The first pictures of the Guatemalan 'Pigboy' have been coming in, leaving scientists baffled and divided as to his origins.
Diego Esquina Mendoza was discovered living in a hut close to San Juan la Laguna, a small village near San Pedro. It appears Diego's adopted parents kept him hidden from other villagers.
Guatemalan 'Pig-Human' sightings are well documented, leading some experts to speculate if there may be a whole tribe of Pig-People hidden in the dense Guatemalan forests. The pig is a revered cultural figure in the poor South American country, and a rich tapestry of myths and legends detail many porcine deities.
Dr George E. Marcus, a leading anthropologist from the University of California remains skeptical until he has inspected Diego personally.
'From the photos and reports I've seen so far, I'm assuming some sort of one-off deformity has occurred, although I can't rule out a genetic mutation running back generations.'
He doubted it was an evolutionary off-shoot, like the Flores island 'Hobbits', or a porcine-sapient hybrid.
'Again, it's too soon to speculate, but it seems exceedingly unlikely there is an entire Pig-race out there. Although Human and Pig albumen genes are 83% identical, it's almost impossible for the two species to successfully procreate.'
Dr Marcus continues: 'Granted, the mythos of Guatemalan Pig-Gods goes back over a thousand years. Maybe snout-esque mutations raised the social standing of certain males, making them more appealing as potential mates? Time will tell.'
Dr Marcus continues: 'Granted, the mythos of Guatemalan Pig-Gods goes back over a thousand years. Maybe snout-esque mutations raised the social standing of certain males, making them more appealing as potential mates? Time will tell.'
An British and Canadian team has set out for San Juan la Laguna and hopes to complete a comprehensive DNA profile in the coming months.
