"Beethoven's DNA reveals family secrets and medical mysteries"
TL;DR
Researchers have extracted DNA from strands of Beethoven's hair to study his health problems and hearing loss. They found a genetic risk for liver disease, a liver-damaging hepatitis B infection, and chronic drinking, which were probably enough to cause the liver failure that killed him. The study also revealed a discrepancy in the Y chromosomes of living members of the extended Beethoven family, suggesting an extramarital relationship in the composer's family tree. However, the mystery of what caused Beethoven's hearing loss remains unsolved.
- DNA from Beethoven's hair offers clues about what made him sick NBC News
- Locks of Beethoven's hair reveal secret family history and health issues CNN
- Scientists are investigating Ludwig van Beethoven's DNA nearly 200 years after he died. #shorts Associated Press
- DNA From Beethoven’s Hair Unlocks Medical and Family Secrets The New York Times
- DNA From Beethoven's Hair Unlocks Family Secret The Wall Street Journal
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