The Starchild Skull's eye sockets (orbits) are only about 0.7 inches at the deepest point, compared to normal human eye sockets which average about 2 inches. This may have caused the eyes to bulge out of the sockets, which is a common feature of many deformities including hydrocephaly. In these cases the bulging is caused by internal pressure forcing the eye sockets outward. This is not the case in the Starchild, where such pressure was ruled out by a study led by Dr. Robinson, however the feature continues to cause confusion among skeptics.
The eyes are positioned lower on the face than normal human eyes, and are lacking a brow ridge.
- The Starchild Skull (right) compared to a normal human skull (left)
- The eye socket, also called an "orbit" of the Starchild Skull (right) compared to a normal human (left).
- The shape of the Starchild's orbit (left) is significantly different to that of a normal human (right).
- The "Optic Foramens" are the holes and slits inside the orbits that allow the optic nerve and blood vessels etc. to reach the eye ball. In the Starchild Skull (right) these are a different shape and in a different position than in a normal human (left).
- The unusual eye sockets (orbits) of the Starchild would have been reflected in unusual facial features. Here an artistic recreation of the Starchild's face by artist RobRoy Menzies is compared to an "average" human face created by the University of Regensburg. Notice the location of the eyes and the Starchild's small lower face.