Archeologists find ancient infant remains with rare birth condition in Peru

Elsa Tomasto-Cagigao and her colleagues from Pontifical Catholic University discovered the remains of two infant girls in a Nazca cemetery in southern Peru.

The burial site dates back to a period between A.D. 325 and 440. The team found one infant who suffered from cyclopia, a rare condition that affects facial bones and brain development. This child had a single eye socket in her forehead, no nasal bones, and fused optic nerve openings.

Researchers noted that children with this condition typically die shortly after birth. The girls were buried together in a ceramic vessel. Genetic testing showed that the two children were not related through their mothers. Scientists believe an extra copy of chromosome 13 caused the developmental condition of the child with cyclopia.