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

Scientists from the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project extracted DNA from a red chalk drawing called "Holy Child" and other Renaissance artifacts potentially handled by da Vinci. They discovered Y chromosome sequences matching a genetic lineage common in Tuscany, where da Vinci was born, marking the possible first identification of the master's DNA. However, the findings aren't conclusive since no confirmed da Vinci DNA samples exist for comparison, and the artifacts show mixed DNA from centuries of handling by various people.