THE GENETIC CODE

Scientists Retrieve DNA that Could Belong to Leonardo Da Vinci

The research links Y chromosomes on a sketch to a genetic group from the great’s hometown.

Scientists think they may have recovered the DNA of virtuoso artist, engineer and scientist Leonardo da Vinci. Samples were taken in 2024 from a red chalk sketch titled Holy Child, part of a private collection in New York, and believed to have been created by the High Renaissance icon. Authorship of the piece is still being disputed, but researchers from the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project say they have recovered DNA samples from it that they believe he could have left behind 500 years ago. Speaking to Science, University of Maryland biologist and co-author of the research Dr Noberto Gonzalez-Juarbe said, “Paper is porous. It absorbs sweat, skin, bacteria, DNA. All of it stays there.” “Y chromosome sequences from the artwork and from a letter penned by a cousin of Leonardo both belong to a genetic grouping of people who share a common ancestor in Tuscany, where Leonardo was born,” Science reported. The samples were analyzed by a team from Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine. One of its members, Charles Lee, told the publication that while the research suggests it could be his DNA, it is not proof. “Establishing unequivocal identity… is extremely complex,” he said.