Scientists discovered 6 living relatives of the genius of all time through DNA

Living relatives of Leonardo da Vinci discovered: sensational discovery by geneticists

As reported by Iflscience, scientists from the "Leonardo DNA" project have identified six contemporaries who may be relatives of the great Renaissance genius. This discovery is the result of a large-scale genealogical study, presented in the book "Genìa Da Vinci. Genealogy and Genetics for Leonardo's DNA" by Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato from the Leonardo da Vinci Heritage Association.

Researchers managed to recreate an impressive genealogical tree spanning almost 700 years, 21 generations, and more than 400 people. The study of the male line revealed 15 living men descended from Leonardo's father and his half-brother Domenico Benedetto.

Biologists David Caramelli and Elena Pilli conducted a thorough genetic analysis of six men. All of them had matching segments of the Y chromosome, indicating an uninterrupted male genetic line that has been preserved for at least 15 generations.

However, Leonardo's own DNA has not yet been officially identified. Scientists examined bone remains from the tomb of the Santa Croce church in Vinci, where the master's relatives are buried, but only one sample passed preliminary analysis.

Despite the need for further research, it is already clear that the people found are not direct descendants of Leonardo, since, according to historical data, he had no children. Nevertheless, it is known about the numerous half-brothers and sisters of the genius, whose descendants probably live among us today.