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Ancient DNA Finally Solves a 16th-Century Murder Mystery
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- A new study published in iScience has confirmed that Grand Duke Francesco de Medici and his wife Bianca Cappello died of malaria, not poisoning as previously rumored.
- Researchers from Yale University and the University of Pisa extracted genetic material from Francesco's skeletal remains, identifying two species of Plasmodium parasites responsible for malaria.
- The study also found evidence of a previously unknown strain of Plasmodium falciparum, which may have contributed to the parasite's historical spread in central Italy.
- Analysis of Francesco's brother Cardinal Giovanni de Medici's remains confirmed he also died of malaria, highlighting the disease's prevalence in Renaissance Italy.
- These findings provide valuable insights into malaria's evolution and historical distribution, aiding current research on the disease, which still affects millions globally today.
