A new DNA
analysis of hairs found in a book that once belonged to Copernicus shows a match
with the great astronomer's putative remains, seemingly confirming their
identity.
Nicolaus Copernicus,
a Polish mathematician, astronomer and Catholic cleric (among many other
pursuits), developed a heliocentric model of the
solar system, opposing the widespread belief that the Earth was the center
of the
universe.
The remains
thought to belong to Copernicus (1473-1543) were found beneath a cathedral in Frombork, Poland, in 2005.
The bones were
found close to the altar Copernicus was responsible for during his tenure as
priest, and forensic facial reconstructions using the skull look similar to
portraits of the man.
A team of
Swedish and Polish researchers sought to more firmly ID the remains by
comparing the DNA of the remains to that in hairs found in a calendar (now
exhibited at the Museum Gustavianum in Uppsala, Sweden) that belonged to
Copernicus for much of his life.
"The
analysis of several hairs resulted in interpretable profiles for four of the
hairs. Of these, two of the hairs have the same profile as the putative remains
of Copernicus," said team member Marie Allen of Uppsala University.
The Uppsala researchers also made tests of a tooth as well as bone tissue from the remains.
Results of the analysis from the Institute of Forensic Research in Krakow and
the Museum and Institute of Zoology in Warsaw and the Uppsala laboratory were
identical.
"Although
these results points towards the materials being from the same individual,
there is a probability of random match," Allen said.
The DNA
material in this case was limited and also degraded. Therefore, a so-called
mitochondrial DNA test was performed, but this test is less reliable. (Most DNA
is found in the nucleus of a cell, but mitochondria, the energy producers of
the cell, also carry DNA that is passed down from the mother.) This test is
commonly used in criminal investigations, but only as circumstantial evidence
to strengthen the case.
"The
DNA results should be looked at and evaluated in the light of and together with
the information from other disciplines as the archaeological, anthropological
and facial reconstruction data," Allen said.
The results
of the DNA analysis, first announced in November 2008, are detailed in the July
6 online issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.
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