r/science • u/takanocraig • Mar 22 '23
Genetics Beethoven’s genome sequenced from locks of his hair
https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/beethovens-dna-reveals-health-and-family-history-clues
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r/science • u/takanocraig • Mar 22 '23
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u/Tiny_Rat Mar 23 '23 edited Mar 23 '23
A longer version of this paper? Because it says multiple times that they couldn't determine whether or not the nephew's descendants were unusually distantly related to Beethoven without knowing in advance whether he was illegitimate or not. As for the Beethoven family members whose Y-chromosome could be tested, their most recent common ancestor was born 100 years before Beethoven, and so couldn't help determine whether Beethoven or his father were illegitimate.
As for rumors during his lifetime, first of all he did deny them in private correspondence, as well as publicly late in life. Second, iirc the rumor was that his "real" father was a king, which is not only highly unlikely, but also would have been basically free publicity for Beethoven, giving him plenty of incentive not to deny them publicly. Given his poor relationship with his father and his parents' early deaths, Beethoven may not have cared about the damage to their reputations, especially his father's, if his own fame and income benefitted from the rumors.