On September 14, Mexico’s Congress held a public hearing on “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” (UAP)—the term now widely used to describe what was once simply called UFOs. This follows similar hearings held in the U.S. over the past two years, according to Live Science.
One of two bodies that Jaime Maussan said were “not human”/ Photo: Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu Agency
During the session, Mexican journalist Jaime Maussan, along with military doctor José de Jesús Zalce Benítez, showcased two unusual mummified bodies stored in coffin-like boxes. The specimens, each less than one meter tall, appeared thin, gray-skinned, and had oversized heads. Maussan claimed that DNA analysis suggested the bodies—each with three fingers—were non-human, and that scans showed eggs inside the abdomen, hinting at reproductive capability. According to him, the specimens originated from Peru, and carbon dating indicated they were around 1,000 years old.
However, these same bodies caused controversy when first revealed in 2017 and 2018. At that time, scholars concluded that the remains were actually composed of manipulated human body parts. Despite new claims, Maussan insisted he wasn’t explicitly saying they were extraterrestrials.
Scientists Call It Pseudoscience
Dr. Rafael Bojalil-Parra, Director of Research at the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAD) in Mexico City, called the entire affair “nonsense.”
“The fact that Congress allowed a self-proclaimed UFO expert to testify reflects the current trend of anti-scientific thinking in Mexico,” he stated.
He also denied claims that UAD conducted DNA testing on the specimens. While a carbon-14 test was performed in 2017, Bojalil-Parra said the university was bound by a commercial agreement that prohibits them from disclosing the results.
Meanwhile, Dr. David Anderson, associate professor of anthropology at Radford University in Virginia, emphasized that carbon-14 dating wouldn’t even apply to alien life.
“Carbon dating relies on radioactive carbon atoms created in Earth’s upper atmosphere by solar radiation,” he explained. “To date an alien body, we’d need to know the carbon-14 ratio of their own planet—not Earth.”
Missing Scientific Review and Transparency
Other scientists have dismissed Maussan’s presentation as lacking scientific credibility.
Dr. Andrew Nelson, Chair of Anthropology at Western University in Ontario, said previous studies indicated the bodies were modified human mummies, deliberately altered to look alien.
Dr. Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Cayetano Heredia University and the Natural History Museum in Lima, Peru, analyzed the foot structures in 2017 and noted:
“The feet showed signs of surgical modification—specifically at the first and fourth toes, where skin and soft tissue had been cut to create the illusion of long, alien-like toes.”
Despite referencing DNA and carbon testing, Maussan has not submitted any results for peer review. This lack of transparency has raised further skepticism. And if the remains are truly 1,000 years old and Peruvian, experts are now asking:
Were the specimens illegally removed from Peru? And if so, how did they leave the country?
