Traces of Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA May Have Been Discovered on a Red Chalk Drawing Called ‘Holy Child’

Researchers from Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project (LDVP) by drawing analysis Holy Child And other Renaissance artifacts, such as letters written by a relative of Da Vinci, they have recovered some Y-chromosome DNA sequences that appear to belong to a genetic group of people with common ancestors in Tuscany, where the genius and Renaissance master was born in 1452. sciencesThis may be the first time scientists have identified the DNA of da Vinci himself.

DNA

Historical artifacts can collect DNA from the environment and potentially provide useful information about the people who created and handled them. However, collecting these materials on such valuable objects without damaging or contaminating them is a complex challenge. Today, decisions about the composition of a work are based on expert opinions, for example, how to create a brush stroke.

So the LDVP researchers used a very gentle scanning method to try to collect biological material. They then extracted small amounts of DNA, which provided useful information. “We obtained a heterogeneous mixture of non-human DNA,“ “And in a subset of samples, scattered male-specific human DNA signals,” the study published in the journal bioRxiv states.

Da Vinci’s idea

Through the analysis, the researchers concluded that they had found the closest match within the extensive E1b1b lineage on the Y chromosome (sections of which are passed almost unchanged from father to son) which is now commonly found in southern Europe, Africa, and parts of the Middle East. They say some of the DNA may have come from Leonardo da Vinci himself.

“Through multiple independent scans of Leonardo da Vinci-associated elements, the Y chromosome marker data obtained suggested assignments within the broader E1b1/E1b1b clade,” the study stated. The results also suggest mixed DNA contributions associated with the source material, although they are consistent with modern processing.

“Together, these data demonstrate the feasibility as well as the limitations of combining metagenomics and analysis of human DNA markers for cultural heritage science,” the paper says, “providing an essential workflow for future conservation science studies and hypothesis-driven investigations of provenance, documentation, and engagement with history.”

Further investigation

While the research has shown an innovative approach, she admits that it has not produced conclusive evidence. Although the data suggests that the DNA could be that of Leonardo da Vinci, confirming that any trace of DNA in the artifacts actually belongs to him is very complicated. “Establishing an unambiguous identity…is very complex,” David Caramelli, an anthropologist at the University of Florence and LDVP member, told Science magazine.

This is because scientists cannot verify the genetic sequences of artifacts by comparing them to DNA known to have been taken from Leonardo da Vinci himself; There are still no confirmed samples. Furthermore, Da Vinci had no known direct descendants, and his burial site was breached in the early 19th century. Encouraged by the first evidence of da Vinci’s DNA, LDVP scientists now hope to persuade the curators of Leonardo’s works and notebooks to allow them to take further samples that could solve the case.

This story originally appeared in WIRED Italia and was translated from Italian.