500-year-old mystery: Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA traced through 15 generations
SMRTR summary
Five hundred years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci's genetic legacy is being unraveled. A team of researchers has traced the Renaissance master's family tree back to 1331, identifying 15 living male-line descendants.
"Our goal is to enable scientific research on his DNA," says Alessandro Vezzosi, co-author of a new book on the project.
By analyzing Y chromosome markers, scientists hope to unlock the biological roots of Leonardo's extraordinary visual acuity and creativity. They're even investigating a newly discovered "Unicorn Dragon" drawing that may be an early Leonardo work.
"21st-century biology is moving the boundary between the unknowable and the unknown," says project director Jesse H. Ausubel. "Soon, we may gain information about Leonardo once believed to be lost forever."
This genetic detective work could shed light on the genius's left-handedness, health conditions, and even his cause of death.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
Read the original article