Bizarre Origins of 4th-Century 

"Santa Claus Bone" revealed

A pubic bone claimed to be that of St. Nicholas, whose generosity inspired tales of Santa Claus, has been dated to the fourth century by scientists at Oxford University. The researchers said they believe the bone may really come from the saint.

However, the bone has a bizarre backstory that calls into question whether the relic is really from St. Nicholas, Live Science has found.  

The saint passed away around the year 343 in Myra, in what is now Turkey. The fourth-century date of the bone "suggests that we could possibly be looking at remains from St. Nicholas himself," Tom Higham, an archaeology professor at Oxford University. The claim has gone viral online, with media outlets proclaiming that a bone belonging to the real "Santa Claus" may have been found.

 copyright T. Higham and G. Kazan, Owen Jarus