The Starchild Skull was recently featured in a National Geographic Channel documentary titled "Ancient Astronauts," a part of the "Is It Real?" series. Click to read a rebuttal by Lloyd Pye.

The program briefly mentioned the main anomalous features of the Starchild skull, then presented forensic anthropologist, Dr. William Rodriguez III, who compared the skull to an otherwise healthy human skull with abnormal parietal bossing (expansion of the parietal bones). Dr. Rodriguez asserted that the similarity in the parietal areas of the two skulls, the Starchild must represent an explainable human deformity [1]. This, however, fails to account for the myriad other abnormalities of the Starchild Skull.

The table below gives a summary comparison of the main characteristics of the Starchild Skull (SC) and a skull with abnormal parietal bossing (PB) like the one presented by Dr. Rodriguez, followed by a series of photographs showing direct comparisons of the two. Scroll down to view all evidence, or click in the table to jump to the points that interest you. The evidence presented below clearly shows that, while the abnormal human skull does have an unusual shape, it is not the shape of the Starchild. In addition, the abnormal skull appears to have otherwise normal eye-sockets, bone thickness, facial shape, and cranial formation, while the same cannot be said for the Starchild [2]. While we respect Dr. Rodriguez's professional opinion, examination of all aspects of the skulls proves that that the parietal bossing of the skull he presented does not truly resemble the parietal bossing evident in the Starchild, and in no way explains or accounts for the other abnormal aspects of the skull.

For more information about the abnormal shape and composition of the Starchild Skull, please peruse the website. We suggest you begin with "What is the Starchild?"

There are 8 bones externally visible on a human skull: the frontal bone, two temporal bones, two parietals, the occipital, the two external surfaces of the sphenoid, and two external surfaces of the ethmodial bone [14]. In addition there are the internal bones: the sections of the ethmodial behind the nasal bone and between the eye sockets [15], the internal sections of the sphenoid [16], and the six inner ear bones, or "auditory ossicles" inside the temporal bone [17]. Also, the 14 bones that make up the face:  two nasal bones, two lacrimals, two zygomatics, two palatines, two inferior nasal conchæ, the vomer, the two bones of the maxilla, and the mandible (lower jaw) [18]. The Starchild is missing most of the facial bones, and both skulls are presented without mandibles.

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Below is a series of photographs of the Starchild skull (SC) compared to a skull with abnormal parietal bossing (PB), which is either the same skull, or a skull very similar to, the one presented by Dr. Rodriguez in the National Geographic Documentary.

Front view of both skulls.

SC's orbits (eye sockets) are half normal depth [19], while PB's orbits appear to be of normal depth. The two skulls are sitting side-by-side, so an accurate size comparison can be made. Note that SC is somewhat wider than PB. SC's bone is uniformly half as thick, and half as heavy as normal human bone [20], while PB's bone falls within normal parameters in all ways. Again it should be mentioned that most of SC's facial bones are missing, however, from the remaining bones we are able to determine that it had facial features about half normal size, with small cheekbones (shown below), and a jaw about half normal size [21]. PB's facial features fall well within the normal size range.

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Underside view of both skulls showing reconstruction of SC's zygomatic (cheek) bones (left), in comparison to PB's zygomatic bones (right).

As can be seen above, and as noted by Dr. Ted Robinson, SC's zygomatic processes are about 50% smaller than normal, and arch off the face less than half an inch, as opposed to the normal arching out about three-quarters of a inch from the maxilla [22]. PB has normal zygomatic bones.

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Close up view of orbits (eye sockets) of both skulls showing the position of the optic foramens.

SC's optic foramens, the holes in the orbits through which blood vessels and nerves pass, are nearly an inch lower than they should be, situated at the bottom of the orbit, rather than the centre [23]. PB's optic foramens appear to be situated in their normal position, at the central, deepest part of the orbit. Also note that SC has no brow ridges[24] (the superciliary arches of the frontal bone [25]), compared to the normal brow ridges exhibited by PB.

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Top view of Starchild (left) and skull with parietal bossing (right)

This is a view of both skulls from the top looking down. The top of a normal adult human skull is divided into three parts, the frontal bone which makes up the front part of the skull and attaches to the face, and the two parietal bones that make up the back of the skull [26]. Dr. Rodriguez contends that the parietal bones of the skull he presented resemble the parietal bones of the Starchild skull. It should be noted that the parietals on Dr. Rodriguez's skull do exhibit definite bossing (expansion). However, it is clear the shape of this bossing does not truly resemble the bossing of SC's parietals. The most notable feature of SC's bossing is the dent that runs down the middle of the skull, along the saggital suture [27], giving the skull a "heart-shaped" appearance (as can be seen in the outlined image below). This is not present on PB, which apart from the parietal bossing, exhibits the normal rounded shape of a typical human skull. SC's sutures were healthy and growing at the time of death [28], showing no indication deformity, or artificial cranial shaping (head binding) [29].

Same view as above with the outlines of the tops of both skulls highlighted and the parietals tinted blue.

The view above highlights the difference in the shape of the parietals (shown in blue).

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Side view of Starchild (left) and skull with parietal bossing (right), with a cylindrical film canister between the two to hold the Starchild upright.

This side view again shows the parietal bossing evident in both skulls. However, while PB's parietals extend downward in a typical, though exaggerated, curve, SC's parietals slope steeply inwards and attach to a greatly flattened occipital that slopes steeply inward toward the neck [30]. This sloping occipital is one of SC's most noticeable features, while PB has an occipital only slightly different from normal to accommodate the bulging parietals, but still conforming the the standard shape expected of an occipital bone. With the exception of the parietal bossing, PB appears to be typical of normal, healthy human skulls in all respects. Compare to the normal human skull shown right. SC, however, is atypical in almost all respects [31]. This is more clearly evident in the outlined view below.

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