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

"Researchers from the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project (LDVP) that by analyzing the drawing of Holy Child and other Renaissance artifacts, such as letters written by a da Vinci relative, 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. The findings, first reported in , could be the first time scientists have identified DNA from da Vinci himself."

"Historical artifacts can accumulate DNA from the environment and potentially offer useful information about the people who created and handled them. Gathering that material on such precious objects without damaging or contaminating them, though, is a complex challenge. The LDVP researchers therefore used an extremely gentle swabbing method to attempt to collect biological material. They then extracted small amounts of DNA, which provided useful information."

Y chromosome DNA sequences matching the broader E1b1b clade were recovered from swabs of the Holy Child drawing and other Renaissance artifacts linked to a da Vinci relative. Gentle, non-destructive swabbing yielded small amounts of DNA amid heterogeneous mixtures of non-human material. Male-specific Y chromosome markers were sparse but align with a lineage common in southern Europe, Africa, and parts of the Middle East. Mixed DNA signatures indicate contributions from handling and environmental contamination. Some of the recovered Y chromosome signals are consistent with ancestry linked to Tuscany and could derive from Leonardo da Vinci himself.

Read at WIRED