The closest relatives of modern humans, Homo sapiens, are believed to be the Neanderthals, who went extinct about 40,000 years ago. The reasons for their disappearance remain a mystery.
In the quest for answers, scientists continue to encounter perplexing questions regarding remains identified as human, yet exhibiting unusual sizes. Some remains have been lost, while others are still under study. For various reasons, modern science has yet to provide definitive answers.
Below are some of these intriguing remains.
Oversized Shinbone
In 1877, a team of geologists exploring mineral veins in Eureka, Nevada, accidentally discovered a human shinbone that had broken above the knee. This bone was lodged within a rock. After efforts to break the rock, the geologists managed to extract the bone, which included the shin, ankle, and foot.
The size of this bone is what drew attention. Measuring from heel to knee, the bone was 99 cm long, equivalent to a person standing about 2.74 meters tall. The bone was later examined, and experts concluded it belonged to a human of considerable age.
Subsequently, attempts were made to locate additional parts of the skeleton, but nothing was found. The shinbone was once displayed but has since gone missing.
Giant Footprints
In 1986, the journal *American Anthropologist* published an article about the discovery of a footprint nearly 40 cm long in West Virginia, USA. This size corresponds to a person approximately 2.13 meters tall.
Nearly 40 years later, in 1932, numerous fossilized human footprints were uncovered in gypsum rock in New Mexico, USA. These footprints were notably large, measuring 56 cm long and 28 cm wide, which would be equivalent to a person standing around 2.43 meters tall.
Mrs. Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins is the author of *Life Among the Paiutes*. (Image: Smithsonian).
Another account is mentioned in a book titled Life Among the Paiutes by Mrs. Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins – the daughter of a Paiute Indian chief – published in 1882. In this book, she recounts the story of a robust, tall, red-haired people who coexisted with her tribe, often using their strength to seize burial grounds and consume human remains. Although the timeline is vague, Sarah noted that the Paiutes defeated the last of the towering individuals around the 19th century.
At the time the book was released, many dismissed the story of the red-haired cannibals as fanciful. However, in 1912, a series of mummies with red hair were discovered in Lovelock, Nevada, where the Paiute tribe once lived. The largest of the mummies measured 2.13 meters long, with some specimens still preserved and displayed in museums and universities in Nevada, USA.
Miniature Mummy
In October 1932, a team of geologists exploring the Pedro Mountains in western Wyoming discovered a geological layer with an unusual color. Believing they had found a mineral-rich area, they detonated explosives to investigate further. After the explosion, they uncovered a crevice in the rocks. Once the dust settled, they peered inside and were astonished to find a mummy sitting upright, arms crossed, legs dangling over a rock ledge.
X-ray images confirmed that this was indeed a mummy with all body parts intact, albeit at a very small size: standing 35 cm tall and weighing 4.5 kg. Experts believe the mummy retained its full set of teeth, including wisdom teeth. This ruled out the possibility of it being a newborn; biologists suggest it belonged to an individual around 65 years old.
The miniature mummy in the hands of a normal-sized adult man. (Image: Casper College Western History Center).
There are still hypotheses suggesting it might be a child, albeit one with a rare form of accelerated aging. However, scientists have dismissed this theory since early aging does not result in the emergence of wisdom teeth.
Pre-Inca Miniature Tunnels
To the south of where the tiny skeleton was found, there are remnants of a flourishing civilization of small people. This era of little people is so distant that no stories or legends about them persist today.
At some ruins in Central America, archaeologists have often questioned the findings in these locations: small, charming architectural structures. Indeed, the tunnels and pathways discovered here are very small and low, just large enough for a toddler to walk through, while the floors show wear from tiny footprints.
These minuscule remnants have sparked curiosity among experts about whether a race of tiny people truly inhabited this area and what might have led to their disappearance.
