A 20-year genetic investigation into the remains of Christopher Columbus has challenged traditional historical accounts, suggesting the explorer may have been a Spanish Jew rather than a native of Genoa. The findings were announced on Saturday during a special programme on Spain's national broadcaster RTVE, coinciding with the country's national day.
José Antonio Lorente, a forensic medical expert at the University of Granada who led the research, stated that Columbus's DNA was 'compatible' with a Jewish origin. He noted that analysis of the Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA from Columbus's son, Fernando Colón, showed traces consistent with Jewish ancestry. Lorente added that the likely origin was the Spanish Mediterranean region or the Balearic Islands, as there was minimal Jewish presence in Genoa during the 15th century.
The findings have been met with caution by other experts. Antonio Alonso, a geneticist and former director of Spain's National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, criticised the lack of published data, saying 'the documentary never shows Columbus's DNA'. Rodrigo Barquera of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology expressed surprise that the results were shared without peer review, noting that scientific validation typically requires publication in a journal.
Lorente defended the approach, stating that the investigation is ongoing and will be published as a complete unit. The study has ended centuries of speculation about Columbus's birthplace, which had included theories of Genoese, Basque, Catalan, Greek, Portuguese, and Scottish origins.
