Leonardo da Vinci ‘relics’ discovered

[Still Waters]

Italian researchers say that they have found two “relics” belonging to Leonardo da Vinci, which may help in sourcing the DNA of the genius whose work typified the Renaissance.

The mysterious relics were traced during a decades-long genealogical study into Leonardo's family.

Historian Agnese Sabato and Alessandro Vezzosi, director of the Museo Ideale in Vinci, will announce their findings on Thursday at a conference in the Tuscan town of Vinci, where the artist was born in 1452.

https://www.seeker.com/culture/history/leonardo-da-vinci-relics-discovered-that-can-potentially-provide-his-dna

[aka CAT]

Leonardo da Vinci was the greatest.  Though the origin of the organic findings isn't 100% certain, the DNA results should be consistent with what is known about him.

[paperdyer]

Won't the DNA only confirm the era of the skeleton?  If we don't have any viable DNA from da Vinci to compare the skeletal results, how are we going to be sure?

[Gingitsune]

On 4/21/2017 at 11:49 AM, paperdyer said:

Won't the DNA only confirm the era of the skeleton?  If we don't have any viable DNA from da Vinci to compare the skeletal results, how are we going to be sure?

It says that the genealogical study researchers had found a Da Vinci man descendant of one of Leonardo's brothers on their all male line (he lives in Spain if I remember well). If the Y-DNA signature fit, we will know the ancient DNA belong to a Da Vinci.

The article also state they are looking to find descendants of Leonardo's sisters in their all women line, they would carry the same mt-DNA signature as Leonardo, his mother and his siblings.

If both Y-DNA and mt-DNA fit, it's in all likelihood Leonardo himself. That's how they identify Richard III of England, although Y-DNA didn't fit in his case, but the place of burial and the bad back were enough to confirm the bones belonged to the lost king.

Edited April 23, 2017 by Gingitsune