A mummified skeleton with a conical head and 10 ribs, nicknamed ‘Ata’, was discovered in an abandoned church in 2003 leaving many to believe it was an alien

The tragic story behind a mystery ‘alien’ skeleton that was just six inches long has finally been uncovered.

For years, the mysterious remains left researchers baffled. With just 10 ribs instead of the normal 12 and a conical head, many have long believed that the mummified skeleton belonged to an alien, the Daily Star reports.

Nicknamed “Ata”, it was discovered in an abandoned church back in 2003 after being found by treasure hunter Oscar Muño.

The remains were found kept in a leather pouch and wrapped up in white cloth tied with a ribbon, adding to the mystery.

The discovery left scientists baffled and alien theories were fuelled after a UFO documentary featured Ata back in 2013.

The doc, called Sirius, wildly speculated it could belong to a tribe of alien visitors and prompted a mass of believers to descend on the abandoned mining town.

It was first thought to be ancient, but analysis in 2012 proved the tiny skeleton found in La Noria in the Atacama Desert in Chile was actually from the 1970s.

Now, scientists from Stanford University in San Francisco and the University of California have examined the tiny skeleton and found that it tragically belonged to a baby girl who died around 40 years ago.

Its unusual appearance turned out to be down to several genetic conditions that they believe contributed to the structure of the bones.

Studies showed a number of mutations in seven genes that separately or in combinations contribute to various bone deformities, facial malformations, or skeletal dysplasia, which is more commonly known as dwarfism.

Scientists believe the child died just after birth or was even born prematurely.

The research into Ata was published in a report on Genome Research, which highlighted the mutations linked with dysplasia.