, infant-like artifacts shown at the Mexican Congress.

During the documentary, X-rays of the remains appear. However, Scientists Against Myths found that they contained a mixture of human and non-human bones, with joints incorrectly positioned so that if the creatures attempted to stand or walk, they would fall apart.

The same creatures appeared to match the “non-human” objects displayed in the Mexican Congress.

Further, a 2021 paper published in the International Journal of Biology and Biomedicine, which analyzed a CT scan of the remains, said that “the head of the small body is largely made of a deteriorated llama braincase and other unidentified bones.”

The paper concluded that “the finds are constructions of very high quality.”

Jaime Maussan Flota, who presented to Mexico’s Congress this week and in September, was also involved in the spread of the “Nazca mummy” story in 2017.

NASA has also questioned the legitimacy of the Mexico presentation’s claims. At a press conference in September for the release of a NASA report on UAP sightings, David Spergel, president of the Simons Foundation and chair of the UAP Independent Study Team, was asked about the remains displayed in Mexico.

Spergel said if he were to make a recommendation to the Mexican government, he would advise that “if you have something strange, make samples available to the world scientific community and we’ll see what’s there.”

Daniel Evans, assistant deputy associate administrator for research with NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, added: “One of the goals of what we’re trying to do here today is to move conjecture and conspiracy toward science and sanity and you do that with data.”

What Was Revealed This Week?

According to the published report, Maussan asked a group of researchers to conduct a DNA analysis that found 30 percent was “not from any known species,” the figures “authentic” and composed of a single skeleton, despite evidence elsewhere to the contrary.

Maussan has alleged that the objects underwent carbon dating, finding they were more than 1,000 years old, adding: “Whether they are aliens or not, we don’t know, but they were intelligent and they lived with us. They should rewrite history.”

According to the report, Maussan told the Mexican Congress: “This is the first time extraterrestrial life has been presented in this manner. We have a clear example of non-human specimens unrelated to any known species on our planet.

“The public has the right to know about non-human technology and beings. This reality unites humanity rather than dividing us. We are not alone in this vast universe. We should embrace this truth.”

Although Maussan’s claims have been supported by some researchers, the data and work regarding the mummies do not appear to have been publicly shared beyond what was presented in Mexico’s Congress.

Maussan’s presentations have not been universally well-received, either. According to a report by Times of India, Mexican legislator Cynthia López referred to Maussan’s claims as “lies.”

While the story from Mexico is not well-supported by publicly available evidence, UAP enthusiasts in the U.S. have urged the American government to begin releasing information to avoid being undermined by other nations.

At a recent symposium of Washington insiders, Colonel Karl E. Nell called for a “campaign plan” that would force greater transparency and a “Manhattan project” to reverse engineer recovered UFOs or UAP.