Jess Battison
The Da Vinci Code could finally be cracked after 500 years.
Well, not exactly the code you’re thinking of – not the one Tom Hanks was hung up over in the film or the famous illustration of the Vitruvian Man.
But rather the code of the man himself, Leonardo da Vinci.
Yep, scientists over at the Leonardo DNA Project reckon they’re getting closer to reconstructing the centuries-old DNA of the Italian Polymath with a major breakthrough.
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The researchers have been trying to solve their own ‘code’ as they aim to map out his genome – the total set of hereditary information which basically contains all the information for your development and functioning. So yeah, DNA.
After nearly 10 years of the project chipping away, it’s now closer than ever to achieving its main goal.
That would be to confirm da Vinci’s final resting place as the team hopes their work will enable them to ‘better understand his extraordinary talents and visual acuity through genetic associations’.
A recent press release has revealed that scientists have managed to confirm a male bloodline that they can date right back to 1331.
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Racking up the family tree, it spans 21 generations with as many as 400 individuals involved.
New developments from the project were shared as project leader and molecular anthropologist David Caramelli and forensic anthropologist Elena Pilli are said to have tested the DNA of six living descendants in the family tree.
Apparently, segments of their Y chromosome matched, signally a bloodline that goes back at least 15 generations.
So, with the potential bloodline identified, the DNA can be compared to the suspected remains of da Vinci himself and those thought to be of his close relatives.
Also part of their research, scientists have confirmed the existence of a family tomb in the Church of Santa Croce in Vinci.
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There’s long been a debate about whether the remains said to be da Vinci’s are actually his, and the scientists obviously needed a relative to be able to compare the DNA to in order to confirm it.
A project is now underway to excavate the tomb, which may contain the bones of close male relatives.
Further detailed analyses are necessary to determine whether the DNA extracted is sufficiently preserved," says Caramelli. "Based on the results, we can proceed with analysis of Y chromosome fragments for comparison with current descendants."
"Through the recovery of Leonardo's DNA," adds Vezzosi, "we hope to understand the biological roots of his extraordinary visual acuity, creativity, and possibly even aspects of his health and causes of death."