Did Genius Have A Gene? Scientists Hunt For Leonardo Da Vinci’s DNA In Artefacts

Last Updated:January 17, 2026, 19:26 IST

Scientists are tracing Vinci’s DNA from artworks and documents, seeking clues to his work despite disputed remains, with Y-chromosome links to Tuscany emerging as a promising lead.

Scientists are tracing Vinci’s DNA from artworks and documents, seeking clues to his work despite disputed remains, with Y-chromosome links to Tuscany emerging as a promising lead. (Image: Mueseum of History)

Artist, inventor and anatomist Leonardo da Vinci embodied the very idea of a Renaissance man. More than five centuries after he died in 1519, scientists are now attempting to unlock the secrets of his extraordinary genius by tracing his DNA, as reported by CNN.

The challenge is formidable. Leonardo never had children, and his original grave at the Chapel of St. Florentin in Amboise, France, was destroyed during the French Revolution. Although some bones were reportedly recovered and reburied, their authenticity has long been disputed, leaving researchers without confirmed remains.

A genetic trail on paper and paint

With no verified body to examine, scientists have turned to an unconventional source: the biological traces Leonardo may have left behind on artworks and documents.

“There’s a lot of biological material that comes from an individual that can be tracked to a piece of paper or canvas," said Dr. Norberto Gonzalez-Juarbe, a study coauthor and assistant professor at the University of Maryland spoek to CNN. “And if you cover it with paint, it can act almost like a protective layer."

The research does not claim that any DNA recovered so far definitively belongs to Leonardo. Instead, the team says it has established a scientific framework that could be used to investigate historical artefacts more broadly. If the same Y-chromosome sequence repeatedly appears across multiple objects linked to Leonardo and his family, it could eventually help assemble parts of his genome.

Searching for clues to genius

Understanding Leonardo’s genetics could one day shed light on his remarkable abilities. Researchers suspect he may have had unusually high visual acuity, an enhanced ability to perceive fine detail, based on the precision of his artwork.

“That’s a long-term goal," said Dr Charles Lee, a professor at The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine. “I’m hoping this study is an important first step."

Handling centuries-old DNA

Extracting DNA from priceless artefacts is risky. Aware of the danger, the team first tested multiple minimally invasive techniques, including punch sampling, vacuuming and wet swabs. They ultimately found that gentle dry swabbing could recover usable DNA without damaging the artwork.

Samples taken from a Renaissance drawing known as Holy Child revealed not just human DNA, but also traces of plants and animals reflecting the environment in which the piece was created and stored. After ruling out modern contamination, researchers identified markers pointing to Italy as the artwork’s origin.

Among the findings was DNA from orange trees possibly linked to Tuscany’s famed Medici gardens and wild boar DNA, consistent with the animal-bristle paintbrushes commonly used during the Renaissance.

“We can’t be 100% certain where that pig DNA came from," Lee said, “but it matches what we know from art history."

A familiar Y chromosome

Lee’s team analysed DNA from multiple swabs of Holy Child, letters written by a relative of Leonardo’s grandfather and other Renaissance-era works. To avoid bias, the samples were examined blindly and compared with control samples from the researchers themselves.

The analysis revealed that genetic markers from one letter and the drawing were related and belonged to the Y-chromosome haplogroup E1b1—a paternal lineage found today in a minority of men in Tuscany. While not rare, the haplogroup is consistent with Leonardo’s birthplace and life history.

“This is not definitive proof," Lee stressed. “These are initial observations. But it gives us a foundation to collect more data to confirm or refute what we’re seeing."

Skepticism and cautious optimism

Some experts urge caution. Francesca Fiorani, an art historian at the University of Virginia, said the attribution of the Holy Child to Leonardo is debated and argued that documents written by Leonardo’s father might have been more suitable for genetic analysis.

Others, however, praised the methodology. S. Blair Hedges of Temple University called the approach promising, noting that assembling Leonardo’s genome would likely require multiple lines of evidence—including authenticated remains or DNA from descendants of his father.

The road ahead

Researchers involved in the Leonardo da Vinci Project are now working with French authorities to sample artefacts held in France, focusing on notebooks and lesser-handled drawings rather than famous works like the Mona Lisa. Other teams are collecting samples from Leonardo’s paternal descendants, while interest remains in testing the disputed bones.

Lee hopes all these efforts will eventually converge. If the same Y-chromosome lineage appears consistently across artefacts, descendants and potential remains, confidence in the findings would grow.

For now, the outcome remains uncertain, and that, Lee says, is part of the appeal.

“It’s like watching a movie," he said. “If you already know the ending, there’s no gratification. But when you don’t know what’s coming, the journey itself becomes more fulfilling."

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