Scientists have recovered tiny DNA traces left on Renaissance artifacts, at least some of which they suspect belong to visionary Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci.
They have recovered trace DNA from a red chalk drawing on paper called “Holy Child”, possibly made by da Vinci, and letters written by his ancestor, Frosino di Ser Giovanni da Vinci, held at a historical archive in Italy, according to The Independent.
Some Y-chromosome DNA sequences from the “Holy Child” artwork and from a letter penned by one of Leonardo’s cousins appear to belong to a genetic grouping of people with a shared ancestry in Tuscany, where the painter was born, according to the study.
When scientists compared the Y-chromosome DNA sequences from the artifacts with large Y-chromosome reference databases, they found the closest match within the broad lineage.
This Y-chromosome lineage is found today at notable frequencies in southern Europe, including Italy, North Africa and parts of the Near East.
Some of the DNA may be from da Vinci himself.
However, this is not conclusive proof, as establishing that any DNA trace from the artifacts indeed belongs to da Vinci is extremely complex, researchers said.
This is because scientists can’t verify genetic sequences from the artifacts against DNA known to have come from da Vinci himself. The iconic inventor has no known descendants and his burial site was disturbed in the early 19th century.
Historical artifacts can accumulate DNA from their environments and can potentially offer useful information about the people who created and handled them, the materials used to make them as well as the environments they passed through.
But studying such precious objects without damaging or contaminating them has long been a challenge.
Now, though, scientists have developed a “minimally invasive” method to recover “biological signatures of history” from Renaissance artwork and correspondence associated with da Vinci’s ancestors.
Most of the DNA traces belong to bacteria, fungi, plants, and viruses, shedding light on the nature of the materials of these artifacts, their storage environment, conservation treatments, and handling over the years.
Some of the genetic material, however, comes from humans.
Since the artifacts assessed in the new study were associated with male historical figures, scientists looked at markers of Y-chromosome DNA found in the biological samples.
“To enable stronger claims, especially relating to provenance, geolocation, or historical characteristics, future work is needed to help distinguish artifact-associated signal from modern handling,” researchers said.
