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Review Article

The biological relevance of a medieval king's DNA

Maarten H.D. Larmuseau, Martin Bodner
Biochemical Society Transactions Jul 31, 2018, 46 (4) 1013-1020; DOI: 10.1042/BST20170173
Maarten H.D. Larmuseau
Laboratory of Forensic Genetics and Molecular Archaeology, Forensic Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumLaboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumFamiliekunde Vlaanderen vzw, Merksem, Belgium
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  • For correspondence: maarten.larmuseau@kuleuven.be
Martin Bodner
Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Abstract

The discovery of the presumably lost grave of the controversial English king Richard III in Leicester (U.K.) was one of the most important archaeological achievements of the last decennium. The skeleton was identified beyond reasonable doubt, mainly by the match of mitochondrial DNA to that of living maternal relatives, along with the specific archaeological context. Since the genetic genealogical analysis only involved the DNA sequences of a single 15th century individual and a few reference persons, biologists might consider this investigation a mere curiosity. This mini-review shows that the unique context of a historical king's DNA also has relevance for biological research per se — in addition to the more obvious historical, societal and educational value. In the first place, the historical identification appeared to be a renewed forensic case realising a conservative statement with statistical power based on genetic and non-genetic data, including discordant elements. Secondly, the observation of historical non-paternity events within Richard III's patrilineage has given rise to new research questions about potential factors influencing the extra-pair paternity rate in humans and the importance of biological relatedness for the legal recognition of a child in the past. Thirdly, the identification of a named and dated skeleton with the known historical context serves as a reference for bioarchaeological investigations and studies on the spatio-temporal distribution of particular genetic variance. Finally, the Richard III case revealed privacy issues for living relatives which appear to be inherent to any publication of genetic genealogical data.

  • ancient DNA
  • celebrity genetics
  • forensic identification
  • genetic genealogy
  • King Richard III
  • Abbreviations

    DTC,
    direct to customer;
    EPP,
    extra-pair paternity;
    MRCA,
    most recent common ancestor;
    mtDNA,
    mitochondrial DNA
    • © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society
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    August 2018

    Volume: 46 Issue: 4

    Biochemical Society Transactions: 46 (4)
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    The biological relevance of a medieval king's DNA
    Maarten H.D. Larmuseau, Martin Bodner
    Biochemical Society Transactions Aug 2018, 46 (4) 1013-1020; DOI: 10.1042/BST20170173
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    The biological relevance of a medieval king's DNA
    Maarten H.D. Larmuseau, Martin Bodner
    Biochemical Society Transactions Aug 2018, 46 (4) 1013-1020; DOI: 10.1042/BST20170173

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    • Article
      • Abstract
      • Introduction
      • Forensic genetic identification and the public
      • EPP behaviour
      • Bioarchaeology
      • Genetic privacy
      • Conclusion
      • Funding
      • Competing Interests
      • Acknowledgements
      • References
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    Keywords

    ancient DNA
    celebrity genetics
    forensic identification
    genetic genealogy
    King Richard III

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